THE NELSON EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ORDINANCE.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1818, 3 June 1874, Page 2

THE NELSON EXECUTIVE COUNCIL ORDINANCE.

The following is a copy of the Nelson Executive Council Bill as amended and passed : — A Bill to repeal the Executive Government Act, 1871, and to make other . provisions in lieu thereof. Whereas an Act was passed oy the Superintendent and Provincial Council of the Province of Nelson, in session XXL, No. 1, instituted the Executive Government Act, 1871. : Aud whereas it is expedient that the said Act should be repealed and b'tTier provisions made in lieu thereof. . Be it therefore enacted by the Superintendent of the Province of Nekon, with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council thereof, as follows :— I. The said recited Act is hereby repealed. „-;•■. . ,■ . -. . 2. There shall be an Executive Council for the Province of Nelson', to advise and assist the Superintendent in the govern • ment thereof, ' consisting of not less than two, nor more than four members, who shall be capable of- holding one or more of the following offices, that is to say,.. of Provincial Secretary, Provincial ' Treasurer, Provincial Solicitor, and Goldfields Secretary. 3. Subject to the provisions of this Act, the administration of the Government of the Province is hereby ; vested in the Superintendent, who shal£, acj; .only by. and with the advice and consent of the Executive Council, the members ojf which shall be appointed by.the SuperiifSondent, and shall, hold office during .His pleasure, and so long as they shall retain 1 , the "confidence of the Provincial Council/ and no longer. ••■: 4. The Superintendent ;:opi DeputySuperintendent shall be the, President of the Executive Council, and .shall have a deliberative as well as a casting vote, and two members of the Council together with such President, or three 'members in the absence of such President; shall form a quorum ; and the Superintendent" shall cause,proper minutes to be kept of the proceedings of the meetings of. such Council. 6. The Superintendent "shall keep, and use the public seal of the Province. ' ; 7. The Superintendent is hereby em: powered to issue Government Gazettes for the Province, and all notifications published therein with any official signature thereto, shall be considered as official communications' to the persons to whom they relate, and shall be obeyed accordingly. • ';■ • ; c 8. The Superintendent, with the advice and consent of thr, Executive Council,,- is hereby empowered to appoint the necessary officers for^conducting the^ business of the Province, and to suspend and remove any of such officers, and to appoint others in their places, aud also to make rules for the transaction of such business, and for the calling and holding of meetings for . conducting -the business thereof, and to alter and rescind any of such rules, and to make others in lieu thereof, oi in addition thereto. 9. The Treasurer shall keep true accounts of all moneys received and paid by him, and of the matters for .which the same shall be so received : , or; paid, and. the books containing such accounts shall at all reasonable times be open to the inspection of thh Superintendent and any member, of the Executive or Provincial Councils. • 10. Every officer whose office shall entail the receiving of public -monies, shall, before entering upon the duties of his office, give security , for i the faithful discharge of his trust to the satisfaction of the Superintendent; 20a. It shall be lawful for any member of the Executive Council appointed under this Act to resign his office by written notice : tb the Superintendent, and upon the receipt bythe. Superintendent of such Resignation the office should become I vacant, -.but nevertheless ; the person so iresigning shall be bound to execute the ! duties of his office after his resignation ifor any period required by the Superintendent not exceeding one month;' and shall also be bound to hand over by a signed inventory all documents,, books, ! money, and other property' connected :with his office, to any person authorised : by the S uperintendent to .'receive ' the same. 106. It shall be lawful for the persons who shall be in office as members of the Executive Council at the time of the dissolution of the present Provincial Council, or any future Provincial Council of the Province of Nelson, to continue in office and to act as members of the Executive Council until the election of Superin-* tendent, notwithstanding the dissolution of sush Provincial Council. | 10c No official, appointment made by the Superintendent shall lapse by the death retirement' from office or new : election of the Superintendent, until the same shall be revoked or a new appointment be made. 11. It shall be competent to any mem-, ber of the Executive Council to have recorded in the minutes of such Council his opinion or advice on any questions connected with the administration of the Province. 12. No membar of the Provincial Council, except members of the Executive Council shall hold any office of emolument under the Provincial Government, nor shall any. member of the Provincial Council hold any contract under the Provincial Government ; provided that nothing herein contained shall extend or apply to any agreement or contract en-, tered into by any company, partnership, or association consisting of more than twenty persons, when such contract or agreement shall be entered into for the general benefit of such company, partnership, or association, or to any contract for printing or advertising, or for any contract for which not more than fifty pounds is to be paid, or for the loan of money, or to any security for the payment of money only. 13. The short title of this Act shall be "The Executive Council Act, 1874."

A strange case of Sabbatarianism has occurred at Ballarat, where a Jew has been brought up and lined for working on a Sunday. Of course, to the local Pecksniffs who instituted the prosecution, it was nothing that the defendant kept bis own Sabbath religiously.' This was nothing, unless he was also compelled .to" keep theirs" So the'dis-. graceful old act of Charles II:, which has been the occasion of so much gross injustice, was put in force, and if the defendant foolishly entertained the idea; that : he lived in a land of religious equality, where all creeds were alike before the law, he has now an opportunity of correcting bis error. '