DEPOSED AND RESTORED,

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 866, 12 July 1910, Page 4

DEPOSED AND RESTORED,

A PETONE COUNCIL INCIDENT. "With tho best grace possible under tho circumstances, the Pctone Borough Council last evDiiing got itself out of rather an iuvkwaid predicament. At a previous meeting, tho cuuncii uecrced tu&t one oi its members, Councillor Colquhoun, having absented himself lrom lour ordinary uK-'utingd ot tho council, had, under tiio standing orders, iorieited his seat, The Mayo< (Mr. J. W. M'Ewan), was then instructed to ascertain what precisely was tho legal aspect of the matter, and according;}' obtained from Mr. M. Myers expert advice, supported by quotations lrom tho dicta ol eminent authorities. This opinion, read out by his Worship to tho council last evening, was to the ;ffect that as one of the ordinary meetings of tho four, from which Councillor Cuquhoun had' been absent was an adjourned meeting, and hence a continuation of the previous one, the deposed councillor could only be held to have been absent irom three meetings, and so was atill in law a councillor. In decreeing that ho had forfeited his seat, the council, said the Mayor, had acted in good faith, in the bolipf that he had actually been absent from four consecutive meetings. It was a regrettublr thing, but thero it -was. He suggested that eome one should move Iα the mattei.

Councillor Soutkgate said that the opinion of Mr. Martin, a recognised authority on municipal law, exactly coincided with thut expressed by Mr. Myers. He regretted that the Mayor, who was habitually careful in matters of detail, should , have taken tho courso he did. The town clerk was aware of the fact that one of the four meetings in question was an adjourned meeting, and ho ought to have pointed this out.

Councillor Short said that it was repettable that such a mistake should have been made. The only course open to the council now was to invite Councillor Colquhoun to resume his scat. It was a matter for regret, ho added, that personal feeling had been shown in this matter.

Councillor Piper resented the innuendo cast upon councillors by the previous sneaker. . Ho had drawn attention, to Councillor Colquhoun's absences from the meetings because the public was commenting upon the fact. He had acted solely as a matter of duty.

Councillor Short: Pardon me—l made no innuendo against any councillor. Personal feeling was shown during the previous discussion by the council.

Finally. Councillor Southsjate moved, and Councillor Piper seconded, that the legal opinion bo accepted, and that Councillor Colquhoun be. invitee ti. resume his seat.

The motion was carried, and the town clerk was then instructed to convey to Counoillor Colquhoun, who was waiting outside, the council's invitation.

Councillor Colquhoun then came in, took his seat, and tho council proceeded to the nest business.