WENDESDAY, JANUARY 18.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IX, Issue 884, 21 January 1854, Page 4

WENDESDAY , JANUARY 18.

Thft .house went into committee on the Market Bill. Several clan«es were discussed, when the Chairman reported progress, and the House resumed.

j THISTLE BILL. i Mr. I/ddlam moved the second reading of a (bill intended to prevent the spread of the thistle in the country, and inflicting certain penalties on Jtbose who, suffered it to go to-aeed. The bill was (Supported by Mr. Revans. i! The Prov. Secretary was in favor of the principle of the bill, and thought it desirable to igiy t e great protective powers to the cultivator. IWith reference,^ an observation by a previous speaker as to the stringency of some of the laws that had been brought forward, he (the Secretary) considered the stringency of the laws to be the glory of a free country. The possession of freedom dio! not constitute license ; arid they showed their value of freedom when they agreed to bind themselves by strong; ties. He regarded it as a proof of the popular nature of the Constitution, and, their 1 greatest glory, that they had during the present tension passed the most stringent laws to be found in any colony. He looked upon this as the gauge and measure of the freedom of the country. In reply to an ( observation by Mr. Renall, Mr. Brandoi? said as soon as possible the sysfem with regard to , unoccupied lands pursued in Canada and other colonies, wohld be followed in .this. Province, in their neglected state they iuflicted a grossJnjury on .the occupier. This was ..oue of the liabi|lities f of those owning Jand/ who must share these liabilities with the occupier, and' be subject to the same penalties. Mr. Moore approved of the bill in its present, state, and should be content to support it, but if tie were to understand from what had' just fallen from the legal adviser, it was the in-tention-of Government to impose a tax on unoccupied iand, if such a principle were to be -in P iroduced ,into the bill he must-oppose it. Mr. Bell thought there could not be a doult that tbe, owners of unoccupied land were liable for their neglect in allowing the spread of a weed which would be a nuisance to the country ; he should give his support to stringent conditions to prevent so great an injury to himself and his neighbours. Mr. Bbthuhe excited some merriment by defending the thistle, on national grounds, from the imputation of being a weed, and thought there were other weeds the spread of which should be equally prevented. Mr. Ludlam replied and the bill was read a second time.

ROAD BILL. The Council Trent into Committee off the Road Bill. ' : * On the 3rd clause" being read which gives power to the Superintendent to 1 declare the dis- ■ tricts in which rates for making and repairing roads should be levied. • Mr. LtfCLAM-dr#wr the attention of the Provincial Secretary to that part of the Superintendent's address which declared it to be the intention of Government to meet the amounts raised' by rates by the inhabitants of a district with an* equal Contribution, and asked if the government proposed to carry out that policy. The Prov. Secretary replied in the affirmative, and observed they would so with the' view to encourage the principle of direct taxa<tion. He viewed whh the greatest interest' the' extension of this principle. If a »ystem' of direct' taxation were established, greater vigilancewould be exercised, and' * gi eater desire' for economy in the public expenditure woold b$ shewn by the community. The revenue derived' from indirect taxation wrs not brought borne to* the individual, but when direct taxes were levied,., the tax payer .asked -himself why have I to pay this sum per bead'? All calculations as to taxation in this country were not- made by the people, but were madefor them and put into their , mouths!/ Such" a system perhaps. would-be considered Utopian until it emanated from the people. The present' bill ' would in every way/ be fostered by the Government.' On the Bth clause, providing for an assessment or rate upon theiand within a district.Mr. Ludlam objected to- an assessment, and advocated 1 an uniform rate on the score of expense, an assessment would also be putting the industrious man' to a disadvantage, and would? be a great hardship on. the' settler. A long discussion ensued, the decision wa» in< favor of « uniform fate. On the 18th clause being read Mr. Ludlam said if it, was intended to throw the repairs of the trunk roads on the districts, ttirough which'tbey passed, a rate'of 6d. per acrewould be quite, inadequate for that purpose- It would be' better to exclude the trunk lines fnomi thre' 1 operation of the Act now, and whenever it was intended to' throw these repairs' on the res-; pective districts the law might be amended ; 'the public, would then perfectly understand the arrangement. The Prov. Secretary, in reply, explained■the Government for the present would take chargeof the repairs of the two trunks line of roads,, he* hoped the Council would rest satisfied with that-; assurance. After some further disfcussion the chairman reported progress and the Council adjourned.