MARLBOROUGH PETITIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

Marlborough Express, Volume IV, Issue 164, 20 March 1869, Page 5

MARLBOROUGH PETITIONS TO THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY.

We take the following verbatim from the ‘Journals of the House of Representa-

tives’ ; f Picton Electors. —On July 22, 18tj8, Captain Kenny presented “ the petition lof 118 electors of the electoral district of Picton, praying that the district may be elected into a separate county.” The petition was ordered to lie on the table On July 24th the Public Petitions Committee reported to the House as follows :

“ This petition is in order, and boars 1 IS signatures. The petitioners pray that the House will take measures to constitute the electoral dstrict of Picton a County under local management. This is one of the numerous petitions presented to the House during the last two years, praying for local self-government. lam directed by the Committee to report that they do not deem within'their province’to offer any suggestions to the House on the subject matter of the petition.”

Pelorus Electors. —On August 4, Capt ain Kenny presented “ the petition of 105 electors of the Pelorus, for the abolition of the present form of Provincial Government in the Province of Marlborough, and the passing of a measure conferring local self-go-vernment.” On August 5, the petition was reported by the Committee as follows : “ The petitioners, 105 in number, styling themselves electors of the Pelorus, state that the present mode of Government of the Province of Marlborough is far moi e costly than is necessary or desirable, and pray that the House will transfer the entire government of the Province into the hands of the

General Government, and in the Municipal

arrangements consequent on that transfer, to keep in view the great natural boundaries which mark out Pelorus Sound and the country of which it is the seaport, to be a political division, and to provide some guarantee under Municipal Institutions that the proceeds of land sales within those bounds will be applied to render the land itself accessible. This is one of the numerous petitions presented to the House during the last two years, praying, on the part of the outlying districts, for local self-govern-ment. lam directed by the Committee to state that they do not deem it within their province to offer any suggestions on the subject matter of the petition.” I

Picton Board of Works. —On August 11, Captain Kenny presented “ the petition of the Board of Works of the town of Picton, . praying that the ‘ Provincial Acts Validation, Act, 1867,’ may be continued in force for a further period.” On August 13, it was reported as follows :

“ This petition is signed by the Chairman and six members of the Picton Board' of Works. The petitioners pray that “ The Provincial Acts Validation Act, 1867,” which expires with the present session of Parliament, may be continued in force, for a further period, to enable them to collect, by process of law, rates still due to the said Board. lam directed by the Committee to report that they are of opinion that) the prayer of the petitioners should be complied with, and that an Act for that purpose should be introduced during the present session.” - ‘ i •

Wairau Inhabitants. —On August 5, Mr. Eyes presented “the petition of 136 inhabitants of the Wairau Plain, Province Vpf .Marlborough, for the passing of. an Avjt constituting a Board, of Commissioners for The purpose of erecting protective works for preventing injuries arising from the overflow of rivets in that; district,”.: which was ordered to lie on the table. On August 11, it was reported thus:— ■ >; . “This,petition, which' is in order, is signed; by. 136 inhabitants of the Wairau Plaini. j They pray that the will pass an Act constituting a Board of Coiiimissioners, with power to - impose rates Upon the occupiers of land affected by 'the overflow of the river Opawa, within the'Province of Marlborough, the sums accruing from the said rates to be expended in protective works to prevent an undue amount of water entering the channel of the said river from the river .Wairau. lam directed by the Committee to suggest the House that this petition be referred to the Select Committee now sitting on the New Zealand Pavers Bill.”

On August 2S, upon the motion of Mr. Eyes, it was ordered “that the petition of certain owners and occupiers of property in the Wairau, in the Province of Marlborough, be referred to the Canterbury Rivers Committee, in accordance with the recommendation of the Petitions Committee.”

- Marlborough Volunteers.— On August 26, Captain Renny presented “ the petition of 46 Marlborough Rifle Rangers, praying the

