ROAD BOARDS.

LINCOLN. An adjourned meeting was held at the office, Prebbleton, on the 9th instant. Present—Messrs J. N. Tosswill (chairman), J. Maskrey, and E. Prebble. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Mr Maskrey was requested to prepare plane and specifications for a house similar to Mr Rule's, and the srrvevor was authorised to advertise for tenders for same, to be sent in by the 6th of September next. The surveyor was authorised to procure ninety 12-inch pipes, thirty for use on Saunders and Perryman's road. The Board decided to call for tenders for the following work : —l. Spring's road, by Carey's, re-forming 25 chains, more or less. 2. Fountain's road, from Winter's Bridge to north corner of reserve No. 125, forming 80 chains, more or less. 3. School and Church road, metalling 17 chains, more or less, 22 yards to the chain. 4. Templeton and Halswell road, from Spring's road to western corner of section 2G37, metalling 4O chains, more or less. The surveyor was requested to report on the best mode of lowering the hill at the old river bed, and prepare specififtitions for work. He was also requested to write to the Sprejdon Road Board, asking it to join in the cost of lowering the above hill, which is on the boundary of the two districts. It was decided that a gate and fence should be placed at the entrance of the Church gravel pit, and padlock provided ; also that the gorse should be cut, after which the Board adjourned. ,

EYRETON.

The monthly meeting of this Board was held on Monday last. Present—B. Coup (chairman), Bradley, and White.. Letters were read from Mr H. B. HuddUwton, offering to report upon plans or specifications if required by the Board. From Secretary of the Treasury, advising payment of £500&d®a 3d, being the Board's snare of funds afc the credit of the Ashley County Council. From

Steward of Reserves, giving permission to use sections 1340 and 355 for planting, and stating it was not considored advisable to plant No. :kSO. Petitions were presented from residents in Sneyd street, osking to have footpaths formed. From Mr Vale, asking tho Board to shingle 10 chains Coutte , road. From Mr J. Guild, npplying to have work on Smith's road and to form the road along main drain from Smith's road to Ashworth's road. The surveyor was naked to report. From Mr H. Chapman, asking for remission of rates through illness. Agreed to. Mr T. Burgess asked the Board to grant £3 towards work done by him at the E3 r re outlet. Agreed to. Messrs Burgess and Elder asked the Board to allow J. Spriggs to continue work in straightening Bursjess creek, also to allow co*t of a team for scooping. Resolved, to allow Sprigga to go on with the work, and that Mr Burgess be allowed £4 towards tho scooping. Mr McRoherts requested the Board to form about 60 chains of road near his ulace. It was decided the surveyor expend £35 in planting willows from White's bridge and doing protective work to North road ntsir Mr Tibbett'e farm. Tenders were considered for brick culvert and drain along Rangiora drain road, Mr Whitefordto pay one-third and the Board of Conservators a third towards the cost; for forming liaddon's road, McHugh's road. North Eyre road, repairing Eyro embankment. It was resolved thnt tenders be u»vited to be sent in to the chairman for the list of works advertised in tho weekly papers. It was resolved to employ a person to impound cattle, horses, and pige found straying. It was resolved the chairman be authorised to. make the best terms he can to obtain interest on the funds of tho Board not required for immediate use. Accounts amounting to £162 4e 7d were passed for payment.

NEW BILLS.

