The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1861.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XVI, Issue 945, 30 November 1861, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 1861.

Five weeks have elapsed since the Provincial Council met for the despatch of business, and as yet there is no appearance that its labours are likely to be brought to a close. More than an ordinary amount of business has been got through, though perhaps unnoticed by the public, amid the excitement and interest of the late debates, and several measures of importance have been passed or are now in various stages of passing through the House. A marked improvement is noticeable in the promptitude with which returns and reports asked from the Government have been met, members of Council having received very full information upon all matters of detail connected with the various departments of the public service. Among other useful and interesting papers published for the use of the Council, we may notice the reports of the Provincial Engineer, the Chief Surveyor, and the Auditor, the last in connection with and explanation of the comparative statement for the year just ended, all of which must have been of considerable service to members of the Provincial Council.

A short recapitulation of the business done during the session up to the present time, may not be without interest to our readers. The first measure which the Government gave J notice of its intention to introduce, was the j Provincial Council Extension Ordinance, by which it is proposed to increase the number of the Council to thirty-five. This bill is now j passing through its later stages, and we shall j shortly publish a description of the new electoral districts as finally decided upon. A bill of little public importance was next introduced by the Government, under the title of the Third English Agents Bill. Another measure, of interest only to the members of the House and the Government clerks, was the Housekeepers Bill, introduced by the Government, by which it was decided that the Steward of the House shall be licensed to supply members of Council with wine, &c. during session, but not at other times. This privilege, which had lately been enjoyed by the clerks in the public offices, has been disallowed for the future. A very useful measure, it' not involving any of the first principles of statecraft, has been enacted in the shape of a ' Dog Nuisance Bill.' The extent to which curs have been allowed to run to and 'fro in our towns, to the serious inconvenience of the inhabitants by day and night, as well as the losses sustained by sheep owners in the neighbourhood of towns, warrant the Council in endeavouring to suppress this growing nuisance. Much will depend as to its ultimate efficiency, on the activity of the police. The next measure introduced was an Education Bill, which the Government very properly consigned to the care of a select committee which has nearly concluded its labours and is expected to report to the Council in a few days. Another measure of importance which has been wanted for some time past, has passed its first stage —the ' Roads Diversion Ordinance.' The object of the bill is to enable the Government to close up useless road lines and dispose of the land, and give compensation to owners for damage sustained by the construction of roads through their property. Another government measure has just been introduced of a very important character, — The Road Bill, a description of which will be found in the report of the proceedings of the Provincial Council on Wednesday last. This closes the list of Government bills at present brought forward, though we believe it is intended to introduce two or three more during the present session. The private bills introduced have not been either numerous or important. Mr. Harston has brought in his long threatened Public House Amendment Bill; and Mi-. Ollivier has again brought forward a Bill, introduced by Mr. Ward in a late session, for the encouragement of Volunteers in the province, which proposes to grant a certain annual allowance towards the expenses of the different corps. Mr. Harston's Road Bill, threatened in the earlier part of the session, has, we presume, given way to the Government; measure. These are the only private Bills yet introduced. In addition to the work hern recited, the Council have had a variety of other matters brought before their attention either in full House or in committee. Among other mattersi they have had to decide upon the regulations to be issued by the Superintendent under the Diseased Cattle Act.

A committee has been appointed to revise

the Standing1 Orders of the House, which has reported the result of its labors alter several lengthened sittings. Another committee has been appointed to consider the state of the armed police force of the province, and suggest means for its better organization and government, which has not yet finished its labors, A third committee lias been appointed to consider the whole question of Public Works, and receive petitions and suggestions from all quarters connected with that department. A vast amount of time and labor will thus be saved to the Council, and the various interests concerned will at the same time have their claims investigated with greater care and attention than could otherwise have been allotted to them. In the earlier part of the session the Council had to decide upon the appointment of an Auditor and DeputyAuditor for the province. In both cases the House elected the gentlemen nominated by Government: Messrs. W. Thomson and H. E. Alport. Among other matters yet to come under the consideration of the Council are: an amendment proposed by Mr. 11. 11. Rhodes to the Sheep Ordinance for the better protection of sheep owners against the practice of fraudulent ear-marking; an enquiry proposed by Mr. Brittau into the scale of salaries received by persons in the employment of Government, with various other matters connected with their tenure of office j an enquiry by Mr. Tern pier into the clauses of the land regulations respecting pre - emptive rights, with the interpretation put upon them by the Waste Lands Board; and an inquiry moved by Mr. FitzGerald as to what lands have been acquired hy purchase or otherwise for public purposes, and on what tenure they are held.

It will be seen from this sketch that the Government and Council have not been idle during the present session, a great deal of very useful business having' been already transacted with the promise of much more to follow. All this has been done in the face of a running fire from the opposition, by whom the most strenuous efforts have been made to upset the existing government. The purchase of land on the Heathcote fpr the purpose of a branch railway to the river has been made the battle-ground to test the strength of parties in the Council. The irregular system of purchase adopted by the Superintendent in this instance was seized upon as a handle for a vigorous attack upon the Government, which escaped a defeat by a bare majority. The opposition, not satisfied with this result, has since endeavoured to attack the Government in detail on matters connected with, and arising out of the enquiry into the branch railway, but have hardly succeeded in this line of policy: the general opinion being that, while disapproving of the method adopted by the Superintendent, the Council is disposed to view the purchase of the land itself as a politic step, so far as it will enable the Government to meet any emergency demanding an instant increase in the means of traffic between the port and plains, which might arise during the time necessary for the completion of the tunnel.