The Star. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1869.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 371, 22 July 1869, Page 2

The Star. THURSDAY, JULY 22, 1869.

<*. A striking and most amusing instance of the truth of the adage that " circumstances alter cases," occurred at tlie last weekly meeting of the City Council. A fow days previously, Councillor Tombs had been charged by the police with illegally burning gorse iv his paddock in Armagh street. The worthy Councillor stated in defence that it would have put him to considerable expense to cart the gorse trimmin *s away, and therefore he chose the lesser of the two evils andj burnt it. The Bench told Councillor) Tombs that he ought to have obtained the consent of the City Council, and fined him ten shillings, rather enjoyiug the joke of catching a Councillor tripping in so palpable a manner. At the same time the Bench remarked that the proceeding would have been perfectly harmless if the consent of the Couucil had been obtained. Councillor Tombs paid his ten shillings like a man and a Councillor, and went home to ruminate over the matter. What ho thought of it became evident on the following Monday evening. Then, when the city magnates had assembled according to custom, a letter was read from certain persons permission to burn the gorae trimmings in their paddocks. The letter having beeu read, Councillor Duncan moved that the request be refused on account of the danger likely to result from the practice. The motion required a seconder and found one iv the perdon of Councillor Tombs, who, a few days before, had bewailed before the Resident Magistrate the hardship of having to cart away his own gorse trimmings, and had stated that he burnt them as a choice between two evils. Having burnt his own gorse trimmings — very carelessly too, by the way — ac a nominal cost, Mr Tomb*? suddenly opens his eyes to the danger of the practice, and takes immediate steps to prevent his neigh bours escaping the evil of which he so eloquently complained before the Bench. Surely, Councillor Tombs is slightly selfish in the course he has adopted. We should have thought his own painful experience would have made him feel for the sufferings of his fellow townsmen. tf We trust that the City Council will recousider their decision about gorse trimmings. In these dull times whei* Tates aud taxes maintain their high iovul, and profits are generally disap pearing, it behoves the Council to beware how they impose unnecessary burthens upon the ratepayers. To oblige the public to go to the expense of cartiug away the trimmings of their hedges i 3 perfectly unnecessary. Before they are allowed to burn let them by

all means be required to obtain the permission of the Council, and let that permission be granted under certain conditions only. It would be perfectly easy to insist upon tha gorse being burnt in small quantities, and at a cerfcaiu distance from the hedges and buildings, and also only upon wet day?, when no s^ong wind is blowing These are mere matters of detail whieg could be arr .oged with very litEle trouble, aud i' would be very easy to give notice of them when the permission to burn was granted to the persons requiring it. It would be equally easy for the police to see that the requirements were fulfilled, and for the Beuch to punish offenders. By simple precautions of this kiud, it would be quite possible for the City Council to save the public from the additional tax which has now been imposed by Councillors Duncan and Tombs upon a large proportion of the owners of property within the boundaries of Christchurch. And this might be done without incurring any appreciable risk of fire.