Page 4 Advertisements Column 6

Clutha Leader, Volume V, Issue 214, 16 August 1878, Page 4

New Adverti_eip.eiit. TO THE ELECTORS OF THE BOROUGH OF BALCLUTHA. Fellow-Electors, — Prior to the 12th September next, Avhen you will- be called on to elect nine Borough Councillors, I beg to draw your attention to the action taken by your Borough Council in connection with the erection of new Post and Telegraph Offices for Balclutha. Having formerly explained the noncentral and present inadequate site, I shall pass over that just iioav. It -will no doubt be fresh upon many of your memories that about the end of the month of April or beginning of May, Mr Logan, Telegraph Inspector, was sent to Balclutha to select an appropriate site for the new Post and Telegraph Offices, Avhen it then became known that his Worship the Mayor had previously communicated with the Hon. the Postmaster-General in re the matter of selecting a noAv site, and erecting the new offices forthAvith. At the next Council meeting, his Worship Avas assailed by Councillor Dunne in a very abrupt manner as to the truth or otherAA r ise of his having communicated Avith the Postmaster-General upon the neAv Postoffice site question, when his Worship acknoAvledged tbat he had, and stated that when Sir George Grey and the Hon. J. T. i Fisher (Postmaster-General) Avere here last they remarked to him (his Worship) that the present Post-office Avas not in any i thing like a central position, and suggested its removal southward, Avhere the toAvn was fast extending ; that the idea Avas theirs, not his. To facilitate matters and invoke discussion, I then gave notice of motion that I would move — "That the Postmaster-General be requested to select a more central site for the neAv Post and Telegraph Offices in Clyde-street." When this motion came on, Councillor Dunne, in his usual style, characterised it as something fearful, and requested in a pleading manner that the electors be allowed to have a voice in the matter. He, in support of his request, pledged his word ancl honour as a citizen, a councillor, aiid a "gentleman" (!) that a certain petition Avhich had been got up in favour of the present Post-office site being retained should .not go forth to Wellington until such time as the electors had been called together for the purpose of deciding as to which Avas or Avas not the best site ; but behold ! have they ever been called together? Did they get a chance to be called together before this gigantic pro-

nnse of unique definition ancl bond by Councillor Dunne Avas ruthlessly thrown to the four winds of heaven, and the petition before referred to was sent roiind and signatures obtained — if rumour be true — in a manner analagous to many other acts of a certain few in the Clutha District, and the document despatched to Wellington ! I Avas told by many of the deed, but Avould not hearken to the statements, one of Avhich Avas that his Worship the Mayor Avas the last to sign it. HoAvever, Avhen the Assembly met the petition Avas publicly Jknown to have reached the Empire City, and Councillor Dunne's A r aunted honour violated. It Avas then that a counter petition Avas got up in a very brief space of time to compare Avith the former one clandestinely sent aAvay to the Postmaster-General, but before this peti tion for a neAv Post and Telegraph Office site was sent round the toAvnship his Worship the Mayor received a telegram from the Hon. the Postmaster-General (Mr J. . T. Fisher) on Saturday last, stating " that the first petition re retaining preseut Postoffice site seemed to have caused much dissatisfaction in the Borough, and requesting his Worship to cause a plebiscite to be taken." Noav, Avhat did his Worship clo ? Why, he at once made the contents of the telegram kiiOAvn to Councillor Dunne, avlio informed his few friends of the request to his Worship the Mayor by the Postmaster-General, but kept the matter a profound secret from those otherwise interested, and set up a course by Avhich to treat the Hon. J. T. Fisher's request with contempt, and' reply to him by a peremptory request that the neAv Post and Telegraph Offices be at once proceeded Avith upon the present site. The course adopted, as I before stated, was kept a profound secret to the public until last right at the regular fortnightly meeting, Avhen, to my astonishment, there was a full meeting. Councillor Doull Avas, for a wonder, present, although a little late. The presence of something brewing was very evident from the manner in Avhich the business of the Council was conducted that evening. Several reports Avere almost forgotten, and some not dealt with. No doubt you ask Why 1 The best answer I can give you is " That guilty consciences need no j accusers." The whole of his Worship's attention, and that of Councillors Mason, Doull, Macdonald, and Dunne being directed in carrying tlieir clandestine "plot" through by forcing a motion for the erection of neAv offices upon the present site, which his Worship allowed to be done, and without first suspending the Standing Orders ! ! ! therefore making the favoured motion null and void. Last evening, when Councillor Dunne moved the above, and had spoken to it, I at once moved an amendment to the effect that the Hon. J. T. Fisher's (the PostmasterGeneral) request be acceded to, by his Worship taking steps to obtain a plebiscitum upon the question at once. Councillor Hogg seconded the amendment, and characterised the action of his Worship, in making his telegram known to a certain few of the Council and Avithholding it from others, as very improper and highly degrading, as by such a course he and his colleague (Councillor Canning) had been debarred from doing anything in the matter, while Councillor Dunne came to the meeting with a ■ previously concocted motion. Here Councillor Dunne called Councillor Hogg to order. His Worship sustained the challenge, and Councillor Hogg withdrew the remark. But behold ! later in the evening Councillor Dunne characterised the action of tAvo certain Councillors in supporting the petition in favour of a new Post and Telegraph Office site as thieving, sxoindling, low, underhand viiiliany. Nice language. lat once called I Councillor Dunne to order, but his ' Worship ruled that his remarks were not pointed, ■ and he therefore could not caD him to order. CounciUor Dunne denied ' having been shoAvn the telegram frpm the I Hon. J.- T. Fisher to the Mayor until that ; evening, but his Worship boldly contra-