CANTERBURY RIVERS BILL.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1016, 27 September 1877, Page 3

CANTERBURY RIVERS BILL.

Mr Pitzroy moved on the 12th instant—- '• That Mr Speaker leave the chair in order that the House might go into committee on this Bill.”

Mr Rolleston thought the House would scarcely do wisely in ordering the committal of this Bill, which was, as lie had previously explained, very objectionable in its features, and uncalled for. He was sure his lion, friend in bringing it forward did so in the belief that it was in accordance with the wishes of his constituents, but there were a considerable number of other Boards in the province of Canterbury, besides that with which the hon. gentleman was connected, who had no • wish whatever for this Bill, the provisions of which would be most mischievous to them. He therefore moved —“ That the Bill be read that day six months.” Major Atkinson was rather taken by surprise at the motion of the hon. member for Avon. He had paid great attention to that hen. gentleman’s speech upon the second reading, and understood him to say that he would support the Bill if certain amendments were made in it, which lie (Major Atkinson) believed the hon. gentleman in charge of it agreed to make. Mr Rolleston —That was the Christchurch City Reserves Bill.

Major Atkinson thought not ; but at any rate lie hoped the House would consent to go into committee on the Bill, and there make the alterations that were proposed. Mr Wakefield pointed out that the hon. member for Selwyn had proposed no alterations. He admired the manner in which the Premier supported those who supported the Government, but he was bound to say that the tact of his having fallen into such a blunder as to confound two Bills showed that he knew very little about the matter. He would support the amendment of the hon. member for Avon, The Bill was one which was directed to the requirements of one river only, and would not in the least suit the other rivers in Canterbury. He did not believe the Premier understood in the slightest degree how the Bill would affect the different rivers in that part of the country, as was shown by the hon. member muddling up one Bill with another.

Mr Wasou sincerely trusted that the House would not. agree to the amendment. If the hon. member had given to this matter the same attention which he usually bestowed upon Canterbury affairs ho would not have been so hasty in his condemnation of it. There was no doubt that some such measure was very urgently required. At the present time there were in Canterbury many districts very anxious to come under the Canterbury Rivers Act, but which could not do so. Numerous applications had been lately sent up to the Government asking that certain districts should be proclaimed under that Act, but the opinion of the Law Officer of the Crown had always been that they could not be so proclaimed. Therefore, if it was only that a clause should bo enacted such as clause 3 of the present Bill, the House should not assent to the amendment.

Mr Fitzroy thought the bon. member for Geraldine was somewhat in error in what be had stated regarding the action of the hon. member for Avon. His recollection was that when be moved the second reading the hon. member for Avon said that, if the classification clauses were reconstituted or withdrawn, he would offer no objection to the second reading. He had given no reasons on moving the Bill into committee, because he had not thought it necessary to do so. He might now, say, however, that he was ready to withdraw the classification clauses, as he found they would materially interfere with the Waimakariri River Board. As that was a large district, and us the Board had borrowed a considerable sum of money on the security of thb rateable vajue of the district, aud as the

classification clauses would interfere witli those rates, and thereby reduce the security for the loan, he did not wish to interfere with the arrangement. He adhered, however, to the principle of the Bill, which was that all members of Boards of Conservators in the various districts should be elected by those who paid rates in the districts. That was a better principle than that the Boards of Conservators should be elected by the members of the Road Boards.

Amendment negatived, and Bill considered in committee. Progress was reported, and leave given to sit again.