GREATER WELLINGTON

New Zealand Mail, Issue 1613, 28 January 1903, Page 70 (Supplement)

GREATER WELLINGTON

DISORDERLY SCENE AT MELROSE COUNCIL. THE AMENDED AGREEMENT APPROVED. Last week’s meeting of the Melrose Borough Council was characterised by one of those discreditable scenes which liavo characterised nearly all the meetings held in connection witli the Greater Wellington question. Councillor Brown handed in a petition purporting to bo signed by 242 ratepayers—over one-tenth of those in tho borough—in favour cf having a poll of tho ratepayers taken on the question of amalgamation with the city. Tie said tho signatures had lie on duly initialled and attested by those who secured them. Councillor Fullford proceeded to question Councillor Brown to show that he had not actually witnessed tho signatures of certain persons .whose names bad been initialled and attested by him. Councillor Brown excitedly replied that ho was not such “ an infernal fool »as Councillor Fullford.” He did not liko to see the latter making such an ' ass of himself. Councillor Fullford asked would Coun- - cillor Brown deny that ho was three chains away when the signing was done ? Tho Mayor ordered both Councillors Mo resume their seats, and directed Councillor Brown to withdraw the epithets ho had used towards Councillor Fullford.

Councillor Brown angrily demanded if it was worse to say what he had than to insinuate that he had perjured himself? Ho declined to withdraw. Councillor Fullford moved and Councillor Reid seconded that the words be taken down. Councillor Brown declared that the Mayor was entirely to blame for allowing that sort of tiling to go on. The Mayor put the motion, and declared it carried, Councillor Brown still standing and protesting. After a further fruitless effort by the Mayor to restore order, he adjourned tho meeting until Councillor Brown x should accept his ruling. A short adjournment was then taken, and on the Council re-assembling, the Mayor called upon Councillor Brown to retire while the Council considered what action should be taken respecting his conduct. Councillor Brown refused to comply, and continued to criticise tho attitude of the Mayor. Tho- Mayor again asked Councillor Brown if ho intended to retire. ' Councillor Brown; Tell me what yon retire mo for? Tho Mayor: For calling one of the Council an infernal fool and defying tho chair. Councillor Brown still retained his seat, and showed no disposition to leave. Tho Mayor then announced that he would adjourn the meeting for a week. Councillor Heginbotham appealed to the Mayor not to do so. He considered it would bo ridiculous to adjourn because one man wished to rulo tho meeting. Councillor Brown ought to retire when called upon. Ho suggested that if Councillor Brown interrupted again a policeman should be sent for. Councillor Nicol: I think when he is called upon to retire he should do so. Councillor Reid agreed with the Mayor in the course he was taking. He thought tho dignity of tho chair should bo respected, and that the Mayor owed a' duty, not only to himself a.nd to the Council, but to others who might occupy tho position in the future. Councillor Brown, in no degree defeated, continued his interruptions. Tho Mayor observed that unless Councillor Brown retired he had no option but to adjourn tho meeting. Councillor Brown would have an opportunity later On of making any statement he . desired. Councillor Jorgensen pointed out that under the rules regulating their debates tho procedure required that anyone guilty of a breach should he called upon to apologise, and in the event of refusal, lie should be censured from the chair, and the censure noted on the minutes. He suggested that such a course would be preferable to adjourning tho meeting. The Mayor: Councillor Brown refuses to apologise. Councillor Jorgensen: He is to be held guilty of contempt, and censured from the chair, and tho proceedings noted. Councillor Nicol: Does it end there if ho goes on again ? Councillor Reid: Before that is done you have to get an expression from the Council as to what course you shall take They may elect not to censure him. He is not parting with his dignity in any way by retiring as a man while the matter is being discussed. Councillor Brown: After having it insinuated at several meetings that I am a liar, you expect me to retire from the meeting! The Mayor: Gentlemen, as Councillor Brown refuses to retire, and it is the express wish of the Council that we

