LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8523, 30 June 1893, Page 6

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

(press association telegram.) Thursday, June 29. The Council met at 2.30. SUPREME COURT PRACTICE. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL on moving the second reading of the Supreme Court Practice and Procedure Acts Amendment Bill, said the Bill sought to confer powers upon the Supreme Court Registrar at Westland to do certain acts when the Judge of the circuit was not resident. The same powers had been extended to the Registrars of several other towns in the colony, and he thought the same privileges should be extended to Westland. Mr BO WEN expressed the opinion that the provisions of the Bill should be extended to Registrars of all districts in which there was no resident Judge. He contended if the Bill was extended in the direction he had indicated it would be of great convenience ancLadvantage to the public. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL expressed his thanks to Mr Bowen for his suggestion, and promised ho would do all in his power to carry it out when the Bill was in Committee. The Bill was referred to the Statutes Revision Committee. DISTRICT COURTS JURISDICTION. The ATTORNEY-GENERAL, in moving the second reading of the District Courts Jurisdiction Bill, remarked that it sought to extend the jurisdiction of judges up to £500 in District Courts, and in addition the measure gave District Courts power for dealing with receivers of stolen property, and in cases of conviction imposing sentences up to seven years. The second reading was agreedfto. and the Bill sent to the Statutes Revision Committee. THE LATE SIR W. FOX. Sir G. WHITMORE, without notice, moved the following—" That this Council desires to place on record its sincere regret at the death of Sir William Fox, and its appreciation of the valuable services rendered by him to the colony during a long series of years." Sir George remarked that the deceased gentleman had endeavoured to the best of bis lights to benefit the masses, and in the old Maori troubles on the West Coast he had done his utmost to benefit his fellow men in other directions. This could be said of the late Sir W. Fox, that although he had for a lifetime taken an active part in politics; he had never soiled his fingers, nor had he made money out of his fellow creatures. Mr PHARAZYN warmly supported the motion. The deceased gentleman had the welfare of his fellow creatures at heart, and although perhaps he (Mr Pharazyn) was not fully prepared to endorse all the views of the deceased gentleman, this he could say, that he believed sincerely there was no public man who had ever lived in New Zealand who had laboured more assiduously in the interests of his fellows than Sir W. Fox had laboured. The motion was agreed to. AnDRESS-IN-REPLV. The SPEAKER intimated that the Ad-dress-in-Reply wonld be presented to the Governor that afternoon at 4 o'clock. The Council adjourned during his pleasure. On resuming, The SPEAKER announced that he, accompanied by the mover and seconder of the Address, had waited upon Mb Excellency with the Address, to which Lord Glasgow had vouchsafed a gracious reply. The Council adjourned to next day.