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SATURDAY MARCH 30 _*-------------______'_'__ POWERS OF *3 EXEMPTION. Municipal Councils and Public Franchises. » THE PREMIERNS, BI L L. Sharp Discassion in the Legislature --Radical Changes in\ the Good Roads Bill. One of the sharpest debates of the. session, though a comparatively brief: one, took place in the Legislature yes-- terday on the motion for the second reading of the Premier's bill to amend the municipal act. The bill, allows Municipal Councils to pass by--laws, without the assent of the ratepayers, remitting taxation or fxing the rate of assessment for a period not exceeding three years of persons operating public franchises. The Premier briefly ex-- plained the terms of_the measure,which Mr. Whitney said was deserving of more condemnation than any measure| introduced since Confederation.-- The: debate was continued by several other members, and the bill fin=" ally passed -- its second . read-- ing without a division. Before ad-- jJournment Mr. Whitney quoted from a: newspaper to the effect that the Mayor of Port Arthur was of opinion that a bill providing for new electoral divis« lons in Algoma would soon be intro-- duced. The Premier answered that no bill of such a nature would be brought