THE PROPOSED BY-LAW.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 9983, 27 February 1894, Page 3

THE PROPOSED BY-LAW.

Protest j?ro-m iJELJGious bodies. A meeting, convened by circular, of.representatives from the religious bodies, was held m .the vestry oE the Hanover Baptist Church afternoon to consider what steps, if !jny, snould be-taken -in relation to the by-law; proposed to be enacted by' the City Council, dealing with obstructions in the public thoroughfares. There were present—The Revs. A. North and J. T. Hinton (Baptist), J. Gibb (Presbyterian), W. Saunders and H. W. Burgojne (Congregational), P. W. Jones (Primitive Methodut), and J. T. Pinfold (Wesleyan), and Messrs A. A. Adams (Baptist), W. Bull (Wesleyan), and J. Cable (Primitive Methodist). Mr North was voted to the chair. Apologies were read or expressed for the absence of tbe Rsvs. Dr Stuart, R. Waddell, and A. P. Davidson (Presbyterian), W. C. Oliver (Wesleyan), A. H. Wallace (Independent), Mr W, J. Way (Tabernacle), and Major Robiuson (Salvation Army)> The letter conveying the intimation of Major Robinson's inability to attend said that "when the Btruggle does come you may depend on our standing our ground rather than surrendering our open air privileges." The Chairman explained that the Baptists had invited representatives of the other churches to meet them and discuss the proposed bylaw, as it was thought it would be a desirable thing if they could take united action, the ground for sction being that the by-law which it Was proposed to enact was in their judgment contrary to common sense and to the liberties oi" the citizens. It was true that they viewed it especially in relation to open-air pruned jng, but it applied to other things, tt was, ho*ever, distinctly on acc'outtt of open-air services and of a 'difference arising in Relation t<j suoh Services thatthe.by-law was introduced—they were the direct occasioc of it. The position he (Mr North) held, and web prepared to maintain, was that the by-law was superfluous. None of them desired that the authorities should be without the power to keep the thoroughfares open, and to prevent obstruction or the occasion of nuisances to people, but there was that power already under the Police Offences Act. Some of'them might be inclined to say: "Let the by-law be enacted; if iv is contrary to the statute and to common law. it does not matter." It did matter, however, for this reason, that, as he understood, the magistrates within the borough must administer the borough laws as they stood, and thus anyone infringing the by-law, if it was enacted, weald be liable to conviction by the magistrates, and the only remedy would be by appeal to the higher courtß, such appeal occasioning the expenditure of money and of time, and a good deal of annoyance. Another reason for protesting against the by-law was that it was an insult to the citizens, and especially to those who were active in evangelical work; it was a humiliation to which the city was exposed by reason of the . action of the city fathers, if this slur on the jpuMJc character vya.s.eft'ected1, because they were ppb in., such a position that there was need for extraordinary restrictions—and these restrictions were extraordinary. There was no more peaceable community than this; it did not verge pa conditions that threatened riot, and there was no reason for-.the proposed by-law. Moreover the by-law was contrary to aommon sense. If the by-law as drafted was carried, it meant, as a legal gentleman had said to him, that if a friend of his, played a piano in his drawing loom brilliantly, and a company of people con-Ip-egated'in the street to listen, .he would be liable to a fine. It was perfectly true that there was no direct reference to processions in the by-law, but the conduct of prooessions would be prohibited if the by-law as drafted were enacted. The amazing thing to him wbb not that the religious people nad been wanting in interest in the matter, bat that the people generally—the trades nnions, for example—had been wanting in interest. He hoped that the city would be saved from what he regarded as the grave scandal and humiliation of the enactment of such legislation as this; and if they 'could htlp to save the city fathers from making themselves so objectionably conspicuous before the, colony ( bo much the Better. The subject was freely discusßed in a conversational manner by those present, and it was eventually agreed—" That Messrs North, Gibb, and Saunders be a committee to watch the outcome of to-night's meeting, and, if they deem it advisable, to call a large meeting later in the week."

PUBLIC MEETING.

A public meeting, convened by the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, M.L.C., of citizens opposed to the proposed by • law, Was held in the Lower Hall of the Athemeum last evening. There was a very large representative attendance, the hall being crowded to overflowing. The Hon. W. D. Stewart presided, and was supported on the platform by the Revs. J. Gibson Smith and D. Datton, Messrs W. Hutchison, M.H.R, J. A. Millar, M.H.R., C. B. Chapman, Duncan Wright, and J. Mathews.

