THE Wellington Independent. Friday, November 18, 1859. THE CORPORATION BILL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XV, Issue 1381, 18 November 1859, Page 3

THE Wellington Independent. Friday, November 18, 1859. THE CORPORATION BILL.

The mass of the toAvnspeople are totally unaware of a very Bill now before the Council. We alluded the other day,;to the introduction of a .Bill for establishing a Municipal Corporation in Wellington; this Bill is to be read a third time Tuesday; unless vetoed by the Superintendent, we shall shortly find ourselves saddled with tho government of a City Council and burdened with the- expense and responsibilities thereby entailed. JSTo one would for a moment suppose that this measure has been introduced by tho Radical party, and is being carried through by them alone. These gentlemen who were to have no secrets from the people, who were to consult them not only on every important point but on many trivial ones, have nevertheless introduced this Corporation Bill without the people knowing anything at all about it, without submitting it to one of their so-called public meetings, without even publishing an abstract of its contents in either of their newspapers, or devoting a single leader to an explanation of its necessity. Nice gentlemen these Radicals are to promise, but sad ones to fulfil. Ready to profess everything, but slow to practice anything. Better, says tho tvise man, is it not to vow than to vow'and be unwilling to perform. Do we want more government ? Have we not already enough ?' Aro not tho electoral lists, revising courts, and an- , nual elections for twelve Aldermen to be carried out under this Act, as well as [ the_ appointment of town Clerk, town Solicitor, town Surveyor, &c, which it necessitates, and the rates it authorises to.be levied, altogether too premature. Eor, be it remembered, the Bill, if agreed to by his Honor, comes into force per se ; there is no calling the inhabitants together ,to request or refuse its being brought into operation. Whether, the townspeople like it or no, into operation it must be brought. The, Radical members are determined to carry;"it, and therefore it is useless to' point out its iinsuitability to our present wants—to show how expensive it must prove; but there is one point touching its effect upon our pockets thatwe cannot refrain from alluding to.

Our readers' will recollect that some time since Thorndon Flat was under a Board of Commissioners. They made general rates and special rates. The mode of making these rates were considered by those who had to pay them as founded on an unjust principle. The occupier of the property, though he might be only a yearly tenant or have a shortly expiring lease, was subject to the rate, while the land holder got off free. Thus in all such cases the ono who derived the benefit paid nothing, the one who reaped little or no advantage paid it all. The feeling against tho Act was strong that its operation over Thorndon was dissolved, and when an attempt was

made recently, to bring a portion of To |Arj under a similar Board, the electors I interested, of both parties alike, deliberi ately rejected it. With the Corporation ! Bill they cannot deal thus, when once it is law, it must be carried out in -its entirety. ' : On the occasion of the lato rejection :by the To Aro electors of the Streets and Sewerage Act, Mr. Bowler came out I " strong" and made one or two very silly i speeches about this being a free country whore there were no taxes (Query —riiot even Customs), and where there never should be any if he could help it. The clause in the above act, which was so bitterly complained of by the ratepayers, was the 91st, which says— | " The rate'(whether " general " or " special ") shall be paid by the occupier of the land, or iiii case there shall be no occupier, by the owner thereof." Now in the Corporation Bill which Mr. Bowler and the other Radical members have so stealthily introduced and carried through to its third reading to-night,- a clause to the very same purport, and almost in the very same words, is to be found. The 53rd clause, says— ' ; " The rate (whether " ordinary" or" extraordinary") shall he paid, by the occupier of such property, or in etise there slwil he no occupier, then by the owner thereof." Mr. Bowler who was so "great" on the. inj ustice of this mode of taxation, a few months since, when he thought he had a, party end to gain, can be equally " great", in its favor now that he has a different party end to accomplish. He can " wheel about and turn about and jump Jim Crow" to perfection, no man better—a performance, however, which this time produces him no half-ponce, let him seek for them never so earnestly. There is, a. clause in some English Acts which empowers the occupier to deduct taxes from the rent, winch had Mr. Bowler any nouse about him, he would have got' insorted, if not for the justice of the thing at least for its popularity. We said in our last, that every day the Council sat, the more it played its opponents' game. Is this no.t another proof? Nothing would do the Radicals more harm than bringing this measure ; into force, and if the Supnrin-tendcnt had only the interests of a party at heart' and not that of the Province, he would be foolish in the extreme not to assent to\ it. The Superintendent, fortunately, has the interest of the Province at heart, and can save the townspeople from the burden the Radical members would bind upon their shoulders. No doubt he will do so.