F.—No. 2.

Saturday, 17th October, 1868. The Committee met pursuant to notice. PjIESES"T : Legislative Council. House of Representatives. , The Hon. Dr. Buchanan, Mr. Cavleton, The Hon. Major Richardson, Mr. Eyes, The Hon. Colonel Russell, Major Heaphy, V.C., The Hon. A. P. Seymour, Mr. Ludlam. The Hon. Mr. Domett in the Chair. The minutes of previous meeting were read and confirmed. " The Otago Road Boards Endowment Bill, .1868," was taken into consideration. C. E. llaughton, Esq., M.H.R., attended to give evidence relative to the Bill. Mr. Haughton was examined. The Hon. Major Richardson.^ Have you introduced this Bill at the request of the Provincial Government of Otago ? —Yes. The draft of the Bill was given to me by the Provincial Solicitor of Otago, Mr. Haggitt, prior to the Road Boards Bill being thrown out of the Legislative Council. Mr. Haggitt asked me to introduce it in case the Road Boards Bill did not pass, and I saw my way to supporting this Bill. In compliance with this request I have brought the Bill in. Tlie Hon. Dr. Buclianan.~\ Do you consider that there is any urgent necessity for this Bill ? —I do. It is framed in accordance with the Report of a Select Committee of the Otago Provincial Council, but I should prefer the endowment clauses of the Road Boards Bill to the proposal made in this Bill. Those clauses were agreed to by fourteen out of the fifteen Otago Members, and were passed by the House of Representatives. The Hon. Major Richardsou proposed, That the Committee recommend to the House the adoption of the first and second sub-clauses of clause 256 of the Road Boards Bill, the words "one fourth" being altered to " one tenth." The Hon. Colonel Russell, as an amendment, moved the following: —The Committee does not feel it possible to give due consideration, at the close of the Session, to a measure upon which there appears a great diversity of opinion, and which, in its present form, appears to be very unacceptable to the Committee. The amendment was put, and the names were taken down as follows : — Axes. JVoes. The Hon. Dr. Buchanan, Mr. Carleton, Major Heaphy, V.C., Mr. Ludlam, The Hon. Colonel Russell, The Hon. Major Richardson, The Hon. A. P. Seymour. The amendment was therefore carried. It was resolved to recommend that the Report and Minutes of Proceedings and Evidence should be printed. The Committee then adjourned.

* For the Report of the Committee, see Journals of the House of Representatives, page 266.

PROCEEDINGS OF JOINT WASTE LANDS COMMITTEE.*