COUNCIL'S DIGNITY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 7

COUNCIL'S DIGNITY.

AND PARLIAMENTARY ETIQUETTE. ..'A LOCAL BILL. ', The Committee have to report that they-hare.-considered' tho draft Bill, entitled The Wellington and Karori Sanitation and Water ■ Supply Bill,' submitted by the City Solicitor. Xn anticipation of having its action-con-firmed by tho Council, the Committee authorised the City Solicitor to havo tide' Bill advertised, owing to the shortage' of Unit;, and to ask Mr. Herdmau'to take charge- of tho Bill .in the House. Tho Committee- havo to recommend that the Bill bo approved, and that thoir action as abovereported bo approved. '. The inclusion of tho about paragraph the report of the City Council's Legislation Committee caused Councillor Tregeur to riso.to his foot at.last night'e meeting of the council. The councillor prefaced his remarks by eayiug that lie had .no desire to introduce politics .into tho discussion, but he wanted to ask why" |Mr. Herdman had been approached to take charge of the Bill. There was in the council a member'of Parliament, and :as a. matter'of courtesy ho should have >boen requested to look.after it. • Councillor Atkinsan, chairman- of the |tomnnttee,;explaincd that'the Bill niainUy concerned the districts of two members —Mr.<.Herdman and Mr. W, .11. D. Bell. Jt was mostly o n Mr. Hcrdman's side of the fence,, nnd that was,why .the committee made the -recommendation, .tlioii"li the committee had juet as much confi™nce'n ill'- Hindmareh's ability, to pilot tie iJilKhad it concerned his district. Councillor Fletcher moved as an amend- £ ent to the motion beforo the council that Mr. Hindmarsh should be asked to-take-charge of-tho Bill. ■Hβ was a member of tho council, and should be .raced: as a matter of courtesy. Councillor- Barber seconded the amendtoent. .-. ' ,

Councillor Fitzgerald beli°ved that it •had been the custom in the past to allow 'any councillor, who happened to be a member of Parliament, to pilot any of the council's Bills, and he considered the custom should not bo departed from. Councillor Fuller did • not agree with what had been said, on tiro subject.-_He thought it was desirable in tho'interests t>f thecity to give charge-.of tho Bill-to the most experienced man. ; Mr. Hindmarsh was really only & baby in, politics. Councillor Shirtcliffe approved of the Bill being taken charge of by a member of experience.' He' would support tho of the , committee'. ' Councillor Hindmarsh considered that Mas he was concerned in' the matter, • it Vas appropriate that he should speak, df it had'been a very difficult Bill, or 'one that was likely to meet with any >opsosition, then he would n6t have mind■ed had it been given to a man of experiencD, but ns everyone knew it was a •Bill that: was -not likely to receive- any ■opposition: He could-, only think that [Councillor Shirtcliffo, in making reference *to the question of experience, 'was trying to insult him. :.' ■ : . .: .. -.-■... Councillor Shirtcliffe rose to a point of order: • He liad been' careful to explain that lie-intended, uo-reflection on any teouncillor. ■ , ,- The Mayor rnled that Councillor Hindinarsh must accept this assurance, and the councillor did to. : Continuing, Councillor Hindmarsh said be only wished 'to uphold & principle ■land therefore ho would lot his name go to the. vote. If he was defeated he cculd Snot help 'it. "'■ ' ' The Mayor indicated what the practice I'.ad been in the past on such matters, ,nnd sub'soqiiently Councillor Tregear stated that although he had'brought tho matjter lip he would vpto. in favour of Mr. 'BeTdman being allowed to take the Bill ii he had already been asked- to' do so. I Councillor Atkinson .informed "he meetins; that the committee- liad really not intended to ask Mr. He-rdman to take charge Jof the Bill before consulting tho council; jbut the report was drafted in. sucl'ra way that it appeared as if they had authorised ■ the city solicitor to-do so, and that-ae-icoujited for'. it.v-Nb:■ insult irnsVintendeil [to - Councillor Hindmarsh, but, the Bill |mainly .concerned Mr.- Herdman's district. i.Ho .(Councillor Atkinson), when in Par|li£jment, once took charge" of a local Bill pelating to another man's .district, and it .was fired, out "without ceremony because [Parliament was peculiarly jealous of the jT'ghts of members .in matters concerning ;their own- districts. Councillors may have [their own ideas about the dignitv of the 'council but - they should uphold the etiquette of .the highest tribunal of-the (JoDd. In raising this ■ discussion after |ilr.H«r(lmans name had been, connected 'IT , ;? :tl1 ? Bill, there was surely never'a ibetter chance of wrecking it. I - Councillor Hindmarsh hoped that as *wS erdman had ft 'T«a<ly- been, asked that the amendment would be withdrawn *u P£ r ?P nal, y would-.refuse to introduce ; The amendment was withdrawn after Councillor Jletclier had explained that at *w T°f mo . vln ? it lie was not aware 1,1 ,r, 1 ? er(l, f , " 1 ha<l been "ctually flsked to take charge of it. The recommendation was then 'ogreed *> in the ordinary course.