The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1881.

Thames Star, Volume XII, Issue 3914, 15 July 1881, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR P.M. Resurrexi. FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1881.

At length Sir George Grey has had his Bill upon Local Self Government' distributed. Our Special says that the Gorernment are disposed to treat it, as a motion of want of confidence, bat we trust the good sense of the House will show the Cabinet the absurdity of adopting such a course to get rid of a private member's Bill. There is certainly more extended powers given under Grey's Bill than that sketched by the Colonial Treasurer, and the granting of large tracts of wasteland* as endowments for the new governing bodies is probably the only way open to Sir George Grey to secure for the people a share of the estate be holds belongs to them. There is a great deal; of the old provincialism ; about the new prososals of our member, jet fthe^BUl shows a good deal of \ thought and attention to detail. It provides for the constitution of electoral districts, for the election of a President «nd members of a council in each of the districts to be established, for the registration and revision of the lists of electors* and the appointing of returning officers, for securing a poll, for determing the the validity of disputed returns, and otherwise for insuring the effective conduct of elections. In determining ..the number and 1 extent of the electoral districts, and the number of members to be elected for each, regard being led to the number of electors within each district: — Every person entitled to vote for members of the House of Representatives are also entitled to vote in the election of president and Council of the district. Provision is made tor filling vacancies, however caused. After the first election the new local body regulates all future ones, the president to occupy an analogous position to the superintendent of thelateprovinces. The Council elects, its own chairman, and have power to make-all laws, called by the bill bye-lawsj for-their own government inside their district. The right of veto resting with the president, certain subjects are named upon which they cannot make laws, viz., customs duties, charges on shipping, lighthouses on coaßts, post and telegraph department, regulations of weights and measures, current coin on issue, or paper currency, laws relating to bankruptcy courts, of inheritance of property, or relating to wills; laws relating to marriages or the registration of births, deaths, and marriages, primary education, imposing disabilities on natives to which Europeans are not subject, defence force other than Volun 5 teers, laws affecting land of the Crown, except for mining purposes ; lands owned by natives ; the establishment or abolition ot courts of judicature, of civil or criminal jurisdiction except those inferior to the Supreme Court. The Council and Presi- 1 dent have power to appoint judges and other officers of such courts being barristers, and at fit salaries. A quorum of the Council to be one-third, the chairman to give a casting vote. The Council are to made their own standing orders. The president may transmit by message to the Council a draft of the bye-laws for their approval; no bye-laws to pass without the consent of the president, who may make any amendment. All bye-laws when passed to be sent to the Governor for his information, but not approval. Districts once established may by the president and council define'their own mode of self government, whether by municipality, road board, or otherwise. All laws in force at the establishment of a district to remain in force until altered or repealed by the president or council; until such are made the Governor's powers become vested in the president. All surplus of the general revenue and land fund shall be divided yearly among the several districts estab lished by the bill in proportion to the population of tlie district. * The last clause provides/ that the Governor shall grant to each district a waste lands endowment, with power to the council to lease for a term <6f years, the receipts from such to be applied as far as possible in lieu of and to prevent the imposition of rates and "taxes. "'' ' '..' :;' \ ■ ' .