1.—5

XVI

Paragraph 21, as amended, agreed to. Paragraph 22, lines 41, 42 : Captain Eussell moved, To erase " this continues to be the case,"' and to insert "they remain unoccupied."—Carried. Paragraph 22, as amended, agreed to. Paragraph 23, line 49: Mr. McMillan moved, To insert, after " contract," the words "or otherwise.' '—Carried. Paragraph 23, as amended, agreed to. Paragraph 24, line 62: Mr. Cowan moved, To strike out "for sale by auction."—Carried. Paragraph 24, as amended, agreed to. Paragraph 25 read and agreed to. Besotved, That the report, as amended, be adopted. The Hon. Mr. Menzies desired to record his disagreement to the adoption of the report, as follows: — I dissent from the conclusions expressed in several clauses of the report, but chiefly to clause 13, because the weight of evidence is greatly in favour of the administration of the Act being conducted by the Government, and because the local Eabbit Boards, where they have been tried, have not worked well; and to clause 16, because the sweeping assumption that the administration has not been efficient is also contrary to the evidence. — J. Menzies, 17th July, 1886.

CONSIDEBATION OF EEPOET ON THE SHEEP ACT. The Committee deliberated with the view of framing a report. Resolved, That the Hon. the Chairman, Captain Eussell, and Mr. Lance be requested to draw up a report, based upon the following resolutions, namely : — 1. That in case of sheep infected with lice the owner should, upon making a written declaration, to the effect that such sheep are intended for slaughter, be exempted for a period of three weeks from the date of such declaration from any penalty on account of such sheep under sections 3 and 5 of " The Sheep Act 187S Amendment Act, 1884;" but that, in case such sheep are not slaughtered within the period named, the then owner of such sheep should be liable to all such penalties just as if no such declaration had been made. 2. That it should not be compulsory to dip any ewe-flock during lambing-time ; and 3. That the penalties provided for in section 3 of the above-named Act should be assimilated to those in section 5. The Committee then adjourned. The Committee rose at 1 p.m.