The Sun.
London, England, 1847-12-14 00:00:00

Mr. HENLEY, who had suggested these amend-
ments, expressed himself perfectly satisfied.
Mr. AGLIONBY, on the other hand, thought
the alterations would leave the Bill an exceedingly

clumsy piece of legislation.
The CHANCELLOR of the EXCHEQUER said
the objections raised by his Hon. and Learned Friend
were met by the provisions of the Bill.
The clauses were then read a second time, and
ordered to be added to the Bill, and the Bill was
ordered to be read a third time to-morrow (this day).

SUPPLY.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, the Committee of Supply Was

postponed until Friday next.
PUBLIC WORKS (IRELAND) BILL.
On the motion of the CHANCELLOR of the
EXCHEQUER, the Public Works (Ireland) Bill

went through Committee.
Mr. F. FRENCH (on behalf of Mr. J. H. Ha-
milton), moved the addition to the Bill of the fol-
lowing clause :—" And be it enacted, that the word
treasurer' shall, as to the county of Dublin, mean
and include the finance committee,' and the word
assixes ' shall, as to the said county of Dublin, mean
and include the presenting term,' and the words
county surveyor' shall, as to the said county of
Dublin, mean and include the district surveyor;
and that the provisions of an Act, passed in the
seventh and eighth year of her Majesty's reign, in-
tituled An Act to consolidate and amend the laws for
the regulation of grand jury presentments' in the
said county, and any Act for amending the same,
shall, with reference to the raising, applotting, levy-
ing, and recovering of grand jury cess, so far as the
same is applicable, apply as to the said county of
Dublin, to sums of money to be presented and raised
under this Act."
The motion was agreed to, and the clause was
added to the Bill.
Sir It. FERGUSON moved the insertion of the
following clause :—" Whereas, under an Act passed
in the first year of the reign of her present Majesty,
intituled An Act to provide more effectual means
to make treasurers of counties and counties of cities in
Ireland account for public moneys, and to secure the
same,' it was enacted that every treasurer then in office,
and no other, shall have and receive the interest due on
Exchequer bills purchased from any balance stand-
ing to the credit of such treasurer's account, so that
such interest does not exceed one-half of the salary
appertaining to his office ; and whereas it is just,
that such treasurer and the bank, which the grand jury
of any county shall have appointed for recovering the
public moneys of such county, should be allowed
interest on sums paid and advanced under this Act;
be it therefore enacted, that the officer whom the
Lord-Lieutenant,or other chief governor in Ireland, has
authorised, or may hereafter authorise, to audit and
declare the accounts of the treasurers of counties in
Ireland, may, and he is hereby required, on being
applied to by or on behalf of any treasurer entitled
to receive interest under the said Act, or of any bank
having made any advance above the balance at the
credit of such county, to ascertain the amount of
interest at the rate of GI. per cent., which would be
due to such treasurer or bank on the amount so from
time to time unpaid, from the time or times at which
such money shall have been paid by the treasurers of
such county until the same shall have been dis-
charged, or until the first day of the assizes next
succeeding such application, and to certify the same
to the secretary of the grand jury; and it shall
sai be
lawful for any grand jury to present to the d
treasurer or bank such interest so certified to be due,
which interest shall be paid to such treasurer or bank
out of any balance in hand, and shall be raised and
levied off the barony or half barony liable to pay
such sums."
The clause was agreed to, and added to the Bill,
which was reported with amendments, and the report
L ordered to be received to-morrow (this day).
NEW ZEALAND.

