Indignation Meeting

Feilding Star, Volume VII, Issue 38, 8 September 1885, Page 2

Indignation Meeting

Pursuant to notice a number of the burgesses assembled at the Public Hall last night to pass certain resolutions with the view of obtaining an amendment in certain oppressive clauses in the Municipal Corporations Act.

Mr S. Goodbehere was voted to the i hair, and after reading the advertisement from, the Star, briefly stated the object of the meeting. He gave a resume of the Graff v Park case, and read copy of a telegram he had sent to Mr Travers, solicitor, of Wellington, as follows : —

Feildmg, 7th September, 1885. W. Teavers, Solicitor, Wellington. Does sub-section four, section sixtyone, apply to Councillor selling goods retail to Corporation without,! written contract? Wire reply immediately to read to public meeting to-night. Samuel Goodbehere. The following reply was received, which the Chairman also read to the meeting : — Wellington, 7th September, 1885. S. Goodbehere, Esq., Feilding. It does in tha case of Nicholson v Fields (4), Hurlston, and Norman. This was decided by all the judges, and this decision has been followed ever since. W. TKAVERB. After pointing out the desirableness of some change in the Municipal Corporations Act, he asked if anyone present had anything to say on the subi'oct.

M- P. Thomson proposed the fol lowing resolution : —

That, the Resident Magistrate for this district having given judgment for the plaintiff in a late case of " Graff v Park," prosecuted by a common informer against a Town Councillor for the Borough of Palmerston North to recover penalties for selling goods retail to the Council of the said Borough from his shop of a stationer, it is the opinion of this meeting that whether such judgment of the Kesident Magistrate is legal or not it is desirable that Bub-sectien 4. of the 61st section of "The Municipal Corporations Act 1876" should be amended during the present session of Parliament so as to more clearly define the meaning of the word " contract" appearing therein.

This was seconded by Mr Bray.

A short discussion ensued, in which Messrs Thomson, Cottrell, Fowles, Bray, Lyne, and Nicholas took part, the latter expressing his opinion that the law as it now stood was most arbitrary and monstrous, and a great failure of justice. The Chairman said there could be little doubt of that.

The general opinion of the meeting was to the same effect.

The motion was then put to the meeting and carried unanimously. Mr Carthew moved

That, it is the opinion of this meeting that if the law as laid down by the Besident Magistrate in the case of " Graff v Park" is sound it is unnecessarily arbitiary and unjust, and calls for immediate amendment. This was seconded by Mr Kirton. Mr Carthew spoke strongly in support of, the motion, and his remarks | were thoroughly endorsed by Mr 1 Nicholas and others. | The- resolution was unanimously carried. Mr $L A. Caldwell proposed, and Mr Nicholas seconded, the following motion, whtth was also unanimously carried : — I That, the Qhairman be 1 requested to forward the resolutions passed at this meeting to D. H. Macartnur, Esq., the' member for tbie district urging aim to see ,the Minister of Justice ■ on- the matter and to use his utmost endeavours to bring about an alteration in the law durthe present session of Parliament.

Mr Carthew suggested the desirableness of Mr Macarthur's attention being called to similar objectionable clauses' in the Counties and the Highways Acts at the same time. . : ; : ' : "'.:.'?'.

At the-suggeution of Mr Gichard it was agre.ed that copies of the resolutions be also sent to Messrs Bruce and Wilson, M.H.E.'s for Bangitikei and Foxton respectively, i ■" A vote of- thinks to. the Chairman terminated the meeting. . ;