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Clutha Leader, Volume III, Issue 139, 9 March 1877, Page 5

It will be observed from a report of a special meeting of the Town Council held last evening that the Council has again had under consideration the long vexed question of the responsibility of the Balclutha bridge. The resolution then passed upon the subject will, we think, settle the matter, and that, too, 5n a manner satisfactory to the inhabitants, and upon terms which must appear even to the Government as exceedingly reasonable. The Government has •now kept control ot the bridge for ■eight years, during which time it has -afforded a very good revenue, and, the bridge being new, only a very small ■annual sum was required for repairs. The Council previously offered to tako the revenues and the entire charge of the bridge, but their request was refused, and now that the revenue maybe expected very much to fall off, and the expense of repairs materially to in--crease, the Government propose to force the bridge upon the acceptance of the Council. It no doubt is very desirable that the bridge should be under the management of the local body, for in that case there can be no doubc it would be carefully attended to ; but i*. would manifestly be altogether unreasonable to expect the town to become responsible for the maintenance of the bridge at its present age, and in its present dilapidated condition. Far less could be expected that the Corporation would undertake the obligation of replacing the bridge when such a course shall become necessary. The Govern-

ment, however, say that under the new order of things the bridge belongs to the Council by Act of Parliament, whilst the legal gentlemen to whom the Council referred the matter, take a very different view of these Acts. Under these circumstances, the decision of the Council last evening- seems a very wise and prudent solution of the difficulty ; that is, for the Council to take charge of the bridge, and to expend upon it tlie entire revenue derived from the toll, but without further responsibility-, and without prejudice to their present legal position with reference to the bridge. This ?r?ems so reasonable a proposition that we have ne doubt the Government "vill At once accede to it, and thus bring the disuute to an end.