Mr. LABOUCHERE rose to ask, pursuant to ills
notice, the permission of the House to introduce a
Bill to suspend some of the most important
the
of an Act of Parliament passed at the close of the session
last year, to make provision for the Government of the
colony of New Zealand. Those who had paid sill at-
t
tention to this important colony would re
in 1836 it had been, with the general con introduce
mber tence
all parties, thought exceedingly desirable to introduce
a constitutional form of government into that colony.
There had been petitions from the inhabitants of New
Zealand presented to that effect, and the subject had
been urged upon the Government by the New Zealand
Company ; and he, also, thought that in the discussions
meha of
which had taken place in this and in the other Rouse
of Parliament, all the leading statesmen of this coun-
try had expressed a desire that a beginning should be
made to introduce a constitutional and representative
government into that colony. Such was the state of
things when her Majesty's present advisers came into
office ; and his Noble Friend, who now held the seals of
the Colonial Department, at once applied himself to this
important subject. He believed that his 'Noble Friend
found in his office a record of the determination of
the preceding Government to introduce some mea-
sure of that description, and, accordingly, at the
latter end of the year 1846 a Bill was passed almost
unanimously by both Houses, by which her Majesty
was empowered to grant a charter, and to issue in-
structions which were to regulate the future govern-
ment of New Zealand. The main provisions of that
Act, and of the letters patent issued under it, were to
the following effect :—The colony was to be divided
into two provinces—the one to be called New Ulster,
the other New Munster; municipal districts were
constituted, with town-councils in all those
where any considerable number of English colonists
had assembled. These were made the nueleus Of a.
system of provincial government, and were to elecb
representatives in the legislature of each of the Pri.°o;
vinces. There was also to be a general asscol
bly be
elected by the two provincial assemblies.
pat
both provinces, the members of which were t° A t
was to take effect as soon as the letters Thti3yeei%
en
c.,11 were
proclaimed by the governor of the colony he roust
the instructions which had been sent out, and
also mention that with regard to the verY.— f
cult part of the subject—namely, the condition not
the aboriginal inhabitants of the colony, it
following
posed to be treated and settled in the ~
manner : it was suggested that the municipal dl_";
tricts should only comprise those parts in which there
were settled a considerable number of white jabs'
bitants, and that those great tracts of country occ°-
pied by the aborigines should not be brought jingles;
diately within the scope of those institutions. It for
thought that the aborigines were not yet ripe
institutions of that kind, while, on the other halluA
the difficulty of subjecting them to the authority al);
control of the white population was foreseen. It be
been endeavoured to provide for that difficulty, bir
securing to the aborigines the enjoyment of their oW,
laws and customs in those parts of the colony no'
included in the municipal districts, and by preventing
the representative assembly from interfering with
their rights, laws, and customs. Such, then, was the
outline of the scheme sent out to the Governor of NeVi
Zealand. The reasons which induced her Majesty's
Government to propose now to suspend the operation
of this constitution were contained in the dispatches
which had been received from Governor Grey after
the best consideration he had been able to give to,
the plan of the Government. The opinion 0'
Governor Grey ought to have the greatest weight
with the House and the Government. Any perso°
who had perused those dispatches would acknowledge
that Governor Grey had given valid reasons for 0
promulgating the new constitution. His main Objae'
tion rested on the intelligence of the aboriginal p°ll;'
lation, and because it was left to the white peP,-
who were the minority, to make laws and to traP,°-si
duties which would be mainly paid by the aborigti.t
inhabitants of the island. From this he stated t
dissatisfaction would be created, and tumult and
in
surrection would be the consequence if the white r;
habitants had conferred upon them the power of teams
the great body of the population. His Noble De%
at the head of the Colonial-office, on receiving t,_11,11
dispatches, had not hesitated as to the course Wil.`".o
he felt it his duty to recommend, and bad joined
thinking that the peace of the colony ought not to op
risked by prematurely, and without due deliberatio._:
forcing the new constitution upon the inhabito;rs
Lord Grey thought it his duty to recommend to
colleagues at once to suspend the operation of the la;
When he said suspend the Act, he meant only P°,_e
tion of it, for that part of it which provided orestrlof
framing of municipal institutions for the purp.o.
local government it was thought might be safel9La
tamed. It was proposed, therefore, to leave untouclf,
that part of the Bill which related to municipal
stitutions with only an alteration of the qualifies I,
The qualification for a voter in the municipal district
was, the possession of a house and the capability
reading and writing in English. But it was fou
were
that although most of the aborigines could read ere
write, it was in their own language, and there IA
also foreign settlers, German and French, who ce°lle'd-,
not read or write in English. It was prop !big
therefore, to modify the qualification, and to e1°05.,
the governor to give certificates to those whoerPs or
sessed the requisite tenements, whether foreigner
aborigines. The principal provisions of this Bli.lens
firstly, to suspend so much of the former Act,
.1 "a"s.
patent, and instructions relating to the legislatt,r,a:ve
semblies for five years, and to re-enact the legleoland
council of 1840, giving power to the governor t
to their number. These legislative councils w
be in each of the two provinces, either by.nonyiee.lltif:ll
or election. The part relating to the municipal
t°
tutions to be retained, with power to the g 2 1:F s
raw
enlarge the franchise by certificate. I:tile go-
sure gave a very large discretion to
vernor, but he believed that, under 04 ...00
fuer 1,-
gore' •
to adopt a simple scheme, leaving to then_roye
cunistances, it was the wisest and safest 0'
council a large discretion. A comp
before
the
his deter
would be found in the papers
House of the circumstances which led to t