LOCAL GOVERNING BODIES.

Auckland Star, Volume XXII, Issue 239, 8 October 1891, Page 8

LOCAL GOVERNING BODIES.

The resulb of bhe electioitfor three Councillors of Hamilton Borough Council on September 10 was: R. F. Sandes, 116 ; H. M. Salmon, 116 ;C. Tippen, 98 ; W. Jones, 76. It is tho largest voting that has taken place for many years, 176 votes being registered out of a possible 220. The election was keenly contested on party grounds. The resulb of the poll for the election of three Councillors for the Newmarket Borough Council was declared as follows on September 10 by the Returning Officer, Major Pirie :—John Mclntyre Laxon, 61; John Lumpkin, 55; John Stone, 49; Robert Ridley Holmes, 43. The three first were declared duly elected.

The voting for the return of three members to the Borough Council of Onehunga took place on September 10. The returns wero declared as follows : —William Tapp, 123; Joseph Hastie, 100: Fergus Keehan, 100 ; William Shaldrick, 59. Mr Hutchison therefore declared Messrs Hastie, Keshan, and Tapp (retiring Councillors) duly electod.

Mr J. M. Lennox bhreabened at the City Council meeting on October Ist that he would resign his seat in consequence of not being allowed by tho Mayor to make a personals explanation in reference to his action in committee on the subject of leasing the Auckland tramways to Paterson and Co. On the 3rd Mr Lennox officially sent in his resignation as member of the South Ward.

The Mayor, at a meeting of the City Council, read a telegraphed copy of tho amended Electric Lighting Bill sent from Wellington by the Hon. XV. Swanson. The Mayor stated he had replied to Mr Swanson thanking him for the telegram, and also thab the Council sees no necessity for the Bill, but above all wishes to keep its hands tree. If the Bill was passed it should contain certain new clauses. Mr Upton then read the new clauses as follows : —" 1. The Company shall nob be enbibled to exercise any of the powers hereby conferred until the agreement is entered into and confirmed. 2. If tho agreement is not entered into and confirmed within one year from date hereof, the powers and authorities hereby confirmed shall cease. 3. Nothing herein contained shall be deemed in any way to pledge or bind any local authority to enter into any such agreement, or prevenb such local body from enbering inbo any other agreement with any other person or syndicate for supplying electricity, or such local body from doing so itself. 1 '

The annual election of Councillors for the Auckland City Council took place on September 10. The contest resulted in the return of a new member for the North Ward. The result of the poll was announced by the Returning Officer, Mr S. Brooking, as follows :—Renke Frederick Luks, 345; William Henry Smith, 319. Mr Luks was therefore declared duly elected. The retiring member was reelected in the South Ward, the numbers being as. follows : —Robert Farrell, 377 ; Walter Fricker, 165. The former was therefore declared elected.

A deputation oE well-known citizens, including Crs. Crowbher, Wri_hb and Farrell, waited on the Mayor, Mr Upton, on October 2nd, asking him if he would be willing, if requisitioned, to accept a third term of mayoralty. Mr Crowbher and Mr Farrell spoke in eulogistic berms of bhe work of bho Mayor, and complimenbed him on bhe reduced overdraft Ib would be a greab disappoinbmenb if he would nob sband. Mr Upton thanked the deputation, bub declined the proffered honour, saying he had other calls on his time. He was also not in favour of long terms of office. He expressed a willingness to sign a requisition asking Cr. Crowther to accept the position.

Messrs Paterson and Co., the well-known local 'bus proprietors, are negotiating for the leasing of the Auckland tramways. The matter was brought up at the meeting of the City Council on September 17bh, when a letter was read from Mr C. E. Butbon, on behalf of the firm of Whitaker and Russell, stating thab he was instructed by the Bank .of New Zealand Esbabes Company (Limibed), bhe mortgagees in possession of the tramway con-

cession and plant, to apply to the Council for its consent to leasing the whole concern to Messrs Paterson and Co. tor five years, with a purchasing clause. The letter stated tho granting of the consent would not in any way prejudice the position as between the Council and the Tramway Co. Cr. Cooper wished to know whether tho lease had been forwarded to the Council, and was informed that it had nob. Cr. Cooper thenremarkedthabhehopedone thing would nob be overlooked, and that was, that the Council should reserve to itself the power to recover penalties upon the property, -whether it should be mortgaged or not. -The matter was then referred to the Legal Committee and the Council's solicitor.

Ab bhe meebing of bhe Ciby Council on Ocbober lsb a letter was received from Mr C. E. Button relative to the Auckland tramways' western circular penalties. Inter alia Mr Button wrote: — "As to tho best and easiest means of meeting the wants of tho travelling public, my clients propose subject to the approval of the Council to establish a properly equipped 'bus service between Queen-street and the Three Lamps bhrough Freeman's Bay. The 'bus service being satisfactorily established, I would ask the Council (1) to assent to the lease to Paterson and Co. ; (2) to remit all penalties'for noncompletion of the western circuit; (3) to remit the rent fpr bhe remainder of the term of my clients' lease, or for one of the remaining terms at least." The letter was under consideration by the Legal Committee of the Council, and was dealt wibh at the same time as a letter from Messrs Whitaker and Russell on the same subject. The Committee made the following recommendations : —That subject to the following conditions being agreed to by the Company, viz : Ist, that an efficient 'bus service be run from the Union Bank to the Three Lamps with a time-table and 'buses to be approved by the Council, and 2nd, that the rent in terms of contract be paid, the Council consent to the leaso to Messrs Paterson and Co., all costs and charges to be paid by the Company. The Committee further recommend, also subject to the above conditions : Ist, that the penalties be remitted; 2nd, bhat the term for completion of construction be extended to tho actual term of Paterson and Co.'s lease. Consideration of these proposals was deferred for a future meebing.