HIGHWAY DISTRICT.—MEETING TO HEAR APPEALS.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXV, Issue 3643, 23 March 1869, Page 4

HIGHWAY DISTRICT.—MEETING TO HEAR APPEALS.

Thi annual meatin* of &9& 9 L*k» Highway Board was held yesterday, atjB p.m., *ttho/Lak« Schoolroom, to hear appeals agains| ih» t assessment. '.T h « following gentleman ware prertut {-^'Messrs. Shea, Mollhon*,- A. O'Neill, Ji Ooffey, •W. Wiliet, J> McKay, R. McKay, iunr, Bunton, Mineary, A. Goldie (Seoretary), Nolan, W* Wiliet, sen.. And G. Vaughan, The Chairman, Mr. B. MoKay, jun., said they had met there to hear appeals against the assessment. Mr, McTtHONK said as his name had been omitted from the list of ratepayers he thought he had better produce hit authority for appealing against the ai* raiment. (Authority handed to the chairman.) He would like to heat the adver fcisement convening the meeting rend. The Chairman- laid he did not think itwwneoei' «aty that th« advertisement should be read. Mr. Mo [lhone : The Act requires that a month's notice should be giren. The Chairman said the required notice had been given, as Mr. Mollhone must be well aware. It had been advertised, and the great majority of the meeting must have seen it. He had not, however, brought the advertisement with him. Mr. Mollhone wiihed it to be cloarly understood that he did not take thia opposition with the object of getting up a factions opposition, He had come here aa the agent of another party, and he therefore wished to see things dove fairly, and if any rate was levied let it be done legally. t Toe Chairman said the mooting had been advertised, although he was not Able to produce the advertisement. Mr, MoILUONE said, on referring to clause 25, in would be teem that notioa of the ' meeting should be given not lest than one month prior to its being held. The Board had not given on* month's notice, and therefore any proceedings must be illegal. A Ratepayer : That in the new Aot. ; Mr. MO UlONi : lam going under the old Aot. If you will give' us the clause under whioh you are j I acting, I shall be happy to hear it. I Mr. Shea said they had nothing at present to do , ivith the new Aot, The old Act expressly provided for the oaae. . Mr. Mollhone said it would be found that there was a clanae in the new Aot which exactly corresponded with tbia clause of the old one. If he could be satisfied that the necessary notice of the meeting had been given, he would be glad to hear it. The Ssoritasy (Mr. A. Goldie) baid the notice had been posted a month that day. Mr. McItHONX : We want some proof of that. The Sbcrotart : We are able to prove that the notice has been given, and we can bring persons to prove it. It ia not necessary that we should prove it. Mr. Mollhonk ; I am able to prore that the notice has not been there a month. The Secretary: I am able to prove that it has. Mr. O'Neill said if they looked at the date they would see whether the adrertisement had been there a month or not. The Secretary here handed to the Chairman a miDute of the date of the advertisement. The Chairman said the minute did not go to prore that the assessment roll bad been a month posted up. It was posted on February 22. Mr. Cofiky said, as there appeared to be legal points to be discussed, perhaps the Board had better causa the hat to be posted up at once, and cany on with the means at hand. This meeting certainly did not represent tht views of the electors, and therefore it would be better to adjourn the meeting at once, and post up the roll. The Chairman said it was not neoessary to adjourn if the Aot had been posted up ia accordance with the law. Mr. A. O'Neill understood that they had come here to fill up a vacancy in the Board. The Secretary said that was not the business on whioh the meeting had been called. Mr. MoILHONE said ha understood that the Board had met to hear objections, and he had brought his own, because it was lure to come before the Board at some time or other. That was the first objection he had to raise, but, if the Board would aokaowledge that they had forgotten to produce the advertisement, he would pass over that and proceed to notice another. He had not come there with the intention of embarrassing the Board, but the property in respect to whioh he was aoting as agent had been rated, notwithstanding that the ratepayer* had no power to levy a rate. The Skoretaet said, if Mr. Mollhone would put his case in writing, he would be happy to take note of it. Mr, Mollhone said he had half a-dozen other objection! which would upset the levying of the rate. That was only one point, but there might be other gentlemen who would object on the same grounds. The statement that the assessment list had been posted for * month bore aHe on the face of it. This rats was not struck at a meeting held on the 4th of November last ; it