THE The Marlborough Express. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1868. THE BOARD OF WORKS!

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 105, 29 February 1868, Page 2

THE The Marlborough Express.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 29, 1868. THE BOARD OF WORKS!

« Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to ergue freely according to conscience, above all other liberties.*' —Milton.

It appears to us that a matter has arisen of prior importance to the Municipal Corporations Act itself, and which should be considered before another step be taken in reference thereto, —namely, the good fame of several of the most respectable and hitherto esteemed of our fellow-townsmen, which, rightly or wrongfully, has been assailed privately in conversation; at the last public meeting by insinuation ; and at the so-called “ select” meeting on Tuesday evening last by the ex parte statements of Mr. Sinclair. We might add also, by the pseudo-editor of the News, but that is of little importance. The conduct of the? Board of Works has been decried, their proceedings denounced as illegal, and their resignation loudly clamoured for, both in the recent meeting at the school-room, and in the journal referred to—unheard—condemned—without a trial! Now, as no member of that Board was present at that meeting, nox - , as we are informed, was any one of them invited to attend—it is only fair, and a small measure of justice, that these charges should be made in public, and as publicly implied to by the gentlemen who ai’e concerned. The love of justice and fair play, a quality proverbially inherent in every Englishman—a leading principle of Magna Charta, the priceless boon of liberty bestowed upon our forefathers GOOyeais ago, which ordains That every man should be publicly charged and tried by his peers or equals—the wellbeing of our town and community—alike require that this course should be taken

before on the one hand, we condemn them, or on the other, entrust them to introduce a new and important measure. No rightthinking person will condemn another unheard, and the least thing the Ratepayers can do, since they voluntarily entrusted them with certain powers and functions, is to call for an account of their stewardship. Although we have never in this journal said a word either in favor of, or against the present Board, it has frequently been stated in private, by an interested party, in order to covei' his own laxity in duty, that we were the Board’s advocate, simply because in the pursuit of our duty to the public, we alone sent a importer to attend the meetings of the Board. But we now assume this office so far as to demand that on Monday Evening next, their assailants should come forward and state openly and publicly, without reserve, of what faults and crimes they have been guilty. And in the name, and on behalf of the Ratepayers, we likewise demand that every member of the Board should be in his place, and prepared' to explain or defend the action they have taken during their term of office. Let us have the case fought out fairly as between man and man, and not perpetuate the eating sore which tends more to disgust every reflecting mind with the place, than all the natural difficulties they meet with. The interests and wellbeing of the town demands this course. If it be found that the Board has been guilty of malpractices, and improper conduct, —visit them with the consequences, and call upon them to yield up the power reposed in them by their fellow-towns-men. In a like public manner—if, on the other hand, they are found to have acted aright, and pui-sued a business-like course for the Public Good—let their traducers be put to shame, and silenced for ever.

We trust it will not be necessary to urge that the Ratepayei’s should attend the meeting, nor that they should give all parties a fair and impartial hearing. It is the more especially necessary in the present state of affairs, where the step once taken, will be beyond recal—that if we are to have a new measure introduced, and one giving such extensive powers, the first step therein should be conducted by men possessing the entire confidence of their constituents.