PARLIAMENT.

Evening Star, Issue 4239, 27 September 1876, Page 3

PARLIAMENT.

[By Telegraph.]

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

THE COUNTIES BILL.

September 26. On a motion to go into committee on the Counties Bill, Mr Sbymoub to'ok exception to many clauses, especiallyoto the extra borrowing powers granted to Counties, Mr Rollestok considered the principal defect of the Bill was that it separated the towns from the country—that it took too sudden a step in the direction of ohange. His ideas were: —l. That the Counties shall include boroughs, and shall be coterminous with the existing Provinces, subject to alterations in their boundaries, as provided for in section 9 of the Counties Bill, and with power to create new Counties. 2. That- there shall be a Council for each County or Province, consisting of not less than nine, and not more than fifteen members. 8. Such Council shall be elected by the road boards and municipalities within each Cou ity or Province, and when no road boards are constituted provision shall be made for the division of the County into districts for tins purpose, 4. The Chairman of the Council shall sit m the Council, and shall have a delibera--t

tirt and oaiting rote cex all procadingi of the Connell. 6. In addition to the discharge of such business as shall be entrusted to him by the Council, the Chairman shall perform such duties as may from time to time devolve upon him by authority of the Governor, or of the General Assembly. The boundaries of the Counties were not at all satisfactory. They shonld be coterminous with those under the Provincial system. The land fund should be evenly distributed ; the separation of boroughs was a grave mistake, and calculated to impair the satisfactory working of the Act. The election of members of County Councils should bo left to the Road Boards and boroughs. He intended to offer no factious opposition to the Bill.

Sir George Grev wished to know what reply the Government had received from the Home Government as to the Abolition of Provinces.

The Hon. Mr Reynolds expressed regret that the Government did not deem it necessary to offer some explanation as to the reasons which had guided them in remodelling the Bill, which was practically a new Bill. There was an almost unanimous wish on the ipart of Otago members that Otago should be one county, and it would be wise for the House not to ignore the wide-spread feeling of the people of Otago in this matter.

Messrs Joyce and Pykb said the Otago members were unanimous in desiring that Otago should be set into one County.

The Premier stated that the alterations made in the Bill had been indicated.

In committee, clauses 3 and 6 were postponed. Clauses 7to 10 passed. Clause 11 was amended so as to euaole the tirst elected Councils to take lengthened consideration of whether they should adopt the second schedule of the Act or not; and on clause 14, relating to the creation of new Counties, Mr Reid moved a proviso that they should not have a less area than fifty square miles, which was rejected by 36 to 27. The House resumed in Committee on the Counties Bill at 7.30 p.m. The second sub-section of clause 14 provided that a petition setting forth the boundaries and signed by one-fourth of the electors could be constituted into a new County ; and on it Air Montgomery moved that “one half ” be substituted.

Mr Pyke moved that it be “ one-third.” Mr Montgomery’s amendment was carried by 35 tc 25, and the clause passed after slight amendment. Clauses 5 to 20 were passed without material alteration. Clause 22 (providing that if no agreement be come to as to assets and liabilities by the Council, then the Commissioners of Audit shall hold an inquiry) was postponed on a motion by Mr Rees. Clauses 23 to 29, inclusive, passed unaltered. Considerable discussion ensued on clause 30, which was proposed to be amended so as to allow the Council to alter Ridings and outlying districts, subject, however, to the approval of the Governor; but the proposal calling for the intervention of the Governor was negatived by 23 to 24. An amendment was then carried that the number of Hidings shall not be less than six or more than nine. Clauses 31 to 33 passed, and clause 34 was postponed.

Progress was reported, and the House adjourned at 12 35.

ABOUT THE LOBBIES.

The outgoing mail takes a petition to the Queen, through the Aborigines* Protection Society, praying that a commissioner be appointed to inquire into the working of the Native Department of New Ze> land.

The following new clause has been add id to the Municipal Corporations Act on Mr Whitaker’s motion:—lf not less than on-fourth of the burgesses of any Ward of a divided borough petition the Governor praying him to divide such Ward into twe, and publish such petition, and no counter petition is presented to the Governor, signed by not less , than one-fourth of the burgesses of the other Wards within two months from such publication, the Governor may, by proclamation, divide such Ward with such names and boundaries as he thinks fit.”

The amendment the Hon. Mr Stokes proposes to make on the New Zeeland University Act is to make all graduates of the University for the time being for a period of ten years after the passing ef this Act members of the convocation of the said University., In a thin Council of fifteen the clause passed through Committee by one vote, but the Bill is sure to be rejected on the third reading.