PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume II, Issue 98, 25 December 1869, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

(From, the daily papers. ) Friday, 17th December.

The debate on Mr. Reid's Land Resolutions was resumed.

Mr. BROWN adopted the resolutions of Mr. Clark (given below), as the original mover was disqualified by the rules of the House from bringing them forward.

Mr. DRIVER moved the adjournment of tliG debate.

The numbers on division were Ayes 15, Noes 15 — the motion for adjournment was lost by the casting vote of the Speaker.

On Mr. Ashcroft's amendments the division showed the following numbers : — Ayes — Messrs. Ashcroft, Driver, France, Fraser, Haggitt, Hughes, Mackenzie, Main, M'Dermid, M'lndoe, Millar, Seaton, G. Shand, Sibbald, Turnbull. Noes— Messrs. Barr, Brown, Bums, Clark, Duncan, Gillies, Green, Henderson, Hutcheson, Mollison, Mosley, Mouat, Murray, Reid, J. Shand, and Thomson. Mr. Ashcroft's amendment was therefore lost by 16 to 15.

The next question for consideration was the amendment submitted by Mr. Clark, adopted and proposed by Mr. Brown, and published in our issue of Saturday. The House divided on the two first clauses. The result of the division was — Ayes, 17 ; Noes, 15. The clauses were therefore adopted. The following is the division list : — Ayes — Messrs. Barr, Brown, Burns, Clark, Duncan, Gillies, Green, Henderson, Hutchesor, M'Lean, Mollison, Mosley, Mouat, Murray, Reid, J. Shand, and Thomson. Noes — Messrs. Ashcroft, Driver, France, Fraser, Hagsjitt, Hughes, Mmkenzie, Main, M'Dermid, M'lndoe, Millar, Seaton, G. Shand, Sibbald, and Tumbull.

On the third clause — "That section 3 of the Act should be repealed,"

Mr. M'LEAN moved as an amendment — "No Hundred shall be proclaimed in the Province of Otago after the passing of this Act, unless one-third, at least, of the area thereof shall be determined, under the provisions of this Act, to be land available for agricultural purposes." The amendment was carried, the members who voted with the ayes being the same as those who voted for the two previous clauses. The remaining clauses were also carried, and the House, at 20 minutes to 6 o'clock on Saturday morning, adjourned.

The following are the resolutions agreed to :—": — " That whereas it is admitted on both sides of the House that certain amendments should be made in the Ofcago Hundreds Regulation Act, and keeping in view that this Council, at its last session, agreed to recommend His Excellency the Governor to proclaim certain Hundreds, and it being desirable that these Hundreds should be proclaimed &t the earliest possible date, and seeing that some time must elapsa before the requirements of certain unobjectionable clauses of the said Act can be complied with — Resolved : That His Honour the Superintendent be requested to communicate with Hia Excellency the Governor, requesting him to appoint one or more Officers as provided by Sections 5, 6, and 7, of the Otago Hundreds Regulation Act r bo that on the Act bsiag amended as follows the aforesaid Hundreds may be 1 immediately proclaimed — Ist. No Hundreds shall be proclaimed in the province of Ofcago after the passing of this Act, unless one-third at least oi the area there r of shall be determined under the provisions of thia Act to be land available for agricultural purposes. 2nd, Th it section 4 be amended as follows : — That in determining the boundaries of Hundreds, due regard be paid to the natural features of the country, but no Hundred

shall exceed 20,000 acres in extent. 3rd. That section 8 be amended as follows :—: — If upon such report, being made it shall appear that it is expedient to proclaim the said district a Hundred it shall be lawful for the Governor, at any time within six months thereafter, at the request of the Superintendent, by Proclamation published in the New Zealand Gazette, and in the Provincial Gazette of Otago, to proclaim the said district a Hundred. 4th. That Section 9 be amended as follows : — Every person holding a lease of any pastoral lands comprised within any district proposed to be proclaimed a Hundred as aforesaid, shall be entitled to compensation for the determination of his lease. Provided always that the amount of such compensation shall in no case exceed two shillings and sixpence per acre in respect of the determination of such lease over such portion of the run so to be proclaimed a Hundred as aforesaid, and that the holder of such lease shall be entitled to compensation in respect of all fencing which is on the ground and erected in accordance with the provisions of the Fencing Ordinance, 1867. sth. That a new clause be inserted, to provide as follows : — That lessees of Pastoral Lands be entitled to purchase in one block 640 acres as a homestead, inclusive of the existing preemptive right of 80 acres, and that the lessees of runs -within goldfields be entitled to lease a block of 640 acres under terms similar to those provided for agricultural leases granted under the Goldfields Act, 1866, provided that such block may be sold if upon investigation it shall be proved to be non-auriferous. 6th. That clause 35 of the Goldfields Act, 1866, may apply to Hundreds proclaimed within Goldfields."