Tiik Local Orrtov Bill. The preamble of this .Bill, which ia introduced by the lion. Mr Fox, states that it is desirabla to giro more efficient control OTor the sale of intoxicating liquors to the residents in the neighborhood of the houses where such sale is carried on. It provides that any twenty or more persons, male or female, residing in any licensing district, may, by notice in writing, require the chairman of the Licensing Court to deflne a sub-district, and take the votes of the adult residents as to the propriety of bringing in the provisions of the Act. Every house licensed for tho sale of intoxicating liquors, or for which a license is applied for, is to be the.cent.ro of the sub-district, and if there shall bo more than one such house in proximity to Another tho chairman is to fix some intermediate point, which shall be tho centre. Every such subdistrict, if within the limits of a municipality, shall include all bona fide inhabitant* within a radius of 100 yards; and if the centre is beyond tho limits of a municipality, then the radius of the sub-district is to bo two miles. Voting papers are to be distributed, and each voter is to write "yes," or "no , * thereon, or make a mark attested by a witness for or against the adoption of the Act. The chairman is to cause the voting papers to be collected, and to declare the result of the voting. The penalty for fabricating or altering voting papers it imprisonment for a period not exceeding six months. If the Act is adopted the chairman is to sign a declarato that effect,. and' after notification in the " Gazette " the Act ie to be in forces The declaration is also to bo published afc least twice in some newspaper circulating, ia the district. After three years tho chairman may again be required to take tho votes. After Hie prohibitory clauses come into operation no license is to be issued for the sale of intoxicating liquors; and any person transgressing the law shall be liable to imprisonment for any term not lees than fourteen days nor more than six months. All expenses incurred by the chairman in carrying out the law shall be chargeable and bo paid out of the fees payable for publicans* and other licenses. The penalty for divulging the vote of any individual ie a fine of i>2o. The voting papers are to be kept'for a period of six months after an election. The Governor in Council may make regulations for the prosecution of inquiries. A vote may be taken against particular licenses. Nothing in the Act is to prohibit the sale of alcoholic liquor by any qualified medical practitioner for medical purposes. Thb Cbossed Chkquks BiMi. . Tliis Bill, introduced by the Hon. Mr Whitaker, has for its object the amendment of the law relating to crossed cheques. By it the Banker's Draft Act is repealed; bufc existing' Jrighte, interests, and liabilities under that enactment are not to bo effected. A " cheque" is defined as admit or order on » banker payable to bearer or to order on demand. The term " banker" includes persons or a corporation, or joint stock or other * oupany acting as bankers. Aβ to the generaT. and special crossing the Bill provides that where a cheque bears across ite face an addition of the words "and company," or any abbreviation thereof between two parallel lines; or, of two parallel lines simply, with or without the words "not negotiable," that addition is to be deemed a crossing, and the cheque is to bo deemed to bo crossed generally. Where across the face of a cheque the name of a banker is written, the cheque is -to be deemed specially crossed to that banker. • It is provided that where a cheque is uncrossed, a lawful holder may cross it generally or specially. Where » cheque is crossed generally, a lawful holder may cross it specially. Where a cheque iar crossed generally or specially, a lawful holder may odd the words " not negotiable." Where a cheque is croesed epecUlly, the banter to whom it is crossed mny again cross it specially to another banker, his agent, or collector. Crossing is to be deemed a material part of the cheque, and it is unlawful to obliterate itor alter it except as provided by the Act. Where a cheque is crossed generally, the banker on whom it is drawn is not to pay it otherwise than to a banker; and whore a. cheque is grossed specially, the banker on - whom it is drawn is not to pay it otherwise than to the banker to whom it is crossed, or to hie agent for collection. Where a cheque is crossed specially to more than one banker, except when crossed to an agent for the purpose of collection, tho banker on whom it is drawn is to refuse payment of it. It* cases where the banker on whom a crossed, cheque is drawn in good faith and without; negligence paid such cheque if crossed generally to a banker, and if crossed epeei lly to the banker to whom it is crossed, or hu agent being a banker, for collection', the banker paying the cheque and (in case such cheque has eooie < to the hands of the payee) the drawer thereof,, shall respectively be entitled to the name righto and be placed in the same poaifcion in ail respects as they would hart , been in if the , amount of the cheque hacl been paid to th« true owner. A banker paying , a cheque contrary to tho provisions of the Bill is to be liable to the lawful owner. The Bill further provides that any banker paying tv cheque crossed otherwise than to a banker, or a efieque crossed specially otherwise, tfjjui to a banker to whom the same shall becrosscd, or h»sgent for collection being a banker, shall be liable to the true owncrof the cheque for any tow he may sustain owing to the cheque having beer* so paid. Where a cheque is present for payment which docs not ;it the time of presentation appear to be crossed, or to hare bad » crossing which has been obliterated, or to have been added to or altered otherwise than as authorised by this Bill a banker paying the cheque, in good faith and without neuligenee, shall not be responsible or ineiir any liability* nor shall the payment bo questioned, by reason of the cheqne having been eroded, or of the crossing having been obliterated, or having been added to or nltered otherwise than as authorised by this Bill, and of payment being made otherwise than to a bank.fr or the banker to whom the cheque ie or was cmsfttl, orte his agent for collection being a.bmilier (as the case may be). A person taking a cheque crossed generally or speclrtly, bearing in eithercase the wordu " not negotiable," shall nopk have and shall not be capable of .giving *- better title to tho cheque than that whiVh theperson from whom he took it Im«l. Hut a banker who has in* good fai'ili and without negligence received payment for v customer of a cheque crossed generally or specially fc» himself shall not, in ease the title to the. cheque prove defecttro, incur any liabftifcy t» the true owner of the cheque by reufon «£L having received such payment.