The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY,, JANUARY 6.

Southland Times, Issue 3290, 6 January 1879, Page 2

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED DAILY. Luceo Non Uro. MONDAY,, JANUARY 6.

;"WE;)[hvye ab^s_f|)&enE giyen ct©f>nnfierS jsiand tnat^ajaah^ibh aaQto-beir^axdeliai ;a means. -pf eliciting opinion, and also that opinion cannot, pMsibJy-be expressed jnnless it is declared. It would seem, hojri^er^frojg gttyz, ; jralijig^oi|he^JDhabiman at"the meeting rece^ly'_eld tp*' id_;cnss the questibn^;'^? a special loan for waterworks purposes for the town of InvercargiU- that discussion is an (empty teiin, or, if anything, merely coniver|at^br|ar and"! Tyithout plgeciv.;'' IfySw, ;we' feel 'cdnfident' that, a veiy "different iconstrnctiorr^ryas .placed, upon it by the jframdi-s^Of'tine' '^Municipal ■ Corporations j Act, 1876, when the 141 st clause was 'introduced. That- clause says "The • Mayor shall call a meeting of the bnrgesse^ for a/day n^t'inPre^tHan. ten days aftei^the'lastr' jmblic'a'tidn"' of'- siicH ; notice to consider tne said .proposal, and shall preside at such meeting, and after due consideration and discussion of the proposal the Mayor mciy give notice that a poll will be taken thereon." The tenor of this clause ii not ? to be mistaken. It is not formal, and the clause yvrds'l evl^en£ly\- inttodiibed as ipve^ liininary to Suosequehtahd-niorej decided action, and to test the necessity of further proceedings.- This, is particularly apparent in the concluding sentence, which; ( makes; after proceedings . -discretionary on the part of the Mayor. It does ; hot say that, whatever the result of the "'.meeting, ; lie shall giye notice of a poll, but that he may do so. This argument cuts both ways, for, whatever the result, the Mayor may still give notice of a poll if he thinks fit. This, no doubt, was His Worship's interpretation of the clause, and whilst we are not prepared to rule him out of 'order, we must yet take exception to his evident misconception of the meaning of the temi 'discussion,' and also to his exhibition of arbitrariness at the meeting in so sum-marily-disposing of the motion introduced by Mr Osborne. The motion was perfectly m regie, was sanctioned by the Mayor, and was, moreover, the legitimate outcome of previous discussion. The meeting had aired its opinions in considering the question, and those opinions were only to be tested by putting a formal resolution. To this, however, the Mayor demurred, and why, Aye can only account for by attributing a disinclination on his part to have his particular opinion placed in the minority by the voice of the meeting. We do not mean to say that he did wrong in deciding not to accept the opinion of the meeting as decisive respecting the object pursued, but that he made a mistake in bringing a public meeting into contempt. There are certain prerogatives attached to public meetings which the people will do well to jealously guard, and the chief of them is, free expression of public opinion. This prerogative was begotten of the value attached to public opinion, for if public opinion were valueless public meetings would never have been instituted. Hence, anything that tends to bring public opinion into disrepute is a direct insult to the public, and should be vigorously suppressed. Now, after the lame and impotent conclusion of the public meeting Aye are alluding to we can only regard it as a solemn farce, and its deliberations " mere sound and fury, signifying nothing." There Avas AA r aste of energy on the part of the convener, and Avaste of time on the part of all Avho attended it. The meeting was absolutely 'purposeless. Men met, talked, and disagreed, but to what degree was not ascertained, and they parted in confusion and unsatisfied. They asked for bread and receiA r ed a stone.