should go on with tho business, it is my painful duty to censure him. It is not only to-night—-Councillor Brown: It is not only tonight! You will have the same thing to contend with, because you have not the ability to keep order. The Mayor: It is not only to-night he has caused trouble and blocked the business, but on many previous occasions. It is very painful for mo that this sort of thing should occur, and 1 may say I have had no trouble witn any other Councillor at this table Councillor Brown : Except yourself. The Mayor: If this sort of thing is to go on again. I shall adjourn the meeting time after time until Councillor Brown knows how to behave himself. . Councillor Brown: If you only "know how to behave yourself, there would he no need to keep order. Tho Mayor: I shall just finish the remarks I tried to make several times when Councillor Brown refused to obey my ruling. He presented a petition tonight and made a declaration that all those signatures were genuine. TVc have to take his statement as being correct. I don’t think that any Councillor would bring a petition here :y^ d make a solemn declaration on that pcWion without believing the thing to he true. Anyone

doing otherwise would put himself in a very serious position. The incident then closed, and business was proceeded with. THE FINAL AGREEMENT. The Mayor next called upon the Town Clerk to read the report of the Greater Wellington Committee. He felt assured it would put tho Council in a good frame of mind. The Town Clerk read the report as follows: —‘‘Your committee beg to report having now come to an agreement with the committee of the Wellington City Council as to the basis for amalgamation of the two districts. Your committee would point out that hotter terms might have been made with the City Council hut for the injudicious action of some of the electors in getting up requisitions, thus forcing unduly and unwisely the hands of your committee. Your committee would also point out *that since the first poll was take]) it has got the agreement shaped in the interests of the borough, and has succeeded in getting much hotter terms than were at first proposed. Your committee lias obtained: —(Ist) The consent of the City Council to tax each ward (as against the borough as at first proposed) for the extension of tho tramwa> into such wards. (2nd) Tho concession to levy city rates for water and drainage, as against the tax for the actual'

cost of same. (3rd) The concession to expend £30,000 for street improvements in the borough, as against nothing as m

tho first draft agreement. Your committee, by the latter concession, has simplified matters, and removed all legal contentions in the clause of the agreement containing the same. Your committee beg to recommend that a special meeting cf the Council be hold on Friday, tho 23rd Januaiy, 1903, at 1 o’clock, for the purpose of passing a resolution by way of special order to provide for taking a poll of the electors upon tho question of amalgamation cf the borough of Melrose with the city of Wellington upon the basis of tho agreement as now amended.” It was proposed by Councillor Reid, and seconded by Councillor Nicol, that tho report he adopted. Councillor Brown asked would it not have been better if an amended copy of the entire agreement had been placed in the hands cf each member of the Council two or three days before the. meeting? They would then have had time to go into it. The Mayor replied that each member had been suxiplied with a copy some weeks before. The only change was that the sum of £25,000 for street improvements had been changed to £30.000. Tho report was unanimously adopted. Tho Mayor thanked the Council for their action in the matter. Of course the negotiations had been very chequered, and, as they were aware, they were misled about the liability for the city loans, but they had got .over that now, and ho thought the City Council had met them in a very, reasonable spirit. The best thing they could do now was to bring it to a successful issue, and lie hoped they would all agree with him and get the matter completed as speedily as possible. Councillor Reid observed that he had studiously moved the adoption of the report, in order that his position should be understood. He had taken a prominent part in keeping the agreement from being carried out, and his reasons had been verified in the amendment brought forward that night, and there were other matters ad so. On the whole, he would have preferred to have stood out of the question for the next five years, but he knew it was the expressed wish of the people of the borough that they should amalgamate, and he knew it was his business to make the best* terms possible. He had much pleasure, as the matter now stood, in supporting it, and was willing to give every assistance to bring it to a successful issue. Councillor Crawford thought the Mayor deserved the thanks of the ratepayers for the way he had piloted the business after taking over the helm from

one who had been doing his best to block it. Tho Mayor thanked his colleagues for their expressions towards him.