CASE FOR THE CROWN.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 583, 11 August 1909, Page 4

CASE FOR THE CROWN.

CITY COUNCIL 1 V CAS COMPANY AND IV , ' ATTO f? N EY-'C ENER AL. STATEMENT OF DEFENCE. " The statement of defence of tlio Attorney-; General, one of tlio, defendants in .tlio Supreme..Court- action,- which has beeii' in-, stftutcd by- tli'o Wellington City Council - in, connection with the gas. main;'dispute,-,w,as filed by Mr-, -M. Myers, Crown solicitor, with' •Jho.-.Registrar of-tin/Supreme.Court yesterday,'morning. . the docuni"nt reads as follows':— v ; .' - 'Tho dcfc-i'dant, -.-his Majesty's Attofnejv , General,' by Michael Myers/ Crowu . solicitor for tho AVellington district says :— - .l-jiH-ii, admits',that the' plaintiff is a muni, cipai. corporation,'' as alleged in paragraph/, 1' on the statement of- claim. ».. > \ '.'2,' Ho: admits- that:tho.defendant: company is. a limited liability "compdfiy, -aS-alleged-;ia of tho statement of claiin> . nig for its'objeota, inter .'alia, the manufac'turo- of . gas; but he does not know whether,- • jind' therefore .denies, -, that the jiower of the defendant-.company 'in ;rcspect to "the manufacture. and : supply of -gas is -limited as alleged in the , said paragraph. V- :' ■3.' As -to- paragraphs 14, 15, and -16 of-tho Statement..: of - claim, he admits defendant company, on . tho ' representation that it lis- authorised .by , contract-with . the. corporation' of tho, Borough of -Miramar. :-to. ■ supply gas to tho inhabitants Borough of Miramar', has applied.- ! to the •Prime 'Minister,. and also ; to. tho./ActingPrimo Minister. of, the Dominion, for':,tlio 'consent .of-" the .Goyernor-in r Council'; ' under; Section .9, of , the; Gas Supply Act,- j1908,.,f0r; 'the..purpose' of Connecting: jtliQ", defendant ■ company's. works;erected: in' tho' ndiglißouiv, ing borough or, district r of 'maiiul&ture - and' storage." of - gas,; to 'open'; and ■ break : up the soil aiid ; pavements > o'f : ;j ;:ai;y.-. streets, roads, bridges,'.or thoroughfares ■in .the. .city of Wellington,- and ~to ; alter;: aiiy; -drains or water-pipes thd reundeirto,' suclvm . r extcnt : ', as may .be' necessary, a'nd .to'. lay. down/' 1 retain, - and from tinio; to ,time-, repair or 1 : renew ..such mains; or; 'pipea-there-: under as,may bo required for tho, of gits - from- and to "tho of.'the? defendant oompany ' in the,-City of ton;-' but ho- denies that such-consent', hasbeen "asked for in : the words; and figures'of .draft "A," , the' paid paragraph-14 of tho statement ,01. claim :' ! and-ho -J'says^that:; it .has;--not v peon decided' by. tho 'Governor-in-Council to grant a'.cpireent in the'..terms-of ,tho said 'draft"-oi to :'-grant-any cohsent-.:at'..all j'.'and ' he'.-fur*. ■ith<ir:^^yi'';t^at'.;.if ; be'-: given ..by, •tho'Goveriibr-in-Couhcil,i such consent will 'bo' : in' : Btrifct ;; 'coriformiifywith the -provisions, of SecbwnN'O'ipfvthc ;Gas Supply, Act,;, 1908j and. will only-'bb given :if tlio Govdrnor-in-. 'Council . is-.'satisfied that the',circumstances, of,th'd"cas£,are, -within*the 'section..n,'- • - , ~. '.-■ '£ submits that this .-.action ishot'maintainable-, in law,,in 'so' far as ■: the -plaintifir/purports' to -claim any,;' .'against,' hiiff, ; "or.; any" declaration ,as to the , ■ power ,of tlio tiovornor-in-Coiincil.; : ■ , ;•., 5, As to alLother allegations ul'.the' state-. mtnt of claim herein; tlie Attorney-Geiioral says, that' such -■dliogations -are matters .which ■ arEect;: t only the plaintiff and. the'defendant company,;, ,