The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. . —♦ Maqna bst Vbritas bt Pr/bvalrbit THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1888. DISALLOWED ACCOUNTS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1937, 6 September 1888, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit.

. —♦ Maqna bst Vbritas bt Pr/bvalrbit

THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1888. DISALLOWED ACCOUNTS.

The " disallowed accounts " came up at the last meeting of the Borough Council, and the Mayor said nothing had been done concerning them. A Bill had been before the House dealing with with the matter, and although it had not become law, the Auditor-General, because of it, had taken no further action. One of the conncillors thought a small honorarium should be voted the Mayor, who shonld then out of his own pocket wipe off the score. The Mayor did wisely, we think, m making himself no party to such a proceeding. As bearing on the case of the Borough Council, we find the following m an Auckland paper, which, so far as we are aware, is the only case brought into the Supreme Court. The case was L. A. Durrieu v Thames County Council Four members of the Council were summoned as defendants. The action was brought by the Provincial- Auditor against the Council for refund of moneys voted by the Council illegally. The whole sum disallowed by the auditor was £143, including £130 paid to the chairman, moneys voted for travelling expenses other than actual travelling expenses, and £2 cab hire. The latter amount was paid into Court. When the case was called Mr Theo. Cooper, who appeared for the plaintiff, said that the Chairman of tho County Council had been m communication with, the Auditor-General, who had sent a letter which he (Mr Cooper) now held. He attributed no improper motives to the defendants. It stated that as the councillors had been acting m this misconception of the law he would not enforce the charges, but m future only actual travelling expenses would be allowed. Judgment was then given for the £2 paid into Court, and m accordance with a curious provision of the Counties Act the costs of both parties have to be paid' out of county funds. The coßts were fixed on the lower scale