Letters of apology were received from Mr W. H. Ash, the Revs. Rutherford Waddell, W. C Oliver, A. P. Davidson, J, Gibb, and Dr Stuart. Mr Gibb trusted that a resolution would be carried vigorously protesting against the proposed action of the City Council in reference to by-law No. 2,' and advocating suoh further measures as tcfght be calculated to prevent the council from finally adopting this measure. Tho bt-law h ia his opinion, was wholly uncalled for, and he was only sorry that the citizens hud let ihti eleventh hour come before taking united action to prsventits passing, Dr Stuart wrote to the chairman as follows :—

It was with pleasure I Heard that In conjunction with ethers you arranged for a meeting to look carefully at the by-law which our city rulers propose to enact for the regulation of processions and open-air meetings ia connection with religion within the bounds of the city. Acquainted as I am with our city for more than 30 years, and with times when probably a talf of the people lived in tents and frail tenements, and with times when openair services were of frequent occurrence! I cannot recall an occasion when they led to aey inconvenience to traffic or to the inhabitants. As a community we ht,ve been law-abiding in the interests of liberty ami religion. lam quite stire, if blind zeal should overlook our dbligation to respect oar neighbours, that a firm protest from our rulers and the public would make Bhort work of even the seemiDg violation of one of the main pillars of our liberty. I remember -when there wag a systematic effort made to crush tho Free Church by many of the great landlords of Scotland, but an inquiry by the British House of 'Commons and a debate in it'on the subject broke np the opposition, and thus legislation on the subject became unnecessary. Let me hope that the meeting will adopt a firm and dignified protest tgainst the proposed by-law.

The Chairman Bsid he was extremely delighted to see such a large attendance present to consider the important subject which they were met to ditouss. It was admitted fcbat by-laws were necessary in connection with cities and counties, but history taught us and experience showed that bodies possessed of limited powers were Vity apt to abuse them, and to carry them in many instances to the ertreme limit. Now, it was undesirable that the legislative body snd the executive body should be vested ia the same persons. That ted to abuse. Ho had no objection to reasonable by-laws being passed, b\it he did emphatically protest agsiusfc by-laws aifectiDg the fundamental rights of citizens.—(Applause.) We found attempts had been made in England by local bodies to pass by-laws of a very stringent and restrictive character, and he believed we found eminent judges in England asserting and vindicating as far as they could the liberty of the citizens. Now, the occasion for this by-law, or rather for the setting forth of this by-lay, might lead to the consideration of a very important question, and that was whether, when citizens were called upon to obey the laws, they should not have a voice in the selection of persons who make - those laws — (applause) ; and that Selection involved a very important question—whether the franchise should not be transferred from ratepayers, as at present, to all men aDd women over 21 years of age.— (Applause.) Be would sooner trust the people as a whole than a particular number who had a particular interest to serve.—(Applause.) This by-law, if paseed, ho felt satisfied would operate like the boomerang :it would return upon those by whom it was thrown out.—(Applause.) The proposed by-law was one of a yery stringent character, interfering in the details of life in a manner totally unjustifiable. Now, he thought there was another provision which would have to be adopted by tho Legislature in this colony, and that was that by-laws, before they came into operation, should be submitted to the Governor-in-Council for his approval.—(Applauee.) By comparatively recent legislation in England it was found necessary to enact that municipal bodies in England should not be at liberty to legislate by by-law until the by-law had been submitted to the Queen through the Secretary of State and approved of— (applause); and the Secretary of State had 40 dayg within wfaich to consider the by-law, and amend or object to it as he pleased. This proposed bylaw of the city seemed for all practical purposes quite unnecessary. Our law at present was ample. It had not been found, at all events, insufficient; and it was only in one or two boroughs where a particular party had been in the ascendancy that stringent and oppressive legislation had been attempted. He need only refer the meeting io the Police Offences Act passed in 1884, which provides that if any person "wantonly or maliciously disturbs any inhabitant by ringing any door bell, knocking at any door, blowing any horn, beating any drum, using any other noisy instrument in any public place, or ringing any fircbell," he is liable to a fine not exceeding £5. Now surely that ought to be sufficient. Then there was a further provision, which he would refer to because it had been suggested here that the occasion for this by-law was some foolish' steps which were taken by one religions body against another. That was of a purely temporary character, and it wag put forth as an excuse— (loud applause and cries of " Hear, hear") —for accomplishing a purpose altogether foreign to it. Now the Police Offences Act provides that any person who "disturbs any congregation assembled for public worship, or any public meeting, or any meeting for any lecture, concert, or entertainment, or any audience at any theatre, whether money is charged or not for such lecture, concert, entertainment, or theatre, or interferes with the orderly conduct of any religious service in any church, chapel, ceme-

