~ No. 102.

VOTES AL~D PROCEEDINGS

OF THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MONDAY, 17 DEOEMBER, 1855. 1. Council met pursuant to adjournment; the Speaker took the Chair. State of Agriculture :-l.Hr. Parkes, as Chairman, brought up the Report from, and laid upon the Table the Evidence taken before the Select Committee appointed, on the 3rd J dly last, to inquire into and report upon the state of Agriculture in the Colony, with special referenoe to the raising of wheaten grain, and to the causes of hindrance or failure in that great industrial pursuit, whether arising from the social condition of the people, the policy of the Government, or the physical character of the country. Ordered to be printed. 2. Annual Appropriation Bill :-The Auditor General moved, pursuant to notice, "That" the Standing Orders be suspended to admit of the Annual Appropriation Bill passing through all its other stages to-day. Mr. Donaldson moved, That the Question be amended, by the omission of all the words following the word" That," at the commencement, with a view to the insertion in their place of the words, "this Council deeply regrets the course taken by IDs " Excellency the Governor General, in transmitting to the Council three distinct " Messages, in each of which His Excellency directly ''ifWJes to carry out the "recommendations deliberately made to him by this House, with reference to u matters into which the fullest inquiry, by means of Select Committees, had been "made." " (2.) That the Council, under these circumstances, records its opinion, that His " Excellency the Governor General has, in so directly refusing to comply with its " recommendations, adopted a couree calculated to prevent that harmonious co

The Auditor General then moved, That tho Title of this Bill be "An Act fo?' apply­ " ing ce1·tain st~ms out df the Consolidatecl Revenues of New Soutk Wales, to the seJ•• " vice ther•eof, fo1' tke yea1· 0 n.e thousand eight htmdr•ed and fifty-six, and for further• " approp1•iating tke said Revenues." Question put and passed. 3. J.Joans Appropriation Bill, on motion of the Auditor General, read a third time, and passed. The Auditor General then moved, That the Title of this Bill be ".An Act for apply­ " ing ce1·tain sums to be r·aised by Loans. Qt1estion put and passed. · 4. Circular Quay Indemnity Bill :-The Governor General's Message, No. 117, received with this Bill on the 15th instant, having been read, on motion of the Colonial -Secretary, the accompanying Bill, intituled, "A Bill to indemnify the Governo1· and " the Officers of the ·colonial T1·easm•y, in r·espect of certain unautlt01·ized payments " {o1· the extension of the Circular• Quay," read a first time. The Colonial Secret•u·y then moved, without previous notice, That the Standing Orders be suspended in order to this Bill p9.ssing through all its other stages to-day. Question put and passed ;- And Bill having been read a second time, on motion of the Colonial Secretary the Speaker left the Chair, and the Council resolved itself into a Committtee of the whole for consideration thereof. The Chairman having reported the Bill without Amendment, the Council adopted the same, And Bill, as so reported, on motion of the Colonial Secretary, read a third time, and pussed. The Colonial Secretary then moved, That the Title of this Bill be 11.An Act to " lndemn·ify the Governor and the Officers of the Colonial T,·easur·y, in ?'espect of " certain Unauthorized Payments for the extension of the Circula1• Qt~ay ." Question put and passed. 5. Colonial Treasury Accounts :-Mr. Flood moved, pursuant to notice,- (1.) That the system hitherto and at present existing in the Colonial Treasury as to the receipt and accounting for the public moneys, is calculated to excite general dis­ satisfaction and distrust (2.) That, in the opinion of this House, a Commission of Inquiry should be at once appointed to investigate and report upon the past and present condition of that Department; snch Commission to consist of three gentlemen not holding office under Government, and to have power to examine Witnesses, and refer to and examine Books, Papers, and all other documents having reference to the subject. (3.) That an Address, embodying the foregoing Resolutions, be presented to the Governor General, praying that His Excellency will be pleased to. take the necessary measures for carrying the same into e:ffecL. Debate ensued. Motion by leave withdrawn. 6. Po-;tponements :- (1.) The Attorney General postponed the motion standing in his name second on the Notice Paper of Other Business for to-day, until to-morrow. (2.) Mr. Cowper, on behalf of Mr. Martin, postponed the motions standing in the name of 1\'Ir. Martin third and fourth on the Notice Paper of Other Business for to-day, until to-morrow.. (3.) Mr. Wilshire postponed the motion standing in his name fifth on the Notice Paper of Other Business for to-day, until t.o-morrow. (4.) Mr. Cooper postponed the motion standing in his name sixth on the Notice Paper of Other Business for to-day, until to-morrow. (5.) The resumption of the adjourned debate on the motion of Mr. Martin, standing as an Order on the Paper of Other Business for to-day, postponed, on motion of Mr. James Macarthur, until to-morrow. (6.) The Auditor General postponed the motions standing in his name on the second Notice Paper of Government Business for to-day, until to-morrow. Council adjourned at ten minutes before Nine o'clock, until to-morrow, at Three o'clock.

