THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BILL.

West Coast Times, Issue 600, 27 August 1867, Page 3

THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATION BILL.

TO THE EDITOE OF THE WEST COAST TIMES. Sib — Referring to the letter of Burgess in your yesterday's issue, may I ask how it is that copies of Bills presented to the General Assembly, and materially affecting the interests of this district, are not sent here from Wellington, to some person or persons who would take the trouble to make them public. Several Bills have been before the House of Representatives during the session, of great importance to us ; I may mention the two Representative Bills, the Local Go-

vernment Bill, and the Municipal Corporation Bill. What opportunity is there afforded the people here of understanding ' or discussing the merits of these Bills, unless copies of them are duly received and published. I see by a report of proceedings in the House of Representatives on the 2nd August, the hon. John Hall said of the Municipal Corporation Bill — ' f'Tb,© B4JI fcas bpon Jatt pn $c tatye,

and a large number will be circulated tomorrow, so that hon. members will have ample time to examine it." I always thought it was one of the duties of a member of Parliament to communicate these matters to his constituents. How is it that Mr Moorhouse, our own member, has not taken care to keep the public posted up in parliamentary proceedings ? And how is it that these important Bills are not circulated by the Government ? A very large sum of money is being spent in printing the Hansard, glorifying honorable members by reporting their speeches in full. As parliamentary Bills have to be printed of necessity, it would not be a [very great extra expense to have them circulated, so that the public might get the key to what their members are talking about. I, for one, would very much like to know what the Municipal Corporation Bill is likely to do with our own Town Council. • Excuse this intrusion.

Another Bubgess.