tery, burial grduha, or other building b'r place,l" is liable to a fine not exceeding £8. Surely that ougHt to be ample on the subject.—(Applause.) It was; said that the neighbourhood of particular localities, would be. disturbed. Now, he had resided, here for.SCLyearij, afitt had ttaveljod over the world, and.he was bound to say that

(his was one of the most orderly cities he. had

been, in.—(.Applauße.) He was not going, to fliseiiss in (Jstailjihe by-laws, but w,ould simply state-that if* they were carried practically any meeting which attracted a few persons together would be attended with punishment of the kind he had referred to ; aud the whole thiog was so ridiculous that he was surprised that a body of sensible men should have attempted to frame such by-laws.—(Applause.) Why, under the second by-law, anyone playing music in or near a street was liable to be fined.—^Laughter.) If a householder had a piano, and his daughter indulged in a little music and attracted a few persons about the door, she would bo liable to be fined a sum not exceeding £5.— (Laughter.) Then tho by-law also provided that it might be enforced before any one or more of her Majesty's justices of the peace; Now, if the by-law was passed, he thought the offence Uuder it should be proceeded I against before the magistrate) the recognised authority of the plabe—(hear, hear);—and a particular justice of the peace, who had a strong leaning in one direction or another should not be called upon to administer the by-law.—(hear, hear.) He had no hope of the by-law not being passed. His impression Was that it would be j but it would be one of the most disastrous by-laws that had ever been passed in this tiolony—(hear; hear), —because it would result in depriving local bodies of the power they had at present, and which they were abusing.—(Applause ) The Legislature would step in and either take legislation such as this

into its own hands or control it by some safe; guards which wotild secure the liberty and freedom, of citizens.—(Applatise;) He woulij not occdpy their time further, hut would call upon Mr Hutchison to move the first resolution.

