Sessional_Paper_1895 — Page 25

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL, No. 10.

THURSDAY, 6TH JUNE, 1895.

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PRESENT:

HIS EXCELLENCY THE GOVERNOR

(Sir WILLIAM ROBINSON, K.C.M.G.).

The Honourable the Colonial Secretary and Registrar General, (JAMES HALDANE STEWART

LOCKHART).

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the Acting Attorney General, (ALFRED GASCOYNE WISE).

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the Acting Colonial Treasurer, (ALEXANDER MACDONALD THOMSON).

the Director of Public Works, (FRANCIS ALFRED Cooper).

the Acting Harbour Master, (WILLIAM CHARLES HOLLAND HASTINGS, R.N.).

the Postmaster General, (ARTHUR KENNEDY TRAVERS).

CATCHICK PAUL CHATER.

HO KAI, M.B., C.M.

EMANUEL RAPHAEL BELILIOS, C.M.G.

ALEXANDER MCCONACHIE.

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JAMES JARDINE BELL-IRVING.

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The Council met pursuant to summons, the Meeting adjourned till the 30th May being further postponed by command of His Excellency the Governor.

NEW MEMBERS.-Commander HASTINGS, Acting Harbour Master, and Mr. A. K. TRAVERS, Postmaster General, took the Oath of Allegiance on their provisional appointment to seats on the Council in the place of Commander RUMSEY, Harbour Master, and Mr. F. H. MAY, Captain Superin- tendent of Police, absent on leave.

The Minutes of the last Meeting, held on the 23rd May, were then read and confirmed.

PAPERS. The Colonial Secretary, by command of His Excellency the Governor, laid on the table the following papers :-

(1) Report of the Director of the Observatory for 1894.

(2) Sanitary Superintendent's Report for the year 1894.

(3) Report of the Superintendent of the Botanical and Afforestation Department for 1894. (4) Colonial Veterinary Surgeon's Report for the year 1894.

(5) Blue Book for 1894.

PERSONAL STATEMENT.-Mr. MCCONACHIE, with the permission of His Excellency the Governor, made a personal statement-

"At the meeting of Council on the 17th April I read out an extract from the Report of the Medical Committee, of which I had the honour of being a member. The fair copy came in to me for It was signature an hour or so before the meeting of Council I have just referred to. accompanied by the draft copy preciously initialed by all members. I compared both copies and found them the same word for word, and appended my signature Knowing that the Ordinance to confer certain powers and authorities on the Medical Officer of Health would come up for discussion that afternoon, I made a hurried pencil extract from the Report in How I case I might find it useful, and it was from that hurried pencil note I read out. came to leave out certain words I cannot explain. It was entirely accidental, and I had no motive and certainly I never intended to do so. I now express my regret to the Government

for the omission."

The Colonial Secretary briefly replied.

NOTICE OF QUESTION.-Mr. BELILIOS gave notice that at the next Meeting of Council he would ask the following question :--

Is it the intention of the Government to invite competitive designs from local architects for the proposed new Government offices, or do the Government propose that the design shall be prepared, and the work carried out by the Public Works Department.