Provincial Council

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XVI, Issue 1242, 9 August 1859, Page 3

Provincial Council

FRIDAY, sth AUGUST. The Council met pursuant to adjournment. The Council having been counted out the previous day there was no business on the notice paper. Land Regulations. Dr. Pollen moved the Order of the Day of Thurs d«y : "Consideration of Message No. 6of his Honor the Superintendent, covering certain amendments to the regulations." The Smaker pointed out that the notice of motion having lapsed, it would not be in order to bring it forward without renewing the notice, a sufficient number of members not being present to suspend the standing orders. Dr. Pollen hoped that the Speaker would, if possible, allow the motion to be brought forward, as the d*lay would cause great inconvenience to miiy members, and the proposed alterations were merely formal. A short discussion ensued, the Speaker alluding to strictures which had be>n already passed in that Council on his conduct in the management of the debates, and expressing his unwillingness to allow, on his own responsibility, what he was convinced totally out of order. However, he had found a similar case which had occurred in the Imperial Parliament, where a member insisting on the sense of the house being taken as to whether a motion should be brought forwarcLgrjiot, the Speaker had felt himself obliged to put thequestion. He must inform the Council, however, that in^the case referred to the House had ratified the decision of the Speaker by refusing to have the original motion put. If Dr. Pollen chose to press the question, he (the Speaker) would feel himself obliged to comply, and consider himself free from any responsibility. It was then put to the Council, whether the lapsed motion should be brought forward. Carried unanimously. Dr. Pollen moved the adoption of the proposed amendments. They were merely formal ; making the regulation! retrospective merely to a certain date, 9th March, 1858, thereby avoiding reference to the same as that of the passing of a posssibly disallowed Act (the Watte Land Act, 1858) ; and changing the wording of some clauses bo as to bring them into exact conformity with those of tht General Assembly Act. They were unanimously agreed to. Adjournment. Mr. Mebriuan moved that the Council do adjourn to the 30th September. The object of not proroguing was to obviate the necessity of issuing immediately a writ for the election of a member in the place of Dr. Lee, whoso seat would necessarily become vacant after an absence of two sessions from the Council. By adjourning the prorogation till the 30th September the election for this seat and for the new ones created would all come off together. Of course the Council would not be obliged to meet on the day in question, as they would probably be prorogued by proclamation. The Speaker, before putting the motion to the Council, alluded to what had occurred during the Session in teference to his conduct as Chairman of Committees. He believed that inconveniences arose from that office and that of Speaker being combined, and thought it might become a question for future consideration whether it would not be wise to divide them. For his part he considered it a duty to his own constituency not to abstain from using his influence when he considered it neceesary for their welfare. The Council then adjourned till|the 30th Sept.