PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 23, 30 June 1875, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

| Tuesday. .1 one 23, 1875. j Tiic Speaker took tiie olmir at 11 o'clock. Mr McGuire enquired if anything had been done towards making Carlyle a port of entry ? Mr Standish replied that, from correspondence in the Superintendent’s Cilice, he found it was not the intention oi, the General Government to make Patca a port ; of entry, because of the expense. — i Major Brown thought there should ho no j ports of entry -except those which had ; harbours for ships to go into. The adjourned debate on Mr Peacock’s motion, re the working of (he Education Ordinance in Patca. Several members having spoken for and • against Major Brown’s ancaidment, it was Tost, on a division by t) to G. Previous to the amendment being put. -Mr Peacock expressed himself willhig to : withdraw clause 22 from the resolution, but after tiic amendment was lost some slight misunderstanding was occasioned as to' how the resolution stood, when the i Speaker advised the Council to reject the ; resolution in order to enable the Govcrnmeat to bung down a bill to allow Patca j to have seven instead five members. ■ | The Speaker’s suggestion was acted upon, ! and the resolution was negatived. | The orders of the day wercthen proceeded ; with. i Mr Kelly moved—That: the bill relating to the branding of cattle and sheep he read . a third time the following day.—Carrie I. Mr Hughes moved the second reading of “The sale of Liquors Ordinance Amendment Bill, 1875.” The object of :h's bill was to abolish bottle licenses. The mover, in a very able speech of over an hour’s , duration,"alluded to the evils of the drink- , mg customs more particularly relating to . bottle licenses. He considered that by all owing storekeepers to have bottle licenses it increased the facilities for drinking among women, and quoted several extracts :to bear him out. He alluded also to the system of granting hottjo licenses to stores outside of the town, where they were out. of the roach the police. It was also acting unfairly towards the hotel-keepers. He had not brought forward the bill from a teetotal or Templar point of view, but from a conviction that it would be of great benefit to the public generally. Petitions had also been presented protesting against bottle licenses, signed bv licensed victuallers, which he considered should have some weight with members. Mr Sherwood seconded the second > reading, mentioning the evils accruing from the granting of bottle licenses in Patea.

Mr Symo opposed it on the grounds that no complaints had been made by the police against the holders of such licenses, and moved the adjournment of the debate. The Council then ad journed.

Friday June 25. Mr Kelly informed Iho Council that the grants for the Education Reserves sit Patoa had been received, and instructions had been given to Mr Halseto prepare a Hill for the conveyance of the same to the Superintend dent for Educational purposes. Mr Peacock moved, “ That the Superintendent be requested to reserve sections, at intermediate distances, for the purposes of Educational Reserves, along the Mountain Road.” Major Brown seconded. The mover wished these to be reserved independent of the 5 per cent, of the land revenue which was already idevoted to educational purposes. The general opinion of the members seemed to ha that 5 per cent, of the land revenue was all that could he spared for education, and the motion was lost oil a division, by 3 to 10. Ayes : Messrs Peacock, Brown, and Sherwood. Noes ; Messrs Kelly, Standish, Elliot, Hughes, Callaghan, Mace, Conaett, Upjolm, Andrews, and Symc, Mr Sherwood moved—That the Superintendent he requested, in conjunction with the other representatives of the Province, to urge upon the Government (he great desirability of exploring the hack country with as little delay as possible.” Air Peacock seconded. Mr Kelly did not consider it right to ask the. General Government to explore Provincial lands. Mr Elliot moved the adjournment of the debate;