CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2646, 10 August 1871, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

At this afternoon’s sitting there were present the Mayor, Councillors Larues, Mercer, Ramsay, Livingston, Thoneman and Winter. The principal business was the fixing of the Mayor s salary. Mr Bars ES moved that the Mayor leave the chair. , . His Worship could see no reason why he should leave the chair ; but if the Council wished that he should vacate it ho won d do so. »He conceived it was a matter that did not concern himself personally, but one that affected the citizens. He was not so thinskinned as to think that anything that might be said would adect him in the shghteS Jthat the Mayor leave the chair having been carried by time to two. His Worship consulted the 34th section of the Standing Orders, and ruled that the motion was irregular. He again expressed fie hope that the fact of his remaining in tie chair would not act as a bar to any dis cusslon. , , Mr Id ARNES said he for one would not be deterred from saying what he had to say by the Mayor remaining in the chair. He was o' opinion that the Mayor’s salary was too high. The time had come when not only the Mayor’s salary, but the whole fcf the official salaries should he reduce*!, Ihere was necessity for retrenchment The office expenses were as high as when the (Jity was spending L 35,000. He moved that the salary be reduced to L 250. Mr Thoneman seconded pro forma. Mr Livingston moved that the allowance be L4OO. He pointed out that the Mayor’s salary was the only expense incurred by the Corporation. When they considered the expenses of an election—he knew on one occasion it cost a ca. didate Ll5O and the calls upon the occupant of the office foi charities, L4OO was not too much. He thought no man should be Major who did not at least give L2OO out of the salary towards charities. If they reduced the salary to L 250, it wo l ll be practically throwing the office into the hands of the we dthy numbers of the community, and taking all chance from the ordinary run of Councillors ot evi r tiding the office. Office could not be taken by a tradesman at the reduced amount, unless he was prepai ed to sacrifice his business. Mr Winter opposed the reduction, on th ground of the larger amount being none too much, considering the great time required in the fulfillment of the duties of the office. Mr Mercer was favorable to a reduction twelve mouths ago, but seeing that the Mayor would likely be put to the co-.t of a fresh election, he would oppose the present reduction. Mr Neale endorsed the remarks of the previous speakers. One reason why he would oppose the reduction was that, if carried it would be the means of preventin', tradesmen from aspiring to the office. He deprecated now making the reduction, which should have been made before the election, or a considerable time afterwards, Mr Barnes, in reply, said the Mayor was aware a reduction would be proposed. It was his Worship’s suggestion that no salary should be voted at all in the event of Mi Birch’s election. Mr Livingston wished to know when that statement was made. He never heard of it before. The Mayor was willing that the Council and the public should know. It was made in the course of a private conversation be tween Mr Baines and himself. Whether it was in good taste, or in accordance with gen tlcmanly conduct, to repeat a statement made in confidence, he could not say. The amendment was put and declared car - ried —Messrs Livingston, Mercer, Winter, and Neale voting for it, and Messrs Thoneman and Barnes against. The Mayor thanked the Council for voting the salary not as affecting himself, but foi placing in bis hands the me. no:' dispensing that charity which it behoved and became necessary on the part of any person filling the Mayoral chair. It was not. t all a per senal question ; they were as well aware as ho that the duties were exceedingly onerous ; in former timer may oi’s got LOGO, when the business of the Corporation was -in many cases negligently and in others inadequately performed. He left it to the public to judge whether the feelings of the proposer and seconder pf tjje motion were dictated by an earnest desire for the welfare of the City or were prompted by cnemity and disappointed ambition against himself. He felt strongly on the point, and in making the remarks he did so in justice to himself. Seeing the one was his determined opponent, and the other, although he had repeatedly stated in public that no person had sat better on the Bench or at the Council tabic than he (Mr Fish), he had latterly proclaimed through the highways and the bye ways that be was a strong partisan of Mi Thoneman —it looked very bad for the buna Jidai of these two gentlemen. lie could uol help characterising their conduct as being characterised by a strong hatred towards himself, instead of resulting from any desire for the welfare of the City. Mr Barnes (excitedly-) i I think youi Worship is forgetting yourself in sayirg any Councillor does not act for the welfare of the City. You have no right to use such words, and — The Mayor : Mr Barnes will please sit down. Mr Barnes ; I shall not, until you treat me properly as a Councillor. lam not Mr Banns, but Councillor Barnes. The subject then dropped.