TOWN COUNCIL.

Clutha Leader, Volume II, Issue 105, 14 July 1876, Page 6

TOWN COUNCIL.

The Town Council held an open * court for the revision of the Citizens Lists at noon on Monday. The Mayor and all the Councillors = were present. The Clerk read the claims, number - ing about sixty, which had been lodged 'with him on or before 3rd July. — The •• same were sustained. A list of a few objections which had been lodged on or before sth July were also sustained, and the meeting - adjourned.

« "A special meeting of the Council was '■■ held at 8 o'clock same evening. The Mayor and the whole of the 1 Councillors were present. The Mayor explained that the meeting had been called on the written request of Councillors Hogg and Kilgour, for the purpose of receiving a petition ' by A. Bain and others. Councillor Dunne moved — " That his Worship leave the chair, and that Councillor Hogg be appointed chairman. 7 ' He said he moved the motion because the petition touched upon the Mayor, and it would be impolitic for him to occupy the chair, seeing that he was - hostile to the business. The Council • could not deal with it as long as the Mayor occupied the chair. There was no seconder. His Worship said Councillor Dunne seemed to have got a petition to present. He requested him to read and present it. Councillor Dunne said he had a petition from 7G ratepayers to present. The petition set forth various reasons why the Council should take the matter into consideration. It prayed for free trade and no monopoly. No doubt the ratepayers had good grounds for presenting it, and he;had great pleasure in doing so on tbeir their behalf. • His Worship requested Councillor ' Dunne to read the petition, instead of 1 discussing it. Councillor Dunne said he could speak ■■ for fourteen hours upon it, and referred to clause 48 of the " Regulations of Proceedings of Council," which is as follows :— " Every Councillor presenting a petition to the Council shall con"fine himself to a statement of persons from whom it comes, of the number of signatures attached to it, and of the material allegations contained in it, and to the reading of.the prayer thereof." His Worship said Councillor Dunne r must confine himself to a statement as to the persons signing and the material allegations, but he had no right to discuss. Councillor Dunne said he could speak for 14 hours if he wished. His Worship had sat upon him lasfc time, but he would not be sat upon this time. He would appeal to the Council. He had ■-studied law, and would not be put down j he was in order. The business -was very important. They had fifty - miles of a railway to the Clutha, and •when they approached the terminus, they were met with a tax of 2s a ton -for their goods. It was necessary to have this great railway opened up to - the public. He read the petition, as follows : — To the Mayor and Town Council of the incorporated Town of Balclutha. We, the undersigned ratepayers of the Town of Balclntha, feeling the urgent necessity of having free access to the Railway terminus, beg most respectfully that you will take immediate step 3 and provide such accommodation on tho north-west side of the line to enable the public to load and discharge then- merchandise. Your petitioners have several reasons for "bringing this matter under your notice. Ist. — Considering the large amount of money -already spent on Hassbomgh road, v?hieh under the present arrangement can only benefit a very -waatLproportion of tbe ratepayers, and consider-

