entitled to ask for the appointment of trustees to administer the property specially set apart for its use, and still held in trust by the Canterbury Association. The subject of education called for special attention, as it was proposed to ask the Council ta pass a Bill incorporating Christ’s College, and vesting it with the control of the Educational Endowment.
Mr. FitzGerald considered that the State had grave responsibilities in connection with education, and that the funds for this purpose should be raised by taxation in the future. The College, for which the Canterbury Association had set aside endowments, would benefit the whole community by providing highly trained instructors for the public schools.
Among the subjects that engaged the attention of members during the first session, that of the “Waste Lands” of the province was the most important. Under the Constitution Act these were to be banded over to the control of the General Government, but it was hoped and urged that Parliament would delegate this control to the Provincial Councils, as being in closer touch with local requirements. Addresses to His Excellency the Governor, and to Parliament (when it should be called together), urging this course, were agreed to. Strong exception was taken to the omission of Sir George Grey from calling Parliament together, and the legality of his continuing to raise revenue without Parliamentary sanction was questioned. On November 9 the Provincial Council passed a series of resolutions on the subject, from which the first two may be quoted:—
(1) That in the opinion of this Council, all appropriation of revenue of the colony prior to the meeting of the General Assembly, is a violation of the spirit and intent of the Constitution Act.
(2) That until a meeting of the General Assembly shall have taken place or until further information shall have been laid before them, the Council will abstain from
