COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.

Oamaru Mail, Volume I, Issue 249, 8 February 1877, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL MEETING.

THIS DAY. The svf>U't meeting «»f the tnemt»er« of the Wattmki County CfUtietl was I.eM t<>*l.i.v i-s.t tlit? li' t Ei 'Pvi'it s- ♦ f'. neistrevt. Tiuj Hon. Canvf»bi it i *.v-Strter-t, fttvl the fltlt CotlHcit. itig of ttk! following. Woro Wheari-ji rt». Unno.ui. Crattr. . Suth»'i-i.'tnJ. Mitreon. L>. SiuUfrtr-.mi.. sir..l •K .ft»tino.ti-:u'. The busirw*. ji of the opun-it by i'\<y Cuarnu.m e.-.tling «:►<.»[» Jnin-.s Mariiu. lUe CierSi ( /•;>» trui.) t"> tl;e C»»uncll, t.> re:vl n r. txtve't r-.v.u Mr. I»<-Lfv-;-ors, C::;a f r tiriii »-f this S.'urrtL C-.-u'/r C nut■■{?. iri rvpEy i,.i a js, i ■ i; ;• .L if. '.i-.'-i by <>i : Waif.-.rvt ( '■ <:rrj,.-1•. Th.o '.va- iv-v*, :m-{ Th:; Ca.xEu:>rAS'Hi-'g'.""«';i.'it that tft» Stantliag Oi-iU i'-' »'f the S'„hvy:i County Council cim;!,fc bo nuuL' thr.3s «-f the V.'jiitaki Cottnfv Ci.' ; mcrl. at least, tlurtng the pre- | 3; »(■ nn.-t'titii Jfl". Cii.M'- I'i opos .»Ir. 'V* lIKAT* j r.Mtcft Mv»*i rnU'it. that i'.v sfi;..tnttlig (Irilcw i ;.ti ioof.'"1 1 by the S- hvyu t;.»'«ity C»>unfH be j the S trim ling t livtvr.i f"V tta* C..ur;.:i! for! t'ib- meeting. ; Tiie Cb'i-fc then ivr.tl tin- r.titmU-s »»f la-<t ; n»e« tin-'.', wl.ieh \ver-.« e»'n':rmeei. am? the. re*"lltttons of ttte meeting. , wtiieh wt<rc a"'.' | After the mttwai'i! ei-iTej-tKvttclence h-nl , bwort rea.i by the Clerk. f The CriAtr.MAN »ai»l the nest ?>«st!ie?s. ; wnietii vrout-.t ertgr.ge tiie attention of the | Cottricit was the question whither the | whole or a potion <>; t*ie Act shoulii bo ! brwu;,'hc into operation. • ilr. Y«>r:.-»; liegged t>» move, " That in ] the opintoti of thi.-t Coivnelt it i.« n «t atvi* ; sable to bring the pefsnisslve claasj into force at nu>tion he stanl ho wwheJ to give Itin lva- ■ sou for opposing t've tveeption of the ' whottf Act. It eouht not be tlen;e«l that | there was a vast anmtmt of ignorance |

