LAST NIGHTS COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 108, 9 May 1871, Page 2

LAST NIGHTS COUNCIL.

■ ■:■.-;;• , ■' - ••-Tl >Tr ~, \ .-.a Mr. Gibbs moved for leave to bring in . a Bill to repeal the' :" Executiye...Government Act " and make other' pj-svisidhs in , lieu thereof. 'After consulting' with several of the • members 1 " : o'f ; } the CouncU he had drawn up such a Billas he "considered 'bes* adapted', to." the .'present circuctistancesj knd which would be found to be as nearly as possible similar to ithe Act repealed last session. Mr. Coi-ijNS . secopded -fche ippt.otion., • , ,Leai*ve, was; granted! <ona <JMi3ionbya..majority.s6f : lo to I, Mr. Donne's' 'be.%' the: solitary ttegaittvk' 11 The -MPwa^-Heh read the first time, and Mir* I .''

Gibbs moved the suspension of Standing Orders in order that he might give- notice;, of the second reading for this evening. Mr; Donne objected to such extreme haste.. However much it rwjfht suit those members who said thpifrepresented the GoldMelds interests **while in reality they mis •epresenled,them, he could not approve of such haste; and thought' time should be allowed for hira to communicate with his constituents in order that his vote might be influenced by their opinions. He then proceeded to refer to certain election incidents on the • Coast in which Mr. (JConor took' part, when he. was called to order by tho Speaker, whereupon a discussion ensued in which Mr. Luckie also took part, but which resulted in the Speaker's ruling against Mr. Donne, who then wen ton to argue against the second reading being hurried on in such a manner, and concluded by saying that if members looked upon the repeal of the existiug, and the introduction of the new, Bill in the same light as himself, they would not allow the question to he thrust upon them in such a hasty manner. Mr. Reid had no desire to impede the business of the Council but he thought this was rather a sudden move. Unlike Mr. Donne he did uot care oue single solitary value of the paper on which the Bill was printed for the opinious of his constituents on the subject, as he was not there as a delegate, but as a representative, but he thought it was but fair that he should have an opporiunity of mal^g himself acquainted with the provisions of a Bill he was asked to assist in malting law. Mr. Luckie thought that the altercations of a personal nature that had occurred during the debate were iar from being cither edifying or dignified, and trusted that the respect that was due to the Council, as well as to individua 1 members, would prevent the recurrence of such scenes, and that for the future speakers would keep their temper aud maintain at least a show of ordinary civility. Mr. Gibbs who had already appeared in various characters had now come out in quite a new one, namely, as a sort of Attorney General and framer of legal bills. He should have been disposed to look upon the one now before them with some suspicion had he not known that it had been drawn with the assistance of the Provincial Solicitor, and it would have looked better if Mr. Gibbs had said so instead of taking all the credit for it to himself. Mr. o' Conor thought the second reading should be got over as soon as possible as the Council had said that the Estimates could be proceeded with until this matter was settled. The opponents of the Bill used no arguments against it but simply satisfied themselves with abusing its supporters. The Standing Orders having been suspended Mr. Gibbs moved that' the Bill be read the second time ou Tuesday, at the same time he wished to refer to some remarks that had been made with regard to what was called his presumption. He did not pretend to auy legal knowledge, and did not wish to deny that it was the Provincial Solicitor who had drawn the Bill. Mr. Mackley seconded the resolution. Mr. Luckie under--tood that there was some desire for a compromise, and therefore moved that the second reading should take place on Wednesday* Mr. Reid seconded the amendment, saying that as it took five weeks to pass the Bill last year, he did not think two days was too much to ask for now. Mr. o' Conor thought the longer the matter was postponed, the more cou vict ions there -would be against it. Itwas quite evident that the opponents of the Bill were determined to fight the grouud inch by inch, and thus to impede the business. Mr. Luckie repudiated 'such insinuations which came veKy badly from Mr. O'Conor, who was everlastingly throwing slurs and sneers at the other members. It was then resolved that the. Bill be read a second time on Wednesday. The Dog Bill was then read the first time, and the Council adjourned.