PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XVI, Issue 2159, 19 March 1870, Page 3

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Friday, March 18. The Speaker took the chair at noon. BOLLESTON AND SOUTHBEIDGE TRAMWAY. Mr Jollie moved that the following resolutions standing in his name be made an order of the day for Tuesday next—" That in the event of satisfactory proposals being received for the construction of the work, the Superintendent be empowered to conclude arrangements for the purchase of the required land along the said line, commencing at a point on the Great Southern Railway, the same being the easternmost corner of reserve No. 309, in red, passing through the said reserve in a southerly direction to the intersection of the Selwyn and Coal Tramway road by the road west of section No 10,768; thence following a straight line to the north-eastern corner of section No. 6903, following the eastern boundary of that section, and of section 5007 to the road to Selwyn; thence passing through sections 4973, 4106, 8753, 8786, 8766, 2881, 3595, 4728, 3596, 5884, to the River Selwyn, crossing that river and passing through sections 3894J 3271, 4726, 4693, 4fi95, 4694, 3314, 3980, 3953, 4977, and 5885, to Hanmer'e road, crossing that road and passing through •ectiona 5842, 5851, 5950, 5984, 7771, and reserves No. 304 and 814, in red, to the Leeston road, crossing that road and passing through section 7184 and the corner of the j Police Btation yard at Lees(on to the Eastern street, in the town of Leeston ; following that street and passing through eections 5482, €483 i 5622, 5678, 5877, to the road east of McClowe'e section 5206 ; following that road to the northern boundary of section 3330, crossing that section and sections 5106 and and 5861 to Jollies road, ata point near the Church and Southbridge."

Mr Jollie moved that the following resolutions on immigration be made an order of the day for Tuesday next :—

'* That in default of any general scheme being initiated by the General Government of the colony, it is desirable to obtain through the General Government a loan of an amount not exceeding £30,000, for the purposes of immigration." *' That this sum, together with such further sums as may be voted by the Provincial Council for the purpose, should be expended over a period of three years from the Ist of September next." "That the numbers and the classes of immigrants to be brought out should be modified from time to time, is may be found desirable, to meet the requirements of the province, and arrangements should be made for diffusing further information through the country districta in England or Scotland by

means of an agent, or agents, whoso duty it shall be to promote the selection of suitable immigrants." "Thai; having regard to the future requirements of the province, in consequence of the increase of the number of flax manufactories and the probable growth of other industries, this Council is of opinion that efforts should be made to secure a eteady and continuous flow of population into this province over a period of years." Leave granted. SECOND BEADINGa. On the motion of the Peovtncial Solici- | tor the following Bills were read a second I time—"The Christchurch Municipal Corpora- ! tion Beserves Leasing Bill, 1870 ;" the Educational Reserves Leasing Bill, 1870;" the "Bill for the establishment; and management of Publics Cemeteries in the Province of Canterbury on certain lands appropriated to the use of the public for the interment of the dead." In moving the second reading of the " Thistle Ordinance, 1866, Repeal Bill, 1870," Mr Wtun Williams said he hoped that the house would allow this Bill to pass the second reading, pro forma, and the discussion could then be taken on the third reading. There was only one clause in the Bill upon which there was likely to be any discussion, and that was the clause which repealed the old Ordinance. Hβ did this to expedite the business of the Council, in order that hon. members might be enabled to return to their homes. Mb Montgomeby said that many hon. members were of opinion that the Bill should not be brought in ; they were of opinion that the present Bill might be rendered very much more efficient, and a step in the right direction had been taken by the appointment of clerks of Road Boards as Thistle Inspectors. He should vote against the second reading of the Bill, as the Provincial Solicitor had not advanced any reasons for its introduction. Mr Beown said it would be time to repeal the old Ordinance when the Government brought in a new one, -which would carry out the intention of the Bill more strictly. Unless tho Government were prepared to bring down a Bill to eradicate every thistle in the country, it would bo useless to repeal the present Bill. The thistles on tho Crown lands in the province were a source of a great deal of the evils complained of. Mr Maszell advocated the withdrawal of the Bill for this session, and thought it would be better if a fresh one were brought forward during the next session of the Council. Mr Bhodes supported the Bill. Mr Fyfe hoped that the Government would withdraw the Bill for the present; Mr Knight would recommend the Government to withdraw the Bill; a general election was coming on, and the subject would then be fairly discussed. Mr Wynn Williams said he would withdraw the resolution for the second reading of this Bill, and move that the second reading be made an order of the day for Tuesday next. The motion, on being put to the House, was carried on the voices. IN COMMITTEE. The House then went into committee, the Hon. G. L. Lee in the chair, when the Christchurch Municipal Corporations Beservea Bill, 1870, was passed without amendment. On the oommittal of the Educational Keserves Leasing Bill, 1870," Mr Knight said he should move an amendment on the first clause of the Bill to the effect that the reserves should be let by public tender. Mr Wynn Williams said that the course pursued by the Government had been to advertise the lands to be let. After some discussion the words " by publio tender" were inserted- in the Bill, which passed through committee without further amendment. The Cemeteries Bill was also committed, and passed through committee. The Chaibman then reported progress, and the House adjourned till five p.m. on Tuesday next.