TOWN BOARD.—A SEIZURE.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 545, 16 September 1863, Page 5

TOWN BOARD.—A SEIZURE.

A meeting of the Town Board was held yesterday, at the offices, Princes-street. Mr M'Leod was called to the chair, and there were also pre-sent-Messrs fiedniayne, Jenkinson, Turner Henderson, and Milne. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. REPORT OF THE FINANCE COMMITTEE . The clerk read the following report :— " The committee herewith submit a claim for 1.998, being verdict and costs incurred in late action m the Supreme Court. There is also due tor aay laborers, a sum of L 360 ; on sundry accounts, a sum of L 230 ; and on contracts reJ cently entered into L 1665, giving a total of L 2263, exclusive of salaries and other necessary expenses. The above claims being of a pressing nature, it is necessary that immediate provision be made to satisfy the same., The manager of; the Bank of New Zealand having advanced to the Board a sum of nearly L3OOO. on security of assets for the current year, declines to allow any further overdraft until the Board is in a position to give security'; therefore no assistance can be expected from that quarter. The Committee bear testimony to the liberality of Mr M'Lean in granting advances so long as the Board was in a position to offer tangible security for repayment ; but. under the present circumstances the Committee cannot consistently expect that Mr Sl'Lean could do otherwise than decline any further advances. : A. M'Leod. A SEIZUBE. ■'■-' Mr Hughes, a bailiff, here presented himself; and having briefly announced,' " I have a very unpleasant duty to perform, gentlemen," he forthwith read a writ of fi, fa. issued for amount of verdict and costs in the case Dempsy v. The Town Board, amounting to L 997 18s, togetherwith expenses of seizure. " I hereby levy upon this," said the Bailiff, laying his hand on the press containing the seal of the Board," as representing the whole of the pioperty of the Board. And I shall now proceed to make an inventory of the property." ■ k Which he did, moving about fussily. Mr Redmayne asked whether there had been any reply received from the Government to the Board s application for aid. The Clerk' said he had received a letter, and he commenced to read it. .: The Chairman (to the Bailiff who was walking about the room, book in hand): I kno^ that you have, an unpleasant duty and must Derform it ; but you might delay it while we are holding a meeting. The Bailiff; Oh! no, sir;. I must make the inventory. The Clerk proceeded with his reading for a moment. '■■ ; The Chairman: It is extremely offensive to me to see you, Bailiff, poking your nose into safes and cupboards, as you are doing, while we are sitting. You might desist, until we have done the business. . : The Bailiff: Oh ! no, I shall go on with my duty. . J The Clerk : You might turn the key and keep us out, but you should not act as you're doing. The Chairman : Your manner is extremely insolent and impertinent. '■ The Bailiff: I o not'intend it, gentlemen. Mr Jenkinson: Of course he has duty to do B.ut surely he has a discretion in the matter, and his better judgment might have led him to perform his duty at a more convenient time. I move that_the Board adjourn until to-morrow, when the Bailiff will have completed his inventory. The motion was seconded and adopted; and the Chairman added that the adjournment was " because of the extreme insolence of the Bailiff." The members retired. There was a short i struggle as to the mode of dealing wi:h the cash- J box, which the Bailiff ferretted out from a safe and which was not locked The Clerk carried his point that he was * entitled to count and enumerate the contents, although the Bailiff was entitled to lock the box and pocket the key.