THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR FISH.

Evening Star, Issue 7160, 14 March 1887, Page 3

THE MAYOR AND COUNCILLOR FISH.

TO THE KDITOR. Sir, —As you have deemed what has been rathtr unnecessarily, I think, designated as " a scene in the Council" worthy of editorial notice, you will perhaps allow me to say a word or two upon the subject, which otherwise I should not have done, and to express an opinion that the whole of what did oeour was caused by the Mayor himself, and not by me. The fact of the matter is that His Worship was in a "pet, evidently being annoyed at my persistence in bringing to light the question of the disposal of the ammonia water, which he (no doubt in what he conceived to bo the interest of the Council) dosired to suppress. I further contend that the Mayor was in tbe first instance wrong. What ara tho facts ? He, as chairman of the Gas Committee, had moved the adoption of tbeir report. To this I moved an amendment to whic iCr Carroll spoke. This was lost bv the Mayor's casting vote, whereupon Cr Carroll rose, and distinctly said that he intended to move a further amendment, and proceeded to speak unon it, and in concluding again said : "I move that tho question be referred back to the Committee for further consideration." The Mayor then ruled that he could not move an amendment, he hteving spoken to the previous on<\ Cr Cramond then moved the same amendment as Cr Carroll intended to do ; and, in seconding it, I remarked that I failed to see why Cr Carroll should have been prevented from moving the amendment, because, having stated in his opening remarks that he intended

to move in that direction, he should have been told at once that it was not oomp tent for hirn lo do so, or not at all. Thereupon I was at once (-topped by the Mayor, and the irrcvitable r- fermrce t.» w May" occurred. Thereupon His IVor hip said-whisk I think was quite unnecessary—that he thought "May" was as good an authority as Cj Fi*lr. As I had never contended to tiro comTrliry, tho remark, it appears to me, was superfluous. I rrever contended that Or Carroll was ia order in moving the amendment—in fact, I knew that he was not; and, in order to prove that, I may mention that I had previously asked Cr Cramond not to speak upon my amendment, which I thought would be lost, ia order that he might move one to meet Cr Carroll's vijws, wlrfch I thought would be carried. My «nly contention was tbat tiro Mayor should have told Or Carroll at first that he could not move an amendment, and this led me to w»y that notwithstanding May and the Mayor I should still claim tha right to express my opition, and in doing se I was perfectly in order. This, howover, raked His Worships ire, and then he said in one of his moat pompom tones that ho called me to order for the first time. Til's was extremely irritating, as it disclosed a foregone conclusion on his part to call me to order ta:ee tines, a threat, which I vonturo to assert would under similar circumstances havo only been resorted to by tho Speaker of a House of Parliament under the

most estrcmo provocation and disorderly conduct, which I certainly had not been guilty of. What subsequently oceuned I regrai; but I am only mortal, and I venture to say it would not have occurred at all liad His Worship exorcised the smallest amount of tact or good temper. The fact of the matter is the Mayor (no doubt with the best intentions) is inclined to assume a little too much dignity, and is too prone to shove down the councillors' throats too much of 'May's Parliamentary Practice.' His Worship himself is not infallible, as will be seen that when I questioned later on his right to make an appointment without the sanction of at least a committee of the Council, about which there can be no doubt, ho told the Council that we Bhould have heard nothing of the matter from Cr Fish had he not had the misfortune to previously disagree with the Mayor. This was undoubtedly a reflection upon my motives, and by a standing order or the Council it is dccrcci " that all imputations tf improper motives cattail personal reflections on councillors shall be (Teemed highly disorderly ' ; and I think that what is " sauce for the gooso should be sauce fur the gander." '. have already eaid that I think tho Mayor assumes rather much pretentious dignity, and would remind him that there is only one step from tho sublime to tho ridiculeuf, and that if he continues in tho same line, wh Ist he will nev> r attain tho former, he may rapidly achievo tho latter distinction.— lam, etc., H. S. Fish, Jun. Dunedin, March 14.

P. S.—There is just ons other rcattcr I should like to mention. In the course of the evening the Mayor said I had disclosed a priva e and confidential communication he had made to me. As I would scorn to do such a thing I think it only right to say what occurred. When waiting for an answer to my question as to what tho Engineer had recommended with regard to the disposal of tho ammonia water, His Worship beckoned me from my scat at the tablo and said that he thought it would be better I should say nothing about it as if I did the public would hear of it, and they would possibly object. To this I replied that as I felt strongly in the matter I would not consent to such a couise. I leave my friends and the public to say whether, in view of these facts, I committed any breach of confidence or not. —H.S F.