CLYDE TOWN COUNCIL

Dunstan Times, Issue 547, 11 October 1872, Page 2

CLYDE TOWN COUNCIL

The usual Fortnightly Meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chambers on Wednesday evening last. Present; }. U. Cambridge, Esq., Mayor, and Councillors Naylor and Feraud. The Mayor said, there not being a quorum, the meeting must lapse. Councillor Feraud said, according to his reading of the section of the Ordinance regulating the meetings of Councils, there was a quorum, and he must ask the Mayor to open the meeting. The Mayor replied, that, for the last five years, it had been a rule of this Council that four members at least should bepi e -entto form a quorum ; and, as he did not feel justified in breaking down that rule without the concurrence of a majority of the Council, he would not open the meeting. The business on the order paper was of importance, requiring a majority of the Council to deal with it; therefore he must object to take the chair. Councillors Feraud and Naylor both urged that the meeting be opened. They did not desire that any business should be done, but they wished the irregular precedents which had been made should he broken through, and that, in future, the business of the Council should he carried on by the quorum as laid down by the Ordinance. Councillor Feraud also remarked that the 37th section of the Ordinance supported his view of the question —that three foiiued a quorum.

The Mayor persisted in his refusal and the meeting lapsed.

The sections of the Ordinance referred to are as follows :

Section 34. At all meetings of the Coub

cil tLe Mayor, cr, in L:s rltchtcj tu Councillor as the members present shall chose to be Chairman, shall preside, and such preside Chairman, in all cases of equality shall have a easting vote only. Unless three Members are present no meeting of the Council shall be constituted for the transaction of business, and all acts to be done by the Council, (except where any special provision shall be made herein) and all questions of adjournment or other question may be done and decided by the majority of Members present, provided three at least be present. Section 37 —Any three Members of the Council by requisition signed by them for that purpose, may call upon the Mayor to convene a meeting of the Council, a id in ail cases where the Mayor shall i .fuse so to do, tie three Members may tall a meeting by public notice to be signed by them, stating the time and place of meeting, and the nature of the business to be transacted thereat.