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New Zealand Mail, Issue 741, 14 May 1886, Page 22

Among the earliest measures to be introduced during the approaching session will, be “ a Bill to consolidate and amend the law relating to Municipal Corporations.” We are indebted to the courtesy of the Premier for a copy of the draft Bill as finally approved on Monday. It is to be called the Municipal Corporations Act, 1886, and to come into force on the Ist January, 1887. A large portion of the Bill is .a revised reprint of last year’s Bill as it left the Legislative Council, but there are several important additions and fresh amendments. Clause 4. The Public Health Act, 1876, is incorporated with the Bill for the sake of bringing it into prominence, many powers being given under that Act to Borough Councils which might with advantage be exercised more often. Clause 18 is new, and is to provide for the renovation of records in case of total loss or destruction. Clause 25 provides that no district can be constituted a borough unless it have an exclusive annual income from general rates alone of not less than £250. Clause 28 is prepared in behoof of small boroughs, and to encourage town districts to become boroughs; it admits of a borough being divided into two wards, and limits the number of wards to three in all cases where the population does not exceed 6000. It also directs that no ward shall be created with fewer than fifty ratepayers. In clause 33 there is an additional paragraph, which is new, and is for the purpose of adjusting boundaries of contiguous boroughs, bv adding a portion of one to the others; clause 77 is also new, and provides for the continuance of existing rolls, where new rolls are not made at the prescribed time. Clause 81 is added to, by making the Mayor, ex officio, a Justice of the Peace, and disposes of the necessity of his appointment in each case by the Governor. Clause 86, for the relief of small boroughs, reduces the minimum of the Council to six members., Clauses 89 and 90 have been altered in order to give effect to the provisions of the Act of last year, in relation to contracts by Councillors. The penalty imposed by clause 90 does not apply to contractors by reason of the alteration in the order of the subsections of clause 89. In clause 102 words are added to give the power of Mayor to any Councillor temporarily acting as such. Clause 140 is new, and provides lor the distribution of one-third of the net income of the borough among the wards in the proportion of rates received from them, and to be expended on works therein. A similar provision is in force in Victoria. Clause 141 is amended to enable general rates to be levied not exceeding fifteenpenee in the pound instead of one shilling only aa heretofore. Clause 143 is new, and provides that when separate accounts are kept for the different wards in boroughs, the general rates shall be levied in the different wards according to their requirements, and so that they may vary in the different wards, and that the rates levied in a ward are to be expended exclusively therein, subject to a contribution from each ward toward general expenditure, as provided in clause 168. Clause 144 is taken from the Counties Act, and is permissive only. It provides that where separate accounts are not kept, general rates may be varied in the different wards, and separate rates levied therein in supplement of the general rates. An addition to clause 149 provides for levying special rates within a portion of a borough for interest on special loan raised for the benefit of such portion. Clause 16S is optional, and provides for keeping the accounts of different wards in boroughs separate, imposing upon each ward a uniform contribution toward general expenses and maintenance of boundary streets. _ Clause 180 is taken from the Counties Act, and provides for the recovery of moneys illegally spent by the Council. Clause 186 deals with the majority of votes required for sanctioning a special loan. The original enactment in 1576 required a majority <?f one-fifth of the votes polled, and this not being considered sufficient, a new enactment was passed in 1880, wherein an evident error exists. In this Bill three-fifths is the m.zjority required for sanctioning a loan. Clauses 189 and 190 are new, and authorize the raising of special loans for works within any particular portion of the borough on the assent of the ratepayers, and provide for obtaining such loans. Clause 192 is

extended to enable boroughs to make joint loans with any adjoining local authorities. Clause 208 is enlarged, and imposes a penalty of £2OO on every Councillor who is a party to the illegal borrowing of money by the Council over and above his liability for the repayment of such money. Clause 303 relates to impediments in streams; words have been added to enable Councillors to check the accumulation of watercress and other weeds in watercourses to the impediment of the flow of water therein. Clause 346 is new, but seems worthy of acceptance. It provides for the enrolment of Volunteers as firepoliee, and the swearing them as constables. It was the law in Canterbury, and proved very useful in stopping pilfering at fires. Clause 406 is new, and authorises the expenditure of borough funds for erection of public school buildings. Clause 413, as to the making of bylaws, is enlarged. The provisions to the same purpose in the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, are followed to seme degree, together with an addition extracted from the Imperial Act on the same subject. Clause 414, as to making by-laws, is taken from the Counties Act as being more workable and avoiding the expense of publishing by-laws where copies are deposited for public inspection. In clause 418, as to by-laws taking effect outside the borough, words have been added to enable by-laws to be made in respect of public cemeteries so situated. Clause 420. In the bylaws affecting public health, some of the matter was originally comprised in the by-laws relating to streets ; they have here been placed under a separate heading; two new subsections have been added, to which attention is drawn on account of their importance. The first is to prevent back sections of land being crowded with ill-ventilated shanties and cabins, the second is to prevent the overcrowding of people in houses without proper space being allotted to each resident therein, to the danger of fever or other infectious diseases arising therefrom. The need of increased powers in these respects has been brought prominently into view by the recent disclosures as to the sanitary condition of this city, and it is to be hoped that if these useful facilities are sanctioned by Parliament they will be turned to good account by the respective municipal councils. Most of the proposed amendments seem of a beneficial character.