LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, October 14.

New Zealander, Volume 3, Issue 144, 16 October 1847, Page 2

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL. Thursday, October 14.

Present — His Excellency the Governor, the Colonial Secretary, the Attorney-General, the Colonial 1 reasurer, Mr. Blown, and Mr, Mei<riman. „ On the motion of the Attorney General, (> ihe FootPath, the Martial Law indemnity, amTthf Naturalization Ordinances were read a, "third time and pasted. „ V-, 1 On the motion of the Attorney General, Thos.. Walker Nene's Annuity Bill was read a first time. . ' L On the motion of the Colonial Treasurer," the Council went into committee on the Paper Cur* rency Bill— but on the motion of the Attorney General further consideration of the Bill was postponed until Friday. ' ... Mr. Brown moved for the Returns, of^rhich he had given notice on Tuesday, relative to applications (or leases to occupy land. "•' ' The Governor laid the Returns on the table. Mr. Brown moved that they should be printed. The Colonial Secretary thought the printing of the Returns would incur an unnecessary expense on the Government— they were now on the table, and the perusal of them by hon. members should suffice. Mr. Merriman said that although he did not entirely concur with the honorable member in the ( great importance of these Returns, y.et,_if

they were considered of any interest, the trifling expense of printing should not prevent their publication—he would therefore »econd Mr. Brown's motion. Tbe Governor said that he would be very glad to see them published now that they had been called for. There were however a number of applications which he thought should hardly be published— inasmuch as they were still under consideration— and, perhaps, it would not be fair to lay before the public the applications of individuals who might have objects and purposes in view respecting the use of land, which it would not answer them to have prematurely ex' posed — yet, according to the wording of the motion, it was necessary tbat tbe vrbolc should be produced. Mr. Brown only intended that such applications a 9 had been already disposed of, either one way or the other, should be included in the re* turns— he did not wish that such applications as had been referred to by his Excellency should be published. However, he would postpone his motion until after he had examined the returns, and perhaps be would see no necessity for the publication of them. The Governor would be very happy to have them published if it was thought necessary, but he would object to any portion of them, without the whole, being printed. The policy of tbe Government on this question could not be understood by a part, but only by the entire transactions in connection with the subject. The Council adjourned until Friday.