LAPSES OF BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 3, Issue 263, 24 January 1879, Page 2

LAPSES OF BOROUGH COUNCIL MEETINGS.

To the Editor of the Aharoa Mail. Sir, —The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was to hare taken place last evening at 7.30 p.m., at which time, and

until 8 o'clock ithere were ; four councillors present, being one short/of the quorum required by law. At 8 :o'clock another councillor turned up, "who would have made the desired quorum, but that one of those present went away just as the new arrival came. The councillor who went away returned, however, in certainly riot more than five minutes, so that all the others being still present, and it being only five minutes past eight, it was naturally supposed the meeting would commence. To the astonishment of all present, his Worship the Mayor adjourned the meeting because there was not a quorum as the clock struck eight. On its being pointed out that the Act said that atter waiting for half-an-hour after the appointed hour, the meeting " may" be adjourned, and not "must" or "shall" bo adjourned, his Worship replied thai: the hour was definitely laid down in the Council's standing *' orders. I presume a small pamphlet en- . ; titled " Proceedings of the Council " was meant, but on referring to it, the hour was not so much as mentioned. His Worship then left, declining to hold a meeting, although a quorum was actually present, and! tMi been for over balf-au-hour. If councillors, who give their services gratuitously, and attend meetings oftentimes at much inconvenience, are to be treated in this way, there will soon cea.se to be a" "GoTtfttrU. -riie late been ♦ moat irregular, and it might ~TTa^e''T}een~~'" > "~| hoped that, holiday- times being past, regularity, and with it proper attention to public business, would return. During the, "■ j short time I have been a councillor, I have attended, as many lapses as actual meetings, and I would, in reference to these frequent lapses,' remark that there are some councillors who seem to consider that in accepting the responsibilities of office, they . have bbt'to suit their convenience. The neglect of such to attend meetings is both w p. breach of duty towards those who elected them to look after their interests, and it also shows a want of consideration and courtesy towards their fellow councillors.* I trust his Worship will be able to give** < a satisfactory reason for the. action he took. :; ' Yours, &c, ' . W. H. HENNING.