PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 4212, 26 August 1876, Page 2

PARLIAMENT.

* (BY-TmwjßAP&l LEGISLATiVE COUNCIL.

I •WELLtNOTON, August 25. £ I* J? e °- y ? ÜBmess of importance wastha I further consideration in committee of the Public Health and Public Trust Office Bills In the former clause 150 was amended bVthe insertion of a proviso guarding againsV the use of improper lymph j and on tho latter there was some discussion as to the> power of trustees and the expenses incurred, m selling land for rates where the owner was unknown, but no decision was arrived at. •.:• ..-;

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Mmisters, m answer to questions, said n\ the Bluff-InvercargUl Railway being.in the hands of the Provincial authorities, the General Government were not aware as to S e i r^ tentioll ** regard to fencing it (2V that there wasino occasion for a Resident Magistrate at Waimate, but as the. railway would shortly be opened to that place, fort- > ' nightly visits by a Stipendiary Magistrate would be arranged for. ' * -:■ THE RATifta BILL, In Committee there was a long discussion ; on second sub-section of clause 40 relating to mining on property. A division took place on the question whether the following words should be inserted in the second clause " of section 40:-" And any lands held undei? lease or license for rmining purposes, otW thangoldmining, shall be rateable property"' only to the extent of thiir surface valuV? ihe amendment was rejected by 28 to 24. On sub-section 3 (exempting lands occupied & pub AlPW es '**» Ciown or local body of the district) two amendments were moved-one by ,Mr MurrayAmm to> ; strike out the sub-section ; the other by Mr Hukter—that the exemption should applyonly to such properties occupied by the Crown as belongs to the Crown, tut both, were rejected, and the clause passed &a printed. A good deal of discussion ensued as to whether churches, ohapels, and *3i gious schools should be exempt from rating" several holding that the clause be sSuct out. An amendment ly Mr Rows, to strike out the exemption in favor of "churches and schools established by religious bodies." was rejected by 41 against 16T The whole !l of the evening s sitting was occupied in discussing the postponed and new clauses of -■ the Bill. A number of divisions were take* on amendments proposed, but,few of them* were earned. *the recommittal of the uw was obtained in order to strike out * e i w . t . of exemption the dwelling of officiating ministers of religion, and an attempt was also made to exempt libraries, athenaeums, museums, mechanic* 1 institutes, masonic, oddfellows, and Good Templars* halls, but it was defeated. Un Mr *■ tout's motion colleges and universities were exempted from rating. THE AQENT-BENERALSWP, After the adjournment of the Houbo had been moved, the Premiss announced that he would, on Tuesday, announce to the House the course the Government proposed to take with regard to the appointment of an Agent-General. *