Provincial Council.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 167, 18 March 1854, Page 8

Provincial Council.

WEDNESDAY, Ist of March. (Continued from our last.) CATTLE TRESPASS Bill/. The Speaker having resumed the Chair, the Clerk was directed to express the thanks of the House to Mr. Wilson for his attendance and information, which was accordingly done. Mr. Witson then withdrew from below the bar. WASTE LANDS REGULATIONS. The House then went into Committee on the Waste Lands regulations, Mr. Bowen in the Chair. Mr. Tanceed said he intended to propose two resolutions, in order to gather the sense of the Council as to how the Waste Lands ought to be administered. It was not intended to bind the Council to all the details of the draft regulations; but the members would have to express their opinion as to the high or low price of land : if they decided upon the high price, whether they considered £2 sufficiently high. An opinion on this point would not bind them to the other details of the regulations. He also wished for the opinion of the Council on the subject of reserved lands ; whether they generally approved of reserves within the block, and whether the town reserves should be sold by auction or not. Some members having expressed their expectation that they were to discuss these land regulations seriatim, Mr. Tancred thought the adopting the resolution would be preferable ; for if the Committee went through all' the proposed regulations, they would not become law, and much time would be consumed. A specific opinion on the price of land we did want. However, he did not object to sitting here till 12 o'clock (cries of oh no!) The feeling of the public with regard to these regulations, he said, appeared favourable. Mr. Bealey thought the condition of neighbouring colonies had of late greatly changed; all security in the gold fields was so uncertain that capitalists dare not invest their money there ; the consequence will be that it will find vent where better security can be had ; we were now in the condition that if a sudden influx of gold came upon us without a corresponding amount of labour, it would be injurious ;■ parties were waiting only to see the price fixed, and as £2 per acre would not supply the funds necessary for roads, he would recommend the original price of £3. Mr. Hall did not know how it was possible to pass an amendment or go into the subject of the price of land, unless the Council went into Committee on clauses 16 and 17 of the regulations. Mr. Tancred thereupon withdrew his resolution, and moved that clause 16 be adopted. Capt. Simeon thought the member for Christchurch was rather frightened without a cause, and read a calculation shewing that if all the land unsold within the block was purchased at 30s. per acre, it would give the sum of three million. The price of the Canterbury Association had nothing to do with the question. He did not speak in opposition to the price of £'d, inovecl by Mr. Bealey, he wished to state only that he considered hii fears were without foundation. Mr Hall, after shewing that though land at the Hurunui might only be worth 10s. an acre, at Kaiapoi it might be worth 405., and at Chnstchurch 605., concluded by seconding the amendment proposed by Mr. Bealey. Mr. Hamilton thought it very important a long with the price to consider the size of the blocks offered for sale. He would ask the mover of the resolution in favour of £3 per acre if he would support an alteration in clause 9. It the blocks were reduced in size to 10 acres, many would give £5 or £10 per acre for what they intended beneficially to occupy. If the block were not reduced, he would leave the price at-£2. A plan might, perhaps, be devised, hy which land could be sold near the centre of population in blocks of 10 acres at £3, and in more remote places in blocks of 20 acres at £2 per acre. Mr. Packer did not believe in any great demand tor these small blocks: several wanted to sell their 3 or 5 acres and purchase larger blocks Our great want now was capital for roads to be made, and coal fields to be opened after having procured labour. ' Cap. Simeon seconded the resolution that 20 acres be the extent of ihe blocks. Ultimately this amendment was adopted.

