THE CITY BURGESS ROLL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 8495, 16 May 1889, Page 3

THE CITY BURGESS ROLL.

CHARGES OF ATTEMPTED ROLL STUFFING.

The statutory meeting of the City Council to hear and determine objections to the burgess list was held yesterday evening, when the following report from the Town Clerk was read:—

Town Clerk's Office, . Dunedin, 15th May 1889. Gentlemen, —I have the honour to submit a list of the objectious received to the burgess roll for the year 1889-90. The total number of claims is 83.

In all cases the moat careful inquiry possible in the circumstances has been made, and for convenience of examination the claims arc arranged in two groups.

First.—The following claims I considerate conclusive, and 1 recommend the names of the claimants be enrolled, viz.:— Edward John Bryant, Abraham Bermau, Benjamin Curtis, Hugh Falconer, William B. Barry, Charles Robert Chapman, James Dick, Alexander Fisher, Morris Kepner, John Hounson, Nathaniel Kiugßton, Charles iipeight, Andrew Bisset Davie, Thomas Wood, Ueorge Paul Clifford, Theodore H. Goy, William Watson, Eobert Wilson, Albert Beck. Jesse Hounson, James Meighan, John Sim, Frank G.Walton, James Montgomery Gonrley. James Moir, Alexander Kosa, Edwin Thomas Wood, George Terry, George Foreman.

Second.—"The following I do not think satisfactorily established, and recommend the claims be disallowed, viz:—George Hutchings, Percy Silke Brodie, John Wells, Hugh Mulloy, William Francis O'Connell, Margaret Thorn, Michael Phelan, James Taggart, Alfred Turnbull, James Smeaton, >. John Carlin, Daniel M'Lean Campbell, John O'Brien, Robert Mason, James Deaae, John Stewart, Peter Devow, John Murray, James A; Weir, Thomas Schofield, William Foster, Henry Lockwood.W. J. Alldred, James Glpssop, Jonas Kilby, James Murray, Alexander Henderson, John Taylor, W. H. Wood, Thomas Eoss, John Queen, William Gregg, Thomas Day, J. Wood, Harry Hou^hton Bailey, Andrew Maitinelli, John Potter Chapman, Harry Hesbitt, James Miller, Robert Pattison, James Shepherd, James Michie, Albert Keast, Henrv Brridge, James M'Grath, James Fleming, Sophus Thorwald Petersen, Harry Salter Dick, W. B. Runciman, Fred Thurgarland, W. H. Smith, Robert D. Kenny, Joseph Eskdale, James George Strachan.—l have, &c,

Adam (jiBSON,.Town Clerk. The following letter received that afternoon was also read:—

Dunedin, May 15,1889. Gentlemen, —The parties named below seeking j to be placed on the roll are my tenants by lease for one year from the Ist April 1889. and the amounts of I rent are—Mr Foreman, York place, £21 per year; iMr Sohofield, York place, £21; Mr Lockwood, "York ! place, £21; Mr Poster, Filleul street, £21; Mr Uampbeil, Maclaggan street, £21; Mr Murray, Forth street, £34.-1 am, &c, George Batsman. ! It was agreed that the names oE the persons I mentioned in Me Bateman's list should be trans- I ferred from the second list to the first one. j Gr Lee Sjhith said it appeared to him that there were a large number of claims objected to-! by the Town Clerk, arid he thought they should have information as to the position in which these claims stood, so that they might know on what grounds the objections were mads by the town clerk. CrSolomon moved—"Thatthe recommendations of the town clerk, with respect to the first list, amended by the addition of the uamea of Mr Bateman's tenants, be adopted." Or Ceamond seconded the motion. Or Sinclair said it seemed to him most extraordinary that, taking the town clerk's explauation, such a large number of applications 1 should have been made by persons who had apI pareutly no qualification at all. He thought | the matter needed inquiry, and if there had been any attempt to unduly stuff the burgess roll it should be made known. There was a strong probability, from the fact of so many applications having been objected to by the town clerk, that such aa attempt had been made.

The motion was carried.

Cr Solomon then moved—" That the claims of the persons mentioned in the second list be disallowed."

Cr Kisibell seconded the motion.

