HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

Southland Times, Issue 1027, 25 September 1868, Page 3

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.

PEOVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS BILL. ("From Hansalrd.) Mr Stafford, in moving for leave to bring in a Bill intituled an act to enable Provincial Legislatures to simplify the machinery of Provincial .Governments, said the object of the Bill was to enable a Provincial Council, if it thought fit, to simplify the machinery of Government, especially with reference to bringing the Superintendent into more close relation with the .Council.' The measure would be entirely permissive, and would provide that after a resolution passed three times in not less that three weeks, an interval of one week occurring between each reading, and such resolution being passed by not less than a majority of the whole number of members of the Council, j the proposed Bill might be brought into I operation by Order in Council. The i measure would provide that the Superintendent should be Chairman, of the Council, retaining his present powers as principal executive officer, but without the power of fixing the time of sitting of the Council, and on a day to be namedthe Superintendent would have to take his seat as Chairman or vacate his office. The Council would have the power of appointing executive committees for such purposes as they might think proper, and the Superintendent would in every case be an ex qfficio member of the same. By these general provisions it was sought to bring the Superintendent into more direct relation with the Council, and to enable the Council to have, altogether, a more direct knowledge of the details of administration than they now possess. The measure being merely of a permissive and enabling character, and the gurantee afforded by the fact that the resolution would require to be passed by a clear majority, and, the intervals occurring between each reading of the resolutions prior to their passing, whereby the community generally would have an opportunity of expressing their opinions, would cause it to be admitted that it was a Bill in the direction of increasing the power of the people of New Zealand in a way which in some Provinces would be attended with the most beneficial results. Leave was granted. Mr Stafford and Mr Richmond were ordered to prepare the Bill, which was then brought in, read a first time, ordered to be printed, and the second reading fixed for the following Tuesday.