The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER, PROVINCIAL LOAN BILL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VIII, Issue 213, 4 September 1873, Page 2

The Nelson Evening Mail. THURSDAY. SEPTEMBER, PROVINCIAL LOAN BILL.

This Bill^ which "passed the second reading at an early hour yesterday morning with the understanding that it is to undergo several amendments in. Committee, is one of considerable importance, and presenting much interest for the public. We therefore give an abstract of the principal elapses. „ Clause 3 provides that the Legislature of any Province may, subject to certain conditions, pass Ordinances authorising the raising of Provincial loans for certain purposes. " " ' "'' '''"■ "' Clause 4 renders the interest and principal payable only in Australasia. CJause 5 lays it down; that the Coiony is not to be liable for any loans so raised by the Provinces.' ■<•::/. Clause 6. No loan so raised is to have any priority of claim iijpon the ordinary revenue of the Province other than against the special security described in the Ordinance under the authority of which the money is obtained. Clause 7 defines the purposes for which loans may be raised. They are as follows: (1.) The construction: of schools, colleges, or other public educational institutions, lunatic asylums, hospitals, harbor works, dockß, jetties, wharves, quays, orany other public .^uildings. - £2.) ,The construction of roads, bridges, and ''tramways, brauch railways, waterworks, works for irrigation, water races, sludge channels, drainage works, works for improvement or navigation of rivers,-- and the reclamation of land. (3.) The purchase of land for the necessary ,' sites for -. such buildings or Works. "" Clause 8 specifies the special security to be appropriated for such loans. Where the money is obtained for purposes of reclamation: over the land proposed to be reclaimed, and the proceeds from the sale or letting thereof. Docks, wharves, and such works: over the rents, tolls, dues, and other proceeds arising from them. Public buildings for hospital or educational purposes: over any land reserved for their endowment or maintenance. Other public buildings: over the buildings themselves, and the land on which they are erected, aud over a special rate within the m'eaniog of the Act. Roads and bridges: over, (a) the, tolls .charged for traffic over them, {b) a special rate. Tramways iand branch railways: (o) the tolls and other moneys received for their use, {U) a special rate'; 1 Works on goldfields: (a) moneys received for their use, (b) a special rate. Irrigation and drainage works: (a) tolls, &fe, received for their use, (6) a special rate.

Clause 9 provides that the Superintendent shall give forty days before the session of the Council, a notice in the Gazette and newspapers statiDg the amount proposed to be raised, rate of interest, purposes to which to be applied, amount of rate proposed to be levied, and limits of the district which it is proposed to constitute for the purpose of such rate. After that a petion must ba presented praying thafc the district described should be constituted a rating district under the Act, such petition to be signed by a majority in number of the occupiers and owners of rateable property representing at least half the value of the whole rateable properly. Clause 10.— -The petition is to bo referred to a Select Committee consisting of the Speaker of the Provincial Council, and two members to be nominated by the Speaker. Clause 11. — If the Committee report that the preliminaries have been complied with the Ordinance may be prooeeded with. Clause 12. — The owner of any rateable land iv the district which shall not at the first publication of the notice be completely fenced io shall be deemed to have 6tgned fche petition, provided tbat a Crown grant of such land sball have been made at least two years before the publication of the notice. < lause 13 makes the same provision in respect of owners of land uncultivated forthreo years after the issue, of ;the[ Crown/ grant. --""-■ : - - ' ''■■'- Ciause 14. — The owner of land unoccupied for four years preceding the date of notice is also to be deemed to have signed the petition. Clause 10 provides for the appointment of an officer to collect the rate, who is to be cailed the " Rating Commissioner of the District." Clause 19 defines the lands that are to be exempt from rating. They are:-~Un-occupied Crown lands; lands used for . public purposes; land and buildings in the occupation of the Government ; hospitals, ienevolent institutions, literary institu^ tions, &c; churches, chapels, and dwellings of officiating ministers ; Government .. school buildings and lands; burial grounds; lands vested in the Superintendent or any. Corporation. Clause 20. — Before any part- of a loan is raised, tho Rating 'Commissioner is to make a special rate upon all rateable property in hia district;. The rate to be either on the annual value or the value to sel), if the former not to exceed one shilling in the pound, if tho iatter, *nofc exceeding one penny in the pound. Clause 21. The rate is to be levied on every occupier, or, if there be no occupier, upon the owner of the property. Clause 22. Notice of the intention of making such rate and of the time it is to be made must be advertised in the week immediately previous to its being made. Clause 24. The statement of the proposed rate is to be open to the inspection of all persons interested. Clause 25 gives power to the rating commissioner to amned any rates on its being shown to him that alteration is necessary. Clause 26. The rating commissioner is, within one month of the Superintendent notifying to hira his intention of raising a loan, to cause all property in the district to be valued by some competent . persons. Ciause 29. Every valuer shall have the power to enter upon all rateable property at any reasonable hour for the purpose of making his valuation. ;■ > Clause 30. All questions put by the valuer to the owner or occupier are to be correctly answered nnder a penalty not exceeding £10. Clause 33 gives the power of appeal under the 3rd and 4th sectione of "The Appeals from Provincial Rating Act, 1871." The remainder of the Act refers entirely to matters of detail, the principle of it being contained in the clauses which we have summarised above.

