MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

West Coast Times, Issue 625, 25 September 1867, Page 3

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

The Council met last evening at 7.30 p.m., at the Council Chambers. Present — His Worship the Mayor, Crs Prosser, Shaw, Anderson, Cumming and Ecclesfield.

The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed.

COBBESPONDENCE.

Letter from Cr Fitzsimmons containing his resignation as Councillor and stating that he had taken that step because he thought it incumbent on mm to do so in order to accede to the wishes expressed by a very large proportion of the townspeople. Letter from Mr Cohen, President of the Hebrew Congregation, stating that the 9th October, the day appointed for the Municipal election was a day set apart amongst the Jews as a sacred and solemn fast, and asking if it could be done that the election should be adjourned to another day so to give the Jews an opportunity of voting. The Mayor said that no doubt it would be very desirable tbat the request should be complied with. He had, however, taken legal advice, and he had been advised that it could not be done without tending to cause difficulties which it would be very desirous to avoid. On the motion of Cr Shaw the consideration of the letter was postponed until after the other business had been disposed of. Ihe following letter was received from Mr Michael Cassius, M.P.C.,- and was read by the Town Clerk as follows :—

Hokitika, Sept. 24, 1867. Sib — I hare been deputed last night by a numerously attended meeting of ratepayers and citizens of this town, to communicate to you the resolutions at foot, passed on mat accasion unanimously, and to request you to lay same before the Municipal Council. In doing this, I may be permitted to express the hopo that the Council will accede on this occasion to the reasonable wishes of the ratepayers, ennunciated in the resolutions hi question. J I have the honor to be, sir, Tour obdt. servant, 11. CASsrcs. His Worship the Mayor. The resolutions above referred to are — 1. " That this meeting view the conduct of the present Municipal Council as highly reprehensible, and deserving of severe censure for their persisting in retaining their seats in the Council, in opposition to the long-ex-pressed wishes of the ratepayers."

The Mayor said he must request the Town Clerk to stop reading, as he thought sufficient had been read to convince the Council that this was not worded in such a courteous manner as a memorial ought to be when presented to the Council of any town. He had received -that letter in the afternoon, and although he was convinced that from its discourteous language it ought not to be received, he determined to lay it before the Council. He, however, could but express a strong opinion on the discourtesy of the language used towards the Council, and he had never during the whole time he bad occupied that chair had such a discourteous memorial forwarded to be presented to the Council. He felt that he should not be doing justice, either to himself or to the Corporation of Hokitika, if he allowed that letter to be received, as he considered it entirely out of order, and contrary to the usages of any public body to receive any memorial couched insuch discourteous and disrespectful terms. Cr Shaw said that as the Mayor had ruled that the memorial should not be received, he thought the Council ought to express their approval of that ruling It behoved the members of the Council as having been elected to what was, considered an honorable position, to hand down that position to their successors with a full idea of the dignity which ought to attach itself to municipal institutions. The public had no reaaon at all to complain of the manner in which the business of the Council had been conducted, and he thought that much was due to the Mayor and Councillors for the manner in which they had conducted that business, and he could but express his deep regret that a gentleman, from whose better judgment he should have expected better things, should have forwarded such a memorial to the Council. He thought that the Mayor was deserving the full support of the Council for the manner in which he had ruled respecting a memorial which in its tone was of a most insulting character, and he would therefore move — "That the Council entirely coincide with the opinion of his Worship the Mayor, and that the thanks of the Council are due to him for the same."

Cr Prosser said that he felt compelled to support the ruling of the chair ; but he did so because he considered that the language in the letter was most insulting to the Council, and he could not but express his surprise that Mr Cassius, a member of the Provincial Council, did. not know that it was contrary to all Parliamentary etiquette to present a discourteously worded memorial to any public body. It certainly was in very bad taste for a member of the Provincial Council to forward such a letter as that which had just been read. He (Mr Prosser) bad much pleasure in seconding the resolution, and thus supporting the ruling of the chair. The motion was put and passed unanimously.

ADVEBTISING FOB AUDITOBS.

Cr Ecclesfield said that a report was current that the cost of advertising for the Auditors was Lll or Ll2. Now he wished to know whether such was the, as it seemed ridiculous to give the two Au ™? onl y L 5. each, and to spend Lll or iil2 in advertising for them. Cr Shaw said that he was very glad Cr Ecclesfield had brought the subject forward, for this doubtless like many other reports Tvhich had been circulated would on examination be found to be without foundation. He thought that the Town Clerk should get the accounts from the newspaper offices and lay them before the Council at the next meeting. The Mayor requested the Town Clerk to obtain the accounts.

Some conversation then took place on a Suestion put by Cr Ecclesfield relative to le collection of the second moiety of the rates, when he was informed that in certain cases the collector had been authorised to receive half of the second moiety in part payment.

