LEGISLATION Of 1887.

Evening Star, Issue 7450, 20 February 1888, Page 1

LEGISLATION Of 1887.

It may be considered a direct advantage,' resul tin g from the political complications and Ministerial changes of last year, that the two sessions held therein were by no means prolific in legislation. it was further a good sign of better things that the newlyelected House of Representatives showed no inclination to encourage the introduction of measures involving important principles and policy by private members. Of late years much valuable time of Parliament has been wasted by the discussion of hopeless fads embodied in the form of Bills, which custom and courtesy have allowed to proceed up to the motion for the second reading. Honorable members would save themselves much trouble, and materially shorten the sessions, if they would resolutely decline to consider or debate Bills involving public policy which are not brought in by the Government or the recognised leader of a party, thus

having a reasonable chance of being seriously considered. The Acts placed in the Statute-book in 1887—although comparatively few in number, and many of these merely effecting technical amendments in measures passed, as is too often the case, with more haste than discretion—include several of the very gravest importance. Two Departments—the Land and the Railways—are absolutely revolutionised; the Kermadec Islands are annexed to New Zealand ; and the Colony has formally agreed to the establishment and ■maintenance o£ an additional naval force for the protection of the floating trade in Australasian waters, for which purpose a permanent appropriation has been made to meet our share of the cost. The Ministerial measures, by which very material retrenchment is effected in the expenses of the Executive and the Legislature, are sufficient

in themselves to distinguish the year, and it must be admitted are most creditable to the new Parliament, and more especially to the House of Representatives, who have not only cut down their own remuneration, but, by the Representation Act, have reduced the number of members to such an extent as materially to interfere with individual chances of re-election.

Independently, however, of thelegislatiou referred to, which is likely to make its mark in the history of New Zealand, several measures by way of amendment or otherwise were passed in one or other of the sessions of the year. We will briefly note a few of these which arc of more than general interest. The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Act, 1887, authorises the application of Borough funds to the payment of the clerk of each Licensing Committee; and the defraying necessary law expenses incurred by any such Committee ; also the payment of the cost of preparing and passing through Parliament any Bill affecting the interests or property of the Corporation, The Council of any Borough is empowered to light streets by electricity, and supply electricity for lighting purposes to private persons. The Act makes also very necessary provisions for ex-

tending the time for holding elections, or any meeting of councillors, or for the doing of anything required by the Municipal Corporations Act to be done on or before a certain day. The Government Loans to Local Bodies’ Act Amendment Act, 1887, is, in the main, technical; but there is specific authority given to the Council of any Borough of not more than 4,000 inhabitants to borrow or combine with any County Council jointly to borrow any sum not exceeding, in the case of such Borough, £2,000 in any one year for the purpose of constructing or carrying out works for sanitary purposes or for water supply. All ratepayers for the time being on the ratepayers’ roll of any district as occupiers of Crown lands or Native lands, and liable to pay rates as such occupiers, are declared to be liable for any special rates that may be levied under the Government Loans to Local Bodies Act, 1886, upon the Crown lands or Native lands in respect of which their names appear on the roll. The Local Bodies’ Finance and Powers Act 1885 Amendment Act, 1887, provides that there shall be paid to the Council’s Board of each county, road district, town district, and borough, with respect to the general rates described in the schedule to the Local Bodies’ Finance and

Powers Act, 1885, levied for the year ending March 31, 1888, and actually collected on or before the 30th June, one-fourth of the amounts to which they would be entitled under the plan of distribution described in the schedule. Dunedin will therefore be entitled to a subsidy of 2s 6d on every £ of general rates, and the suburban boroughs, where the general rates do not exceed £750, to 5s in the £. Seventy-live per cent, of these subsidies is payable within the year

ending March 31. The Counties Act Amendment Act, 1887, consists only of four short clauses, and is purely technical, save that it authorises the Selwyn County Council to borrow £3,000 for the repair of extraordinary damage to the head works of the Malvern waterrace, and to levy a special rate on all the lands within the district, to secure and pay the interest on and provide a fund for the repayment of the loan; The Public Bodies’ Powers Act, 1887,already generally described in our columns, repeals the Public Bodies* Leasehold Act, 1886; but there is a proviso that such repeal is not “ to “ affect any leasing authority to which “ the provision of the said Act, or any

“ section or sections thereof, have been “applied; but the said Act shall rc- “ main in force in respect of any .such “authority until the (dovernor-in- “ Council shall, in the manner herein“after mentioned, declare that such “authority shall be subject to the pro- “ visions of this Act or any section or “sections thereof.’ The Act, moreover, is entirely permissive. No leasing authority is subject to iU provisions unless declared to b<- so by the Governor-in Council “at the request “or upon the recommeimation of the “leasing authority on whose behalf “such order (in Council) is issued. ’

Thu Fisheries Conservation -Tut I SSI Amendment Act, 1 87, makes specific provision, found Ly experience to be required, in respect of' the breach of the original Act and regulations issued thereunder respecting the illegal taking and killing of seals. Possession of any seal or the unmanufactured product (skin) of any seal during the close season is to be deemed to bo (in tho absence of satisfactory evidence to the contrary) sutlieieut proof that the seal has been illegally taken. \ essels and boats engaged in illegally taking seals are declared liable to forfeiture, and may be seized by the ollicer in command of any of Her .Majesty’s ships, any vessel in the employ of the Government of the Colony, or any otHcers of Customs. There is further power given to search suspected vessels, and severe penalties are enacted in the event of obstruction being oll'ered to such search. There are two or three other Acts to which we will Lake a future opportunity of referring.