PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4412, 11 May 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Monday, May 10. The Speaker took the chair at half-past seven o'clock." APPROPRIATION BILL. This Bill was read a second and third time. Upon the motion that the Bill do pass, Mr. ANDREW said he did not wish to oppose the passage of the Bill, but if they were to allow the Bill to go through, the Superintendent might enter the Chamber at any moment, tell them that they had done all they were required to do, and prorogue the Council. He was one of those who thought the Council had not done all it had to do. Tho most important committee of the session had yet to report, and he trusted the Government would leave it in the power of the Council to discuss the report of that committee, or any other subject which might demand the attention of the Council. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said the Government had no intention to close the Council one moment earlier than members themselves desired. They wished to get the Appropriation Bill through the final stages, so that the necessary parchment copy might be prepared and other formal business gone through. The Government would give every opportunity to hon. members to discuss any subject they might desire to bring forward. Mr. ANDREW, under these circumstances, would withdraw all opposition. THE SUPERINTENDENT IN THE CODNCIL. Mr. ANDREW moved, —That it is desirable that application should be made to the Parliament of New Zealand, in its next session, for an Act empowering the Superintendent to sit and vote in this Council. He thought it rather strange that his Honor made no allusion to the abolition resolutions in his opening speech, but that deficiency had been compensated for by Sir George Grey's allusions to the subject in opening the Auckland Provincial Councih As Sir George Grey seemed to regard provincial institutions as doomed, it would be no use to proceed with the motion, and he would, therefore, ask leave to withdraw it. The SPEAKER said the hon. member was out of order in making a speech in withdrawing" a motion.

Mr. ANDREW apologised for his error, but he trusted the Council would excuse him in consideration of his having spared them a long speech. Motion withdrawn ATTORNEY GENERAL V. BUNNY.

Mr. ANDREW moved,—That there be laid on the table of the Council, a copy of the judgment delivered by Chief Justice Sir George Arney, on the Ist of June last, on the demurrer in the case of Attorney-General versus Bunny. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said it was out of the power of the Government to comply with the motion, as they had no copies of the judgment. Mr. ANDREW said it was a pity the Government could not get a copy of a judgment which was in print. With the permission of the Council, he would next day lay a copy of the judgment on the table. The motion being pressed to a division was negatived by 16 to 5. ROAD TO PAHAUTANUI. Mr. J. CRUICKSHANK withdrew a resolution asking the Superintendent to place a sum of £4OO on the Estimates, to open up a road between the railway bridge, Upper Hutt, and Pahautanui block. PETITIONS COMMITTEE. Mr. CRAWFORD moved, —That the report of the Public Petitions Committee be adopted. Mr. C. PHARAZYN thought the committee had scarcely done justice to the claim of Mr. Greathead.

Mr. CRAWFORD replied that the committee gave the subject every attention, and finding the claim to be entirely unsupported by fact, they reported against it. The report was adopted. THE EDUCATION QUESTION.

Mr. C, PHARAZYN moved the suspension of the standing orders, in order that he might introduce a Bill to amend the Education Act, by providing for the constitution of a board, to be elected by the Council, and also to place in the hands of the people the power to elect local committees. If the Council refused to allow the standing orders to be suspended he should place the notice on the Order Paper for consideration next day. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY said that he was waited on by the hon. member early in the day, and asked if he would introduce a Bill to alter the Education Act in two material points, one being to reconstruct the Board, the other to secure the election of local committees. He told the hon. member that to pass a Bill in such a hurried manner'would be likely to lead to confusion, and create more dissatisfaction than existed at present. The existing Act was working very fairly, and the Government would, if the matter were left to them, prepare a Bill during the recess and distribute it throughout the' province before the next meeting of the Council. Neither the Council nor the Education Board had been petitioned to alter the Act, and he really did not see that there was any necessity for interfering at this particular time, particularly as there were already four Education Acts in existence. The Education Board had also discussed the subject that morning, and had decided that no further action should be taken this year, and really the question as to whether or not the present Board should be superseded by a nominated Board should be decided by the people. He trusted, therefore, that the Council would not consent to suspend the Standing Orders or permit the introduction of the Bill at their next sitting. If the matter were left in the hands of the Government they would introduce a suitable measure next session. Mr. LUDLAM said he should support the hon. member fortheWairarapa (Mr. Pharazyn), for the reason that the present system was a very unsatisfactory one. If the Provincial Government would pass a short Act, giving power to the people in the country districts to select their own local committees, he would be quite content to wait another year and see how that worked. Until some such concession was made, the people in the country would never be satisfied. Mr. W. S. MILNE considered it ridiculous to bring forward new Bills after the third reading of the Appropriation Act. Mr. BUCKLEY said he was not one of those who considered the present educational system perfect, but he could not consent to the passage of a Bill for the appointment of local committees until he first saw what the duties of these local committees were to be._ If the Bill had been introduced at the beginning of the session he would have given the hon. member every assistance, but now that the Government had intimated their intention to deal with the subject during the recess, the hon. member should consent to withdraw his Bill. As to the Board being nominated by the Council, he must dissent from such a proposal, because it would simply be a Board nominated by the Government for the time being. He would prefer to leave the election of the Board in the hands of the people. Mr. WATT hoped the Council would not agree with the motion for the suspension of the Standing Orders. It was bad taste on the part of the hon. member to make such a proposition after the Education Board had that morning decided that no further legislation should take place this session. There had already been one Education Amendment Act before the Council, and if the hon. member had been serious in his endeavor to improve the educational system, he would have taken some action when -that Bill was before tho Council, instead of allowing it to pass through in silence. The present Board had done good work, and would always be more palatable to the people than would a nominated Board. Mr. DALRYMPLE, in contradiction of the statement made by Mr. Watt, said the present system had not worked well. As far as his own district was concerned, it had been practically unrepresented. He would not object to see an alteration of tho present system. Mr. R. PHARAZYN said the understanding arrived at at the interview with the Provincial Secretary was that no action should be taken by tho Provincial Council unless tho

Education Baard decided that such a course should be adopted. The Board had expressed a contrary opinion, and it was hardly fair of the hon. member to press his motion. Mr. C. PHARAZYN said he could not consent to withdraw the motion. If the Council would permit him to introduce the Bill, he was prepared to withdraw the clauses referring to a change in the constitution of the Board, but he would persist in his attempt to secure the appointment of the local committees. The motion was negatived on division, the numbers being 16 to 4. Mr. C. PHARAZYN then gave notice of his intention to introduce an amended Education Bill next day. ADJOURNMENT. The PROVINCIAL SECRETARY moved that the Council at its rising adjourn till next day at three o'clock, and in the event of the Audit Committee not having reported by that hour, he would propose a further adjournment for another day. The motion was agreed to, and the Council adjourned. a