SEWELL STREET.

Cr Shaw moved that that part of the footway near Mr Lockhart's store in Sewell street being in a dangerous condition_ should receive the immediate attention of the Town Surveyor who should have power to act. Cr Anderson seconded the motion which was passed.

WELD BTBEET. Cr Shaw said that the motion he had to propose would not involve any expenditure of money on the part of the Council, whilst at the same time the town would be benefitted if it were carried into effect. They knew that the Government had erected very good and commodious barracks at the junction of

Weld and Sewell streets. The Corporation had made a good road as far as Sewell street, but there the road stopped. Now, as the Government had not made a good road to its own property, he thought it very propei' to ask the Government to make that road by means of prison labor, and he would therefore move " That the Government be requested to form and metal Weld street at its intersection with Sewell street as far as Fitzherbcrt street."

Cr Ecclesfield seconded the motion, which was passed.

me cohen's letteb

Cr Shaw said that he intended to move a resolution bearing on the subject referred to in Mr Cohen's letter. It was highly important that the portion of their fellow citizens referred to in that letter should, if possible, not be prevented from giving their votes at the ensuing election, which they would be if the elecetion came off on the 9th of October, and he trusted that if the day could be altered to come within the very verge of the law, that a point would be stretched in their favdr. The persons referred to were in all countries a most enterprising people, and he did not believe it to be the intention of the Legislature to exclude them from the privileges of citizenship. There were from eighty to a hundred Jews in this Town, and if the day of election could be legally changed, he (Mr Shaw) hoped that the Town Solicitor would see his way clear to give an opinion in favor of it, so as not to deprive them of a voice in the expenditure, to which they had so largely contributed. He begged to move — " That the election of Councillors to the Corporation be fixed to take place on the 10th, instead of the 9th, day of October, the latter being a sacred day with a large number of citi- j zens, provided such alteration can be legally made." Cr Anderson seconded.

Mr Harvey, the Town Solicitor, said that the day in question was one specially sacred amongst the Jewish community, viz.. " The day of Atonement," and he had been all the afternoon endeavoring to see his way clear so as to advise the Council on the subject. And here he would observe that the fast was not a fixed fast, but a moveable one, falling sometimes on one day and sometimes on another — this day it happened to fall on the 9th of October, it could not however be supposed that this day had been fixed by the Act for the purpose of disfranchising their fellow citizens. As to changing the day, the Act provided that the present Council should go out of office on the 9th October, Now if the election was fixed to take | place on the Bth October, then they [ would be in the anomalous position of having two Town Councils at the same time ; and then, if the election took place on the 10th, they would have an interregnum, and the result, he feared, would be that there would be no Corporation. He was of opinion, therefore, however reluctantly he had arrived at that conclusion, that the present election ought to take place on the 9lh of October. This, however, must not be regarded as his final opinion, as he should like to have a little more time to consider the matter.

Cr Shaw was very sorry to hear Mr Harvey's opinion. He wished, however, to direct that gentleman's attention to the 107 th section of the Act which that gentleman would perhaps kindly consider before he gave his final opinion. The motion was then put and passed. BALLOTING OUT FOUB MEMBEHS.

The Mayor said that be did not think the Council could proceed to this ballot, as under the 20th section of the Act the Mayor and Councillors would have to go out on the 9th of October. He, therefore, thought that at the present time they could, not proceed to the ballot, as the whole of the Council must retire on the 9th of October. He might mention that that was the opinion of the Town Solicitor. Cr Shaw would move — '' That the Mayor be hereby appointed to preside at the next Election of Councillors, in the Council of the Town of Hokitika ; and that such Election be held at the Council Chambers, Hokitika. He said that he was glad to have the opportunity of paying a compliment to Cr Ecclesfield, who, if the report was to be believed, made the most sensible speech at the meeting the other night, when he said that if the promoters of that meeting had waited for forty-eight hours they woiild have found that there was no occasion to have called it. He was afraid that many thought that the councillors were most anxious to retain office. Such, however, was not the case, and he might say that ho was one of the Councillors who felt that the retirement of all from office was a perfectly natural sequence of the passing of the Municipal Act. The franchise under the former Act was extremely limited, and he (Cr Shaw) vtas one of the first who said he would resign as soon as the new roll was established. He intended to resign, and now even if he had not been compelled to retire from office he should have resigned now that a new 801 l was made out. Moreover, he believed it would not have been beneficial to the Citizens, had the Council resigned before. He was exceedingly flad to retire from that Council, for he elieved that he had been one of the best abused Councillors, if not man, in Town, and he wished to sec whether his fellow citizens would endorse that abuse. He believed not. He was very sorry to sec so many charges insinuated against the Council — charges which were most unjust nnd unfounded, but which, nevertheless, had a prejudicial effect. A strong minded man would pass thejn by without notice, but other good men who were of a timid disposition were prevented from coming forward to represent their fellow citizens in the Council. For instance, the members had been divided into two classes — half fools and half rogues. Now what pleasure could it be for a man to come forward and sacrifice his time for the benefit of his fellow citizens, and instead of receiving that gratitude and respect, to be treated in such an improper manner. He felt great gratification in saying that from the first period of the existence of that Council down to the present time, there had only one feeling been prevalent, viz., a desire to promote the welfare of the Town. He attributed this partly to the constitution of the Council, and partly to the worthy gentleman who had so ably filled the chair, and he hoped and trusted that when the next Council retired from office, they would come out with as clean hands as he expected the present would do.

