A PECULIAR INCIDENT.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12593, 8 September 1906, Page 4

A PECULIAR INCIDENT.

A COUNCILLOR'S QUALIFICATION

A •eusation wne caiused in the Akairoa Borough Council on Wednesday evening, when the Mayor <Mr Orbell) read an opinion from Mr Martin, eolicitor to the Municipal Aeeociation, to the effect that the premises of the Akaroa Booting Club were illegally rated through being outside the borough boundaries, and in consequence Cr. CheckJey was not «itf*ied to his seat on the Council, that being hie qualification. The jiaytr eaid the Council liad never oekeci for tho opinion, and, a» they eou.d not accept it without knowing what tacts veto supplied to Mr Martin, lie had written to~ Cr. Henning, asking, if lie was th© author of the request ior an opinion, 'hat a copy of tiie letter be supplied to the Council. Hβ lir.d taken tins con aa Cr. Henning had recently published several letters, in the Akaroa ".Mail' questioning Cr. Chcckley's qualification. Or. Henning rose and said he would neither deny xutv aeKnowjeugo having written the letter, but ■whoever lm<l dono 60 had rendered a public service. Tho Mayor wont on to nay that no ono but a councillor could have written lor the opinion, otherwise it would not have been given, or in any case, not have b.vn iorwarded to tne Council. On receipt of Mr Martin's communication he had telegraphed to that gentleman a correct statement of tin* c.iss, stating that th-3 boundary of tho borough was low water mark and the building in question was within the boundary, lie had received a reply to the effect that tho previous opinion ■was crrcnoous, and retractirg tli-a whole of it. Cr. Henning hereupon acknowledged writing to Mr Msrtin. He lwd nothing personally against Cr. Cliock\ey, but questioned ini> quaiitiojiti-an, and, on being asked to filo a copy of h:i; letter with the opinion, said ho would hand it to the local paper for publication. After an argument as to who would pay t'he bill 01 costs, the May<;r moved that tin , opinion be lTceivccl, and .said he coiisidered Cr. Henning's action unjtisliliab!« and reprehens-ibl?. It" he doubted the legality of the qualification he should bring tJio question before the Council in a efcraightf'cnvard manner, and not write semi-official l?t----t<>re himself. The motion was carried, and the incident closed.