WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XII, Issue 20, 23 January 1877, Page 2

WAIMEA COUNTY COUNCIL.

The above Council met in the Grand Jury Boom this morning. Present all the members. ' .---... Cr Oliver, the acting clerk, having read the minutes, brought up the repo.-t of the Committee appointed to frame Standing ', Orders. These were fivein; number, and of the simplest description, and were adopted. The Acting Clerk reported that Mr Curtis Had furnishted the Councilwith a map of the County, and had also granted them the use of the office lately occupied by the Provincial [Secretary, also that in accordance with the resolution passed at the -firsti meeting, the ' 'Government had been written to with respect ' to the £30,000 voted for the completion of > the Bulier road. ,-.;... ; . i After some discussion upon the steps to be ! taken tb fill the vacancy, for the Motueka '< Biding, , j Cr Wells moved his resolution to the effect ' that the whole of the Counties Act "should i not be brought into operation. Since the' last meeting he had: carefully considered the Act in all its bearings, and was convinced that it would be neither judicious nor expedient to adopt it in its entirety. There was in existence a thoroughly well organised system of Road Boards, which were doing their work well and in a most satisfactory manner, as was evidenced by the creditable state of the public works and roads within their respective districts, and he was afraid that if the whole of the Act was adopted it would result in conflict between the Council and the Boards. If they interfered with the Boards the latter would soon tell them to do the work themselves, and he certainly did not think that Council was more competent to undertake it thau the Road Boards. Then, with regard to ways and means. If they set the Act in operation they would have to provide a staff of officers, and a County rate would soon follow, and that he thought was not desirable nor would it prove popular. If at a future time they should think it necessary to adopt the Act they had the full power to do so. .Cr Mac mabon seconded the resolution. If they brought the whole Act into operation

theyi would ,haye,, nQthtog toido but borrow money and appoint officers, life was quite 1 sure?that their Government subsidies would 'not last, and was supported inftb^t view by a speebbj made by Mr Dbhajofßeid (now a Minuter) m theJas^ session^f %e Assembly. \ Cr Oliver 'mov^^aaanlinibididment that th§v consideration of Cr r Wsilfs r motion be post- ' poned until the Motueka Biding is represented in the Council. Cr Macmahon did not want to see any further delay. The Eoad Boards at present ,-were in a qtate.o£ douls_ and suspense, and : wor&s lhatoughi/tb bblentecedlfipon during J the • s ummei^-wef e .ommeftced because^ the Boards were in doubt as to their position, although there was a general appearance of bUSS'SiBd coraforfe^ei^wassßfc>gKafe-want v o£ = . money, hard times were before us, and they "" should .not .'hgrry," oh |heTE.pfJ«iaehing .crisis j by additional* taSitibn^ suciff 4 necessaryif -they, adppted-the Act. inita en-_ tirety. " "" —"•■--. .-^..^..„*.. . The Chairman have been glad to see the matter discassedrin a full Council, and . ■ for that reaso^ would have voted forthe fe amendment if Irosebuld see a probability of such a wish being gratified within a"reason-7 able time, but they were in a mess afout.theC election, and the .easiest way out of that' ap-e peared to him %bb the adoption of Or Wells' motion, whetithe Governor woUldhave full powfe to make provisions for ttie" "flections.^-^;^! -„<, fr The amendment w«^s th|n.pu|and tost. % Tbe'Cliiainnan ! "MKI thaf ! fie| had^lobked upon Cr Wells' motion in twO iJ ligbts,7first, .■whethefcHtbey would lo .e^revenue^by! it%.= adoption, and secondly, w&et^er any" public, inconvenience jwould kcciiae, and he'-was o^7 opii^on that tl^ere; would r be no.loss, ami bu^! very slight inconvenience; -Then witH'tegarC 1 to the powers granted, whafe7 ; wi>uld f tfieV en*, joy by-bringing the Actinto full pp'er^tiobf' that" they did ndt-^ssess W. £•> Inn the fir^; pladaithei County nil^ht provide Whbspital^ asylums, Sic, but that di^fibt'abpear^Q him to be a good reason for^adopting ;the'Act. There, jr&the.power to/attori^ tin outlying distticts, but there were tiorieoj th^e WithiS" theboundaries.of the W&imea Coun(r^ithat required roads. There was the pow£r #'• levytCbunty rates, but any furthetlaxation would be highly "objectionable. Thie TpowbF to borrow money was an exceedingly uiC: desirable one foexe^cise. Havin^Mferred" to several other powers of less hiigortance: granted by the Act, he went on td- sa| thit there was oip thb 'Eoad Boards -did not:: , possess which. .ips... very important from , a sanitary point or view, namely, the power toprevent people slaughtering cattle whenever they thought fit:— On ;the-. : whole,, however,, he thought the reasons against adopting '.the" Act were fer stronger than those in its favor.: Itwas evident that the Legislatures at tfio time of passing the Act' were of opinion that there were parts of the country to, which it would be inapplicable, and thfei, he^thought, was essentially bhfe of>them.^ .- 7-. i .7 r ,' . v yf \ The motion was then put, with th^,Mlbw- J ilag result:— Ayes: The Chairman^ Crs Wetis^ Macnaihpn, pid Dencker. ,2foes:. Cra Oliver and Gillow. " "7'7. ' „"'7. n , '-' l '. ■''■"'^ £* I Besolved— Thatthiai Cbiinbil iieifeby* pldc§^ all public drains in tW'TMbtiibka Highway District under the cbhtfol"bfitH&=Mdtu&ka Highway Board, *'in : accordance with clause 170 bf 'the Public Works Act. :• : Besbrved — That his Excellency- theGbvernorbe requested .-to -..change ; to names of the several Eidings of the County, of Waimea, as follows :— Biwaka to Motueka ;'• Motueka to Wai-iti ; Wai-iti to Motupiko. • . It was resolved that the Eoad Boards be requested to send in a return. of thejrates levied, and of the works proposed to be executed dbriiig thb year. - ' : -->- ! t : . ' The Council then adjourned until the 28th of February. • .' - . . ; i--- - n1 -r