LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILLS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 11253, 25 October 1898, Page 3

LOCAL GOVERNMENT BILLS.

NEW MEASURES INTRODUCED. '

(Fkom Our Own ConREsroNDENT.I

,- WELLINGTON, October 13. The Premier introduced, by Governors,: Message this evening two huge bills :.dealirig>. .; with the much-discussed■„question*.; of local government. One is called the Local Authori- / tiss Bill, a volume of 130 pages, and-431 ;, clauses, and the other is the, -Municipal Cor;^/ porations Bill, consisting of-129 pages and \ 469 clauses. These measures are practically : ? identical with the bills bearing the sametitles ; , introduced last year, with the exception of the ]'/[ provisions relating to the franchise. : V J'; : ..'•'-■' As regards .: the "Local Authorities Bill,'- -.J "tho franchise^to quote the,words of'the ,:■ ) preface, "is extended to tha case of a free-':-holder, notwithstanding that his property, is"! '•}} occupied, and also to the case of a person V.' who for three months has been in occupation : ■ as tenant or as sub-tenant of, the' whole |"or-'^.y any part of any building in the country,;, under a tenancy, the rent whereof »isi at' the ■'. '-'.' rato of not:less than £10 per year for, each- ;:: tenant thereunder." In the" former ease:the! v franchise is available for'all purposes, but in ; ,5; the latter it is not available for the purposes-1;: of any poll relating to loans or rates.: At'; ¥ ',: evevy poll each voter has one vote, and .no'"i more, and the poll is decided by a majority:,-,:;- ;- ---of the valid votes recorded. .The whole. V council of a county goes out of office every "i£.\ two years. In view of provision being thusi '/=: made for the council-being in touch .with the j-k great body of the inhabitants of the district, .';: and of the size and importance oi the counties, under the bill, it has been felt safe to entrust :' the county councils with wide powers'and dis-. \. cretions, and to remove the existing hamper-; ' ing restrictions on the power'to make suc'bL ■:■ by-laws as the means .of each district require. The preface to tho Municipal Corporations'-. v' Bill states that "the franchise haß been.con-- , siderably enlarged, and-extends to the case ,' of a freeholder whose property is occupied: by a ratepayer, and also to the case,of a,per- ■;. son who is, and for thre;e months has been, in occupation as tenant or sub-tenant ■of the "? whole or any. part'of any building r in:*;he!. ; ;.-i borough,- under a'tenancy the rent .whereof is at the rate of not less than £10 per 'year '-"'"',• for each tenant, thereunder; In the former, i case the franchise avails for all purposes, but in the latter it is not available for anypoll ■- relating to loans or rates. At -every.'election.;, :';:■ or other poll each voter has one vote, .and no" ■■/ more. .Elections are to ibe conducted and ~.;'., polls taken in accordance generally, with the -- provisions applicable to the election of mern-. ~-■' bers of the House of.Representatives. There' '; will be a general election of councillors every. :^ two years." ■ . r 'y\ *x"-A