Cr Prosser had much pleasure in seconding the resolution, and in endorsing the remarks made by Cr Shaw, he (Cr Prosser) believed that no insinuation had been thrown out which had ever been proved against any of the members. He had also very great pleasure in endorsing Cr Shaw's remarks with reference to their worthy Chairman, and it was, lie believed, owing to that gentleman's able yet firm manner of conducting the

business of the Council that much of its success was owing, and he only hoped that the deliberations of the next Council might be presided over by as worthy a man.

The Mayor said that before putting the resolution, he begged to thank them for the kind feeling they had expressed towards him. He could assure them that it had been a source of great gratification to him in having to associate with the men whom he had met around that table, and he trusted that neither he nor they would ever have occasion to regret that association. The motion was then passed. THE BATEPAYEBS' BOLL.

Cr Prosser moved — "That the opinion of the Town Solicitor be taken as to whether tho Citizens' Roll as prepared by the Town Clerk is in accordance with the Hokitika Municipal Corporation Ordinance, 1867, and a legal Roll as intended by late Act. Also, whether any provision is made in the Act for the election of more than four councillors and the Mayor at the next election, and are persons who have not paid the whole of their rates entitled to vote at the next election." He deemed it necessary to bring this forward on account of the rumors that were afloat, and he thought it well that the new Council should not go into office under the stigma that they were an illegallyconstituted body. And moreover, if some flaw was found out, that could easily be remedied by getting a short Act passed before the Assembly broke up. Cr Shaw had great pleasure in seconding the motion, more especially as it had been stated " that an infamous attempt was being made to disfranchise the ratepayers.' 1 This was not true, on the contrary he believed that not a single objection could be made, or would be offered to the vote of any ratepayer. Mr Harvey said, that he would give his opinion at the next meeting of tho Council. The motion was then passed. EMPLOYMENT OF PEISON LABOB.

Cr Ecclesfield asked whether there was anything illegal in employing prison labor for the improvement of the town?

Mr Harvey said that the prisoners were under the control of the General Government, and if the Council were to ask to employ them in the streets, the request would likely be refused, as it would involve the expense of additional warders. If, however, the Council chose to pass a resolution asking the Government to allow them to employ prison labor, it would rest entirely with the Government — whether to grant that request or not. The Council then resolved itself into Committee of the whole, to consider the Tenders for public works, which had stood over from last meeting.

HAMILTON STEEET.

On the motion of Cr Shaw, seconded by Cr Anderson, new tenders were directed to be invited for making and metalling Hamilton street, the kerbing and channelling to be done away with.

BEALEY STBEET. There were two tenders for the formation of this street — viz., Oliver and Oliver, LBS ; Chisholm and King, LIOO. Neither of these tenders were accepted, as they were considered too high, and moreover as it is contemplated to run a road direct to the Gravel pits, it was thought that the materials could be obtained at a much cheaper rate.

POST OFFICE HOTEL.

On the motion of Cr Anderson seconded by Cr Shaw, the bog holes in front of the Post Office Hotel were ordered to be filled up.

EEVELL STREET, NOETH.

Cr Prosser moved that plans and specifications be prepared, and tenders called for forming and metalling Revell street, North, from the completed portion of the street.

Cr Cumming seconded the motion. Cr Shaw had much pleasure in supporting the motion. It was a very important thoroughfare, and that portion of the street had been hitherto neglected, although its inhabitants had contributed largely to the rates.

The motion was passed. The Council then resumed, and tho report of the Committee having been read,

SALE OF TOWN LANDS

Cr Prosser said that many persons who occupied lands outside thought that ten shillings a foot frontage was too much. He would therefore move that the Council recommend that the price be fixed by the Superintendent at from five shillings to six shillings per foot. Motion put and passed. On the motion of Cr Shaw the report was adopted.

EETUBN OF WOBKS.

On the motion of Cr Prosser a return was ordered of all works passed by the Council and ordered to be done, but for which tenders had not yet been called.

The Council then adjourned to Friday at 7.30 p.m.

(For remainder of News see Mh JPage.J