Mr W. Hutchison, M.H.8., who was warmly received, said be bad been asked to move the following resolution: —" That in the opinion of this meeting the proposed new by-law of the City Council is unjust in its character, and an unnecessary interference with the rights and liberties of the citizens."— (Applause.) It was, he said, with more reluctance than some of them might imagine that he proposed this resolution, though he did so unhesitatingly and without the slightest misgiving. His reluctance proceeded from tho strong desire he had to support and extend tho powers of municipal government. At one time or another in his life he had taken a goodly share in the administration of local affaire, he was very much interested in them, and ho believed that the just and wise administration of local government lay at the very root of social liberty. They might suppose, then, how he was likely to feel when this by-law was propoeed, a by-law which struck at the most cherished civio privileges and which was enacted by a local authority that, instead of using its power to conserve the liberty of the subject, sought as far as possible to destroy that liberty. — (Applause.) A by-law! Why, we would become a by-word.—(Laughter.) They might observe how a blunder of. this kind weakened the advocacy of those who, like himself, were sometimes called on to defend municipal rights. For example, there was at this moment an unsettled controversy bstween the City Council and the General Government respecting the use of the strUets. He thought the General Government were ■ entirely wrong ia their contention, but. the retort was now open: "If the City Council are capable ot committing such ail egregious blunder' as you assort they have done by thjs by-law, is it riot as likely that.they are equally wrong about their right to use the streets ? " That was not an argument, but it was a retort that carried considerable weight. Ho declared in the presence of that meeting and of ji member of the City Council—(laughter and applause)—that he did not think ho ever ltnew a representative body that was so little in touch with the general opinion of the people over whom they wera supposed to rule, and it would ba a rather remarkable thing if through this blunder of the by-law they would be able to achieve a reform WhiOh the present maydr and the wfiole of the councillors, he believed, were bitterly opposed to —that every man aud woman in the city Bhould have a right to vote at municipal elections.— (Applause.) He felt without a shadow of a doubt that the by-law was not only unnecessary and therefore uncalled for, but that it was opposed to good government and to law viewed in its broad and comprehensive sense. Municipal law required allegiance in various respects, and it got allegiance in this city. Wherever communities had gathered together necessity had recognised that there must be certain restrictions on liberty — people could not liva in comfort together witbont certain mutual concessions ; — but behind all this and above all this lay certain rights which were inalienable, which they could not barter or give away at the dictation of any authority—(applause),—andamongtheserights, chiefly he would say, were the rights of fibe speech and of the opportunity of disseminating opinion throughout the community—the right to speak and to give opportunity to others to hear opinions on all questions affecting the public welfare, and more especially ofieefcing religion.—(Applause.) They stood up, therefore, that night to contend for the right of street preaching—(applause),—atid he was not at all ashamed to do so at all events. Everyone understood that open-air meetings were not to be held under circumstances that would endanger life or property— (applause)—and that they were not to interfere sensibly with traffic or locomotion. Every sensible man, not to say every Christian man, knew all that and was most anxious to carry it out, and tho speaker was sot aware of any occurrence at any time that interfered with either of these things.—(Applause.) The rights for which they contended were part of n law higher than any municipal law or any general statute—they were part df that natural law whereby a man claimed his life as his own because it Vsras given to him by God as a gift, and along with it bo was given the opportunity of makirjg the highest and best use of that life. — (Applause.) Speaking the truth ilnd endeavouring to spread tho truth was one of the highest and best purposes to which human life could be put, but the City Council stepped in to interfere with that right, and he stood there to say that the citizens were bound in the interests of true liberty and of supreme law to resist that interference.—(Applause.) They would not be the law-breakers: the City Council would stand in that capacity.—(Applause) Supposing, however, that the City Council sanctioned this by-law, what was the duty of all true and loyal subjects ? It was just this, to pay no attention to the City Council.—(Loud and prolonged cheering.) Without the least bravado, but with firm determination, they would defy the City Council.—(Applause ) The by-law was an interference with that liberty which was the birthright of every man who loved his Bible^nd cherished the noblest traditions of the race—(applause),—and, for himself, though he had none of the capabilities of a street preacher, he was quits prepared to stand by any brother who had those capabilities and to take his share of any consequences that might follow from the breaking of this by-law.— (Applause.) He did not like to walk in pro' cessions in the streets, but he was ijuite prepared to walk in a procession in the streets in I vindication of his rights as a citizen. The question was not what he or they might dislike, but it was a question of duty—the duty of standing up to protest against a senseless and ill-natured but gross outrage on their liberties.—(Lend applause.) Mr J. Mathkws seconded the motion. He did not agree with the chairman that the by-law would pass. If the meeting let it pass it was their own fault; That was just a preliminary meeting, and others were to follow.—(Cheers.) The city councillors knew that if they passed the by-law they would be put out at the next election, and the citizens would put in men pledged to rescind the by-law. But it would never pass. He was satisfied that when the. council saw even the protest from that meeting, without those that were to follow, they would bide their heads with shame and abasement — (Loud applause, and a Voice : "Poor Fish.")

The Chairman asked if anyone eke wished to speak to the resolution.

Mr Rodda :Cr Solomon is here. I should like to bear him.

Mr Solomon, who was seated in the body of the hall, ascended the platform to speak amidst cheers, cries of "Chair" and "Order." When the noise had subsided, he said he came there that night as a listener. He had not the faintest intention of speaking; but some gentleman, in a tone.of derision, called upon Mr Solomon (A Voice: "No")—and as he was not afraid of facing an audience he would tell them what he thought concerning the by-law, His opinion was that the matter of framing such a by-law had been gone about too hurriedly. — (Hear, hear.) To begin with he thought it was much to be regretted that no conciliatory steps were taken by the City Council to approach those gentlemen who preached in the streets, and arranged with them quietly under what circumstances they conld preach without annoying the public, and there was no doubt in his mind that if these steps had been taken an arrangement might have been arrived at which would have been satisfactory to the City Council and to the gentlemen who preached. In tho next place, personally he thought that any man or woman's religious opinions were matters of a very sacred character no matter with what eccentricity those religious opinions were put forward, and he should be very careful in interfering with them if it could be possibly prevented. Again he thought these proposed by-laws were unnecessarily stringent— (hear, hear)—and they were unnecessarily stringent in this respect: that they did not even give the City Council power to permit street preaching or anything it was proposed to provide against. If a by-law was passed in this form: that an arrangement could be made between preachers and the council there would be no difficulty whatever. He could not help seeing that it would be very difficult to carry out this by-law, and he regretted that a gentleman who was on the commission of the peace should counsel the people to resist it by force.—(A Voice: "Quito right.") That was where ho disagreed with the gentleman who said " Quite right." He did not think it would ever come to that. He should be very sorry if it did, and he hoped it might never come. He was sure the good sense