The Committee then divided on the question of £3 or £2 per acre. For £3 per acre:—Cap. Simeon, Messrs. Bealey and Hall. For £2 per acre:—Messrs. Tancred, Hamilton, Cookson, and Packer. After some further observations from Mr. Hamilton and Mr. Packer, a resolution was passed that the Speaker be requested to communicate the following minute and resolution to His Honor the Superintendent, and request him, should he find it desirable, to submit the land regulations to the General Assembly :— " This Council having taken into their consideration, the ' Draft Terms of Purchase and Pasturage for the Waste Lands of the Crown within the Province of Canterbury,' submitted to the Council by His Honor the Superintendent, " Resolve —That this Council approve generally of the plan now proposed by His Honor for the management of the Waste Lands, and especially of the price proposed for their sale and for letting the same on lease,as being most applicable to the circumstances and condition of the Province, with the exception that the Council are of opinion that the lands should be sold in blocks of not less than 20 acres, instead of 40 as laid down in rule 9." The Speaker resumed the Chair. CHKISTCHUECH TOWN KESEBVES. Mr. Tancreb gave notice he would lay on the table the correspondence between the Superintendent and the Commissioner of Crown Lands, and added that the Commissioner hVd withdrawn the announcement of the sale of the reserves. Some notices of a formal nature were given. The following is the correspondence referred to by Mr. Tancred. It comprises a series of 7 letters; of the first six we give only a very brief analysis, the 7th, a most important one, we give in full, as there can be little doubt but that the withdrawal by the Commissioner of the reserves from sale by public auction, is mainly due to this document. ■■ >■•>.,., No. I. is from the Private Secretary of the Superintendent to the Commissioner, requesting that His Honor might be informed of the instructions under which the Commissioner had advertised the Town Reserves for sale, and enclosing a letter (No. II.), from the Civil Secretary to the Superintendent, containing certain instructions in reference to lands put up to auction. No. 111. From the Commissioner to the Private Secretary, stating that the instructions referred to in No. I. applied to land outside the Canterbury block. No. IV. From the Secretary to the Commissioner, stating that the reply to his previous note was evasive, and repeating request contained in No. I. No. V. From the Commissioner, in reply, referring to No. 111., and stating that that letter contained all the information he was prepared to give. No. VI. His Honor to the Commissioner, forwarding resolutions of Provincial Council in reference to Town Reserves. No. VII. From the Private Secretary to the Commissioner of Crown Lands, as follows: :': Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, Mar. 4, 1854. Sir, : ' , I am instructed by His Honor the Superintendent to acquaint you with the following reasons which induce His Honor to request you to postpone the sale of the Town Reserves of Christchurch, which you have announced to take place on the 13th of May, until you shall have received special instructions from the General Government onI"the subject. ; His Excellency the Governor's instructions conveyed to His Honor, of which I furnished you with, a copy, point out that all lands put up to auction, are lo be put up at a time and place specified by His Honor the Superintendent, and not by the Commissioner: nor is there anything in that letter relating to tie duties of the Commissioners of Crown Lands, which leads His Honor to believe that the Commissioner is under any circumstances exempted from these instructions. His Honor is quite aware that the terms of purchase, and the price of the land are different in different parts of the Province, but His Honor cannot understand how that can be interpreted tojiffecttbe personal duties imposed on the Commissioner, and on the Superintendent. ,His Excellency's instructions are clearly intended to indicate that

the act of selling town lands is one to be exercised solely by the Executive Government of the Province. The Despatch of the Civil Secretary to the Commissioner, dated 16th Sept., on the subject 61' reserves'is a further indication of His Excellency's intentions on this head, and oilers additional evidence of the intention that in all matters relating- to the reserving and sale of Town Lands the Provincial Government were to have a principal voice. * The reasons of His Excellency the Governor, whatever they may have been for conferring such power on the Provincial Government in the more distant parts of the Province, must be far more urgent with respect to land in the immediate neighbourhood of the capital, and in the centre of the present population, all of whose interests are immediately affected by the sale of Town Lands. Unless, therefore, there were some very distinfct instructions to the contrary, His Honor could not but consider himself bound to act in the case in question under His Excellency's instructions. .*'•<.