THE NORTH DUNEDIN CEMETERY EXTENSION BILL.

Evening Star, Issue 7360, 4 November 1887, Page 3

THE NORTH DUNEDIN CEMETERY EXTENSION BILL.

AN OTAGO FREE FIGHT. fFfiOM Our Parliamentary Repohter.l WELLINGTON, November 3. The second reading of the above Bill, which was moved by Mr Downie Stewart this evening, gave rise to an acrimonious discussion, in which Otago played a prominent part. The Local Bills Committee had reported adversely to the proposal. The measure was supported by Mr Stewart, Mr Pyke, Dr Fitchett, Mr Barron, Mr Ross, Mr Duncan, Mr Fish, and Mr Mills, while Messrs Allen, M'Kenzie (Clutha), Atkinson, Hlslop, Fergus, aud Fulton spoke against it. Mr Allen declared that had the City Counoil done their duty there would now have been L 3.000 available for the purposes of a cemetery. Mr Pyke humorously remarked that as the people had not been educated up to the advantages of burying their dead in the sea, with the view of feeding the fishes, or the benefits of cremation, he thought they could not do better meanwhile than utilise the Town Belt a3 a cemetery. The hon. members who supported the Bill said the land in question was useless for any other purpose, aud as the present cemetery was crowded, the effect of- throwing out the B''ll would be that the suburban boroughs would be compelled to bury their dead elsewhere, and that Dunedin would be iu the difficulty of overcrowding its cemeteries, thus causing unsanitiiy effects. The other aide based their objections _to the measure on the ground that the City was filching away its reserves, and that the place was too close to Dunedin for a cemetery ; that the drainage would go into the City ; and that the proper site for a cemetery was Kelvin Grove. It was denied by the supporters of the Bill that the drainage would go into the City, but into the bay. The second reading was carried by 36 to 31 amidst loud applause, and its committal fixed for Thursday next. It will be noticed from the subjoined division-list that Ministers gave a block vote against the measure, Ayks. Messrs Bilhncc, Barron, Bla'.-y, Buxton, Cadman, Cwan, Duncan, Fc'.dwick, Fish,' Fitcbetl (teller), quintet, Hutchison, Jones, Joyce, iffllv ii-rr, Levpstarn, Scol-fo Mackcnzio, Ma-chan», 4 il-Ktnzie, Mills, O'Conor, Pratt, R. Reeves, E. Bichinlson, Row, Seddon, Smith, Stewatd, Ste*art (teller), Tinner, Taylor, Turnbull, Wo'ker, Ward. No:!H.—Mes-rn Allfn (teller), Anderson, Atkinson, Buchanan, Catrcll. Fisher, Goldie, Grahs-rj, Grey, Grimmond, lIWop, Hobts. Uodgkinson, Iz-.d, Liwry, M.waithur, T. Mackenzie (teller), Miloheiaon, Monk. Newman, Pcaoack, Rhode?, G F. Rch.jdson, R«=« 1!, Seymour, Taipm, Thompson, Wilsoa, and Withy '