BOTANIC GARDENS BILL

Order for Second Reading read.

10.55 a.m.

The Chief Secretary (Mr W. A. C. Goode): Sir, I wish to signify I have His Excellency the Governor's consent to proceed with this Bill.

The Assistant Minister to the Chief Secretary (Mr M. P. D. Nair): Sir, this is a short and simple Bill which seeks to set out the framework of the administration of the Botanic Gardens. The administration of the Botanic Gardens is at present technically governed by the Raffles Societies Ordinance (Cap. 312), but this Ordinance has long been a dead letter in so far as the Botanic Gardens is concerned.

This Bill, together with the Raffles Museum Bill and the Raffles National Library Bill which have just been passed in this Assembly, will jointly replace the Raffles Societies Ordinance (Cap. 312), under which the Botanic Gardens. Raffles Library and Raffles Museum are governed. The conjunction of the three institutions in one Ordinance was artificial and it is clear from the preamble to that Ordinance that the three Bills are designed to enable the administration of each of the three institutions to be separately conducted.

Sir, as I said earlier, the Bill sets out the framework for the administration of the Botanic Gardens. Clause 4 enables rules for the administration of the Gardens to be made by the Minister, and prescribes the purposes for which such rules may be made. Sir, I beg to move, 'That the Bill be now read a Second time."

Question put, and agreed to.

Bill accordingly read a Second time and committed to a Committee of the whole Assembly.

Assembly immediately resolved itself into a Committee on the Bill. [Mr Nair].

Bill considered in Committee:

10.57 a.m.

Clause 1-

Mr Nair: Sir, I beg to move,

In page 1, line 4, to leave out "Botanical" and Insert "Botanic".

Sir, the word "Botanical" was used in the Bill because it was the word used in the Raffles Societies Ordinance and also because the Gardens was known by that name by many people. However, further consideration has been given to the name following representations made by experts, one of whom was of course the Director, Botanic Gardens, that while both "Botanic" and "Botanical" are grammatically correct in describing the Gardens, in scientific usage "Botanic" is the correct term, and records, correspondence and manuscripts dating back to the 1880's show that the word "Botanic" and not "Botanical" has been used in connection with the Gardens. Sir, the present Director of the Gardens also agree with this view. For these reasons, Sir, I beg to move the amendment.

Amendment agreed to.

Clause 1, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

The Chairman: The consequential amendments to clauses 2 and 3 and the First Schedule will be made.

Clause 2, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clause 3, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Clauses 4 to 6 inclusive ordered to stand part of the Bill.

First Schedule, as amended, ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Second Schedule ordered to stand part of the Bill.

Amendment made: In page 1, title, to leave out "Botanical" and insert "Botanic".-[Mr Nair].

Bill reported with amendments; read the Third time and passed.