THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Hawke's Bay Herald, Volume 13, Issue 1053, 1 June 1869, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

The sessiou of the Provincial Council came to au end on Saturday, His Honor the Superintendent having, on the forenoon of that day, formally prorogued it. As our Council reports are published, the extent and quality of the business done will more clearly appear. We are nofc, however, wide of the mark in saying that one half the session was takeu up in the discussion, in committee, of a voluminous Sheep aud Scab Consolidation Bill, which seemed to present any number of knotty points. The Bill, having afc length passed through committee, came on for its third reading on Saturday, when, to the astonishment of not a few, it was first recommitted, and then thrown out upou a motion being carried thafc the chairman do leave the chair. The cause assigued for this summary demolition of a measure which had occupied so much time and engaged so much attention, was the stale of confusiou to which the printed Bill had been reduced by successive amendments, time not haviug permitted of there being put iv proper or, indeed, intelligible form. More tban one member, however, who assisted in ! shelving the Bill for the session did so upon financial grounds only. They argued (mentally) that, in the present position of the Province, the attempt to reduce the assessment on sheep from oue farthing to one eighth was not fair, and quite endorsed the opinions recently expressed by Mr. Colenso, in a letter which appeared in the Herald. It will be observed that no reduction or modification of the educational or auy other rate, has been made during the sessiou. One of the last acts of the session was the passing of the Artesiau Well Bill — a measure introduced for the sole purpose of recouping Mr. Garry the balance of expenditure he incurred in sinking it. Ifc imposes a charge oi 6d. per load for water, and makes other provisions with the view of raising a revenue. Its operation is limited to two years, by which time it is believed Mr. Garry will be more thau repaid. We may touch at a future time upon other salient points iv the sayings and doings of our local legislature.