PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1637, 15 March 1866, Page 2

PROVINCIAL COUNCIL.

+ Wednesday, Mabch 14. The Speaker took the chair at twenty minutes past two o'clock. i Members present—Messrs. Aynsley, Barff, Beswick, Buckley, Clark, Cowlishaw, Dixon, Fyfe, Hall, Hargreaves, Hawkes, Hay hurst, Hornbrook, Jollie, Lance, Macpherson, Maude, i Shand, Stoddart, Williams, Wilson, C., and ; Wilson, W. KAIAPOI FLOOD. [ Mr. Beswick wished to ask a question without notice. During the last session, he asked the then Secretary of Public Works ! (Mr. Hall) whether any steps were going to i be taken for the repair of the North Road, as L it was in a dangerous state ; he was told that j the matter would be attended to, but nothing had been done since. He would also call at--1 tention to another matter. During the last l session, the Superintendent was requested to . place a sum on the estimates for the purpose t of protecting the river-bank at Kaiapoi ; the k resolution was opposed by the Government, ' but it was nevertheless agreed to. Since then, I no steps had been taken to repair that porl tion of the river-bank, although tenders had r been called for for works which would re- , quire a considerable outlay in a higher part ' of the river. He would therefore ask whether & any steps were going to be taken to expend b £500, the sum voted. 5 Mr. Jollie replied that he was not prepared to answer the questions, as from not having had notic: of them he had not = obtained the necessary information. PROVINCIAL COUNCIL EXTENSION ORDINANCE. Mr. Hall in moving for leare to introduce a bill to increase the number of members in the Provincial Council, said that a bill for 3 this object was passed last session, but it conL tained no provision for making the new 5 Electoral Rolls, and the present one was like it, except that three new clauses, numbered I 5, 6 and 7, had been inserted. That ordi--3 nance left the formation of new rolls to be i effected under the Act of the General Assembly, as the Provincial Government was > of opinion that it should not legislate with i this object, but the present law officer of the l General Government was of opinion that the

necessary provisions should be inserted in'the Provincial Council Ordinance. Leave was given to introduce the bill, and it was read a first time. Under suspended Standing Orders it was read a second time and committed. Mr. Cowlishaw said that Mr. Barff had asked him the previous day whether any provision would be inserted in the bill (which provided that the new rolls should be formed from the old ones) for the formation of rolls in places such as Hokitika, where there were no rolls in existence. The question was one which involved some nice points of law, and it appeared to him that they could only be satisfactorily settled in the Supreme Court, as the Act of the General Assembly was very vague. Even supposing that no difficulty arose at present, yet in a very short time, when the land forming the township of Hokitika was sold, the business licences would expire and the town of Hokitika would be disenfranchised. The Government felt that it could not give a satisfactory answer to the question. Mr. Barff said that the standing of the Westland members in the Council had been of a peculiar nature; he hoped the General Assembly would deal with the matter. Mr. Hall said that there was no doubt that the Goldflelds Members would bring the matter before the Assembly next session. Subsequently, some discussion' arose as to whether a man would be entitled to vote for the members for the Provincial Council if his name was on the General Roll, but not on the Provincial Roll. Mr. C. Wilson said that it had been decided by the Court of Appeal in Wellington that, even if a man's name was not on the Provincial Roll for a district, if his name was on the General Roll for the district comprising it he should have a right to vote. The principle was that no one should suffer on account of any laches committed by the officer of the General Government. After some further discussion, the Bill was reported to the Council, without amendment, and was read a third time. Mr. Hall, in moving that the bill do pass, said that it was the intention of the Superintendent at the earliest possible opportunity to forward the bill to Wellington for his Excellency's approval, and he would at the same time send up a request that the Provincial Council should be dissolved immediately. As the new rolls had been made, and were in the printer's hands, the alteration in the bill would not practically have caused much delay in the holding of the elections. The bill then passed. HONORABIUM TO MEMBERS. The Speaker said that some difficulty had arisen with reference to the honorarium ; he referred particularly to the Westland members. It was certainly never contemplated that members would come from such a distance, and it appeared to him that those members should have been paid, not only so much every sitting day, but every day during the session that they were in Christchurch. Mr. Jollie said that the Government had not contemplated giving a larger honorarium to the members for Westland or Timaru than to those of other districts. Mr. Aynsley said that he objected to the honorarium altogether, but as it was an established thing, he thought the members for Westland should have received a larger honorarium than other members, as they had been unable to go back to their homes during the recess at Christmas, and during the race week. Mr. Wynn Williams was opposed to the plan of giving an honorarium to any member. If a district sent up a member, who could not well afford the necessary loss of time or money, it should iecompense him itself. After a little further discussion, the subject waa dropped. SUPREME COURT. Mr. Dixon asked if any portion of the Provincial Council buildings was going to be used as a place for the sitting of the Supreme Court during the recess. The Council had expressed a different opinion, and therefore he asked the question. Mr. Jollie replied that the necessity of of having some proper place for the sittings of the Supreme Court had been called attention to both by the Grand Jury and by the Judge himself. The Court would not hold its sittings in the Chamber, but it was quite possible that it would be allowed to use the Library. PROROGATION. A message from the Superintendent was read by the Speaker. It formally prorogued the Council, and the Council was prorogued accordingly.