PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 118, 12 May 1870, Page 6

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Wednesday, May 4. The Speaker took the chair at two r' clock. ISLAND BLOCK COMMISSION. Mr. M'INDOE, as a matter of' ;; rivilege, read a letter he had received * ■-•garding the Island Block Commis- .. in. As the letter impugned the -cvaeity of gentlemen holding high office in the proviuce, he moved that t be referred to a committee consisting of' Messrs. Green, Brown, and Hmself, to investigate and report thereon. Mr. MURRAY seconded the motion, which was carried. PETITION. Several petitions were then laid on the table, the principal one being from 250 settlers in the Taieri and Lower Waipori, praying that before any contract for the Southern Trunk , Railway is entered into, that a resurvey be made of that portion of the projected line which passes through the Taieri plains. The petitioners apparently being desirous to make the line more available for the North and West Taieri, and also. Lower Waipori, than the present survey would be. A petition was also presented from Mr. AY. H. Cutten, asking for the redress of grievances which he has sustained from one of the Government officers. All the petitions were received. On the motion of Mr. SHEPHERD, it was agread to forward copies of the Hansard, containing the debates on the Hundreds Regulations Act, 1869, to each member of the House of Representatives and Legislative Council. TOKOMAIRIRO GRAMMAR SCHOOL. The motion, that £600 be placed on the Estimates for a teacher's residence in connection with the Tokomairiro School, was withdrawn on the ground that such grants, before the House went into .Committee of Supply, were likely to fore&tal the general policy of the Government. AGRICULTURAL BLOCKS. Mr. BROWN'S motion, "That there be laid on the table a return, shewing the various agricultural blocks which have been proclaimed for settlement, as recommended by Mr. John L. Gillies in the report of his tour through the goldfields of this province, specifying the area of such blocks, the rate of compensation, and whether the pastoral license had been cancelled over the entire blocks so set apart," was agreed to, and the return ordered. CONSERVATION OF THE CLUTHA RIVER. The debate on this subject was resumed, and the commonage grant on a division of the House — 15 to 8. THEATRES Mr. HAGGITT moved the second reading of the Licensed Theatres Ordinance Amendment Ordinance. This Bill had been founded on a petitition of Mr. Louis Court, late lessee of the Princess Theatre, who complained that other entertainments which required no license, such as the dog and monkey show, &c, on some occasions took away all the money without paying anything for the privilege. Mr SHEPHERD moved as an amendment that the Bill be read that day six months. After some discussion a division took place with the following result : — For the atnendineut — Messrs. Allen, Barr, Brown,, Clark, France, Green, Haughton, Henderson, Hughes. Hutcheson, Mitchell, Mollison, Mosley, Mouat, G. Shand, Shepherd, Taylor, and Thomson. Against it — Messrs. Ashcroft, Gillies, Haggitt, Main, M'Dermid, Millar, Reid, and Sibbald. THISTLE PREVENTION ORDINANCE. On the motion of Mr. MITCHELL it was read a third time and passed. Thursday, Mat 5. goldfields regulations. Mr SHEPHERD moved, "That steps be taken by the Executive to give notice to the miners on the Goldfields, that the pamphlet recently published, professing to embrace all the existing laws and regulations, did not contain -an important Act passed by the Gejneral Assembly in the year 1867; and that said Act should be printed •'and circulated through the Goldfields." Carried. Mr. SHAND'S resolution, "That a Select Committee be appointed to consider Mr. Thomson's report on the floods in the Taieri plain," was then discussed, and a Committee elected by ballot, consisting of Messrs. Gillies, Main, Thomson, Brown, Clark, Millar, and the mover. ELECTORAL RIGHTS OF MINERS. Mr. SHEPHERD moved: "Ist. That this Council is of opiuion that holders of miners' rights and business licenses within the Province of Otago should be maintained in their existing electoral rights" in connection with the House of Representatives and Provincial Council. 2. That a copy of the above resolution be forwarded to the Speaker of the House of Representatives, with a request that he will lay the same on the table of the House of Representatives." After making what Mr. Shepherd no doubt considered a telling speech, and being requested by Mr. Reid and Mr. Haughton to withdraw the motion, as the proper time to discuss the question was when the Otago Representation Bill, and Mr. Haughton's motion for Manhood Suffrage, were brought forward, and the honourable

