Friday, June 3.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 122, 9 June 1870, Page 6

Friday, June 3.

MONTHLY STEAM SERVIC3.

The House went into Committee on Mr. Shepherd's resolutions and Mr. Millar's amendment. The amendment was : — "That the words 'the vessels to call at a port no further north than Wellington ' be omitted, with the view of inserting in lieu thereof the words ' the port of call being a port in the Middle Island contributing the greatest amount to colonial revenue.' "

After a long discussion the amendment was negatived. Mr. MILLAR then moved the following amendment :—" That the words ' the vessels to call at a port no further north than Wellington' be omitted, with the view of inserting in lieu thereof the words ' the first port of arrival or last of departure for the San Francisco mail steamers shall be the chief port of the Province of Otago, which province contributes the greatest amount of the colonial revenue of any province in the Middle Island, and that the subsidy contributed by New Zealand shall not exceed L 25 ,000 annually.'"

This amendment was carried, after which Mr. Shepherd's first resolution, as amended, was put and carried. The second resolution was struck out, and the third carried.

Mr. HAUGHTON, Mr. REID, and Captain M'KENZIE intimated that they objected to the first resolution as amended. Mr. HAUGHTON then said he would divide the House, which resulted as follows" : — For the resolution, 19 ; against it, 7.

OTAGO REPRESENTATION BILL.

Mr. CLARK moved that for the word " seven" the word "six" be substituted, thus giving Dunedin six instead of seven representatives. Mr. ASHCROFT called attention to the inadequate representation of country towns.

Mr. MOUAT said seven members for Dunedin was certainly a large number, but it must be remembered that it rarely occurred that the whole of those members were in the House at once. If necessary, another member might perhaps be added.

Mr. DRIVER agreed with the Bill as a whole. He had no objection, if a fair case were put forward, to support a motion for another member.

After considerable discussion, the amendment was lost on the voices, and the original motion, giving Dunedin seven members, was carried. Sub-section 2, giving Oamaru one member, was agreed tn. Mr. SHEPHERD moved, "That the Oamaru country and Waitaki be combined and represented by two members." Mr. ASHCROFT said that if the hon. member (Mr. Shepherd) had proposed to give three members with the combination, he would have supported the amendment; still, it must not be forgotten that the peculiarities of the country were not favourable to a combination.

Mr. HUTCIIESON remarked that, as usual, the hon. member (Mr. Shepherd) had talked to the Committee of things of which he knew little, or nothing at all. He had, only a few minutes ago, addressed the Committee in regard to a country which he had never seen ; it appeared that he did not even know there was such a place as the Waitaki Plain, which was studded with settlers. Besides mthe Oamaru district there were three interests, which one member could not possibly represent.

Mr. SHEPHERD'S amendment was lost.

The following sub-sections were then put and carried : — Oamaru Country, one member ; Waitaki, one member ; Moeraki, one member ; Waihemo, one member ; and Hawksbury, one member.

Section 9, giving Port Chalmers one member, was carried. Section 10, giving North Harbour one member, was carried.

Section 11, giving Waikari one member, was carried.

, Sections 12, 13, and 14, giving Caversham, Peninsula, and Kaikorai, three members, were carried Section — Tokomairiro three members.

Mr. GILLIES moved as an amendment that the district should be divided into three parts, North Tokomairiro, South Tokomairiro, and Milton, so that there might be one member for each division.

The motion was put and carried,

Sections Waitahuna, one member ; Tuapeka, two members ; Clutha, two members ; Mataura, one member, were passed. On the motion of Mr. BROW, the name of the sub-section Teviot was changed to Mount Benger, one member. Dunstan, one member. Cromwell and Nevis, one member. On the motion of Mr. SHKPHERD, the name was changed to Kawarau. The sub-section was-passed.

The Lakes, one member. Mr SHEPHERD moved, as an amendment, that the word " one " be omitted, with the view of inserting the word " two " in lieu thereof. -The amendment was carried. Sub-section 25, giving Mount Ida two members, was agreed to.

Capt. M'KENZIE* moved the adoption of an additional sub-section giving one member to Pomahaka.

After some discussion, progress was reported, and leave to sit again/obtained. The House then adjourned at fifteen minutes past one o'clock until Monday, at 2 p.m.