MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

Otago Witness, Issue 1395, 24 August 1878, Page 16

MEETING OF THE CITY COUNCIL.

A meeting of the members of the City Council was held on Wednesday in the Council Chambers, for the purpose of considering what steps should be taken in connection with the opening of the railway line between Dunedin and Christchurch. There were present— His Worship the Mayor (R. H. Leary, Esq.), and Ors Fish, Thomson, Woodland, Reeves, Grant, Gore, and Roberts. The Mayor explained the object for which the members had been called together, and stated thathe had that afternoon received the following telegram from Mr Bastings, which was signed by that gentleman in his capacity of Chairman of Committees :—" Opening of railway from Christchurch to Dunedin takes place ou Monday, 9th September." The Council might desire to take nome steps towards getting up a public demonstration on the occasion, and perhaps tho best way would be for them to go into committee at once.

Cr Fish objected to such a step. A public demonstration meant an expenditure of the public money, and he thought the Council should discuss the principle ot this matter before they entered into details. The Mayor : Well, the matter is in your hands, gentlemen. Cr Fish : I decidedly; object to going into Committeo till the principle of the matter has been discussed.

The Mayor thought the Corporation ought to liberally and befittingly entertain what he might call their illustrious visitors from the North on the occasion of the opening of the railway. Cr Fish was uncompromisingly opposed to any of the ratepayers' money being expended in the shape of abanquet to entertain themembers of the Legislature. It would be a matter of some Ll5O or L2OO, and he did not think the Council would be justified in spending anything like that sum for the purpose suggested. Indeed he would go further. He questioned very much whether such an expenditure would be legal. This was really a matter for the community as a whole to take up. He certainly believed that the demonstration should take place ; but the community as individuals should be called upon to contribute towards it. He did not think it was right, either legally or morally, that tbe funds of the Council should be expended for such a purpose. Only the other day the Council had spent LlO or Ll2 in sending a telegram to Sir 0 ulius Vogel, and now they wanted to upend L2OO on a public demonstration. He could not sco that there was any onus on tho Council in this particular matter. It struck him that if the Mayor were to telegraph the city's congratulations to the Mayor of Christchurch on the day the line v/as opened, it would be sufficient aa far as official congratulations were concerned. This was a question in which they ought to decide whether it was not the right course to convene a meeting of the citizens on the matter before taking any specific steps. Cr Grant agreed that this would be the best course to pursue. Cr Gore was in favour of a public demonstration.

Cr Reeves said there was no doubt that the completion of the line between Christchurch and Dunedin marked an era in the history of the Colony, and it should be celebrated by a public demonstration. It would be an exceedingly shabby thing if the city did not make some kind of an effoit to entertain the visitors on the opening day. For his own part he was persuaded that the majority of the ratepayers would not for a moment question the wisdom of spending a reasonable sum of money for such a purpose. Of course there were to be found in this community people sufficiently small in their views, and carping in their ideas, as to how the money should be spent — people who were disgusted because a few pounds were expended on nending a telegram to the AgentGeneral, thanking him for the manner in which he had defended the Corporation from the aspersions thrown upon it by the Stock Exchange. He was prepared to take tho responsibility ot moving that some steps should be at onco taken by the Council with a view of entertaining those who visited the city on the occasion of the opening, and that the cost should bo taken out of the funds. At the same time, however, he thought the details connected with tho carrying out of the demonstration could be best arranged in committeo, and he should accordingly piopcse that the meeting go into committee.

Cr Thomson seconded the proposition. He thought it was a matter of considerable congratulation to Dunedin that the railway was now on the eve of completion. Cr Fisu opposed tho motion. lie would like tho Mayor to l oint out what clause of the Act empowered tliinii to go into committee. Of coui.se lie did not fora iu< niont venture to asueii that he had kucJi si largo mind as Mr lleHverf had ; but lib n< ticcd that some people wire remarkably libi ral v/iUi other people's money, and if the money had to como cit of th«'ir own pockets they would no doubt be " ( iii-piui,' "' in tluir ii\; <•*. Of cmu^e ho re-I.TM-d l,(» ih> < -I.' in pit fcuVrxv. iml if tbe cap irl-<l ;ui\u),') i»( ■-■ r;<". LI. iuiii Wf.-ir i\ Tho Li viok &i.i.l he 'lid not see anything to prevent the m from yoiuy into committee.

Cr Reeves was astounded that Or Fish ' should descend to such personal remarks as he had made, Speakiug of brain power, he would 1 never think of comparing himself to Cr Fish. 1 (Cr Fish : Hear, hear.) Neither would he , attempt to compare his moral power with bia, ' (Cr Fish :Y ou are quite right. ) He thought Cr j Fish's remarks were greatly to be deprecated. If anyone ought to hide his diminished head when speaking of moral power, he thought it was Cr Fish. The Mayor : Order, gentlemen. Cr Fish : Give him rope enough, your Worship. Cr Reeves : You'll have enough of that yet, I should think.

The motion to go into committee was then put and carried. # In committee it was resolved to entertain the visitors from the North at a public banquet, and the Mayor, together with Crs Reeves, Walter, Gore, and Webb, were appointed to carry out the necessary arrangements. Or Fish wa3 of opinion that the ooßt of a banquet of this kind ought to fall on the wealthy section of the community. He could inform tho Council that if, on further enquiry, he found their action to be illegal, he Bhould take steps to prevent the expenditure, whether he had a carping mind or not.'