member objecting to do so, the division bell was rung. What was the result ? why several members left the Chamber, and the House counted out. Not a quorum ! Friday, 6th Mat. privilege. Mr. SHEPHERD objected to the minutes of the previous sitting, A division was called for on the previous evening on his motion regarding the electoral rights of miners. A division having been called for, and the doors of the House having been locked, it was irregular, in his opinion, to effect a count out. He wished to call- attention to page 336 of May. A Jong fruitless discussian took place on a motion of that gentleman's to the effect that the minutes bo not approved, after which Mr. Shepherd was understood to withdraw the motion, and the minutes were then de-. clared affirmed. Mr. SHEPHERD said that, in order to prevent an injustice being done to his constituents, he trusted the Speaker would direct that a division should be taken upon his motion of the previous evening; that, in fact, the House should resume the business where it left off on the previous evening. The SPEAKER replied that he had no hesitation in saying that upon the voices, the questian was decided in the negative. A division was called for, and no quorum was present. Such being the case, the decision stood upon his ruling. It was that " the noes ! have it." The question therefore could only be brought before the Council during the present session by the permission of the Council, by the suspension of the Standing Orders. After some further remarks from Mr. SHEPHERD, The SPEAKER said the hon. member could move that the Standing Orders be suspended. Mr. SHEPHERD : And that a division be taken upon the question ? Mr. ASHCROFT : Can such a motion be made without notice ? Tho SPEAKER: If the Standing Orders be suspended? It is simply to allow the motion of the hon. member to be put on the paper again. The matter cannot be taken up to-day. The Standing Orders would have to be suspended to enable the hon. member to propose a similar motion during the present session. He would have to give notice. Mr. SHEPHERD : I will do that. I shall have achieved my purpose in letting the people on the Goldfields know who are their friends and who are not. — (Hear, hear, from several hon members). In reply to Mr. FRASER, The SPEAKER explained that the motion of the hon. member for the Goldfields (Mr. Shepherd) was as follows : — "That the Standing Orders be suspended to permit the resolution affecting the electoral rights of the miners, to be considered during the present session." That was simply to enable the hon. member to give notice of the motion again on a future day. Mr. FRASER said if it was merely proposed to discuss the question on a future day, he should have no objection, although he was afraid that the hon. member (Mr. Shepherd) was bringing it forward mainly to gratify his own vanity. Mr. SHEPHERD : Mr. Speaker, I will ask your ruling as to whether the hon. member has aright to impute motives to me ? — (Laughter). Mr. FRASER was not aware that in saying that the matter was being pressed to gratify the vanity of the hon. member he imputed motives. He, however, must say that he thought that was too taansparent for any doubt to be entertained. He thought the wisest course the hon. member could pursue would be to let the matter drop, because the question was sure to be discussed when the Representation Bill was brought forward Therefore the action of the hon. member would simply be a waste of time. The SPEAKER said the hon. member was getting somewhat out of order. He has already allowed him to go rather too far. He must confine himself to the proposal to suspend the Standing Orders. Mr. SHEPHERD added that he would take a division on the subject ; and he would take care that the interests of his constituents should not with his consent be swept away by any such clap-trap cry. The SPEAKER was about to put the motion, when Mr. M'INDOE asked whether, before the Standing Orders were suspended, it was not necessary that a given number of persons should be Drosent ? The SPEAKER: Two-thirds of the members must be pi'esent. D. oes the hon. member call my attention to the fact that there are not two-thirds present ? After some further discussion, The SPEAKER said he found that only 19 members were present ; there must be 26 present. " Mr. SHEPHERD: Can I ask for the bell to be rung ? The SPEAKER : No, I don't think you can do that. Mr. SHEPHERD: Is there any rule upon that point ? The SPEAKER: I rule it.—(Laughter.) This resolution, seeing there are not a sufficient number of members present, must lapse. Mr. SHEPHERD: All right; I will move it again in half an hour. — (Renewed laughter.)

RETURNS. Mr. REID laid upon the table a return of agricultural blocks, in accordance with the motion of Mr. Brown ; -and also a return showing the amount of moneys received during the last financial year, by officers in the goldfieMs department, as travelling expenses or otherwise, in accordance with a motion by Mr. Haughton. PETITIONS. Mr. J. SHAND presented a petition from J. Hyde Harris, praying the Council to take measures for preventing the river Taieri from overflowing his property. The motion for the reception of the petition was carried on the voices. Mr. SHAND also presented a petition from certain landholders and others residing on the banks of the Waipori, on the same subject. The SPEAKER remarked that it was not a very respectable-looking document — (laughter) — but as it was drawn up in regular form he would not object to its being presented. The petition was received. THE FINANCIAL STATEMENT. \ In reply to a question of Mr. Ash- ! croft's, Mr. DUNCAN stated that the Financial Statement would be presented on the following week. RETURNS. Mr. M'DERMID moved, "That there be laid on the table a return showing in detail the expenditure incurred in connection with the prospective Southern Trunk Railway up to the present date ; said return to be a continuation of the return furnished during session twenty-five." Mr. HAUGHTON moved, "That there be laid on tho table a return of all moneys received during the last financial year by the officers in the Goldfields Department, as travelling expenses or otherwise." Both motions were carried, and Mr. Reid laid the latter return on the table. LEAVE OF ABSENCE. j On the motion of Mr. BROWN, ten ! days' leave of absence was granted, to Hay. ' ENDOWMENT FOB BENEVOLENT ASYLUM. Mr. REID moved, "That an address be presented to His Honour the Superintendent, recommending that 353,330 acres, more or less, be set apart as an endowment for benevolent institutions, established or that may hereafter be established." The revenue now realised from that tract of country was £1590, which was as near the amount fixed by the Council as could be obtained. Mr. Reid explained that the land was -all purely pastoral and not suited for agricultural purposes. The resolution was carried. ENDOWMENT FOB HOSPITALS. Mr. REID then moved that 501,090 acres, more or less, may be reserved and set apart as an endowment for hospitals. The revenue from these runs amounted to £2001 18s. 10d., which was as near the sum recommended by the Council as could be secured. Captain MACKENZIE said there seemed to be no end to the system of setting aside reserves for public purposes, and in a short time there would be very little trouble in dealing with the land remaining in possession of the province. Mr. MOSLEY quite agreed with the object for which it was proposed to set aside this endowment ; but great caution should be exercised in reserving such large tracts of country ; and it would be much better to reserve the land for a definite period than in perpetuity. By the resolutions now before the Council, it was proposed to reserve altogether 1,954,443 acres. The motion was carried. SCHOOL ENDOWMENTS. Mr. REID then moved that 240,500 acres be set apart for the establishment and endowment of high and grammar schools in the province. Mr. SHEPHERD moved, as an amendment, " That the resolution for district school endowments be embodied in the same resolution." The amendment was carried.