bamtmmmimmum*ma6immmmmmammmmm&m.mmrtnumw.mt,a,mwi,mmmmommmmm&m ing the impassable a^ate of tho road boyotul tho railway bridge leading 'io Stifling', are nil combined to inconvenience tho public, until finch time n.s tlie Railway is brought into the Town, which cannot possibly be for some considerable timo to como. Your petitioners have been advise - ! by practical men that no engineering difficulties btands in the way, and we haye every reason to believe tliat you will have the coincidence of the General Manager of Railways in haviug this desired work carried out. Trusting tliat a speedy answer will be given to tho prayer of this petition, and your petitioner will ever pray. (Here follow 77 signatures.) Councillor Dunne said the petition was signed by him as Councillor, as required by law, and by 7Q ratepayers. He moved — " That the petition be received" Seconded by Councillor Hogg, and carried. Councillor Dunne moved — " That his Worship leave the chair. He was personally interested, and he thought common decency and courtesy should make bim leave when the matter was being discussed. His Worship said he would be the last man to remain in the chair when anything was being discussed in which he was personally interested 5 but be understood the business was now over. The meeting bad been called to receive the petition. That had been done, and the standing orders prevented them doing anything further. Councillor Dunne said tbe business was not over. They were going to discuss the petition — they were going to deal with it now. His Worship asked if it was the wish of the Council that the petition be discussed. Councillor Dunne said that was what they were there for. Councillor Hogg asked whether a special meeting was not tantamount to a suspension of the standing orders. His Worship : The meeting was called to receive the petition only. Councillor Dunne objected to his Worship having anything to say upon the subject. Councillor Kilgour seconded Councillor Dunne's motion, which was carried. His Worship then vacated the chair, which was taken by Councillor Hogg. Councillor Dunne moved — " That the prayer of the petitioners be granted, the Council reserving to themselves to deal afterwards with the matter in the most judicious manner." He said they should take instant action and do their duty without fear or favor. Councillor Hope would second the motion, if it were made a little more explicit as to the manner in which they wero afterwards to deal with the matter. He thought the step they ought to take was to ask the Government to compensate Mr Cramond for his outlay, and take over his siding. If the Government were to decline, then the Council could take action. Councillor Danne said that was the very thing* he was to propose, but by two separate motions. The Council, backed up by the inhabitants, should do all in their power to get Mr Cramond fairly remunerated for his outlay. He would exert all his influence to accomplish this. The ou-tlay Mr Cramond had gone to was expended in good faith, and had been of much service to the ratepayers, but now it had assumed the form of a monopoly, and led to other men being deprived of work and so forth. Councillor Tosh said it was unnecessary to grant the prayer of the petition in the meantime. If they do so it, it would be hard to say how many other similar petitions they might have. An application should first be made to tho Government, and if they refused, then the Council could see what they could do with the matter. Councillor Kilgour said the petition shewed that the public were dissatisfied. He quite endorsed what Councillors Dunne and Hope said as to the advantages they had derived from the siding, and as to tbe right Mr Cramond had to be compensated for his outlay. He seconded the motion. Councillor Mason said that no one could wish more than he to see the prayer of the petition granted. He considered, however, it was very hard, after the Government bad distinctly refused to provide a station or a siding, that a party who had himself taken the matter up, and personally gone to the expense of providing public accommodation, should now have to suffer oy another siding being erected at public expense. Mr Cramond's siding had been a great saving and convenience to the public. Goods were now delivered at Os. a ton, whereas, before the siding was erected, the charge was 10s., and had the-goods now to be taken to Stirling, it wonld probably be £1. He thought the Government was the party to apply to, and that they should take over the siding and compensate Mr Cramond for the expense to which he had been put. If Councillor Dunne's motion were carried, the public would j expect the Council at once to proceed | with the work. He thereforo moved as an amendment, " That a deputation be appointed to wait upon the Government- to get them to make arrangements for the siding being open to the public." Councillor Tosli seconded the amendment. _ Councillor Dunne said this was simply an attempt to shelve the matter by a sidewind. Councillor Mason said the petition

should have heen sent to the Govern- | ment, not to the Council. Councillor Kilgour was sorry to sec Councillors so lax in carrying out the wishes of the ratepayers If tho Government declined to arrange with Mv Cramond, then the Council should do it. Th.c amendment was then put to the meeting, when two voted for it — Councillors Mason and Tosh. For the motion — Councillors Dunne, Hope, and Kilgour. The motion was declared carried. Councillor Dunne said that the Council should use its influence to get the Government to compensate Mr Cramond for his outlay. They should not be content" with a mere siding, but should have a station with offices, to receive and forward goods, lie moved — " That v deputation wait upon the Government upon tbe matter, said deputation to consist of Messrs Henderson, M'Neil, and Clark, M.P.C.'s, and Councillors Hogg, Mason, ancl tbe mover." Seconded by Councillor Hope, and carried. Tho Clerk was instructed to arrange as to the day of meeting with the Government. The meeting then adjourned.