■' i- . however, that the instructions referred to were inapplicable for the disposal of the land within the Canterbury block for the Province, His Honor would remind you that the land in question has been already sold by the Association, acting on behalf of the Crown ; that the Crown has received payment for such land, and that such payment has been received, and allowed by the Government auditors, and that the land is now held under a conveyance under Act of Parliament; that if the land be again sold by the Crown, the Crown will be selling the same property twice over, a transaction which you can hardly defend as justifiable. ' If it be argued that the former sale of the land were invalid, you must perceive that the conveyance having been issued can only be set aside in a court of law. But again, the land being now in the possession of-the Canterbury Association as private individuals, who have exercised, and are exercising the right of property over it, such as letting, and receiving [rent for the pasturage, you must perceive that any purchaser from the Crown under the proposed sale, will subject himself to an action at law for trespass, if not to violent ejection, incase he should attempt to occupy the land which he had bought; so that the Crown by selling land under such circumstances'would, advisedly, and by its own act, plunge individuals into litigation, instead of first (which is obviously the proper course) setting aside the disputed title by process of law prior to again disposing of the land. The impolicy as a mere question of finance, of selling land with a disputed title, and with the certainty of litigation is obvious, and upon these grounds falone, His Honor, on the part of the Province, which is nearly interested in the amount of the proceeds of the land sales, would feel it his duty to protest against the act of the Commissioner, iv disposing of land under circumstances which must inevitably deteriorate its selling price at an auction. ' > ■■ ■ But His Honor regrets to observe that a still more serious breach of your instructions appears to be involved in this act. By the letter of the Civil Secretary, dated the 30th Septem her, a copy of which you furnished to His Honor, you are specially instructed " to retain possession of all the lands, buildings, and articles," alluded to in your letter of the 15th of July last, " as being probably public property, and not the property of the Association, until the opinion of the Attorney-General has been taken upon the subject, after the consideration of your report upon it." Now, your letter of the loth of July to the General Government was " upon the subject of applications to purchase certain reserved lands at Canterbury claimed by Mr. Sewell as the property of the Canterbury Association." The lands you now propose to sell are a portion of the property so claimed by Mr. Sewell, held under a conveyance of the same nature and under the same authority as the rest of that property which you have specially been instructed to retain for the opinion of the Attor-ney-General. I am further to remark that having applied to you to know whether you were acting under special instructions, His Honor infers from your replies that you are acting solely on your own discretion/so that you are solely and personally liable for the position in which you will place both the Crown and the purchaser. You are also aware that the Canterbury Association, acting under the'provisions of the

Constitution Act, have proposed to the Provincial Government to accept the transference of all theiv functions and property, and that the provincial Council are at this moment engaged iii the consideration of the terms under which they will accept such transfer. The property which you now propose to sell is as you are aware, a part of that which the Association lias offered to dispose of to the province. In the absence, then, of any instructions from the Government, acting solely on your own discretion, and in a manner in which there was no obligation upon you to act at all, and that, even before you have been made acquainted with the opinion of the At-torney-General, for which you were instructed to wait, it seems to His Honor that your conduct in thus anticipating the decision of the Provincial Council, is wanting in a due consideration of the rights and interests of the Provincial Government, and is a matter of just, complaint to be laid before His Excellency. For all these reasons His Honor directs me to acquaint you that it will be his disagreeable duty, should the sale you have announced take place, to take such* steps as he may be advised to avert the evils which must ensue to the Province from the sale of land under the circuinstancesTeferred to in my letter. I;have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, (Signed) Edward D. Pucklb, Private Secretary. To Win. Guise Brittan, Commissioner of Crown Lands, Christchurch.

THURSDAY, March 9th. Members present—Messrs. Tancred, Bowen, Hall, Packer, Bealey. Prayers were read by Eev. 0. Mathias at 4 o'clock. The Speaker being absent, Mr. Bowen was moved into the Ghiir. The following letter was then read from the chair. Land-Office, Christenurch, [ March 8, 1854. \ Sir, I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 7th iust., enclosing a copy of a resolution of the Provincial | Council, requesting me to suspend any pvoceed- : ings with respect to the alienation of the Christ- ; church Town Reserves,, un til the decision of the General Government upon the subject shall be \ made known. : In- reply,. I have the honor-to inform you that lin deference to the wish thus expressed by the Provincial Council, I will suspend further proceedings with respect to the alienation of the lands in question, until I am made acquainted with the decision of the General Government, with whom I am in communication, on the subject. I have, the honour to be, Sir, Your most obedient Servant,. | W. G. Britxan. I Commissioner of Crown Lands, Canterbury. 