of the council and the good sense, of the citizens wottld prevent sucji a position beiug arrived at.Another thing; he wc#ld vote against tfio bylaw; There cpuld bo no .question tHatit was contrary to the wishes at least of a f pr^ large minority ol tho citizens.—(A. Voicfc: "A liirgs mttTority;"X H.e said at least a minority; it might be a majority, ,but h% would put it this way: It might be contrary to the wishes of n very largo proportion of the citizens.' But beyond that-ie did not- think the. by-law was iha\\j v'-efcA at all .-(Applause.) They had got on without it tor a great ma?iy, years; and he thought that with a little mutual concession on both Bides they could get ou without ifc in future. The chairman had said that he was very strongly of opinion that this by-law would pass. He begged to differ with him. He did not think it would.—(Applause.) That was to say, he did not think it would pass in its present form.—(A VoiCK: "Or any other.") Some , by-law might possibly be passed, but no by-law he believed would be passed that would be at all offensive or objectionable to those gentlemen who wished to preach in the streets. He need hardly tell them that so far as ho was concerned he objected to the by-law as it stood, and he would vote against it. He was very very sorry to hear Mr Hutchison sheer at the City. Council.—(Laughter ) _ There were some gentlemen in the council yMtli whom he dis; agreed entirely.—(A VoitE ji, " They want rooting out," and applause) Why did not that gentleman step forward and help to root them out ? There were some gentlemen with whom he disagreed in the City Council, but he said most emphatically that there were men there who sought honestly and conscientiously to do their duty by the citizens.- The speaker concluded by stating that he would do what he could to prevent the by-law beirig passed.— (Applause.) The Chaibman : I am glad to heaf that w6 have secured at least one convertp(laughtei and applause),—because I was amazed when I saw this by-law pass the council with flying colours. . •: .„. • ~.. Mr Solomon : Will you permit ne to oaj that when the matter came before the council l was away in Auckland, and therefore could not oppose it. The motion was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Mr J. A. Millar, M.H.R , said the resolution he had to move'was one of the immediate results of the proposed by-law. The chairman had said it was a most disastrous by-law, but he (Mr Millar) was sorry he was not able to agree with him, for he believed it would be one of the best by-laws ever passed, as ife played right into the hands of those who had been advocates for some time of ah extension of the

franchise; The resolution he had been asked to move was:— "That, inasmuch as municipal councils claim the right to pass by-laws affecting the rights and liberties of all citizens, all men and women over 21 years of age should be entitled to vote in the election of the mayor and councillors of cities and boroughs in the colony." — (Applause.) It was generally accepted that representation followed taxation, but wa had in Dunedin, with 27,00(5 inhabitants, a City Council making by-laws which each and all had to obey, and only 2500 or 2600 persons had a voice in the election of the men who made those by-laws. Did they not think they were a long-suffering race to have permittod such a state of things to have existed for so long ? —(Applause.) He thought the time had arrived when they should speak with no uncertain sound oci this matter, and Bend word to Wellington that one of tho first measures to be passed should provide for the extension of the municipal franchise to all adults.—(Applause:) They were often told that only todse who paid fates had a right to vote at municipal elections; but everyone who rented a house at all, or was even a lodger; paid rates, for the re&t which a person paid was stuck on the capital value of the premises; and therefore those people who rented houses paid rates, though they had no voice in the election of the mayor and councillors. —(Applause.) Moreover, the pioneers of tho district in the i early dtvys eCt apart large endowments for the purpose of the Dunedin district* not of the Duuedin city, and those endowments now brought in, he believed, rentals of close oh £18,000 per annum. These rentals came from the national eßtate, which, belonged to every one of them, and he maintained they should have a say in the election of councillors for their interest in that national estate. He trusted that the meeting would show the City Council that they were thoroughly opposed to this by-law. It appeared to him that the motive for the by-law was fright.— (Hear, hear.) Lately the churches and the temperance bodies had been taking aggressive steps and they were becoming too powerful.— (Applause.) Fright had caused the side who objected to this to frame this by-law, but he thought that in doing co they had simply committed suicide.—(Laughter and applause) He hoped that before long tbe nutter of extending the franchise to every adult would bo taken up, and then they would elect men to represent the people of the place and not to represent bricks and mortar. He trusted that the meeting would speak on the subject with no uncertain Bound, so that the representatives in Wellington would be able to say that tho people in Dunedin were unanimous in demanding an extension of the municipal franchise. — (Applause )

