THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VII, Issue 1784, 9 April 1874, Page 3

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The gontlemen who have been elected as members of the first Borough Council of the Times met at the Government offices, Queen-street, yesterday, at ten o'clock, but found out that it was a false start, and that they could not enter into business, as they had met a week too soon. To show how this has arisen, we may quote the clause of the Act with reference to the first meeting. Clause 135 is as followsl3s. The council of every borough after the first constitution of such borough hereunder shall hold the first meeting at some convenient place within the borough on the second Wednesday alter the first constitution thereof if persons elected under any of the Acts or ordinances repealed hereby continue in office hereunder as councillors of such borough or if no councillors be in office theu on the third Wednesday after the first election or appointment of councillors or as soon after such respective periods as conveniently miy be at the hour.of.ten of the .clock in the forenoon and shall proceed to put this Act into execution." '

it i 3 clear from this that the first meeti ing of our Council should take, place on the third Wednesday after the day of the election, the 25fch of March, A private meeting of. the Councillors took place a few days ago at the Pacific Hotel, when the first meeting was appointed for today, and. we were so satisfied-that, our Councillors could not mike a mistake over an Act of Parliament that we did hoc think it necessary to look whether they were ri><ht or,wrong. Home ingenious miscpnstruer, however, had read a full' stop at the word " thereof," beginning a new sentence with the word " if." At ten o'clock, there wew present - Messrs Jiensliaw,Daviea, Butt, Anthony, Brown, Wilson, Khrenfried, Or. Kilgour, being all the members except Mr Kennan,: who has not returned from Australia. The difficulty about the day having been started, Mr Tyler, who happened to be at the Court- Souse, looked at the clause, and gave it as his opinion that the day fixed was not Wednesday. Thereupon the Councillors deliberated over the clause, and at last Captain Butt said that he thought they should adjourn for an hour/ They had got .Mr i yler's opinion "on the cheap,' 1 and he thought they ought also to get Mr Vl'acdonald's; It would be a pity to make a biragle at the start, and do anything which might prove illegal. This suggestion was agreed to, and in about an hour a written opinion was procured from Mr Macdonald that next Wednesday was the proper one for the meeting. This was held as settling the matter as to the meeting, but some ' conversation took place amongst the councillors as to future arrangements. . It was agreed that Messrs Ronshaw and Davies should ascertain if the Court-room can be obtained for next Wednesday. " Mr Dean, who had been asked to attend the meeting, iu order to take minutes of the proceedings till the election of a town clerk, then mentioned the position of the Tararu Board with reference to the road to the cemetery there.. Mr said he would like to have the opinion of the Councillors" on the subject of entering into a contract for the miking of this road. The Provincial Government had given them £150 to be spent iu making a road to the cemetery, which would cost in all £250, and they had entered into a contract to have the work done. : As the expenditure would be within theborough, however, they had no right to go, into it, and he would not like to do so, without the sanction ; of the Councillors. The contractor who'had taken the job wished to go on with it - as long as the weather was dry, or to get back his deposit. Mr Renshaw asked if the TararuBoard had any funds <to pay the remaining £100. —Mr Brown said that the remaining £100 would have to be a debt of the" Tararu Board.—Dr. Kilgour said the Kauwaeranga Board, had also incurred liabilities in the interest of the public. It was a pity that having got £150 they should risk losing it.— Vtr ltenshaw thought there would be a disposition on the part of the Council to settle amicably' with all the Highway Boards.—Mr ; Davios said:that as to ttie Waiotahi Board, when the Council was elected, they discharged every man in their employ, even to the man who was burying the dogs. Since then, the Board had incurred no expenditure, -and had instructed their secretary not to receive any moneys.— The Councillors then dispersed till next Wednesday.