PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1819, 4 June 1874, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Tuesday, J;bNE2i! ' [FROM THE WEST' COAST TIMES.] The: Speaker rose 1 - and .said} 'thaTtJiinj accordance with the usual practice, notices of motion! were first dealt with,' but-' at the last meeting of the Council, it was distinctly understood; that till the question of an Executive, was settled, no other business should be taken in hand. It would be necessary, for, some member,! therefore, to move, that the notices of motion standing on the paper should be postponed. If this course was not taken, they would be ; expungedn He. .was desired to state by hia Honor, that it was not his 1 (his Honor's) '.intention >to*'be present that night in the Council, consistently with the convenience ■ of' the ' Council "and 1 the proprieties of the situation. On the motion 'of ' Mr Houlahan, the notices of motion were adjourned, in accordance' with she suggestion of the Speaker. ,; . - : , : „ ;i THE. EXECUTIVE BH,In, ...,.; r Mr Guinness moved the second : readihg of the above Bill, aQ d in' doing so stated that there;. was no necessity -for him to enter into the question/at length, for the principle had been already affirmed, that an Executive should ! be ; 'appointed, 1 and in accordance with that ruling of the Council the Bill he then brought 1 forward had'been prepared. He admitted' that owingito the hasty manner in, which it had : been 'compiled, some one or two alterations . would be necessary, , but these could be effected in Committee, and it was therefore at that time riot necessary for him to go irito details. It provided in the first place for an Executive Council, and certain offices were created to which . the^ Superintendent should . appoint the officers. He pointed out the checks that were placed: on the Superintendent by the Council, aud that security for officers holding 7 positions of trust was provided for, a contingency that the past experience of Westland had shown to be particularly; necessary 'to be specially provided for. He further briefly referred to concluding provisions of the Bill, arid concluded by again moving its second reading! Mr Lahman regretted greatly that the hon. member , for; Paroa had - not stated what amendments he proposed to introduce in Committee: In' section 4of the' Bill, special power was conferred on the Superintendent to chose his advisers ; still the same section deprived' him ; of that power, for it stated' that every member of the Executive -so appointed should be a member of ' the : Courieil. It was a question as to how.far the Provincial;Solicitorship was affected by thaf.provisiOn, and he (the speaker) had ' rather that -'the mover of the . resolution ;. would have stated what amendments he was willing to agree to in this respect. The section was contradictory in itself; for ..it .not only deprived the Superintendent of the right it conferred, but, >as the; Council was at present constituted, restricted his choice to 'one person — Mr GuirinesshimO oif. ne-tnougm; that. Mr Guinness was in every respect a fit and proper person to be the tPro.vincial Solicitor, but the Bill was so framed at : that" time as to give the Superintendent no .power to choose another, and the Council^ by the same action were deprived of /the same right. Even if a vote of want of confidence was carried in reference ta an. Executive, of which he (Mr Guinness) was a member, the Superintendent would have to put up with him, and if he resigned it would ba the 3ame thing. As he (the speakerwould, be debarred from speaking iti.Committee, he hoped that Mr Guinness him-'---self would move an amendrhent'iri the direction indicated on the Bill introduced. They were riot there to create. offices; and they should be careful as to; wlnw they were doing. He wouldybe sorry.'to Bee the Bill as framed pass the Council without the insertion of words that: the Provincial Solicitor might or might not be a member of the Council. There were some .other clerical errors in some of the clauses which could be easily: amended,. but in reference to.the one he : had pointed out he hoped aud expected that his friend ! Mr Guinness would so alter- it as to retain the rights of the Superintendent whilst it should express what the Council pro-, posed. . •';'■■-' . ' ■ Mr Seddon was satisfied with the principles of the Bill, arid was aware that any necessary amendments could be effected in Committee, but denounced the clause to which the Speaker referred, which he thought would convey the impression that the Council. had been, led by the nose by a masterly lawyer, in* order to provide a situation. The Council well knew that such was not Mr Guinness's intention, but they would be thrown into a dilemma if that gentlemaneither threw off his mortal coil or^resigried his seat (laughter). ' He ; would like to take exception to any members of the Upper House taking a seat in the Provincial Evecutive, members whose duties took them • away- for any length of time, and he thought that the member for Paroa . had forgotten ' this point. There was also rio : proviso made for the appointment , of a Secretary of. Public Works, nor : for any. supervision of any works that' might, be undertaken, andjin • Committee he would move;that a Secretaryfor Public Works should be added to the Executive. On the whole, however, he thoughfc;that;the;bill before them expressed >. generally what was required by the Ooun-, oil. '.:•., : ■ .■•;...•."• The Speaker said that when in Committee he would be prepared with amendments that would meet the case, and satisfy - the objections of the two hbn. members who had last spoken. * , Mr Woolcock wished the hon. raeinber for Paroa to give some explanation as to whether under the Bill before them, the Su perm tendent could appoiut an Executive outside the Council. Mr .Curaing was amused at the arguments' used by members against the Bill, who so very recently voted in its favor. There, was, ; however, ope difficulty, in it, in. its failing to 'define what were. the duties of - Secretary, :and* whate • those of Provincial Treasurer. Hethouglif it quite possible for the duties, of a Secretary of; Public Works to be amalgamated with, those- of Provincial Secretary, and for that officer to have special supervißionj of the gold-fields. <jHe: would not goiintb matters at length, ; however, that mm .-''l.- .■■■■_\-i ,■■ ..■;■:;., ■ .:.<.h v ..|.-.'. »