Inland Mail Service. — The Postmaster notifies that he will receive tenders for the conveyance of the inland mails up to Tuesday the 30th instant. Wairoa Saw Mill. — We regret to learn that the dam at Mr Martin's sawmill in the Wairoa Gorge, was totally destroyed by last week's flood. The cost of repairing the damage will be considerable. Odd-Fellows' Hall.-— There will be another performance to-night, when La Petite Amy will appear in some of her most favorite characters, and Mr Thornton will explain the mystery of the " aerial suspension." Fubs. — We call the attention of our readers to an advertisement which appears in another column, by Messrs Benjamin Brothers, announcing the exhibition and sale of articles in Austraiianand foreign fore at the Masonic Hall, to-morrow and Saturday. Volunteers. — The inspection by the Commanding Officer, Captain Baigent, took place yesterday evening in the drill shed, when there was a capital muster, the following being the numbers:- — Artillery Corps 44, City Rifles 29, Cadets 85. The Artillery Band made its first public appearance on tbis occasion under Mr Oakey the conductor, to whom no little credit is due for the proficiency displayed by those under his tutorship. On future occasions of a similar nature the volunteers headed by the band will march through the town. After the parade a meeting of the City Rifles was held, when Sub-Lieutenant D. Burn was elected Lieutenant, and Sergeant Street Sub-Lieutenant in his place. Cricket.- Ameeting of the Union Cricket Club was held last night at the Masonic Hotel, A. Greenfield, Esq., in the chair. W ; R. C. Tennent was re-elected Secretary and Treasurer to the Club, and the following gentlemen were elected^ as a

committee for the sealon:— Messra Green-, field, Atkinson, Wix, Raddeley, Birni-: coat, and the Secretary. /It waa decided to use the Botanical Gardens a[aithe;practice ground -, this year, and insufficient funds can be raised;; a hose will be purchased to water the ground, so as to get a decent pitch for matches.— The challenge from the Auckland Club was read, and it was decided io accept? it. The Club wil! also have to. send a team over to-ptay Wellington on their own ground, so the players havo tlieir work cut out for them this Bortfion, and wiil need constant practice to enable thera lo uphold the credit of tlio Province, ' The first practice of the Club will be held on Saturday next, the 6th instant, at 2.30 p.m. The Channel Rock. — Notice having been given that two shots were to be fired to-day in the rock afc the entrnnce to the harbor, tbo removal of. which has now been nearly completed by the contractors, Messrs. Bray, :a (number of people assembled on the .Rocfis and ;HauK Ashore Island to witness the operation, but no doubt were slightly disappointed at finding that there was, so little to see. At half-past eleyen; the boring commenced, alad in halt an hour'" a hole three feet in depth had been made, into which a tin case about a foot in length, and from one to two inches in diameter, containing the dynamite was. lowered. ..The fuse was then fired, abd in a few iminute3 time a sharp repor^and a boiling |j»6d_ seething of lhe water iiT tlie neigKbourhood of the rock showed that the work had been done. In order to show the power of the dynamite the Messrs. Bray kindly made an experiment in our presence.. A, small portion of it was placed under a large stone weighing from one to two cwt., which was lying in, the water at the edge of the beach, and on the fire reaching the cap the stone was broken iv two, and the pieces, blown some eight -^rite^fee\ln to' the air. this some idea may. M formed of .the eflfect of the unseen explosion in the rock.