ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 254, 24 December 1878, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

[We are at all times ready to givo expression to every shade of opinion, but in no case do we hold ourselves responsible for the sentiments of our correspondents.] MUNICIPAL MATTKKS.

To the Editor , of the Akaroa Mail. ■ Slit, —My object in writing to you at present is to draw the attention of the Council to a question in connection with the recent elections to that body. As they are notoriously fond of legal studies, perhaps it might amuse some of them with judicial minds to crack the following nut during the Christmas recess :—When Councillors Annand, Bitlens, O'ReiUy and Sunckell withdrew their valued counsels from their brethren, an extraordinary vacancy took place under "The Municipal Corporations Act, 1876," and the Returning- Officer gave the necessary noticed to fill the same ; but at the hour* of nomination only Messrs Alger, Henning and Bjruce were found bold enough to throw themselves into the four civic gaps. lam not prepared to say that the -above three named gentlemen were not sufficient, but the law sternly demanded another councillor, who Mas found in the person of Mr J. Beebher. after, another extraordinary vacancy had been duly .advertised. The question id,, what particular resigned Councillor does each new Councillor take the place of ? The matter is still a little further complicated, by the fact that at the last general election Crs Wagstaff and O'Reilly each pulled the same number of votes, ami have now both left the Council. Clause 25 of "The Municipal Corporations Act Amendment Act, 1878," is as follows : '' A councillor elected to fill an extraordinary vacancy in the 'Council of aiiy Borough shall hold office- only so long as the councillor whose seat became so vacant would have held office if such extraordinary vacancy had not occurred." It will be as well to have the matter settled before it gets, iiiore mi:;eti. What do you say, Cr Henning? as the discoverer of theidea that the Council could not adjourn for a longer period than three days. Yours truly, CFIA.OS.

MENS SANA IX CORPOR&SAm.

To the Editor of the Afoiroa Mail.

SiX, —I notice by the report in "ybur last issue of the ■■pruueedings of the recent liegatta Committee meeting that a sum of £10 lias been voted out of the surplus liegatta Funds towards getting up rural sports ou New Year's Day in tliis.place, and I think the Committee have acted very liberally, and set a good example by so doing. Since the alteration of the date of our annual regatta to I lib lGtli inst., ••, ■New Year's day hem h.is been a holiday m but i-> nutm , . and to -the pulih'c generally the mostmiserable fraud iv the matter of any enjoyment that can we.!l be imagined. I tiust some energetic citizens will take up the idea of these rural sports, and so carry them out as to change this state of affairs on the approaching Ist of January, 1870. It is certaitily somewhat of .a slur upon us adults that the youth of the place have positively no encouragement,, public or private, to improve themselves' in athletic exercises, by wholesome periodical competition with their compeers ; and • theabsence of any piieh healthy rivalry in manly sports is workiuir. its own effect, as may be seen in the slouching, loafing, habits of the rising generation, from the child to the soi-disanl. young, man. We blame the youngsters of course; but in reality we who are older should blame ourselves for not taking more interest in the pastimes of those -who are coming after us. In conclusion. Sir, and apologising for trespassing on your valuable space, let me ask the benefit of your powerful assistance in helping on the proposed rural sports, which 1 venture to predict will be amply supported by public Subscription, and prove a thorough success if properly managed. J '■ ' ■ Sours,■.&(:.,.'' ..-..; : BURGESS. Akaroa, Dec. 21, 1878.