THE Thames Advertiser. MONDAY, AUG. 3, 1874.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1881, 3 August 1874, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser. MONDAY, AUG. 3, 1874.

We are in receipt of the draft of a Bill which has been introduced into the House of Representatives entitled " An Act for granting to the Municipal Corporations of New Zealand certain License and Registration Fees as part of the Ordinary .Revenue." This is the Bill in favour of which a kind of Municipal league has been established throughout the colony, and in favour of which the Thames Borough Council recently forwarded a petition to Wellington. The matter was first taken in hand by the Christchurch City Council, who endeavoured to get a motion passed by the Provincial Council of Canterbury, granting the concessions sought to be obtained by the passing of the Bill now before us, but in this, they were unsuccessful. The present Bill was therefore drafted, and a copy sent to nearly all the Municipal Councils throughout the colony, asking for their co-operation. A. petition also accompanied it, of which'the following is a copy:—"That there is a large amount of expensive work to be performed to complete the formation and metalling of streets, belts, and for erecting bridges, and other urgent and important works. That owing to the increase of buildings and population/ and as a means for prevention of crime, it is necessary to have the whole of the city lighted at night. That this Council is borrowing a large sum of money under a Special Act to.carry out a system of drainage. That the .ratepayers are already heavily taxed, That this Council humbly submits that the fees arising from licenses granted to auctioneers, hotelkeepers, merchants, pawnbrokers, and taxes on dogs within the?boundary of each Municipality should form a part of its revenue, as in the case of the Otago province. ; That the Council therefore humbly pray that, your Honourable House will be to pas - an Act securing to each' Municipality the fees above referred to." The following is the text of the Bill:—" Whereas it is expedient to, provide further resources jof ordinary revenue for Municipal Corporations established in New Zealamd.' Be it therefore enacted by the (General Assembly of New Zealand inf Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows:—1. The sprt title of this Act shall be The MuWcipal Corporations Revenues Act, 1874. 2. This Act shall come into (Operation on the Ist day.of January, 1?J75. 3. All' licenses which under the jauthority of any Act of the General kssembly of:

New Zealand, or of any Act or Ordinance of any Provincial Council of any province of New Zealand, shall be issuable for the purpose of authorising any person or persons to act or trade as auctioneers, pawnbrokers, wholesale wine and spirit merchants, keepers of hotels, accommodation-houses, publichouses, or. public bars, or as keepers or managers of theatres, or places of public amusements within the boundaries of any city or Borough, the fees payable whereon shall not form part of the revenues of the General Government of New Zealand shall be issued by the City Council of such City or Borough, and all fees payable upon the issue of such licenses, and all fines and penalties payable for acting or trading without such licenses shall be paid to and received by the Council of such city or Borough, and shall go and belong to and form part of the City or Borough Fund thereof.. It shall be the duty of any Resident Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, officer, or other person by whom any such license shall be granted, forthwith to certify such grant to the Mayor of the city or Borough within the boundaries whereof the same is to take effect, 4. All fees which shall be payable for the registration of dogs or goats owned or maintained by or following any person residing or carrying on business within the boundaries of any city or Borough, and all fines and penalties which shall be payable in respect of the non-regis-tration of any such dogs or goats shall be received by the proper officer iu that behalf on account of, and it shall be the duty of such officer forthwith to pay over all such fees, fines, and penalties to the Council of such city or Borough, and the same shall go and belong to and form part of the city or Borough fund thereof. 5. All such fees, fines, and penalties shall be recoverable in a summary manner before two Justices or a Resident Magistrate, in the manner provided by the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867."

"We confess that we have not the slightest hope that the.Bill will be assented to by the General Assembly, because the power of the Superintendents in the House is sufficient to throw it out immediately the second reading is called on. They will tel I the House very plainly that if these sources of provincial revenue are taken from them others must be found to make up the deficiency. We are convinced that the House will be led by the Superintendents in this matter, and that the Bill will be rejected, and not dealt with on its merits.