BLENHEIM IMPROVEMENT ACT.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 128, 1 August 1868, Page 3

BLENHEIM IMPROVEMENT ACT.

It will be seen, from the following that the Blenheim Improvement Act is likely to remain an Act of the General Assembly. On the 21st inst., in the House of Representatives, Mr. Curtis wished to learn from the Hon. the Colonial Secretary whether it was the intention of the Government to introduce a Bill to extend the operation of “The Provincial Acts Validation Act, 1867.” The Bill was rendered necessary by a decision of the House that the Act should cease to be in force after the end of the present session, and such would be the case unles something was done. If some steps were not taken great inconvenience would be the result. He wished to know what steps the Government intended taking in the matter ? Mr. Stafford replied that it was the intention of the Government to extend the period of the operation of the Validation Act, which terminated with the present session. Apropos of this subject, we find the following leading article in the Press of Wednesday’s : “ Our neighbours at Blenheim appear to have some peculiar notions upon the subject of Local Government. Three out of the five members of the Board of Works having lately resigned their seats, a meeting was held, in conformity with the Local Act, to elect others in their stead. Mr. Norgrove occupied the chair ; and is stated by the Express to have read the clause of the Act relative to elections. We assume that he read the 10th clause of “ The Blenheim Improvement Act,” which directs that if at any time, the members of the Board - shall be reduced below five, a meeting of the voters of the district shall be held, and such voters shall elect a number of new, members equal to the number of vacancies. But instead of following the plain course pointed out by the Act, a motion was proposed by Mr. Dodson, put, and carried unanimously, “ that it is not desirable to elect members under the present Act.” We can understand one or two persons being absurd enough to propose such a motion ; but, how a whole meeting could be persuaded to follow them, or how any chairman with the slightest knowledge of his duties could allow such a motion to be put, passes our comprehension. A somewhat similar motion was proposed at the election of members of the Board of Works for the town of Picton, when it was moved that the election should be deferred for six months ; but the ,Chairman had the common sense to see that such a motion might just as reasonably be made upon the election of members of the Provincial Council or the House of Representatives, and therefore, very properly would not allow it to be put. Nearly all the speakers at the Blenheim meeting assumed that the present Act could not be

worked; that the rates could not be collected ; and that even an election, if made, would' be illegal. These assertions seem to have been taken for granted and acted upon by the meeting ! and hence the singular result, by which the existence of the Blenheim Board of Works is supposed to have terminated. We apprehend, however, that this conclusion is somewhat premature ; and that on the last Monday in September the ratepayers will meet pursuant to the eleventh section of the Act, and proceed to elect a new Board.

Unless this should be done, we see no means by which the creditors of the Board, whose claims amount to £176 ss. 3d., can be paid. It is easy to say, as Mr. Sinclair said at the Meeting, that every one who acted in the Board was personally responsible for these debts. Such is not the fact; the forty-sixth section of the Act plainly states the contrary ; and as the Board owns no property in its corporate capacity, its creditors are left entirely without a remedy. To refuse to elect a Board, or for that Board to refuse to make and collect rates, thus to repudiate just claims, maybe in transatlantic phraseology a “ smart” proceeding, but is not quite in accordance with British ideas of honesty.”