\ House, to restore,to them the capitation allowance which they formerly received,” which was ordered to He on the table. On August 28, it was reported as follows: “ This petition is sighed by 46 persons, j styling themselves “ Marlborough Volunteer ! Rifle Rangers.” They pray that the capitation allowance of which they were deprived during the session of 1867, may be restored to them, and that they may be placed in the same position as the most favored Volunteer corps in the colony. lam directed by the Committee to report that the action of which I the petitioners complain is the result of the • negativing of the resolution of last session, | namely, that the expenses of Militia and ; Volunteer services should not be charged | Provim ially. The members for the Province i of Marlborough, feeling that the Province I was unable to pay the capitation allowance formerly sanctioned by the General Assemblv caused a large reduction to be made in the estimates'of last session in the capitation allowances of the Marlborough Volunteers. In a similar manner the members for the I Province of Canterbury, rather than allow ! the burden of the capitation allowance of the Canterbury Volunteers to be borne by the Province, struck off the estimates the Whole of the capitation allowance from the list January 1868. The Committee are of opinion that so long as the expenses of Militia and Volunteer services remain a Provincial charge, the first-class Militia should be called out for training every year, and that every boy above twelve years of age, not incapacitated by sickness should be instructed in the use of the rifle. On the other hand, should the ’above resolution be adopted, a moderate capitation allowance should be granted, at the expense of the whole colony, to every efficient Volunteer.” Rohmson and Ren wink. —On August 14, Mi'. Travers presented “the petition of T. Rcmvick and S. Robinson, of the Wairau Valley, stockowners, praying that forfeiture of their run may be reversed, which, on the 18th, was thus reported:— “ This petition is in order; but a motion having been passed by the House on Friday, 10th J uly, 1868, “ that a Select Committee be appointed to consider all Bills and Petitions that may be introduced into the House affecting Waste Lands of the Crown, and to report generally upon the provisions and principles which they may contain,” I am directed by the Committee to report that this petition should be referred to that Committee.”

\ R M Rae and others. —No record exists in the 1 Journal ’ as to when, or by whom, phis petition was presented. On August 21, it was thus reported :

“ This petition is in order; but a motion having been passed by the House on Friday, 10 July, 1868, *• that-a Select Committee be appointed to consider all Bills and Petitions that may be introduced into the House affecting Waste Lands of the Crown, and to report generally upon the provisions and principles which they may: contain,” I am directed by the Committee to report that they are of opinion that this petittion should be referred to that Committee.”

Kaikoura Electors. —On September 16, Mr. Cox presented “the petition of 127 inhabitants of the district of Kaikoura, in the Province of Marlborough, praying that their district may be constituted into a County under local management, which was ordered to lie on the table. On the 18th, it was reported as follows :

“ This petition, which is signed by 126 persons styling themselves inhabitants of the district, of Kaikoura, in the Province of Marlborough, state that the petitioners’ district has been neglected by the Provincial Government of Marlborough, and they pray that “ the House will take such measures as may be most expedient to v constitute their District into an independent county under local management.”- I am directed to report that this is another of’ the numerous petitions presented during the two last years praying for local .self-government, and that the Committee does not deem it necessary to offer any suggestions to the House upon the subject matter;of the petition.”

Aicuttre Shearing Reserve'. —On September'll, Captain' Kenny presented “the pfeiitionof •? runholdin4'in the district of Awat6fu, Province of praying that 'a* measure may be ' passed"' during the .pfesfeht session; repealing; *; The Public Ile•sefves;Mahageitient Ordinance, 1867,” of the" Province of ‘!TarlborWgh,’ which was ordered to lie on tht> table. On the 16th, -it was.'repbVted as follows T ‘

1 ' : “ This petition ?s* signed, by seven persons and firms, 1 who state that'they 7 are 'interested in the shearing reserve, on the Awateferiver, in* the'Province of Marlborough ; that ihe Provincial Council passed, in the session of 1867, an Act intituled “ The Publiclleservcs Management Act f 5 that the Superintendent of the Province, under lha't Act, purposes to give one Phillip MTtae a lease of the shearing reserve for tire space Of 14 years; th it if this lease is granted, in consequence of

no road having been made to their runs by the Provincial Government, the wool of the petitioners, if shorn upon their own runs, cannot be conveyed to market; and they pray that the House will he pleased to repeal “The Public Reserves Management Act, 1807,” of the Province of Marlborough. The facts of the case are as follows:—On 7th June, 1856, a public shearing reserve, containing 12,000 acres, was conveyed by Crown Grant in trust to the Superintendent of Nelson, as a shearing ground. On this reserve a woolshed and other appliances requisite for shearing of sheep were erected by the parties interested, and they have been used ever since by the runholders in the vicinity for shearing and storing supplies. Some of the runs appear lately to have fallen into the hands of parties who possess other runs in a more level part of the Province, and thus they have for a time availed themselves of these level runs for shearing the sheep running on the mountainous tracts, for the special use of which this reserve was originally made. In the session of the Marlborough Provincial Council of 1867 (the reserve having been transferred from the Province of Nelson to the Province of Marlborough), the Public Reserves Management Act was passed, authorising the Superintendent to lease by private contract this reserve, among others, for the space of fourteen years. The Superintendent proposes to grant a lease of the reserve to one Phillip M ‘Rae, hut the lease has not as yet been signed by the Superintendent, and the petitioners pray that the Public Reserves Management Act may be repealed. As the Act in question has been left to its operations by the Governor in Council, I am directed to report that it rests with the General Assembly to determine whether the Legislature will, in consideration of the alleged invasion of the rights of the petitioners, repeal the Public Reserves Management Act to the extent prayed for or not.”