CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 235, 11 March 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Thursday, March 11. An adjourned meeting of the Coimcil was held at 9.30 a.m. this morning. Present— His Worship the Mayor, Crs Bishop, Hart, Jones, Raphael, Gapes, and Ick. The City Solicitor, I)r Foster, was also in attendance. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The Mayor said that the object for which they had met that morning was to further consider the cab question. As he had told them last week, he had expected that in consideration of no further proceedings being taken against the cabmen, they would withdraw the guarantee to their solicitor, and that a letter to that effect was likely to come before the Council. The necessity for the letter was, that the fines having been once levied, the Magistrate had no power to remit them. He had conferred with the city solicitor, and he had given it as his opinion that it would be best, when Mr Garrick applied for a writ of prohibition to allow of it bein| issued, so as to

stop the fines being levied, and arrive at an amicable settlement of the matter. This, of course, would not at all prejudice the legal rights of the question. He (the Mayor) had at once carried out the resolution of the Council, and opened the cab-stands at once, and further than that, he had made it his business to see some of the cabmen, with a view to ascertain what was the stumbling block ; as he had seen both Dodd and Sexton on the previous occasion, and had understood from them that such a letter would be sent. Now he found that as far as he could see the stumbling block was Mr Goodyer, senr, who refused to work under the new fares, and also refused to withdraw his guarantee to the solicitor. Of course, so long as the solicitors were guaranteed, they would fight, and the Council now had to consider what steps they would take when Mr Garrick moved for a writ of prohibition. Cr Jones thought the best way would be to consider the whole matter in committee, as there was a great deal of business to be done which could not be done in private, he would move —“ That the Council discuss the matter in committee. ” Cr Ick seconded the motion 'proforma. Cr Bishop, before the motion was put, desired to say that he thought they could do very little more in the matter except letting things take their course. If a passenger was he had his remedy by refusing to pay the amount, and allow the cabman to summon him, so as the question could be fairly tried. Cr Raphael thought that it would not be right to discuss this matter in private, as it was a public matter. He could not see any occasion for making the public withdraw. The motion was then put and negatived. Cr Hart then moved—“ That the meeting adjourn to Dr Foster’s office.” Cr Gapes seconded the motion. Ultimately the reporters and strangers present were requested to withdraw. After some discussion, Cr Hart moved —“That the solicitor be instructed to take such steps as he may think necessary to defend the Council in the matter of the applications for writ of prohibition in the Supreme Court.” Cr Gapes seconded the motion, which was agreed to. On the motion of Cr Hart, seconded by Cr Ick, it was resolved—“ That twelve boards be obtained, and the cab fares printed thereon, and fixed up in different parts of the city.” The Council resumed, when the resolutions passed in committee were confirmed. The Council then adjourned to Monday next, at the usual hour.