Mr Matthews urged that this was not a political meeting and that it was not Called under political auspices; As an old ratepayer he appeared to protest against any interference with the liberties of tho citiiens, but he had nothing to do With this resolution. —(Hear, hear.) Mr P. Gbahaji referred the chairman to the terms of the advertisement calling the meeting. The Chaibhan said that in considering the by-law they were entitled to say how they could defeat the by-law. — (Applause.) If the personnel of the council was Buch tbat there was no chance of its being defeated, they wore entitled to say that a different franchise would bring about a different result;—(Applause.)

Mr C. R. CitAPityN had much pleasure in seconding the resolution. At the same time ho did not think the people were quite prepared to go i,ts length; Mr Graham : Why second it, then ?

Mr Chapman said that not long ago he presided at a small meeting to consider the question of the franchise, and the conclusion then come to was that it was not possible to get an alteration made, but it waß suggested that anyone possessing a month's or a week's tenancy should have a vote.

Mr A. C. Bv.aa said he did not believe in the composition of the City Council one bit; ttill less did he believe in political trickery; and yet he believed that this resolution was a piece of political trickery.—(Cries of "No! No!") The meeting was called for the purpose of considering the proposed by-law; and he came there to do all he could against it. He dared say a great many more came to do tbat; and now they were tricked into a resolution that had nothing whatever to do with the by-law.— (A Voice i" I say it is.") There were a great many differences of opinion, and if they wanted to discuss a matter of this kiad let a meeting be called for the purpose, and don't let them try by a side wind and a catch resolution to pass what would have no effect. Mr F. Giiaham, who rose to speak amidst loud applause, said he did not believe in trickery in any shape or form, and it was a very unfortunate thing that the chairman had allowed himself to be misled in presenting the motion before the meeting. It was unfair to trick the meeting into carrying such a serious resolution; and he would move—"That consideration of this question be adjonrned to gome other meeting, to be called by the chairman." Mr J. Matubws seconded the amendment.

The Ciiaibjian said Mr Begg was entirely mistaken in saying that there was any trickery whatever iv the matter.—(Applause.) The resolution before the meeting had a most important bearing on the ultimata result of the by-law.—(Applause.) He would go further and would say that this resolution would strike terror into tha city councillors iv a way that the meeting did not imagine.—(Applause.) Mr John* Lee : Put the resolution, Mr Chairman.—(A, Voice : " Dry up.") I won't dry up. You are-a property holder, I suppose. The Chairman said he did not propose to call another meeting, and was about to put the motion for postponing the consideration of the resolution, when The Eov. A Noiith was called upon to speak. He said be took a great interest in this matter relating to the by-law, and he was pretty radical, and dared say that he should be prepared to support the resolution that bad been moved by the member lor Port Chalmers, but he thought that those who disagreed bad some grave cause of complaint, and that they should be weakening instead of strengthening their protest against the by-law if upon another rosoluthey were divided, as inevitably they would be. —(Cries of "No" and " Yes.") The Chairman said if the resolution were rejected it wonld in no way affect the force of the previous resolution. Mr F. Maiiard agreed with the first resolution in its entirety, but exceedingly regretted that he should have lived in Dunedin to hear such a sweeping resolution as that before.the meeting passed. The corporation had to find the money for maintaining the streets, &c., and where were they to get that money ? — (Mr Lee : " i'com the men who pay the rent.") Would they tell him that the man who loafed about the streets and got drunk was to have the same right to voto as the man who had property ? Mr Lee : Yes; because ho is a man.

