LAW REPORTS.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 950, 18 October 1910, Page 3

LAW REPORTS.

; .SUPREME COURT. V ; WIDENING WILLIS STREET. . •'.;■' COUNCIL'S 'RIGHTS.. \ ; ■ ■;. A special.,case relating to' land.taken; by the City Council for the widening of. Willis Street.was*argued before the. Full Court; yesterday, the main question b'eing whether a certain proclamation, taking the laud could be revoked by : a later pro•clamation taking only.a small-portion of ; it. ..The Bench comprised..the. Chief .Justice (Sir Robert Stout), (Old Justices Williams,- Edwards, Cooper, and Chapman. Th« .plaintiffs—John; Anderson Pike, ■ merchant, Arthur Thomas Bate, shareholder, Charles Perrin Skerrett, solicitor, Andrew Wylie, ■ solicitor, all of Wellington,' and the 'Bank of New Zealand—were the owners'of a piece of land which' the Wellington City' Corporation (the defendant in,the cafe)'some time ago proposed to take for street-widening purposes. This land; !which comprises b\ss.' perches, has a frohtage' to,Willis Street,'.betweenthe Duke. ot'< Edinburgh Hotel'-, and. the' "premises, occupied, by MivF: Cohen.;! .On .May a and b, .■■190!),. the; defendant,corporation notified by advertisement ..its'.in- ■' tention to' take the land under the. Municipal -.Corporations'.Act,,the Public Works Act,- and certain local Acts.' ■"■■.." ; ~: .On June 21, 190fJ,, the plaintiffs, and - the defendant entered' into an agreement,' under. . which, the corporation. ;wasf'';to ■ take, the land -within one month, fahd compensation was ;to be. assessed by ; a Court of Compensation, under, .the. Public : Works Act,. the t .corporation being •,'■• deemed.; to . have'entered, into i possession., oh' May '1.,. '■, The ;'coi'Uoratibn proceeded to take land in-.;the prtlinary ,; way,under,,.the Publio , Works-Act, the proclamation being datedAugust.'26." ■•: On September". 17; 1909,' the plaintiffs, other A than the. bank, lodged, a claim for compensation:., for : the'; land,, elMming,; £lT,'t 45.;.-:' On .■;■ October ■ 1,;, the . corporation notified -that it >did not admit-;the.-.claim, and :.on Novcrhb,er. : 22. offered, \^aß92•' iu lieu 'thereof-.' , ; This %yas, hot accepted, and .plaintiffs notified that they required, their'. : ,claim to; ; be •■ determined by-a Compensation Court under, the ;Pub-; lie .'Works- Act, 19U8. They appointed H. Scales, - sliipbroker, as their ' assessor,': and; the ;.corporation,.-appointed ...'Alfred -Henry. ; Miles, mercliant.':. ..The .next step was 'the.:issue, of a proclamation, -dated 'May:7,'1910,: and,stating'/that' the';land taken /by,' the former/ pfbclamation/lfoi/ ;street-widehihg;.was not required'f6i'/;that ' - purpose/ and : that' so, much of /tlieV saidproclamation -as affected; 5.47' perches' /of. the land waS'thpreby revoked.' Ih/effect, -the/corpora Hon/.wished; to/ 1 take/ a: strip - ■ten:--feet : ./wide; 'along' the! 'frbhtnge',';/and .leave.ithe.r.est of the allotment' in -the; pps-! ;session-of the. plaintiffs.',.The/above,facts were,-admitted.by: both-.parties.,;''//.-/.,'.; ':} The' ./plaihtiil's • -contended: ':that:.' : 'the'proclamation ;,-df - May ;.;■ 7,'J;1910, ■; was ; ' ihef--, fectual.tto 'revoke ..the..; proclamation::!of . August !2G,. lOOpi/ ;by .which:the /land ;/was ; this- were,jsb; or;hot,/"the' plaintjll's./.were/'ehtitledvAto/ have jcompensatibn/assessed"and 'paid/in terms; of the agreement,;'and' th'e'/corpora.tion /was ;: bbund :by;:'the/;asreeme'nt . to,take .-.the • land., ■ Tlio - plaintiffs;''furtheri claimed 'that the' agreement/was -in /sub.stance- .and : law/a'n' : -agreement , for/the- :' purchase ;of the''land, at;-a-price,'to'./be /iletermihed .under ■ tbi": Public WbrksvAct,; / 19D8,'-and should..be/:specifically.enforced'- : r.bjj./tlie';■ Court;; and/that?.they-,.wefo.jein :. titled/to;'damage's;-fprvbreacli/df.pbhtrap.tii ■ •:-The/ defendant .corporation:■/.;contended ;. that':,the.; second' proclamation''.:was,'- .'.by :. virtue bf/Section/3.:o'f/tho,:Public;.Works • Amendment .'Act,'l9o9;-Effectual', to: revoke ./the/first;:' that ; the '.plaintiffs',/were: -only, /entitled /to'/ cbinpens'atiohj'for/ the/strip V of /land;'now': ;vested,'/'in:'/lhfe', corporation ■i/'and in,respect-',61/ mattersjfpr/ ; / pehsatipn was; payable,;-:under■•'Section:<3' v":- l 'of' the' Act of/19lK);.-that-,it;liad : carried ; /out- the', agreeihent, /.but.-:was'' ehtitled'/to '•( ;use : the . statutory;:-.power /;;subsegueutly .'/"given. 1 to /it ,in revoking ,the prbclafiiation; './that, :as that/pbwer/.was- hot in, existence •when'the contract Was ma'de,-'..the : cbrporaT could not cpntract-itself' : -';/out .'.''of-r.tH'e. >. statute>'; : -'-.that- : /I;he'' ,: /agreemeJnt j: cohld'..hot/be.) in any-■ way! ■ con6iaered;,;as 1./' an agreement'to;! purchase' at .a; price;- to .•/be' determined under; the/Publio.,'Works' ! Act; ;i and' that :: the'; plamtiffsv:.w,ere/'?not: ..-.entitledvtbSr'damages/lr::;'.-.•'■;'',-.-*';i'■,■••'.•■'■/. .r'/' }.;i,Mr;«C."P; Skerrett,, K.C., appeared,' Tor ./ the' l plaintift's,' ''and Mr. J ; . O Shea;- City, / Solicitor;/for- the,'.defendants.' '•-' ..'/:■'. I ;,/;/In-the/course/of; argument,'-llr.'-.-O'Sh'e'a' -/-.mehtiohed ..that/ at; the/timb of .'the /first /proclamation,•''the/corporation-, intended to '^widen/Manners'Street, as /well: as Willis >'Street; :i : -They' afterwards /decided-. not !,.to, ; .widen. ; the .former.- street, but; they '-worei still/Committed!-'to xbmplete.'-wh'at' they' /had ;beguh ,: ih-.Willis ..Street;. 'The ;change ,- of;.policy was ; connected .with .the exist-: v;ence of a,-;licensed;-'house : -T-the Duke/ of /.Edinburgh/; Hbtel--at ■ the- Corner., of ./the /;two'/'streets; ./It/had' been- -held', that a hotel license '.-■ in -the,'; .city.,' was- '/w,brth • -,£10,000.'-Ifloft.:we're taken':off two/sides "of':, the .'Duke/: of' Edinburgh '.Hotel;./site,-' /there would '■ be /only : jiist .enough/'ground 'left;'for.-a-'bar,;aria' it .would'.then.''pro,-' : 'ibably: he ..claimed.;that:, the /requirements ■".o'f-the; Licerisihg .'Act could; no'longer be. • complied:' .with/ //The,;,/ City Corporation; ,"would/therefore.,find-//the.,' : widening- of •'-.Manhers;/ Street' /in;/addition /to-/ Willie j 'Street,/ too : costly/:an /undertaking. /';/:.,/ .//The,Court: feserved.-' its'.'decision. /,./.'■;