1 The Speaker of the Provincial Council. lOn the motion of Mr. Tancred, the English I Agent's Bill was read a third time and passed. I The Empowering Bill was also read a third time and passed. KOAD BILL. ; Mr. Tancred, in moving for leave to bring in a Road Bill, stated that the object of the toll is to empower the Superintendent to appoint commissioners to examine and report on I the best means of communication between the Port and the Plains. It had been a question 1 whether a bill should be brought in, or whether I a resolution should be passed, praying the Su- | perintendent to appoint a commission ; but, on | the whole, it was considered better that it | should be by Ordinance, so that the Provincial | Council should order the work to be done. The I Government, therefore, determined to bring in I *-I*°ad Bil], authorizing the nomination of five I Commissioners, all engineers, to examine, I investigate, and report upon the subject, paying I them two guineas a day while so employed. It | was of the highest importance that this should I «c well done, and the Government thought the I proposed remuneration was not too much. ToI Morrow he hoped to be enabled to lay the Es--1 timutes on the table. I Mr. Hall thought it a pity to encumber the I statute-book with this and similar ordinances, gwiich are /or a specific object, and which could IDe dove as well by a resolution. He wished

to ask whether the proposed vvould have power to examine and report on the possibility of a tunnel being constructed for a railroad ? Mr. Tanched said it is to be an investigation of a general nature ; ideas of the kind referred to by the hon. member have been thrown out, but the immediate object is to report on the means of communication between the Port and the Plains. Mr. Hall enquired whether the Council would have to consider the report, or what means will be adopted to carry it out. Mr. Tanched said the estimates would provide for the means, and the Government would, he presumed, act on the report. This Council may not be assembled when that report is mude. Leave was given to bring in the bill. IMMIGRATION BILL. The House went into Committee on the Immigration Bill, which was passed after some slight amendment. CATTLE TRESPASS BILL. Afterwards the House went into Committee on the Cattle Trespass Bill, Mr. Bowen in the chair. The clause appointing arbitrators was read. Mr. Tancred thought it better to do every thing by enactment, and not leave it to the Superintendent to proclaim. Arbitrators are to be appointed, remuneration is to be provided for them, and a penalty is to be attached to the non-performance of their duties when called on. Mr. Hall, objected to the clause; if they could not get arbitrators to act, they would have the official ones to fall back upon ; he differed also as to the matters of detail, which he considered subjects for the Executive Government. He had another objection; the remuneration is to be fixed at 10s. a day to each arbitrator: persons might refuse to act for that sum, but if the remuneration was left to the Executive Government, the Superintendent could modify the rules. He feared the Ordinance would' break down if this power was not given to the Superintendent. Mr. Tancred confessed his surprise at the hon. gentleman proposing to give greater powers to the Superintendent; he did not feel so disposed on a former occasion. In the clause before this, the terms were settled, at 25., and he did not see why these sums should not be regulated likewise. Mr. Packeb agreed with the hon. member. AH acts of Parliament at home have the details given : he objected to give up more power to the Superintendent; immense powers have been given to him by the bills passed this day. After further observations from Mr. Tancred and Mr. Bealey, the clause was adopted. The 18th clause was passed as amended. The 19th clause was omitted. Schedule A having been read, some differences of opinion arose respecting the propriety of altering some clauses in the Schedules passed in a fuller house the day before. The Committee ultimately reported progress and the consideration of the schedules was postponed. CHUKCH PROPERTY TRUST BILL. The House having resumed, Mr. Hall proposed that the Church Property Trust Bill be read a second time, which was done by the Clerk. Mr. Tancred, in speaking of the Constitution of the Trustees, said he must object to one gentleman named on that board. From a sense of duty, no doubt, Mr. Brittau had attacked the estate of the church, it was perhaps necessary he should do so ; and this is the very reason why he is unfit for the office. A late notice in the public prints had shown that Mr. Brittan considered it his duty to endeavour to deprive the church of its property, and to deny its right to it: in fact, to confiscate the property of the church, whether right or wrong. He would therefore move that the Church Property Trusts' Bill be re-committed to-morrow with a view to the omission of Mr. Brittan's name from the Board of Trustees, inasmuch as that gentleman was not a free agent in the matter. Mr. Hall said, in reply, he believed the sense of justice was so strong in every English breast that they would hear him on the present occasion, although he was out of order, the motion not having been seconded. With reference to the remarks that fell from the hon. member, he begged to say that the Trustees were gentlemen elected at public meetings of members of the church, for the purpose of negociating with the Agent of the Canterbury Association; they were thought at these meetings fit and proper persons, aiid if the hon. gentlemen hud

