THE GAS QUESTION.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXX, Issue 8557, 10 August 1888, Page 3

THE GAS QUESTION.

CAPTAIN GARSIA’S PROTEST. The protest handed to the Chairman of the public meeting on Wednesday by Captain Garsia, against the legality of tbe proceedings of the City Council in regard to the gas question, was based on Clause 369 of “ The Municipal Corporations Act, 1886,” which provides that where gasworks are at any time established tor the supply of gas in any Borough under the authority of an Act of the General Assembly, it shall not be lawful for the Council to establish any other gasworks to supply the same locality, or any part thereof, except under the authority of a special Act in that behalf. In reply to this protest it is pointed out that the Council intend to apply for a special Act at the next session of Parliament, as it is now too late to pass one this present session, and that they are not yet establishing gasworks, but merely obtaining tbe authority of the ratepayers to raise a loan to enable them to do so. !l {Another objection which, it is said, has been taken to the Council’s action, though nob alluded to in Captain Garsia’s protest, is that the "meeting of burgesses to consider the proposal was not called by the Mayor, and was therefore illegal, as Section 179 of the Municipal Corporations Act provides that “ the Mayor shall call a meeting of the burgesses,” in order to consider proposals for loans. It will be remembered, however, that the City Council, by resolution, appointed Councillors Hulberc and Prudhoe to act on behalf of the Mayor during his absence in Melbourne, and under the authority thus given the public meeting was called. It must be remembered that the poll of the ratepayers for sanctioning the loan will take place on Thursday next. As was urged at the meeting of citizens, it is of the utmost importance that every ratepayerwho is in favour of the proposal should record his vote, for to sanction the loan requires a majority of the burgesses on the roll, and also a majority of the number of votes ■ which can be exercised by the whole body of burgesses. It is notified that a meeting of the Committees which have been formed in order to attend to tbe work of bringing the ratepayers to the poll, and of others interested, will be held at the City Council Chambers, at 7.30 p.m.>j-day. <^^,.<^r | . _