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Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 601, 13 December 1871, Page 2

As considerable interest attaches to the position of Mr Councilor Atkin in consequence of his having tendered and subsequently withdrawn his resignation, it may be advisable to refer to usage in such cases. In fact, the very wording of the Corporations' Act refers to that which guides the pro? ceedings of all public bodies—Parliamentary usage. The first clause of Part xi. of the Act says: "In all cases not herein provided for, resort shall be had to the rales, forms, and usages of Parliament, which shall be followed so far as the same are applicable to the proceedings of the Council." And how the established usagG of the whole British. Empire works is apparent from proceedings which we see reported in one of the latest papers from home, Lloyd's Weekly Neiospapen of the 22nd October last. The paragraph refers "to1 the; tendered resignation of Alderman "Waterlow. Air a meeting of the' London Court of Aldermen on Tuesday a letter from Sir Sydney-Wtaerlow- was read, resigning hisj office of alderman of the city of London, on' account of long continued illness in his family: and the consequent necessity of his goingabroad? for some time. The Court passed a resolution: postponing the acceptance of Sir Sydney's! ' resignation until they had an opportunity oft ' urging him to reconsider., his determination.Sir Sydney stands next in order of rotation; ■ for the Lord Mayoralty after the Lord Mayor; 1 elect, Mr. Alderman Gibbons. I, It ,is admitted by all. reasonable! 'people that rules and" regulations arej made to facilitate public business, not; to interpose obstacles in the way of its progress. And it must be self-evident' that it never could have entered into; the heads of legislators, when legislating in this spirit, to have made a cast-! iron rule precluding the possibility of a man recalling his letter tendering, his resignation. Such a practice asi withdrawing resignations has been so } long* ODserved^ $hat ?fr illegal, a^argepart of the proceedings of our civic! authorities must be invalid, and per-; sons have sat and voted who had no; legal/right to; dot sol ! Nay more, isomej of the present Council must be holding! their seats contrary to law. But! passing this, we had : really thought we; had heard the last of the dirty tricks; of the City Board; and yet it would i appear that the popular conviction was; right, that business will never proceed; satisfactorily! till we have a clean sweep of the old leaven from Canada Build-' ings.