Wednesday, 22nd May.d

Southland Times, Issue 1584, 28 May 1872, Page 3

Wednesday, 22nd May.d

On the motion of Mr Bathgafce, the Education Ordinance, 1872, was read a first time, and its second reading was made an Order of the Day for Thursday. Considerable progresß was made with the Appropriation Ordinance. On tbe item, " Orepuki Tramway, £20,000/' being moyed,

of Mr Shand asked whether it was in. tended to make a wooden or iron tramle way ? ;h Mr Bradshaw : The G-overnment have Df nothing before them at the present time ; 3- in effect have determined upon nothing, *c They have put the item down because ol in the expression of opinion deliberately r come to by the House. Th« Government ih have not consulted the engineers, and it ie does not follow because the sum is upon il the Estimates that it will be spent. It merely represents the probable cost of La the work. c Mr Shand moved two amendments— c first, that the land to be takpn should be n in the district through which the tramway ir would pass ; second, that the item should c be reduced to £2000. The Committee a had nothing like the information it ought ■- to possess in agreeing to the expenditure c of such a large sum of money. He was 3 certain, from the population of the gold--0 field, that it would be a waste of money a to place such a large sura at the disposal c of the Government for such a purpose ; c and £2000 would be sufficient to vote until the Council met next year. They 1 would then be in a better position to see 1 how the goldfield was being developed. I)r Webster asked the Committee to a consider whether it was advisable to 3 decide the question in the absence of ) further information. If it was intended s to construct a branch line, the General i Government should be called upon to do ) it, instead of the cost coming out of the I provincial funds. I The first amendment of Mr Shand was i carried. The second was negatived, the voting being : Ayes, 14 ; noes, 15. Dr Webster then moved that the item i be. reduced to £5000, which was carried i on the voices. » Progress was reported, and leave to sit i again obtained. : » The following Bills were read a second ; time : — The Otago Local Revenues Bill ; i The Impounding Bill ; The Invercargill Education .Reserve Exchange Bill ; The Education Reserve Jacob's Eiver Hundred Sale Bill. The Council then went into Cotnmittee upon the four Bills above-mentioned. After considering some of the provisions j of the Impounding Bill, progress was reported, and leave obtained to sit again. The Otago Municipal and Shire Councils Local Revenues Bill was reported to the House with amendments, and its third reading made an order of' the day for the next sitting. The Invercargill Education Reserve Exchange Bill was reported to the House without amendment, read a third time, and passed. The Education Reserve, Jacob's Eiver Hundred, Sale Bill was also reported without amendment, read a third time, and passed. The Education Ordinance Amendment Bill, making the reading of the Bible permissive, and forbidding religious instruction, was read a second time. Mr Bell hoped the Government would stand out against the votes of which notice bad been given by private members to be placed on the Supplementary Estimates, as it was quite clear there, would not be money for them. Mr Eeid Baid it was clear, if the Government was expected to expend the amounts over the Estimates fairly, they could not agree to overload the Supplementary Estimates. There were one or two works for which payment would be made in land, which had been overlooked, and would appear on the Supplementary Estimates. Among the number was the bridge over the Mataura, in respect to which a notice of motion had been given by Dr Menzies. The Government would take that up whether the honorable member carried his motion or not. As a rule, th.c GrOTernment would refuse all motions to place indiscriminate sums on the Estimates. Mr Clark moved — " That in the opinion of this Council, the ' Aided Clauses' contained in the Education Bill, proposed to be introduced by the General Government at next meeting of Assembly, are opposed to the true principles of political economy, and are calculated to place in the hands of Ministers a most dangerous patronage, which may be exercised so as to prove most detrimental to the best interests of the Colony, and to the success of a sound system of National Education." Mr Eeid seconded the motion, to which the following addition was made — " That a respectful Address be presented to Hie Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to forward the foregoing resolution to the Speaker and members of the House of Eepresentatives and Legislative Council." On the motion of Mr 1 Cutten the debate was adjourned, in consequence of the absence of several members. The House adjourned at 0.30 a.m. till 2 p.m . this day.