SHAREBROKING CASE

I-//UNSTAMPED/CONTRACT . ■:The / Full- Cb'drt--comprising ;the ■Chief'■ 'Justice',(Sir."Kbbert; Stout), :;and Justice's Edwards,,■/.Cooper, - and Chapmin—con.oiude'(l\yesterday/the hearing"oi argument ;.in/ the;sharebrbMng'./.case.: :■ of :Dykes,/'ahd Company v v.; : /Andrew'.'Beggs/ an appeal from,.B,,.' decision of /Mr.; Hasel-■;"'/-i'",'.-. - ; '// ; ' ■ ■'..'■ / 'The. plaintiffs/ in buying/ and .selling certain - Boss Goldfields., shares '■-,• at , the ; instructions of /the /defendant, had made, a loss .amounting; after giving ■ oredit,-for profit/on/.other, shares,; to''Slsl''l9s.,;ld.;. They;/ sued;• for,;', this'■'•-amount; .and/were non-suited, by. the'-Magistrate'; oh r ,.':the ground;- that'tKey ;■ had not. proved' .that , duly ='.stamped contract : .riotes. ...were./;ex-. /changed; be.tweeh/ buyer'and seller,/as required by Section'., 133 : ,0f the /Stamp'. Duties 'Act.' /It/.: was pleaded, as ground of -appeal,;;that/this judgment ,was ,er; roneous in' point of'law/ •■• ':■'/ '-.'.:, :', • '■ The appella'ht's'',were .represented by Mr. .C; P. Skerrett,. K'.C, /with him Mr. • G. Toogobd,/ahd. the-'dei'endahts byi Mr. .H. ~D. Bell,' K.C.,wibh him Mr. G.'.H. Pell. . :-The chief point argued: yesterday . was whether the admitted non-compliance with ■the Stamp/Act. made the .purchase'illegal, .and deprived- the brokers of;their remedy against their principal.;, '. ■ '.:••',..,-.;;/. , ■;.-.Decision was reserved./ ■:: ;: :.' - -; ;