51 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) did not think that anybody could possibly imagine that they could destroy nlL 



Mr. GUMMING (Hillston) seconded Mr. Alison's amendment. 



Mr. GIBSON (Hay) said that if Mr. Alison would sunply leave the word " all " out and use the other 

 words it would be better. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) moved that the word " all " be struck out. 



Mr. CUMMINO (Hillston) seconded it. 



The CHAIRMAN then said he was very glad they had proposed this. It would be an utter absurdity 

 to say they could destroy " all" rabbits. 



The question was then put and carried unanimously. 



Mr. ALISON* (Canonbar) moved to insert, " uso all reasonable effort," for it seemed to him that 

 they must have some limitation. That was all they could ask anybody to do, to use all reasoiiable effort. 

 They could not compel people to do something which was beyond all reason. He thought there ought to 

 be some safeguard to prevent oppression, and they ought to have some saving clause- like this. Did any- 

 one want them to use unreasonable efforts ? 



Mr. ATKINSON asked Mr. Alison to accept the following alteration " to use such efforts as may be 

 deemed necessary by the Board." 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) withdrew his amendment. 



Mr. ATKINSON moved that the following words " to use such efforts as may be deemed necessary 

 by the Board " should be inserted after the word " forthwith " in line 25, clause 29. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) seconded the amendment. 



Mr. CUDMORE (Wentworth) moved to omit the word "necessary" from the amendment and to 

 insert the word " sufficient." 



Mr. ATKINSON accepted the alteration, and the question was put and carried. 



Mr. WILKES (Broken Hill) moved that clause 29 as amended be passed. 



Mr. HEBDEN (Wanaaring) seconded the motion. 



Question put to the Conference and carried. 



Mr. ATKINSON moved the adjournment of the Conference until 10 o'clock next morning. 



Mr. FREEMAN moved, that as there were only three clauses loft they should go as far as part II. 



Mr. ATKINSON said he moved the adjournment because clause 30 was so very important that they 

 could not discuss it under two or three hours. They could not do it justice unless they arranged to come 

 back and go on until 8 o'clock. 



Mr. CUMMINO (Hillston) seconded Mr. Atkinson's motion. He considered that the clause could 

 not be settled under two or three hours. 



Mr. BACON (Brewarrina) supported Mr. Freeman. 



Mr. T. BROWN (Budgerabong) said they ought now to consider whether they should not devote a 

 little more time to the Bill, considering the "amount of work they had to do. They should stay later and 

 sit in the evenings. He thought that if they sat later on that evening they could pretty well finish 

 the Bill. 



Mr. DILL (Hay) would support Mr. Brown. He thought they should go on. 



Mr. CI'MMINQ (Hillston) said it had been already decided that the Conference should not sit until 

 5 o'clock. A resolution to that effect, that they should sit till 5 o'clock, had been lost in the morning. 



Mr. A. BROWN (Narrabri) said a motion had been carried in the morning that they should adjourn 

 at 4 o'clock. Therefore this motion was quite out of order. 



The CHAIRMAN said it had been proposed that they should tit on until 5 o'clock, and it had been 

 negatived. 



The CHAIRMAN then put the question for an immediate adjournment. On the vote being taken it 

 was found to be equal, 18 for and 18 against. In view of the decision given in the morning the Chairman 

 gave his easting vote for the adjournment. 



The Conference then adjourned until 10 o'clock next morning. 



FIFTH DAY 13TH MARCH, 1897. 



Mr. A. LAKEMAN took the Chair at 10'5 a.m. 



Notice of motion was given by Mr. Leslie as an amendment on Mr. Brown's amendment, part 2, 

 section 33, that the word " one " be struck out and the words " one and a quarter " be inserted. 



The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. 



The CHAIRMAN then said the first business was to decide on the constitution of the Board that 

 would have to administer this Ilabbit Act. The first thing the meeting should do was to re-assert who 

 was to administer the Eabbit Act, and how many members there should be. There were a lot of motions 

 on the notice paper, and some members thought it should be one way, but others thought it should be 

 another way. 



The Hon. RUPERT CAIUNOTON (Jerilderie) thought it was most necessary that they should be 

 practically unanimous on this question of the constitution. He was ready to withdraw his amendment if 

 Mr. Brown would alter his amendment in the following way : That for the purposes of this Bill the 

 constitution of the Stock Boards be altered so as to provide for the appointment of a member instead of 

 a Chairman by the Governor, with three members elected under the Stock and Pastures Act as at present 

 provided, with a minimum voting power of five head of stock, together with five members elected under 

 the Diseases in Sheep Act as at present provided, with a minimum voting power of 200 head of sheep. 

 If they could agree to that, if they could go to the Minister with an unbroken front, they would 

 strengthen his hands, and Parliament might be induced to carry it through. If Mr. Brown would 

 consent, he would assume it as his own amendment. This was a very important question, and he was 

 very anxious that it should be settled unanimously if it could. 



Mr. T. BROWN, M.P. (Budgerabong), said he saw that there was a wide divergence between the 

 views held by different members of the Conference, and he took it that the Conference understood at the 

 outset that they were placing this Bill under the control of the Stock and Pastures Board to administer, 



on 



