THE The Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1870.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 18, 16 March 1870, Page 4

THE The Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 16, 1870.

We have hitherto refrained from writing upon the unhappy state of Municipal affairs in Qi'omwell, notwithstanding the one-sided statements and assertions which have been published by a contemporary—statements and assertions which have been made without the slightest regard for truth, and without any consideration whatever of the bad feeling that would result from them. We have not taken any notice of these wanton misrepresentations, knowing full well that if we did so we should only add fuel to the fire, and create a rancorous party strife in the community ; whereas by leaving them to the obscurity in which they would be veiled if only published in the organ we have, alluded to, the damage clone would be comparatively small. We cannot, however, any longer resist the desire to make a few observations, as matters are evidently getting. worse rather than better under the present regime. When Mr Whetter resigned his postion as Mayor some few weeks since, and Mr G-oodger assumed the reigns of

office, a- new. Council was formed to act with him. The Council consisted of Messrs Whetter, Kelly, Burrrs, and Daoo, and great promises were made, and a sincere desire to work in harmony with each other expressed. But what has been the result of this re-construction of the body Corporate 1 Simply thut, instead of a harmonious working with each other as proruisodj qaarrelling and bickering, and positively libellous assertions, have been the order of the day. At the first meeting of the new Council, held on the 28th of February, Or. Kelly brought forward a motion to the effect that the whole of the proceedings of the assumed Council (as it was termed by him) should be declared null and. void, and the record of all their acts expunged from the minute book. In a speech which was more remarkable for its bitterness and absurdity than anything else, and in which he stigmatised the " assumed " Mayor and Councillors as usurpers and impostors, he endeavoured to frighten some of the Councillors into seconding his sweeping condemnation of their previous acts, and%s a matter of course failed, and his motion consequently lapsed. If it had been otherwise, endless litigation would have resulted, and there would have been such a scene of confusion in the township as is happily seldom witnessed. It would have been very far from a benefit to the town to cancel the whole of the proceedings of' the Council, as Councillor Dago very truly observed at the late meeting. Upon the failure of Cr. Kelly's scheme for getting rid of this difficulty, a motion was proposed by Cr. Burres expressing satisfaction with the minutes of the proceedings of the Whetter Council, and suggesting that they should be confirmed. This the Mayor declined to put, and so ended the first meeting of the new Council. A special meeting of the Council was then called by the Mayor for consideration of a demand made by a party of miners for payment of water which had been supplied to the town. This meeting lapsed for want of a quorum, the Mayor and Cr. Kelly only attending. We think the members of the Council who did not attend had a reasonable excuse for the course they took, as the next ordinary meeting of the Council came on in four days from the date for which the special meeting had been convened, and the matter was not of such pressing importance as to necessitate its consideration before all other Corporation business. Crs. Whetter, Dagg, and Burres naturally wished that some definite course of action should be resolved upon with reference to the acts of the " impostors," before consideration was given to special business.

This special meeting, then, having lapsed, a public meeting of the ratepayers was called by the Mayor "to consider the water question." After a tleal of angry talk, the meeting came to an unsatisfactory conclusion—a vote of thanks to the Mayor for calling it being the sole result. And now we have to chronicle the fate of the next ordinary meeting of the Council, which should have been held on Monday evening last, and at which something decisive would no doubt have been done, both in regard to the disposal of the water question and the confirmation or otherwise of the acts of the Whetter Council. The meeting was called for seven o'clock, in accordance with the Standing Orders ; but as it has hitherto been a very unusual thing for the Council to commence business ranch before eight, the majority of the Councillors were not present until nearly half-past seven—half an hour's grace being allowed by the Standing Orders. The Mayor, however, vacated the chair in consequence of Crs. Whetter, Burres, and Dagg not coming up to time, and when

those three gentlemen arrived at half-past seven, they found that the meeting had lapsed, and the Mayor had gone home. We certainly are advocates for punctuality in business matters, but we consider that it is carrying things too far to shelve the public business in such an unreasonable manner. So things stand at, present, however, and, so far as we can see, with very little prospect of amendment. We think it would be a good thing if the Cromwell Municipality were abolished altogether, if the present farce is much longer continued. We have no doubt the great majority of the residents in the township are of the same mind ; and we commend the matter to the consideration of those who have the power to do so.