gone round the whole Settlement, he could not have got names of greater weight. Such a selection prevented the charge of partiality, which any other course would have been open to; and when the hon. member proposed to resort to so extreme a measure as to exclude a name from that Trust, he felt bound to ask whether, representing as he does the Government in this House, in bringing forward this motion the hon. member is acting on his own responsibility, or on that of the GovernmentMr. Tancred said he was acting on his own responsibility. He would state that one fact in defence of the view he had taken was the appearance of an advertisement to sell property mortgaged to the church. Mr. Hall said it was true a mortgage for £10,000 was given on that property by the Canterbury Association. Now they had the right or they had not the right to mortgage that property ; for argument sake he would assume they had no good title, and by making a pretence, the Association was deceiving the public. Mr. Tancred rose to order, and said the evil was every day felt of not proceeding in order. Mr. Hall was (no doubt unintentionally) mistaking his (Mr. Tancred's) arguments. The Bill then passed a third time as read. Mr. Hall asked when, the estimates would be brought forward. Mr. Tancred hoped to lay them on the table to-morrow, and on Tuesday to go into the consideration of them. Mr. Tancred then gave notice for Committees to-morrow on the Cattle Trespass Bill, the District Commissioner's Bill, and that he would move for leave to bring in a Debentures Bill. The House then adjourned at 7 o'clock. FRIDAY, March 10th. Prayers were said by the Rev. .0. Mathias. Only 3 members being present the House adjourned to Tuesday the 14th inst. TUESDAY,. March 14. Members present—Messrs. Rhodes, Bowen, Dampier, Packer, Hall, Tancred, and the Speaker. Prayers were read at 4 o'clock by Rev. O. Mathias. The following letter from His Honor the Superintendent was read. Superintendent's Office, Christchurch, Mar. 11, 1854. Sir, I am directed by His Honor the Superintendent to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Bth inst., transmitting to His Honor certain resolutions passed by the Provincial Council in reference to Waste Lands. I am directed to state that His Honor will have much pleasure in bringing the resolutions referred to under the notice of the General Assembly, should that body refuse to place the management of the Waste Lauds under the Provincial Government. I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient Servant, Edward Dale Puckle. Private Secretary. To the Hon. the Speaker of the Provincial Council. GOVERNMENT DEBENTURES' BILL. The subject of issuing Debentures was then referred to, when Mr. Tancred said the object of giving the Superintendent power to issue debentures, was, that iv case of deficiency arising at any time during the year, the funds necessary for carrying on the public works should be provided by issuing debentures for a short period ; if there should be no deficiency, the debentures would not be issued. It is fully expected that the whole revenue for the present year will exceed the whole expenditure, but there might possibly be a period during the year when money would be required. On the motion of Mr. Tancred, seconded by Mr. Bowen, leave was given to bring in the bill. CATTLE TBESPASS BILL. Mr. Tancked had hoped to have been able to resume the Cattle Trespass bill, but the amended Bill had not yet come from the printer's hands. He would, however, mention that the bill had been altered, leaving out the provisions for voluntary arbitration, and referring all cases to the official arbitrators. He therefore begged leave to postpone the consideration of the bill. DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS* BILL, Mr. Bowen in the chair. Mr. Tancred wished to pass the 3rd clause as it stood} because Ue would introduce a new

clause, giving the Superintendent power to increase or diminish the number of Commissioners, on a memorial emanating from the ratepayers, two-thirds of them agreeing to forward such memorial. The 3rd clause was then agreed to. The 4th clause'alluded to by Mr. Tancred having been read, Mr. Hall proposed it should be imperative on the Superintendent on receiving the memorial from two-thirds of the ratepayers to alter the number of Commissioners. Mr. Taxcbed could not conceive that the Superintendent would refuse unless some good reason should exist, and there might be some such reason ; therefore it would be safer to leave it discretionary. Mr. Dampieb supported Mr. Tancred's view, that it be a power only, and not compulsory on the Superintendent. The clause was then agreed to. Mr. Tancred asked the indulgence of the House. The gentleman who was to have laid out the districts of the whole Province for the Commissioners' Bill was absent, and the plan could not be found, if indeed it had been completed ; he hoped, however, the drawings would be obtained from Mr. Cridland, and he would proceed with the bill to-morrow. Mr. Dampier said some alteration was desirable in clause 14, which gives the Commissioners power to levy rates not only on real but on personal property also, to the latter of which he was strongly opposed. Mr. Hall said, as it involved a principle, he would move that clause 14 be considered. A long debate ensued, in which Messrs. Dampier and Hall opposed the fixing a tax on personal property. Mr. Tancred defended the measure, and concluded by moving that the consideration of the question should be deferred. An animated discussion afterwards arose on the propriety of rating at all, in consequence of the great extent of unsold lands remaining in the hands of the Crown in each district, when it was suggested hy Mr. Dampier that grants of money should be made from time to time by the Government to the different districts to be administered by the Commissioners at their discretion, rather than by levying rates, which would be peculiarly obnoxious to a new colony. Objections were also made during the discussion, to