THE RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION BILL.

Evening Post, Volume XXII, Issue 68, 19 September 1881, Page 3

THE RAILWAYS CONSTRUCTION BILL.

# As reported in our last issue, the consideration in Committee of the Bailways Construction and Land Bill was resumed in the legislative Council on Saturday afternoon, when clause 15, with the Hon. Mr. Waterhouse's amendments, were passed by a bare majority. No other clause provoked any discussion until reaching clause 52, providing that any company might borrow and take up at interest such sums of money as might be lawfully authorised. A proposition to excise this clause experienced a narrow escape of being carried. The voting was equal on either Bide — 14 to 14— and the Chairman of Committees gave hia casting vote in favour of the passing of the clause. Arrived at clause 55 ( interest payable not to exceed Bix per cent."), the Hon. Mr. Eobinson, who confessed his desire to kill the bill, moved that the interest do not exceed five per cent., but the proposal was rejected. In clause 77 a verbal amendment was effected, providing that whenever aeontract shall have been entered into under the first part of the Act the Governor Bhall forthwith cause a sufficient area of Crown lands for a distance not exceeding fifteen miles to be set apart for giving effect to the contract, instead of twenty miles as proposed. Another verbal alteration was made to clause 89, and in clause 92 ("land to be surveyed ") the words " not more than 2000 nor 'ess than 100 acres" were struck out, and the word " such " inserted after "into" at the end of the second line of the clause. On the motion of the Hon. Mr. Eobinson, clause 100 was struck out altogether. This clause had been introduced for the purpose of enacting that whenever any land comprised within the external boundaries of any block to which the company is entitled is not Crown land, or is situated in a proclaimed gold field, or public reserve, an equal area in lieu thereof Bhonld be set apart for the company from bhe nearest available Crown lands. Clause 103 also underwent an alteration. To this olause, which provided that the value of the Crown lands to bo granted to the company was not to exceed 30 per cent, of the cost of railway, were added the words, " but the astimated cost of Buch line of railway shall not for the purposes of this clause exceed an iverage of JBSOOO per mile." The succeeding jlauses having been passed unamended, the postponed clauses in the first part of the bill ivore next considered and agreed to. In connection with the first schedule the Hon. Mr. .Robinson made an attempt to get rid of the Belnrove to Nelson Creek, East and West Coasts .Middle Island), and the Otago Central lineß. i division ensued on the question that the words proposed to be struck out stand part of the bill, resulting in the rejection of the proposed amendment by 12 to 10. The ayes nrere : P. A. Buckley, Dignan, 6. R. Johnson, F. Johnston, Lahmann, Martin, Ngatata, Peacock, Richmond, Waterhouse, Whitaker md Williamson. Noes ! Aoland, Brett, Chamberlain, Fraser, Miller, Nnrse, Peter, Reynolds, Eobinson and Wilson. The whole jf the schedules were then agreed to, and at lalf-past 9 o'clock the bill was reported, the ;hird reading being made an order of the day for this afternoon.