Tuesday, September 28.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 140, 2 October 1847, Page 2

Tuesday, September 28.

Present— His Excellency the Governor, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney Genet al, the Colonial Treasurer, Mr. Brown, and Mr. Merriman. Minutes of the last meeting read aud confirmed. • The Governor stated that he had received a Memorial, or rather a Protest, from the Southern Division, against the Paper Currency Bill, which although addressed to himself, he thought it proper to lay before the Council. The Memorialists complained of not receiving the drafts of the Bill, sent down to Wellington .by the Inflexible, until ten, days after that veisei't departure from the port— and they hope that thisoccurred by accident rather than design. .He could acsure them, and he felt bound to do so in justification of the officei soft hat vessel, that this circumstancebad occurred purely by accident: the Bills had been packed in a box^cuntaining other papers, and the b«x bad not been opened until a considerable time after her arrival,

The Memorial was allowed to. remain on the table, for the perusal of Members.

Registration of Births, &c; Bill. On the motion of the Attorney General, the Council resumed in Committee on this Bill. A new clause to meet the suggestion of Mr. Brown, was proposed by the Attorney General, but at the request of the Governor, who proposed an amendment to (he same, it was postponed Tor future consideration.

Debentures Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer, this Bill was a'lowed to stand over, until the honorable member had prepared the Schedule.

Fencing Bill. On the motion of the Attorney General, the Council went into Committee on this Bill. The blanks in clause one, were filled up with Ist January, 1848. Mr Brown wished to know if there should not be some arrangement made, whereby disputes might be prevented in the election of feuces or sinking of ditches on boundaries. A person erecting a feucc might perhaps dig a wide boundary ditch, wholly on his neighbour's land, which would occupy a great space of ground, and afterwards con pel him to pay one halt of the cost of election. The Attorney General thought that such matters should be left to private arrangement between the parties. He was not sufficiently conversant vvivh the subject to propose a provision to meet the difficulty. Mr. Mcrrinaan thought that the English law relating to party wails, would be applicable. The Governor said that the Council had just fallen into one of the difficulties which he had foreseen from the first, would be likely to sui round this sneasure. The notion for fences of this nature seemed to be taken from the Australian Colonies, but there the facilities for their erection were greater than existed, at least, in this part of New Zealand— for they had an abundance of wood which answered the purpose, and rendered the operation easy and by no means expensive. But he entertained great doubts at to the practicability of carrying out fencing laws in this district. However, the people seemed to call foa it— but although it was said that the public know their own interests best, yet Ins own opinion was, that in this instance they did not appear to do so. He questioned if it was advantageons to encumber the land of the isthmus on which this district stands, with unnecessarily substantial fences. The soil around Auckland was of such a nature as to be best pdapted for gardeus, and by such appropriation it would become more profitable than if laid down for grazing. Very light rnuning fencing would bs sufficient, and at the same time economical. The only substantial fencing that could be cheaply done would be scoria walls, for the erection of which, persons would be at the same time clearing their lands, and so have the stone on the spot* There had been no wish expressed from any other district but this, for a fencing act, and here he believed it was less required than in any otherThe various clauses were then discussed, several of them amended, and farther consideration was postponed, in order that a clause might be prepared to regulate the division of land required fur boundary fences.

Education Bill. On the motion of the Colonial Secretary, the Council went into Committee on tins Bill, which was con* sidered and farther postponed.

Marriage Bill 1 On the motion of the Attorney-General, this Bill was read a third time and passed. On the question being put— "that this Bill do pass"—Mr. Brown handed in the following Protest, which was read and ordered to be printed on the Minutes.