Friday, January 9.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XIV, Issue 997, 16 January 1857, Page 3

Friday, January 9.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment. Present — The Speaker and nineteen members. Resignation of late Executive.

Mr. Schultz asked the Executive if there would be any objection on the part of the Government to lay on the ,t»ble copies of resignation of the late Executive Council, with the (late of the notification of th 3 same in the 'Gazette,' and copy thereof. Mr. Buckland stated that the papers would be laid on the table.

Bush Licenses. Mr. Carleton, pureuant to notice, rose— in reference to Mr. Buckland's motion in the last session of the Provincial Council concerning bush licenses —to ask that honourable member what were the intentions of the Government with regard to them, whether to increase the number, to diminish the number, or to leave the number as at present ; also whether, and to whom, any bush license or licenses have been issued since the accession of the present Superintendent to office. Mr. Buckland felt the necessity for a change in the mode and spirit in which bush licenses had hitherto been granted. He was of opinion that licenses hid been granted with too much freedom, and the Executive ■were resolved that licenses should only be granted under such conditions as Mould ensure good accommodation for travellers, as well as provide against the sale of liquor away from the premisps. Accommodation for travellers in the bush was specially desvrable. No bushlicenses had be&n issued since the accession of the present Superintendent to office.

Acte of the General Assembly, Mr. Digs \n moved that an address be presented to his Honor the Superintendent, requesting him to procure for each member of the Council a copy of the Acts passed by the General Assembly. Agreed to.

Steamer Wonga Wongn. Major Greenwood addressed the House respecting his notice of motion for an. address to his Honor the Superintendent, representing to him the danger there was, if the Executive persisted in their resolution to reduce considerably the annual sum hitherto allowed to the Wonga Wonga, of losing the services of that steamer. He strongly insisted upon the hardship of the shareholders in that vessel. He (Major Greenwood) •was one of them. He had invested 45100 in her, and neither received nor expected to receive dividend on his shares. He spoke having sojely in view the interests of the Province, which he believed would materially suffer unless the Executive were prepared to meet the shareholders with more liberal conditions than those recently proposed. Mr. Kelly would not vote one farthing towards retaining in Government service the Wonga Wonga, which had failed to comply with many ot the conditions the directors had pledged themselves to fulfil. After a. smart conversational debate between those two hon. members, it was agreed to appoint a Committee to consider and report upon the following resolutions :—: — 1. That in the opinion of this Council it is a matter of Provincial importance that the Wonga Wonga should continue her voyages, 2. That it appears to this Council that £2500 is a reasonable subsidy to be granted by the Government for this year. 3. That the sum now proposed, this Council hat, every reason to believe, will not be more than sufficient to cover the actual expenses, and will not leave to the shareholders even interest on their capital. 4. That it is not reasonable to suppose th^t the

shareholders will cotitmueTo u-rt >rm a public service at a hemy lo^ to themsehes, 5. That the deduction or £1/500 from the amount of subsidy granted last year is t»> inui.li as can be fa.ily expected, and th.it this Council contemplates a reduction (V »in year to yp.tr, and puppets that the traffic created will shortly enable the Province to withhold any subsidy. 6 That his Honor be requested to place the sum of £2500 on th-> estimates accordingly. City and Suburban Commissioners' Bill. "Mr. Roylvm, in moving the second reading of this bill, referred to the wants under which the City was suffering — the want of drainage, causeways, &c.; Said that the Board of Works had completely failed in its City oyierations ; and considered that the' present bill would fully meet the exigencies of the case. Under Us provisions nine Commissioners would bo elected, and the f'Uy would not, as beforp, be divided into wards— a system which had been much objected to. The hon. member further enumerated the advantages of the bill, in particular tftat the City endowments would become available for City purposes. No opposition being offered to thespeond reading, the Council went into committee upon the bill 'pro forma,' postponing a consideration of its details until Wodnesday nqxt. Thistles B'll. This bill having been re-committed, was, after some verbal amendments, ordered to be lead a third time on Tuesday. Provincial Council Enlargement Bill. Mr. Mkhjuman moved that the further consideration of this bill' be postponed till a future day. — Agreed to. Education Bill. The Council having gone into comnvttee Mr. Boylan moved that clause 5 do stand part of he bill. Mr. GooDrEixow moved as an amendment, — pj, " In all such schools the branches of instruction , Enumerated in clause 3 shall exclusively be Uuglrfc not ' less than four and a-half hours every day, e\cc>{Hing Sundays and holidays ; provided always that such holidays, altogether in any one year, shall not exceed six wepks. " In supporting the amendment, the mover said the present bill seemed to take the power out ot the hauds ol parents, and give it to managers. Mr. J. O'Neill pointed out several objections to the amendment ; some general discuS&ion having ensued, a division took place with the following result : — For the amendment : — Me*s.rs Carleton, May, Goodfellow (teller). Against :— Messrs. Buckland, A. O'Neill, Brodie, Boylan, Sishultz, Hay, Pollen, Bcdggood, R. Graham. Lewis, Kelly, Matson, Dihvorth, Brennan, Dignan, Taylor, Merriman, J. O'Neill (teller). Some further discussion, which did not result in anything, ensued on the propriety of compelling applications to be sent, in writing, in those cases where parents did not wish their children to receive religious instruction. Clause 6 was amended as follows, and passed :—: — school receiving aid under the provisions of this Act shall be open to the inspection of the Board, either by an inspector to be appointed as hereinafter provided, or by any one nominated by the patron or patron* of of such schools, and approved of by the Boaid tor that purpose." Clause 7 was considered, amended in its woidtng, and passed. Clause 8 being put, Mr. R. Guaha.m proposed that the amount of maximum be £60. in lieu of £30. Amendment put and lost. Original clause can ied. The whole of the remaining clauses weie rapidly gone through, the word "managers" being, on the motion of: Mr. Boylax, altered to " patrons or committee o management." The chairman then repoi ted progress, and the Council adjourned.