75 



" Prescribed " means prescribed by this Act or any regulation to be made thereunder. 

 " Private holding" means a holding consisting of lands which are not public lands as here- 

 inafter specified. 



" Private lands " means lands which are not public lands as hereinafter specified. 

 " Public land " means 



() land vested in the Crown which is not the subject of any lease or license, or 

 promise of, or agreement for, any lease or license under the Crown Lands Acts 

 or under any other Act authorising the occupation or use of land vested in the 

 Crown, and which is not the subject of any contract for the sale thereof ; or 



(J) any land which is the subject of any dedication or permanent reservation for 

 public uses or purposes, not being for a road, whether the said land has been 

 granted for the said uses or purposes or not, and which is not for the time being 

 lawfully held under any lease or license, or promise of, or agreement for, any 

 lease or license. 



The CUAIRMAN then suggested that Clause 2 be left to the draftsman to make the interpretations 

 according to the Bill. 



Clause 2 was therefore postponed. 



Clause 3. 



Parts oftJie territory may le exempted from certain provisions. 



3. The Governor may, by proclamation in the Gazette, exempt any part or parts of New 

 South Wales to be specified in the proclamation from the operation of the provisions contained 

 in Parts I and IT hereof ; but any such proclamation may by proclamation be corrected, modified, 

 or revoked. 



The CHAIRMAN said they had passed a resolution to the effect that New South Wales should be 

 declared rabbit infested, and this clause 3 gave the Governor power to declare some districts not infested. 

 These two resolutions were therefore conflicting. He thought they ought to cut out clause 3 if the 

 Conference thought that the whole of New South Wales should be under one law without any exemption 

 anywhere. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) said it might be desired to declare towns, villages, and boroughs, and so 

 on, to be exempted from the operation of this Act. 



The Hon. RUPERT CARINGTON (Jerilderie) thought the clause might read in this way, "the 

 Governor may, by proclamation in the Gazette, exempt any part or parts of New South Wales from being 

 declared rabbit infested." He thought it was a most valuable power to give the Governor. It was absurd 

 to declare George-street, Sydney, rabbit infested. 



Mr. FREEMAN said he would support Mr. Alison in this matter ; it was much better to protect 

 those portions of the Colony that were not at present infested from being open to become infested. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) said he wanted to draw the attention of the Conference to the fact that 

 the two clauses were not in consonance. He moved "that the Governor may, by proclamation in the 

 Gazette, exempt boroughs, towns, and villages from the operations of the provisions contained in parts 

 I and 2 hereof." 



Mr. BOLTON (Wagga) thought this Conference should make every feasible suggestion for the 

 suppression of the rabbits. It was just possible that the rabbits might be as thick in a municipality as 

 anywhere else. Mr. Carruthers had said that in Broken Hill they were BO thick that the dying rabbits 

 got under the school and it had to be closed. If they removed such a place from the operations of the 

 Act and declared it uninfested they ivould be declaring an untruth. 



Mr. SIDES (Hay) said it would be a mistake to exclude municipalities and towns. He had been 

 in towns very early in the morning, and had seen as many rabbits about the stables as out in the fields. 



Mr. If A YES said it was clear that if the Conference had passed a resolution that the whole 

 of New South Wales be declared rabbit infested this clause should be struck out. As far as the 

 municipalities were concerned everyone who knew the country knew that they were just as much 

 infested as anywhere else. The town of Hay had as many rabbits as any other part of that district. 



Mr. ALISON (Canonbar) said he had been misunderstood. He only wanted to point out that the 

 two motions were contradictory. He did not mind if it was left one way or the other. 



Mr. T. BROWN, M.L.A. (Budgerabong) said it ought to stay as it was. The Minister ought to 

 have power to except certain portions. 



Mr. DILL (Hay) proposed that clause 3 be struck out. 



Mr. FREEMAN seconded. 



The question was put before the meeting, and carried by 25 votes to 8. 



Clause 25. 



Mr. CAMERON (Ivanhoe) moved the recommittal of clause 25. 



Mr. GUMMING (Hillston) seconded the motion. 



The question of recommittal was put and carried. 



Mr. CAMERON (Ivanhoe) proposed that clause 25 be struck out, and the following be inserted : 

 " That any Eabbit Board be empowered to borrow moneys for the carrying out of this Act, such moneys 

 not to exceed in the whole the revenue of the Board for three years." He said that if they eliminated 

 from the powers of the Board the power to borrow money they would thoroughly emasculate the Bill 

 and make it unworkable. The Eabbit Board must be on the same lines as a Municipal Council. Without 

 giving them the power to borrow money they would be practically useless. With regard to the part of 

 the clause naming three years as the limit, he was not particular on that point. They could amend that 

 in anyway they chose. They all knew perfectly well that the initial expenses of a Eabbit Board or any 

 other Board were very much greater than they had any idea of. The Government would have power to 

 buy wire-netting, and to advance it to those who required it under this Bill, but it was possible that that 



clause 



