AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume 4, Issue 392, 7 May 1880, Page 2

AKAROA BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the above Council was held at their Chambers, Balguerie street, on Wednesday evening last, May 5. Present: His Worship the Mayor, Crs O'Reilly, Bruce, Cullen, Armstrong, Kissel, Bridge and Wiggins. OBJECT OF MEETING. His Worship stated that the object of the present meeting was to appoint a temporary Clerk, to act during the indisposition of the present Town Clerk, and to lay before the Council a statement of their financial state. FINANCIAL POSITION. Cγ Wiggins said he thought it would be advisable for the Council to be informed as to their present financial position before any other matter waa gone into. Cr Kissel, Chairman of the Finance Committee, stated that the Committee had had the greatest difficulty to encounter in the matter. That they had, with the assistance of Mr Wood (who had been appointed by them), gone carefully through the rate roll, and had carefully inspected every written document they could find bearing on the subject ; but that, at present, there was absolutely nothing to lay before the Council, and that it would take at least two more days before they would be in a position to bring forward any statement. Cr Cullen asked what was the date of the last entry made in the books. Cγ Kissel replied that no valid entry had been made in the books since March 31st, 1879.

I Cr O'Reilly begged to express hia surprise. Hβ said he failed to see how the last half-yearly accounts could have been audited by the auditors, if such was the case. They must, nnder such circumstances, merely have made an imaginary audit, and passed a statement for which they had no authority. His Worship here produced the cash book, and the last entry in it was dated September 30th, 1879. Cr Kissel remarked that his statement had been to the effect that no valid entry had been made since the date he mentioned. Cr O'Reilly thought that if the balance was shown as being audited, it must be valid. . Cr Wiggins said that when he had requested to hear a report from the Finance Committee, he had not desired in any way to interfere with the functions of the Committee. He simply wanted to be informed as to what had, up to the present time, been done in the matter, and that as the Council were informed that the work was in progress, he deemed nothing more couLi be done in the matter until the report was prepared. SUSPENSION OF TOWN CLERK. Cr Kissel said he thought that before a temporary Town Clerk was appointed, it would be advisable to suspend the present one. His Worship deemed it; would not be advisable to discharge the present Clerk under the existing circumstances. Cr Wiggins explained that suspending and discharging were totally different matters. -J Cr Kissel moved—"That the Town Clerk be suspended." Cr Armstrong seconded. Cr O'ileiily said he considered suspending, without the period of suspension being named, was tantamount to a discharge. Cr Kissel refused to add any time for the suspending to his motion. Cr Cullen thought a time should be named. Cr O'Reilly moved as an amendment— " That the Town Clerk be suspended till such time as he should recover from his indisposition, and be able to give an account of affairs." He said he had no doubt but that there had been gross neglect on the part of the Clerk, but that as there was nothing before the Council to prove that anything was wrong, he deemed a time should be mentioned. Cr Wiggins said he would like to make a remark in reply to the two which had emanated from Cr O'Reilly. In the first place, though not perhaps thoroughly versed with matters concerning public bodies, still he by no means considered suspending tantamount to discharging a Clerk. He, as an old Government officer, knew that Government officials were at anytime liable to be suspended without either time being given or cause assigned, and that they might either be reinstated or discharged by the Government. With regard to there being nothing before the Council to prove any neglect, the very fact of there being nothing was sufficient proof of itself, as by the present time the balance sheet ought to have been audited and ready to be laid before the Council, lie thought it was not necessary to go into the why and the wherefore of such neglect; hut he deemed that if Cr O'Eeilly'B amendment to suspend the Clerk until such lime as he had recovered from his indisposition waa passed, it would be mast nnadvisable, as the Clerk might recover just as the books were beginning to assume a proper form ; and by the tenor of such a resolution ho might, just at the time it waa least acMsabJe, resume the functions

and privileges belonging to his office. In making these remarks, he said he had no wish to cast any imputations on the Clerk, or to pre-judge him in any way. The amendment not being secolfcded, the original motion was put and carried. APPOINTMENT OF TOWN CLEBK, PRO IKM. Cr Kissel moved—", That Mr W. Wood be appointed Town Clerk, pro iem." Cr Wiggins seconded the motion. Cr O'Reilly proposed that Mr Sims be appointed, stating that Mr Sims had befoie filled the same office under similar circumstances, and was tully competent to discharge the duties entailed. There being no one to second CrO'Reilly'e motion, the original motion was put and carried ; Cr O'Reilly alone dissenting. BEGISTUATION OP 1)003. After much diaoussion on the matter, Cr Wiggina moved —" That Mr W. Wood be appointed Acting or DeputyRegistrar of Dogs during the suspension of the Town Clerk." Cr Cullen seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. ACCOUNTS. Cr O'Reilly said as he aaw by the notice that the Council was called to consider Financial matters, he would like to aek why the accounts, which had been passed at the last meeting, had not been paid. He thought it very hard that working men should be kept so long out of their money. Hie Worship explained that he had not been able to obtain the necessary signatures to the cheques, owing to the absence of Mr Bridge, but that all the cheques would be ready in the morning. Jn reply to a request from Cr Cullen, the Clerk read a report from the Financial Committee &a far as they had been able to proceed, which will be published when completed. The meeting then adjourned.