was struck by a meeting held on the 20th October. It was nob the ratepayers who should strike the rate, but it was the trustees who should do so. If the Seoretary would refer to his minutes h« would find that it whs not the trustees who struck the rate. The Chaibmak said it was a meeting at whioh trustees were to be elected. It was the trustees who should have struck the rate, not the rate- payers. Mr. MoILHONi : But why did they do so? The Chairman : The rate was fixed on the 4th November, at; a meeting of the Trustees held at Mr. Hunt's barn. Mr. MoILHONE : No, if; was not. I contend that it was fixed by the Elections Act. The Chairman a^ked the h'eorefcary to read the minutes of a meeting held on the 23rd October. The Seobhtary : It is not here. Mr. Mollhone : The book should be here. Mr. CoFFeY said ho did not wish to waste time in frivolous objections. He hoped these petty objections would not be persisted in. Mr» Mollhonk said it was not fair to the poor struggling settlers that absentees should have the power of ooming down upon them. Mr. C«ftby said the speaker could best show his sympathy for the poor struggling settlera by withdrawing faifl objections to the rate. Mr. MoILH <ne : 1 came here to speak to the chairman, not to you, Mr. Coffey. Mr. CoPraY : You come here to pay the rates, which you do nob do. The CHAIRMAN asked if there were any further objections to be brought forward. Mr. Mcllhonk said he had not closed his case. H« came there on behalf of a Mr. Daore. Mr. Copjby: There are too many proxies, too many representatives altogether over here. The CHAIRMAN : Mr. Daore. I believe, has no real estate at all. The property, I believe, is in the , hands of Trustees. Mr. WitiLßT said he objected to his name being on the roll, because he did not now bold the laud for whioh he was rated, having given up the lease about twelve months ago. Last year he had paid the rate because bis name was on the list. The Chairuan said the decision of the Board would be given at some futme date. Mr. Mollhone inquired what course would be pursued in respect to the objection just made. Tha Chairman said the objection would be oonsidtred, and a written answer returned before the next meetiag. Mr. MoIiiHOKB said there were only seven days for appealing, and if they waited they might be unable to appeal. The Chairman : We will give our decision tomorrow. Mr. Mollhoni ; I should just like to ask the Chairman ho it he oama to exclude my name, seeing that I am an occupier of laud in the district. The Chairman: Church property is excepted. Why not rate yourself when you were seoretary to ths Board ? Mr. Mollhone : I deny the property I occupy is church property. It is not often that perions ask the Board to impose a rate, but on the present occasion I ask them to impose a rate. lam living in the district, and aa an ocoupier I am bound to pay. Mr. Coimy: You would not pay last year, therefore you should pay double this year. It is conscience money. Mr. Mollhonk : It wat not my business to pay last year. Mr. Coztby : The meeting must be very glad to hear Mr. Mollhona say he did not pay fait year; I therefore be should pay double this year. Th* Chairman : How did you exempt yourself? It was your duty as seoretary to have included all names. ' *■ '-- Mr. Mcllhon* : It was not my duty to make out the roll. The Chairman: But you did mak« out the roll last year. Mr. SHXAiaid notice had been given that a meeting would be held on the sth day of (February, 1869, at 4 o'clock in the afternoon, to hear appeals. . Suppose any ratepayer of the district came here on that day, and found that there was no mealing. The SEOwrrART : . If you look at the Quxtttc you will find it w cUUmL tht 19th February, , ftow &aa

could anyone frota that b« prwent on the sth of< February! - ' :, 5- ' At thw itage of the prootedlagv there Wm ft gr«*t de*l of oonfadon, «ereral gentlemen insisting on talking at once.' J , Mr. .ConriT BUggeßted the mefctinp; fthonld be adjourned ; walked oat. Some dipoatMoa took pl»ce dn r«ference to Urge land' owners, Menr». Vaughn, Co»ri:r, and Holland eAngiog in a kind of triangular dii'ouision. . When quiet -was partially restored, Mr, Cowrar Waft heard totay'that it was quite enough to disgust puoh men a* Hunt and Cobl<jy, who' had given such large donations for the construction of a bridge. He believed Mr. Wbitaker and other* Mreie prepared to aasiit the aettlerK The CHAmtfANsaid he had that day been promised a very handsome subscription by Mr. "Whifcaker. • Mr. Cofpby ; I believe alio that Brown and ! Campbell would be only too glad to support the distriot, and would pay anything that would be reason-" able towards it. They paid well last year, and I have no doubt will do so again this year. After some further discussion of an unimportant nature, the meeting separated. I