Cr Lee £luth moved as an amendment— " That a committee be appointed to inquire into the nature of these claims. -

The Mayok said that Cr Lee Smith could move the adjournment of the meetiDg for three days, and in the meantime a committee, as suggested by Cr Smith, coald meet to go over the claims and report to the adjourned meeting. Cr Lee Smith said ho would follow the guidance of the mayor. Hia only intention was that the council should have information as to the nature of the claims. It was not sufficient to take the town clerk's ipsp disH, though he must know more than they did. He had no doubt that the town clerk had satisfied himself, and that he was perfectly right; but at the same time the council ought to know more. He would move the adjournment of the council for three days, and the appointment of a committee, consisting of the mayor, Crs Solomon, Cohen, fish, and Hardy, to report upon the nature of the applications.

Cr Cohen did not quits see the object to be gained by the appointment of a committee, for he understood that the matter must be disposed of with all couvenient haste. The question was j whether the council were satisfied with the objections made by the town clerk. If they were, they ought to sustain them at once, and. that' was the course he should like to see adopted. He had been at pains to go through the list, and he would state there publicly that never before in his life had he seen a more extraordinary list of claims to vote. It seemed to him that there was an endeavour to crowd on the roll not only holdings .on which rates were paid and claims to vote were made, but also to crowd every outhouse and appurtenanc3 on the list. In one case the claimant's qualification appeared to be merely an apartment in the premises. If it was to be contended that property outside that upon which rates were paid gave a qualification, the sooner the council looked into the matter and made representations to the Legislature the better. He thought there was sufficient in the claims to warrant the appointment of a c:mmitfcee,but he also thought that the action of the town clerk was a right and proper one, and that the council would be justified in rejecting the whole of the names contained in the second list. He was satisfied that if the committee went through the claims, and saw by whom they were ostensibly made, and the manner in which they were made, they would come to the conclusion that a more deliberate attempt to stuff the roll had never been made since the Municipal Corporations Act had como into operation.

Cr Sinclair thought that there was n:> question an attempt was being made at this time to stag the roll. He thought it was almost criminal that persons should put forward claims such as some of those that had been sent in.

Cr Solomon said that to obviate any difficulty he would move his resolution in this form— " That the claims of the persons mentioned in the secoud lißt bs rejected, and that a committee of four councillors be appoiu'ced to report #pon the nature of the claims that have been sent in." •' Or Lee Sjiith accepted this amendment Cr Hatmes held that the ciaims should be considered by the whole eouncil.and he sugg-st-d that a special meeting should be held for that purpose. Cr Pish thought it was most improper that fee council should be called together at such an hour && half-paßt 6 to discuss a question of this grave importance and be expected to hurry it through in half an hour. He endorsed the general principle laid down by Or Haynes that the oouncil had the right to purge the roll, aud he objected to thu mutter going to a committee to say who should be on the roll and who should be off it. In any event he would support any motion that had for its object the adjournment of the meeting. The Mayor remarked that if the resolution were carried no harm could be done to those whose applications the town clerk had objected ~jo, beaapse they could apply again at aily timeimmediately, if they thought proper—and the toll was alway/J feapjeed a month prior to the elections, Cr Fisjj gaid that a month J;ef o^e £be mayoral election it Wss jfPWfl .wke were tfcq'.Qpgdld&tss,

a great deal of feeling was shown, and claims were allowed and rejected that should not be allowed or rejected. He thought that the settlement of the roll should take plsce in what he might call calm blood. Cr Cbakond thought the action of the town clerk ought to be upheld. Cr Carroll strongly supported the upholding of the recommendations of the town clerk. He also agreed with the suggestion that the council, as a whole, should consider the claims. Further discussion followed, Cr Fish raising the objection that the council had no power under the act to consider at that meeting new applications to be put upon the roll. I An amendment for adjourning the meeting ! having been negatived, Cr Solomon's motion was put and carried. Cr Fish subsequently entered the following protest:— Dunedin, May 15,1559. I hereby beg to protest against the action taken by the council this evening in connection with the burgess roll, inasmuch as the duty of the council was only to consider the valuation roll as prepared as a result of the valuators' inquiries and valuation; that the council has no right at tlm meeting to consider freshfapplications to be placed upon the roll, either to accept or reject same; that the narae3 of persons to-night agreed to be placed upon the burgesa roll, as they do not appear on the valuation roll, ia illegal.—l am, &c, H. S. Fish, Jun. ;