ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXVII, Issue 8122, 19 March 1887, Page 3

ASHBURTON COUNTY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Ashburton County. Council was' held yesterday ; present—W. C. Walker, Esq., M.H.B. (Chairman), Messrs E. G. Wright, Donald M‘l»ean, C. J. Harper, G. W. Leadley, and E. S. Coster. The special business for consideration by the meeting was the rearrangement of the ridings of the County, with a view to better representation at the Council, and any other business requiring immediate attention. MOUNT SOMERS TRAMWAY. The Chairman said that one of the items of business with which the Council would have to deal at that meeting, was the Mount Somers Tramway. Tenders would have to be accepted for the necessary work in connection with, the line. He was sorry to have to report that a hiatus had occurred in connection with raising the needful loan under the Local Bodies Loans Act, The Law Officers of the Crown had given expression to an opinion that Clause 21 of that Act did not apply to portions of a district such as that interested in this tramway. The matter was still under discussion, and in that case he could not say any more about it just then. Mr Tripp had written to him, urging that an outside legal opinion should be obtained, and also offering to pay a portion of the cost. The Chairman was not of opinion that any good result would follow the adoption of Mr Tripp’s suggestion, because the matter was one for Government to deal with, and Government would not be influenced by any outside legal opinion the Council might obtain. Mr M’Lean asked if any decision had been arrived at as yet in regard to the legal point raised by the law officers of the Crown. The Chairman said there had not. The matter then dropped. REPRESENTATION. The Council then proceeded to consider the question of adjusting the representation at the Council of the various ridings of the County, as provided by the Counties Act, 1886. A return that had been asked for was laid on the table, and showed the represenation to he as follows:—Ashburton ■riding, two members; all the others, one each; but by special order at last meeting of Council, Ashburton riding had been divided into two portions, with one member for each. The following table is compiled

By the recent special order already mentioned, Ashburton is now divided into two—Ashburton and Wakanui respectively. The rateable value *of the Wakanui riding, including the Hakatere Town District, in round numbers, is .£384,800; and that of the new Ashburton riding, comprising the Longbeach and Coldstream Road Districts and the Tinwald Town District, J 8599,000. In the two ridings, the Crown lands are set down at .£13,000.

The Council went into Committee to consider the readjustment of representation.

After a lengthy discussion, the following was adopted:—“That, taking into consideration the unequal representation of the County upon the basis of rateable value, it is expedient to increase the number of Councillors j that the number be increased by two, an additional member being given to Mount Hutt riding and an additional member to the new Ashburton ildiDETt^ It was resolved—" That the Council’s solicitor be instructed to draw up a special order if necessary.” The Council then adjourned.

from the return:— Bateable No. Of Value. Kate pay ere. Ashburton 983.901 776 Upper Ashburton ... 515,3 '3 563 Mount Somers 2&.S29 248 Mount Hutt 632,61) 171 South Bakaia 482.256 272 Bangitata 256,550 111 3,153,453 2141