NOTICES OF MOTION AND ORDER OF THE DAY.

TUESDAY, DECEMBER 18.

Contingent Notice of Motion :-MR. JAMES MACARTHUR to move ( M an amendment on Mr. Ma1·t·in's Motion, tlte debate of whick stand-s adjom·ned to this day), That:an Address be presented to the Governor General, transmitting the Report, (with Evidence and Appendix) of the Select Committee on the City Commissioners' Department, and request­ ing His Excellency to cause such st-eps to be taken, in relation to the Evidence, as the public interests demand; but at the same time informing His Excellency, that this Council is not committed to the conclusions arrived at in the Report of the Select Committee. OTHER 3

OTHER BusiNESs-NOTIOES OF MOTION :- 1. MR. CAMPBELL to move, That an Address be presented to the Governor General praj­ ing that His Excellency will be pleased to cause to be laid upon the Table of this House, a Copy of the Secretary of State's Despatch to the Governor General, enclosing a new Commission issued by Her Majesty to Sir William Denison, as Governor General, with copies of that Document and all other Papers connected therewith. 2. The ATTORN>lY GENERAL to move, That in the opinion of this Council no objection exists to the appropriation of that portion of Hyde Park applied for for the purpose of extending the National School in William-street, having a frontage of 29 perches to St. Mary's Road, by a depth of 255 feet on the north-east side to the Riley Estate, and by 228 feet along that boundary. 3. Mr. MARTIN to move, That the following Address be presented to His Excellency the Governor General by the Speaker:- To His Excellency Sir WILLIAM THOMAS DENISON, Governor General, &c., &c., &c. WE, the Members of the Legislative Conncil, in Council assembled, hereby pray for the dismissal from office, of the three Commissioners for the City of Sydney. 4. Mr. MARTIN to move for leave to bring in a Bill to annul the Sydney Corporation Abolition Act of 1853. 5. Mr. WILSHIRE to move, That this Council, having taken into consideration the Petition from certain holders and owners of property at the Semi-Circular Wharf, and merchants resident in the City of Sydney, is of opinion- (!.) That it would be inexpedient for the Executive Government to retain in their hands, at the expiration of the present year, the management and collection of the Wharfage Rates and Dues arising from the Semi-Circular Quay, and calculated greatly to reduce the Revenue arising therefrom. (2.) That the foregoing Resolution be communicated, by Address, to His Excellency the Governor-General. 6. MR. CoOPER to move, That this Council, having taken into consideration the Report from the Select Committee appointed, on the 19th October last, to take into consider­ ation the claim of Mr. Francis Flanagan to be indemnified for certain damages and expenses incurred by him in the discharge of his duties as a Magistrate of the Colony, request that His Excellency the Governor General will be pleased to place a sum not exceeding £338 6s. 6d. on the Estimates of Expenditure for the year 1855-6, to indemnify that gentleman for ·the. costs incurred py him in the case of" Charman ~ ce1·sus Flanagan."

ORDER OF THE DAY:- 1. Resumption of the Adjourned Debate on the motion of Mr. Martin," That the Report " of the Select Committee appointed to inquire into the City Commissioners' Depart­ " ment be now adopted."

GovERNMENT BusiNESS-NGTIOES OF MOTION:- 1. THE AUDITOR GEN>lRAL to move, That the Speaker do now leave the Chair, and the Council resolve itself into a Conunittee of the whole for considetation of the Estimates for the Sydney Sewerage &nd Water Supply for the year 1856. 2. THE AUDITOR GENERAL to move for leave to bring in a Bill for applying certain Sums to be raised unde • the Sydney Sewerage and Water Acts of 1853, for the year 1856.

CHARLES NICHOLSON, ·Speaker.