The Rev. J. GinsoN Smith said it was endeavoured to be shown by Mr Begg and one or two others that the meeting had no right to take up the question of Mr Millar's motion that night. That could only be tho caae if there was no logical connection between Mr Millar's motion and the question of the by-law.—(Hear, hear.) The meeting was not summoned in any specific terms to discuss any particular point in connection with the by-law. It was summoned to discuss the by-law in all its aspects.—(Hear, hear, and applause.) Did

they think that they would have had that meeting to consider the by-law if the council had been elected by universal franchif c ?—(A Voice: " No.") He wag perfectly convinced they would nob. It, therefore, seemed to him simply ridiculous to take up the position that they had no right to discuss this question of the franchise at that meetiug.—(Hear, hear ) He thought they ought to take the sense of the meeting on this question, and let the council see that there was a very distinct majority who

were prepared to tell them that their action had been very unfortunate, and that that majority wera prepared to go a great deal further and say .that if the council persisted in carrying out tkerr misgiiidfid resolution they wotlld find that some citizeais do^M take tip" the very strongest weapon they could get anS let $Keni h|tte it straight.—(Loud and prolonged cheering.; I'Se amendment was then put and lost, only about 20 voting for ft, and the motion was subsequently carried by a larg"e majority. , Mr Grahaji asked if. tho cbWrruua wris responsible,for. .theresolution? ~. Tho CrtAIHMAK replied in the affirmative; Mr Begu : TSen Jott' Me the trickster. The Chaiejian : We are not hore to bandy words. Mr Doxcan Wright moved—" That the law should bs amended so that all existing and future by-laws of local bodies shall be submitted to the Governor-in-Council for revision

and approval," In doing so, he said that he thought they ought to express their indebtedness to Blr Stewart for convening that meeting, (Applause.) He regretted two thinga in connection with it; He deeply regretted the introduction of the jarring note—(applause)— and he also regretted that the expression

" political trickster" should have been used by any Oue gehtletn__ opneerning another in the meeting:—(Applatise.) Mr Geahail had mtich plea&ure in se6ondiilg tie motion, Because it bore nafu'rally on the first, and he had no doubt it would be carried unanimously. He wished he could believe that the council had the grace to retire from thefr position respecting the by-law; he wished all the councillors took the position of their friend Solomon.—(Laughter.) The council had tried to frighten them with a bogey, but they were the kind of people not to. be frightened by scarecrows; He did not think they could look 'seriously at the by-law—he rather thotight that the city sblicitorg were haying a joke out of the councillors, ite was told, however, that there was a liquor shop in the Town Hal!; and he thought a by-law should be framed to prohibit lirjubr there, and to present the mayor and councillors from haying a private bar there. There were mayors of this ..city who pad j simply been " slated" and council meetings had, been a disgrace because of the condition some of the councillors were in.—("Shame.")

Mr A: D. Edward said he was comparatively a new chum, but he had lived in nearly every part of the globe and in every capital in Europe, but Dever in hia life had he been in such a dead and alive place ao Dunedin,—(Laughter.) On j the previous night he w_s in company with two friendSj and they Btrolled abont the streets and saw nothing but street preaching that annoyed nobody, but at tho Grand Hotel cormr no decent girl tiould pass without being annoyed by the persons there;—(Loud applause.) He had seen the by-laws of Weston-sOper-Mare approved of not by a Governor-in-Council, but by the Homo Secretary, who was higher than the Governor-in-Council, and he had also seen those by-laws laughed out of court in two minutes by Lord Chief Justice Coleridge and two other judges. There was, ho submitted, no tall for the resolution ■ efore. the meeting.. If any lawyer had pluck enough,to stand by him, £c would stand by the lawyer if they took the matter to the House of Lords.—(Lond applauße.) The adoption of the by-law proposed could only tend to make the City Council ridiculous in the eyes of the whole civilised world. The eyes of Europe were on New Zealand after the legislation of last session, and if the City Council followed up such a magnificent act as was then passed with sush a ridiculous thing as this, the sooner they got rid of such a fishy lot tho better.— (Loud applause.) Mr Beadxe opposed the motion, as thete was too mucH referring to Wellington and not enough dependence up'oti themselves. The motion was carried with one dissentient.

Mr W. A. W. Wathen moved—" That a copy of the foregoing resolutions be forwarded to his Worship tho Mayor and the City Council, and that a copy be forwarded to the Hon. the Premier."

The Rev. Gibson Smith seconded the motion, which was agreed to. the meeting terminated with a hearty vote of thanks being accorded to the chairman for calling the meeting.

The following resolution was tarried unanimously at the last meeting of the Orange Lodge, No. 21:—"This Loyal Orauge Ledge wish to record their strong disapproval of the by-law now awaitiug confirmation by the Dunedin City Council, believing it to be destructive of the first principles of personal freedom and the inalienable rights of citizens, and trust that the people of the city will take steps to prevent it from being confirmed."