amongst County Council men as to the meaning of the various clauses and sections, and to such an extent did that prevail that not even the Attorney-General himself was quite clear as to its full working. Another reason for the course he had taken was that his constituents, to a man were against it, and he had been interviewed l>y a number of ratepayers of his district within the past few days, who held very Jecided views in the matter. He trusted that,'should his motion be opposed. those gentlemen who advocated an opposite cour.se would have studied the wishes of their constituents in so doing. He could toll the Council that, as far as Waiarekn was cone-nied, the ratepayers were determined to retain their iload ! Board. The- moment the Act was about to be brought into force, the Council had bft'ii besieged by billet-hunters, and by bringing the Act in its eiit : rcty into force, ch.'-y ww.ild be launching out into onulcss expenditure in the shape of engineers, ekrks, oiliccs, and other expenses. Having taken a great interest ; n the question, he had gone to some trouble to procure some data, and lie found tmit the amor.iu of rates collected up to SJ.st Much, were as follows in the .several district;': —Wawirekn, Ll,4< 1 : Kakanui, LSJ7S ; L 1,120 ; QLepopo, LG2: Hampden, L 320 ; while the amount of the new valuations were : Waiaivka, Loo.7i»j : Ivakanu s ., • V.Vltaki, L:Jt). l:>s ; Otepopo, L10 ; G(J0 ; Hampden, L'J.ITL. However, one of the moat pi.wi.riul reasons which had swayed him 'lit bringing the motion forward was the fact that, if at any future time the rat*, payers of the several ridings thought proper to alter their views, it would be within their powt. rto then bring the whole Act iiito operation, whereas, if such a step were taken now, it would be irrcv>ict't le. and a false sb.-p could not be remedied. I*'«>r that ."lid othi r reasons, he was of opinion that it would not lie advisable to bring in the per:i:'.-::-ivc clauses ar the p-vs-mt time. T:.,' however, found no .--- e >nd:-r. and the Chairman a-ked if there wvrc any other member who wished to bring forward a motion, or express his vt;-w» osi t;tc matter. Mv. Mnr.irr s:t:d that tiolh withstanding that previous to the pns-ang of the Act he had been a strong Provineiaiisr, l:v {tjos: iiit, now thai :he Act liud Lecomo law. it v.-i- but it shotid have a fair ;na'. in its entirety and. on its mints. Although, per!:.:; :;, it might have its disndw.n'mes. if would also have it> advana'.d although the ratepayers mighii>e called «s; on u> pay a small amount of inciva-ed taxation, ir wop.ld be found they would reap a corresponding benefit. He <piitc agreed with Mr. loung in his remarks ah.-at the outlying districts. He thought tiny .should form themselves into lioad He vr.m quite ntnv the I Council wonld deal ju.-rly with ail parties, | and each riding g- t i?.? fair proportion, j whether an outlying one or not. He | therefor - !>: g/ed io move that " This ! Council bring the whole of the Counties Act into op,-ration, and that a copy of the i the i'est>l ution. if c.irru-d, be to the Colonial Secretary. [ Mr. \Vn;:.vn.Ki.:;i seconded the mot'.on. "••Ir. vh: mo wished to take a middle course, m l vo.nl.i move that tho further | of U;e o'lesiion bo deferred i unfiii the next meeting «>f Council. As ' Mr. Young I.;- 1 j't.'ily pointed out, there i v.-.-i •- a va ;t amount of ignorance as to cer--1 t::Ui pi-: iron* of the -\ct, and thought by por-tp":i;:,_' ib.' consideration for a lime. ; is would "iv.; members an opportunity of j b eon.ing m-nv e..-;iV( r.-r.ul witii its work- | i:sg. He v.as ci-r'tardy in favor of adopt-' ' «ng t?te '.vlioly Act. bat while a mistake [ might be made in doing so hurriedly, he [ consider:-! it a wise precaution to post- • pone the maf fcer ti'i mxt meeting. Dt :-.v:; qvdie agreed with Mr. C'rat if. and-.vas of opinion that no harm, aitd a gr.at deal of good, might bo do;i e bv deferring t':;e matier until n.xi: meeting. althoagii he believed that ulrimately the ivh.ole of the Act would be adopted. Mr. WiiE.vn.Ki:;;! could see no use in those repeated postponements, and they would only lead to endless dincussions' If 11cut sort of tiling were carried on, they would ne'.vr get through the business, and he thought they ought to do e'ther one thing or another. The C'itAniMA.N' then asked if, before pi;ttin.' the rcso:Utif>n, any other member wished to express his opinion on the matter ; but there being no reply, he proceeded to put the following motion : t; That, in the opinion of this Council, it is desirable that the Counties Act, in its entirety, should be brought into operation/' i The CiiAir.MAX having counted the j votes, declared, it carried, the following I

being the manner of voting:—For the motion—Messrs. Messrs. Campbell, Murcott, Wheatleigli, .W. Sutherland, D. Sutherland, and Johnstone. Against Messrs. Young, Crai?, and Duncan. The Clerk was reading the inward correspondence when our reporter left.