BILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1071, 3 December 1877, Page 3

BILLS BEFORE PARLIAMENT.

CANTERBURY RAILWAY RESERYATIONS. [By Telegraph.]

The following is a precis of the report of the Select Committee of the Legislative Council on the Canterbury Railways Land Reservation Bill. The various lines proposed are extensions of lines already made. They measure. 126 miles in length, are estimated to cost

£-150,000, and the proposed reserve is 350,000 acres. As regards Canterbury there is no reason to doubt that whether the proposed railways are built or not the fund will be amply sufficient to meet the charges of that provincial district. There is no reason to doubt that land of ample value would remain unsold, and that whether the reserves are made or not the ordinary current sales would bo sufficient to meet all charges for many years to come. The committee recommend that the Bill be passed with certain alterations, and altogether approve of constructing these railways by reserving Crown lands, provided that the reservations are of sufficient extent to ensure no charge for the construction of the line ultimately falling on the ordinary revenue. They think these railways desirable public works that would greatly promote the settlement of the country and develope its resources. [WASTE LANDS SALE BILL. The Waste Lands Sale Bill has been circulated. It is to come into force on the Ist of January next. It contains only four clauses. The third and fourth are as follows : In the interpretation of this Act the following words and expressions shall have the meanings hereby assigned to them, unless there be something in ihelcontext repugnant thereto, and “ land district” has the meaning given to that expression in the Waste Lands Administration Act, 1876. “Town land,” “village land,” “ suburban land,” “rural land” mean respectively lands included within the meaning of these expressions under the law in force in any land district in respect of which such expressions are used. “ Free selection” means any purchase of wastelands in any land district not at public auction. From and after the coming into operation of this Act, and until further provision is made for the classification of waste lands, waste lands shall be sold in accordance with the law in force in the land district where such lands are situated, but not in any case at a less price than £2 per acre, if by free selection ; and where in any land district waste lands are sold or disposed of by public auction, at an upset price of not less than £1 per acre ; provided that this section shall not apply to waste lands sold or disposed of on deferred or other periodical payments, or by agricultural leases. AMENDED FINANCIAL ARRANGEMENTS. The new Financial Arrangements Act Amendment Bill provides that from and after the coming into operation of the Act all land revenue accruing within eacli district shall be part of the consolidated revenue of the colony. In lieu of subsidies payable to County and Borough Councils, Road Boards, and River Boards under the said Act, there shall be paid out of Consolidated Fund during each financial year in respect of all sums received by way of general rates during year ending 31st March previous thereto, the sums following : —l. To each County Council a sum equal to £1 for every £1 of general rates so received by such Council, or equal to £1 for every £1 on the total of sums as received by all Road Boards or parts of Road Boards within a county, whichever of such two sums is the greater. 2. To each Road Roard and River Board a sum equal to £1 for every pound of general rates so received by each such Board. 3. To each Borough Council a sum equal to £1 for every pound of general rates ss received by each Council; but for the purposes of this section no sums shall be deemed to be received by any such Council or Board in excess of the sum receivable on a rate of Is in the £ of the annual value of rateable property. A separate account shall be kept of land revenue accruing within each district in each financial year ; and there shall be paid out of consoli dated funds for each such year in manner hereinafter provided a sum equal to twenty per cent, of such land revenue so accruing in each district. This per centage, to be paid out of consolidated fund, as mentioned in last preceding section, shall be apportioned amongst County Councils, Road Boards, and River Boards, in districts respect of which such revenue has arisen, in proportion of the subsidies payable to such several bodies. So much of the subsidies authorised to be paid by the said Act as may be payable to County Councils, Road Boards, and River Boa: ds in respect of first half ol present year, shall continue to be paid in accordance with the said Act until the whole of such subsidies are fully paid. And so much thereof as may be authorised to be paid under this Act in respect of| the remaining half of such year shall be paid in accordance with this Act in like manner, notwithstanding anything in the said Act to the contrary. All revenue 'lettings for gold mining purposes shall be, and be deemed to have been, on and as from the day the said Act came into operation, revenue payable as by the twentieth section of the said Act is provided. All fees, fines, and other similar payments arising under the Weights and Measures’ Act, 1863, and Acts amending the same, shall bo deemed to be revenue payable in manner directed by sub-sections one and |two of section twenty-three of the said Act. |The fourth tc tenth sections of said Act, both : inclusive, and the thirteenth, fourteenth, and (fifteenth sections thereof, are hereby repealed, jin bo far as same may bo inconsistent with thh ■Act. The Act is to como into op tlio lei ol January ueit.