Mr. Cautley, in pursuance of his notice, moved—

That this Council do prepare an address to the Crown on the subject of rendering any further lands liable to the rules for the sale and letting of lands of the Canterbury Association.

Debate ensued, when Mr. Cautley withdrew his motion and further discussion postponed until to-morrow.

Mr. Cautley gave notice that on the Bill for regulating the disposal of the waste lands of the Crown being brought before the Council, he should move the introduction of the following clause:—

That it shall be lawful for the Governor of the Province, with the consent of the Executive Council thereof, from time to time to proclaim hundreds of such runs as may be under lease from the Crown, or of any part thereof, whenever the amount of population in any settled districts adjoining such runs, and the actual occupation of such districts shall render it desirable to do so.

Provided always that one year’s notice shall be given of any intention to proclaim such run, or any part thereof, more than one-fifth.

Provided always, that in case any such Hundred shall be so proclaimed by the Governor of the Province as aforesaid, and it shall appear to the Governor-in-Chief undesirable that the run so proclaimed as a Hundred, or any part thereof, should because a Hundred, it then shall be lawful for the Governor-in-Chief to revoke such Proclamation, and the same shall thenceforth cease and determine as completely as if the same had never been made, and the said run or portion thereof shall then revert to the original lessee.

Mr. Dillon Bell gave notice that on Friday next he should move the second reading of Building Societies Bill.

The Colonial Treasurer gave notice that to-morrow he should move Council in committee on Marriage Amendment Bill.

Mr. Dillon gave notice that to-morrow he should move for return in detail of the compensation granted by the late New Zealand Company to its purchasers.

His Excellency then adjourned the Council at twenty minutes to five o’clock, p. m., to Wednesday, the 2nd day of July, at two o’clock.

WEDNESDAY, JULY 2.

Present—

His Excellency the Governor-in-Chief,
His Honor the Superintendent,
His Excellency the Lieutenant Governor,
and the Members as on yesterday.

The Council met pursuant to adjournment.

The Rev. the Colonial Chaplain read prayers.

The minutes of last meeting read and confirmed.

Mr. Hickson presented a memorial from certain “holders of spirits under bond,” praying that the proposed increase on the duty should be imposed on all spirits imported from and after the date of the commencement of the Customs Ordinance now before the Council, but that all spirits now in bond should be allowed to pass at a duty of five shillings per gallon for a period of one month from the commencement of the Ordinance in question.

Memorial received and read.

Mr. Hickson moved the order of the day for further consideration in committee of Customs Bill, when the duty on the item Oatmeal was repealed, the 4th clause amended and further consideration of the schedule to this Bill postponed until to-morrow.

On the motion of Mr. Hickson, Council resumed.

The Colonial Treasurer moved the order of the day for further consideration in committee of Marriage Amendment Bill.

Clauses 1, 2, 3 reconsidered and agreed to, when Council resumed.

The report brought up and adopted.

On the motion of the Attorney General, seconded by Mr. Cuffield, Interpretation Ordinance read a third time and passed.

On the motion of the Attorney General of New Zealand it was agreed that the standing rules, relative to the reading of a Bill, be for this occasion suspended, in order to move the third reading of Municipal Election Ordinance.

The Attorney General of New Zealand moved, seconded by the Attorney General of New Munster, that the Municipal Election Franchise Ordinance be read a third time, and that it do pass.

Motion adopted and Ordinance read a third time and passed.

Mr. Cautley, agreeably to his notice, moved, seconded by Mr. Hickson, that a committee be appointed to address the Queen on the subject of a proposed extension of the Canterbury block.

The Colonial Secretary of New Munster moved, seconded by the Colonial Treasurer:

That an Address be presented to Her Majesty praying that in order to enable the settlers of New Zealand to engage with security and confidence in the various pursuits connected with the occupation of land, Her Majesty will, in accordance with the course so beneficially followed by the Crown on a former occasion in sanctioning the enactment by Parliament of the Australian Waste Lands Act, be graciously pleased to direct the adoption of some one simple and uniform system for the disposal, in the first instance, of Waste Lands by the Crown, whether to individuals or to Associations formed for the purpose of founding settlements on peculiar systems with diverse modes of disposing subsequently of such lands, and to cause such uniform system to be rigidly adhered to for the future.