the Superintendent having the po'.ver to allocate sums to districts for public works, as there was a possibility of a district returning a government member receiving aid for public works, when a district returning a member opposed to the government might get none at all. Mr. Tancred reminded the House tliat all grants of money by the Superintendent must be submitted to the Provincial Council, and though estimates may exceed or fall short of what is required, yet all money expenditures must be sanctioned by the House. _ The Immigration Bill was then read a third time, and passed. After some notices of motion, the House adjourned at 6 o'clock. WEDNESDAY, March 15. Members present; Messrs. Tancred, Ehodes, Cass, Cookson, Packer, Hall, Dumpier, and the Speaker. Prayers were read at eleven o'clock by Rev O. Mathias. " ■ The following message from His Honor the Superintendent to the Provincial Council, was then read:— " His Honor the Supeiuntkndext in submitting a bill to the Provincial Council for the appropriation of the revenues of the province for the ensuing year, requests the attention of the Council to the following observations ; _ " By the resolutions of the 9th Nov. the Council declined to appropriate the revenues until they were satisfied of their risrht to make such appropriation by law ; and the doubts then expressed bine been shared by most of the Provincial Legislatures of the Colony. " Since the passingof these resolutions, a revenue properly belong,;<>• to the province has been created by the Provincial Revenue Ordinance or last session, wbidi has been allowed hy Ins hxccllency : and there can he no doubt but that such revenue ouyht to be appropriated oy the Council. The inconvenience of appro-

priating such revenue apart from the other funds at the disposal of the Provincial Government is obvious, and ought if possible to be avoided. "The measure now submitted lias been framed so as to assert, in the more formal manner of an Ordinance, the same principle which the Council lias already asserted by resolution. It proposes to get rid of the inconvenience of allowing- revenue, now becoming' of considerable magnitude, to be appropriated without the sanction of law, whilst by declaring that the payments under the present instructions are accepted from the general Government as a temporary loan, in aid of the Provincial revenues, and that the province undertakes to account for them in such manner as the General Assembly shall direct, it maintains a perfect consistency with the line the Council has previously taken on this subject. "The bill distinctly proclaims that the Provincial Legislature appropriates Jthat only which it lawfully can appropriate, namely the Public revenues of the province, that it does not legalise the apportionment to the province without law of any part of the general revenues of the cotony Tt" proposes to accept such part jf the General Revenues as a temporary loan, declaring the right of the General Assembly to sanction the arrangement, and undertaking to account for and if necessary to repay such advances ; and this bill has the further advantage of placing the matter in the most distinct and definite shape in which it can be brought before the General Assembly. " For these reasons the Superintendent hopes that the bill now submitted will be passed by the Council. (Signed) James Edward Fitz Gerald, Superintendent." Ordered to lie on the table. WAKEFIELD KOAD BILL. On the motion of Mr. Packer, the Wakefield Road Bill was read a third time and passed, after the correction of a clerical error, pointed out by Mr. Dampier. The Cattle Trespass Bill was further postponed. DISTRICT COMMISSIONERS' BILL. The House then went into Committee on the District Commissioners' bill. Mr. Tancued read the amended clause referred to yesterday ; it was as follows— " Provided that if a resolution shall be adopted by the ratepayers in any district in such public meeting assembled by a majority of not less than two-thirds of those piesent thereat, in favour of increasing or diminishing the number of commissioners, hereinbefore mentioned, it shall be lawful for the Superintendent by proclamation in the Government Gazette of the province, to increase or diminish the said number of Commissioners within such district, in accordance with such resolution ; and it shall be lawful for the returning-officer' to adjourn such meeting, and such election of the commismissioners to a fmure day, subsequent to the issue of such proclamation, and the election of such increased or diminished numbers of Commissioners shall lake place at such adjourned meeting." On clause 14 being read, after a long discussion, in which most of the members took part, Mr. Dampiev proposed as an amendment that personal property should' be exempted from taxation, which was carried by a majority of three votes. Mr. Taxcrf.d then said that after the vote the House had just come to, it would lie necessary to remodel the bill, in order to meet the views of the Provincial Council. The following new clause was inserted after the 13th. " Any person who by himself or by means of any one under his control shall in any way injure or damage, other than by fair and reasonable use thereof, any road, bridge, or culvert, or other public work of what kind soever, in any district in which this Ordinance shall be in operation, shall be liable to pay the cost of repairing the same, which may be lecovered at the suit of the commissioners ol' such district; and any person who shall wilfully and wantonly injure or damage any such public work, shail further be liable for each offence to a line not exceeding five pounds." The Chairman reported progress, and the house resumed.