LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 137, 22 September 1847, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Thursday, 16th September. Present— -Uis Excellency the Governor, the Coloniul Secretary, the Attorney.Geneial, tlie Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Brown, qnd Mr. Merrimun.

MARRIAGE -DILL. On the motion of the Attorney-General, Coun« oil went into Committee on this Bill, and clauses up to 29 were considered— several postponed, ami others am ended. Clauses 30 and 31, were postponed for futuie consideration,

IMPOUNDING BILL? On the motion of the Attorney-General, this Bill was read n third time and passed. Ou the motion of tbe Attorney-General, the Registration of Births, Mai riages, and Deaths Dill was read a first time, and ordered to be read a second time on Saturday. On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer, tho Debentures Bill was read a fiist time, and ordered to be read a second time m\ Saturday, The Governor laid on the table a Bjlj for promoting tfie Education of tbe Youth of the Colony} and a Bill to encourage fencing of land. Tbe Council then adjourned until Saturday*

Saturday, September. 18. Present—His Excellency the Governor and four Members. The Minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Mr. Brown rose in accordance with his notice of the last sitting, to move far the production of all despatches that had passed between the Home and Local Governments on the subject of Lund Claims in this colony, since November 1845. He said that (he time had arrived when it wa«*neces«ary that people who had large interests at stake in the soJpjjy should be put in possession qf ail that was gcjing forward with respect to that in which their welfare or ruin was so deeply involved, IHnoh disaffection existed— and it behove the Government tp afford the people all the information upon subjects of such vital importance to the country. Mr. Merriman said that the honorable member was much, deceived if he imagined that he wai prepared to second his motion. The Governor said that nothing would give him more pleasure, had the proper time arrived, than that all the despatches and docu. ments relating to the Land Claims should bo opened up and published for the scrutiny of }h# world j when such would take place at a future time, he was convinced that he would stand acquitted of the unworthy motive^ which were now imputed to him by a. few of these aluimanjs. but it appealed to him as very unreasonable that honorable members should c ~ pect the Executive government ts> Jay before the Council all despatches and other documents that might be called for. As well might they request that copies of all despatches connected with the Government of this country, as they were written or received by t|ie Governor should / be forwarded to the editors of the provincial newspapers for their information, and for publication. It had been stated that these disudected claimants had large interests at stake in the country. It was ttue that a very small portion* of the colonists were large land claimants— but he denied that they held such an ejften^ive interest in the colony as wfiys represented. The honorable member Imd said; that the colonists were disaffected. 11 c ; the Governor had no hesitation in saying that such wai not the case; and he believed that there never had been such a degree of affection entertained for the Government of the Colony as at the present moment. There was another topic to which he might be allowed to refer, as it was more of a personal nature — he alluded to the notice of motion which had been given and afterwards withdrawn, respecting a letter that it was said he had .written to the JLot'd Bishop of New Zealand. He was aware that he had written seveial letters to hisLotdship > and since the last meeting of Council he had carefully ex* amiued the copies of them, but he could find no terms in any of them that bore the least resemblance to what had been alleged as grounds for the motion. lie entertained so high an opinion of that Right Reverend Prelate, that he could never have thought of making such request of. his Lordship $ he would therefore altogether repudiate such a charge as was implied in the motion j a art he nxyet say thaf. it was neither fair or just towards him, for any member to endeavour to impress on the Council, by bringing forward such a vague any groundless charge*} jhat he hud made any request of the kind of the Bjshop. Mr. Brown did not intend to allude to the Governor's letter, which lie believed, had been addressed to tha Bishop, till the proper time had arrived for giving notices of motion. He had not wUMrawuthis Motion oa a former day, but merely postponed it till hq should learn as much concerning it, as woyld epaWe lym to name it mqre specifically than he had .done before. He did not expect to be more successful in thji motion than in the other, but still he felt it to be His duty to propose it. His motive jn moving for those documents jvas, merely to give the Government an opportunity, jf llicy had it in their power, to allay the excitement that prevailed, on the subject of c.ert-.ju cwtfen>pjat?(l measures relating to the Land Claims in the country. Mr. Brown's motion not being seconded., fell to the ground.

itEUISTRATION OF BjUTJIS Blhh. On the motion of ihe Attorney General this bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday.

Debenture Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer, this bill was read a second time, and ordered to be committed on Tuesday. Mr. Brown then rose to give notice that he would, on Tuesday next, move for the copy of a despatch No. 41, addressed by the Governor to the Secretary of State, with other dispatches named in the margin of the same ; and, also, for the copy of a letter written by the Governor to the Bishop of New Zealand, dated SOth August, 1847.

Marriage Bill. On the motion of the Attorney General Council re • sumed in Committee on this bill. Mr. Merriman proposed several amendments, which were agreed to, and allowed to stand part of the bill, after which the Committee adjourned. Council then adjourned till Tuesday. (Yesterday's debates were so important, that we are obliged to postpone their publication in order to give them as complete as possible in our next.)