AUCKLAND INCORPORATION BILL.

Auckland Star, Volume I, Issue 247, 24 October 1870, Page 2

AUCKLAND INCORPORATION BILL.

The following letter Las been kindly forwarded to ua by Mr. P. A. Philips :—" Napier, October 17, 1870.—Sir,— Although I acknowledged in due coarse the receipt of your last communication respecting the Auckland In corporation Bill, I have, nevertheless, to offer many apologies for not having replied, long ere this, to the inquiries therein contained. I might, however, mention that, since it reached me, I have been twice into the interior to hold Courts, and that my other official duties have taken up much of my time. With respect to the disappointment felt by yourself and others, in consequence of the bill not haying been introduced into Parliament during its recenr. session, I beg to say that all responsibility connected therewith must necessarily rest upon myself, and upon no one else. I was unable to have the bill completed within the prescribed tirae,_ and for that reason it could not be introduced. When the Superintendent of Auckland gave me instructions to prepare the bill, his Honor impressed upon me the necessity of having it completed by such time as would admit of its being printed and circulated, and, if necessary, amended, before the then approaching meeting of the General Assembly ; and, as the time drew near, both he and the Provincial Secretary called several times at my office to remind me of it. I gave my undivided and unremitting attention to the task I had undertaken" but I could net complete it in time. Owing to the peculiar circumstances of Auckland the preparation of the bill involved severe mental labour. Not only was a special bill requisite, but it was necessary to insert in it special provisions not usually required in bills of the kind. Auckland had been created a royal borongb, and it was desirable, for many reasons, that the honour should not be !o t sight of. The bounds of the city were to be extended so as to include its three hamlets. An opposition was raised to the union, and it became necessary to insert clauses providing against the evils anticipated by the oppositionists. Then Auckland had a debt, and it laid claim to a number of sections of lond, as city endowments, many of which had been mortgaged. These, and other matters, which might be mentioned, required the insertion of special provisions. lam inclined to believe that the plan upon which I prepared the bill was more extensive than that contemplated by the Superintendent. At the request of his Honor. I put together so much of the bill as I had prepared, in order that the same might be submitted to the City Board for remark and suggestion. When I saw him about tns matter, his Honor was on the point of leaving Auckland for Wellington to attend the General Assembly, and he was, as might b- expected on an occasion of the kind, much pressed with official business. I reminded him that it would be necessary that the bill should be returned to me in order to see to its completion. This he said should be done. At this time I reckoned on being able to complete the bill before leaving Auckland for this place. 1 attended a meeting of the City Board about six days afterwards, to learnjb*l" -^^cra^nfe-Biir, ancrXwas surprised to near from you that the bill was to be returned to the Superintendent's office, in order that it might be forwarded thence to the Superintendent at Wellington. I mentioned to you that the bi>l waa not completed, that his Honor had said it was to be returned to me in order to be finished, and that no good eoiild possibly result from ita being sen' to Wellington in its then state, as it could not be introduced into the House of Representatives, and it would only be sent back to me for completion. Thereupon you requested the secretary to send the bill to my office. This was on the 15th June. I did not then know that I should be obliged to leave Aueklard so soon and ao suddenly for Napier as I did, and I hoped, even then, to be able to complete my task before embarking. I had, however, to leave Auckland unexpectedly for Napier on the 18th, bringing the bill with me, but having to leave my law books behind, although packed up and soldered down, and all but ready for being shipped. They were, according to arrangement, to hive been forwarded two days afterwards, but in this I was disappointed. A whole month elapsed from the time I left the bill at the Superintendent's office, before I had my law books on my shelves at Napier, and had it in my p-.jwer to resume my labours. I found, however, that my official duties left me but little of that leisure time which is so essential in mental work requiring undivided and concentrated attention. I diJ what I coul I towards completing my task, but, for the reason mentioned it was very small in amount. The Superintendent telegraphed to mo from Wellington two or three times about the bill: I could not, however, complete it in time. While regretting the disappointment felt at the noncompletion of the bill at the proper time, I indulge the hope that the citizens of Auckland have sustained no injury in consequence. A bill of the kind, hastily put together, and passed into law, would prove a s-rious evil. His Honor the Superintendent will now have ample time to have the bill printed and circulated in Auckland, to receive and consi ler the practical suggestions respecting it which the ]oc-al experience of public bodies and private persons may enable them to proffer, and to have its provisions amended aud included in accordance therewith.—l have the honour to be, sir, yours obediently, SiNGELTO]* Roanfort. — P. A. Philips, Esq., Chairman of the City Board, Auckland."