THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL,

Timaru Herald, Volume IV, Issue 96, 16 March 1866, Page 2

THE PROVINCIAL COUNCIL,

Tuesday, March 13. A special session of the Provincial Council, convened by proclamation by his Honor tha Superintendent, was opened this day at 2 p. m. MESSAGE FROM TIJE SUPERINTENDENT. The Speaker read the following message from his Honor the Superintendent : — Mk. Speaker and Gentlemen- or the Provincial Council, — 1 have forind it necessary to call you together to submit to you an amendment m the Bill passed m your last session for increasing the number of members of the Provincial Council. This Bill wa3 drawn m strict accordance with the terms of the Provincial Council Extension Ordinance, ses. xvii, No. iv, which was assented to by His Excellency the Governor, and by which an addition was made to_ the number of members of which yonr Council is comjiosed. The Ordinance m question contains no provision for the preparation of electoral rolls for the new electoral districts constituted by it- It was assumed that such rolls should be formed, and m faut they were formed, under the provisions of an Act of the General Assembly, entitled, " The Provincial Klections Act, 1858." T am informed, however, m correspondence of which copies will be laid before yon, that m the opinion of the present assistant Law Officer to the General Government, it is necessary that our Provincial Ordinance, increasing the number of members of the Provincial Council, and creating new electoral districts, should itself provide for the preparation of the rolls. i An amended bill, complying with the requireI ment, will, therefore, be at once laid before you, and will, I trust, receive your early consideration. No other business than that above mentioned will be submitted to you by the Government. I S. Bealev, Superintendent. PAPERS. The Provincial Secretary laid upon tlie table the corre3]K>ndence between the General Government and the Provincial Government, relative to the Provincial Council Extension Ordinance ; also, certain other correspondence. NOTICE OF MOTION. Mr. Hall gave notice that he would, at the next sitting of the Corncil, move for leave to bring m a Bill intituled, the Provincial Council Extension Ordinance, and upon that being granted, he would move the suspension of the Standing Order, with a view of carrying the Bill through all thn stages at the same sitting, Mr. Barff would like to ask the Provincial Solicitor, without notice, whether any steps had been taken to procure electoral rolls m those localities where they had not previously existed. The Provincial Solicitor said that he would answer the question at the next sittings. The Council adjourned to two- p.m. tomorrow.