necessarily be subsequently discussed in Committee. Mr Guinness, in the absence of any other ■■■ member rising, rose to reply, and expressed his surprise at the strange charif c that had come over the hon. member for Grey mouth (Mr Lahman) since the first reading of the Bill. He thought that that gentleman must have been reading some leading- articles m some newspapers since.that time. '•';.'/ r ■•> V Mr Lah'man objected, ori_a point of '•*oMer^tdf"the7remarla r 6Ftfie«hoD!»menißer for Paroa. He,did fiQ6.;take his opinions from newspapers,' and* on -thecontrary, when the Bill was first introduced, took the same objections to it tha'the had raised that night. . . '■; The Speaker considered that Mr Guinness was > perfectly in order in his remarks. It was not usual for membera. 'to rikVto points - of order when ; . : they 1 with remarks, or reiriarks (disagreed with them. . .... Mr Lahman .would, .alwayjsl rise, to contfadiici; 'staietherits that, ??6re' noV founded on facts. ' ' "'" : ' " } Mr'Guinneß continued, 1 and* 1 showed that there was nothing making it irrcom•pulsory oh -theiSnperin'tendetft/ to'appoint officers out of- the Council* alone, ; arid thas provision had j- been ; purposelyi left out of the; Billi. S.Mr seen through thi3, as had been shown by his questions. ' :-. ' : . -;• , ; The second reading of the Bill was then carried. :: -' ■■■■ :.'•••>. : •■:•• ::^\- - : ■:■:■■: Mr Guinness then moved, that 'Sf&Hing Orders ? rorn the; 143rd ;to, the I^3rd;clause inclusive, Bhpuld be suspended," to^ ', enable the Council to piss/thQ,'3ni:;thrpush'! all its stages that night. .The Superintendent had stated . at their : last, meeting tthat he was placed , in f a, ' position ; of , difficulty, as he had brought'fprward certain measures, but he felt that, till the Executive question was. settled, he was not justified: in proceeding with them, arid he asked for an adjournment, in order that the Bill might '. be passed .; at onoei That: was .the reason why the Superintendent was not present (that night, and he therefore 'proposed to go on with the Bill through all its :Stages;i-.; : : --■•:/■;■ : i '■ p; ; 'i ,:■! •>'•: ;-!'!. Mr Seddon thought the haste unprecedented, and that. : the, .Superintendent should be preterit during" the discussion. The' Speaker said that it was not his Honor's desire to be .present ab)the v discussion, arid "he would point out t^till the Bill was passed nothing: could be gone on with. If,-there. was. any. delay,, arising through this cause it would be hon. 'members' own fault. • ; " Mf Cuming cbmpiairied of the!adjournment;i and ' .thought : that the 1 Superintendent should have been present;^' The Speaker again pointed out that the- ; Superintendent -gave ample reasons on .Thursdayiforrfche adjburnmTrif. ■ " Thehbri. : member, (Mr; Ou ping) ; -was ,< not < in' then Council at the time, ..otherwise Jttfr could not have been other, than satisfied with the course his Honor;' took,' ; ; ; MrCumirig'firea* pirting-^shot' at^the: jSpeaker by saying';' that' .','he'^ was 1 there jearlier thajr the latter was on the previous jevenicg;' •'■'■ ■•'■-■ ' ■ ' ■ The question that the Council should" ;go into Committee -on thls..jßill was then Iput and carried. ' '■' ■", ' : ?$ ■ COUNCIIIJT-dbiiC^ETEE. j On the tndtion of Mr Guinriess, the titled iand preamble. were, postponed. „,!• Subsequently both were adopted! :In the 2nd clause, ,. the ..word TWestland" was altered to "Province. 1 ? j The 4th and sth clauses^caused almbsV endless discussion,' but 'were eventually' passed with r additions- to. the sections 'of ' jthe sth clause, which will now read as follows t-^-- •: ' . . ■•.-,■ .• i ; \ j .... ,0i)-.A Provincial; Secrfltary,,fqr r .asr- T i sisting the Superintendent in I the general management and , carrying on of the .Government^ of the Province; who shall also -■: ; be Secretary of Pablic Works. :• ; (2.) A Provincial Treasurer, for receiving^ taking charge of, afe disbursing the public revenueoi the Province; • (3.) A Provincial Solicitor^ for advising the Provincial Governmentin all. matters law. ' / ' Provided that at :any-r time whenithei' Provincial Council shalli'not contain two pr more members -who are solicitors, it fahall not be binding upon • the' Superintendent to appoint any peraon' toa the! Office of Provincial Solicitor in the Exeou-^ : tive Council : Provided also that if at any time there be no member of the'Prbviri^ "■' cial Council who is a solicitor, then the office of Provincial -Solicitor in the Executive, Council,' shall! ;for the: time during^ which the Provincial Council continues^ so cironmstanoed. remain unfilled;'. /. L A [ Some triflirigalteratioris werealso\mide" in other clauses,; after which- the 'Council * resum'edj progress; wks ; reported, 1 ■ Bill' was tead'a 1 third timearid^assed., ' J i The Council adjourned at half-past'll;' p'clockj till" next' evening ,at half-past r7~ o'clock. .i:»-:;.:ii.';->S;u *