THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1880.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1975, 23 June 1880, Page 2

THE GLOBE. WEDNESDAY, JUNE 23, 1880.

The Works Committee of the City Council, as we have had occasion to remark on a former occasion, is a fearfully and wonderfully constructed body. The mouilaora never by any chance agree upon any point, and it is frequently the case that they come down to the Couneil Chamber at night, after agreeing in the morning to a certain course, and vote directly contrary to their arrangement as a committee. A. striking instance of this occurred on Monday last. Tho Works Committee embodied in the report of the City Surveyor a recommendation that tho deposit of a certain contractor should be forfeited, he not having carried out the terms of his contract. In all public bodies it is generally understood that when a committee bring up a report it is the outcome of their deliberations, and that they expect the recommendations made therein to be carried into effect. Judge, then, of the surprise which must have taken possession of the members of the Council when no less a personage than the Chairman of the Works Committee rose to second a motion directly the reverse of the recommendations of the report of the Committee. Matters were still further complicated when another member of the Works Committee made two diametrically opposite speeches, and finished by voting in a third direction. What roliance can the Council place upon the reports of a committee the members of which conduct themselves in this way ? A committee recommends a certain course, presumably upon the votes of a majority, when, lo and behold, two out of the three vote diametrically opposite to their own recommendations. We venture to say that such a state of things is unprecedented in the history of any public body. A committee that has not the courage of its opinions stated in black and white before the Coun?il, but goes on a totally different basis without any reason assigned for so sudden and complete a veering round, is not entitled to the confidence either of the Council or the public, because no one knows when to accept its recommendations. Again, we object to the incorporation of the recommendations of the Works Committee with the surveyor's report, The surveyor, as an officer of the Council, has to furnish an official report upon the works under his charge, but this should be entirely distinct from the report of a body which is really the executive of the Council in that direction, and under whose direction he is. When the Works Committee have to report upon any matter it should certainly not appear in tho report of the City Surveyor, as in the case under notice. Like other committees of the Council, they should furnish a separate report, which can be discussed on its merits. Not only does the course pursued place the surveyor in a false position, but it also deprives the Council of that amount of criticism of tho report which proves so useful a check to the exuberance of committees. In future we hope the Works Committee will not bring up any report to the Council the terms of which they are not prepared to advocate and stand by loyally, and that if they do report on any subject it will be a report of the Works Committee themselves, and not conveyed through the medium of the surveyor.

The Lighting Committee of the City Council are to be asked, we notice, to bring up a report on the present city lamps, with recommendations for the establishment of others whore needed. We should like to point out a very pressing necessity, not exactly for the establishment of a lamp, but for the continuance of the lighting of one which is now extinguished too early. There is a lamp near the Post Office which, up to a

certain hour, enables those desiring to post letters to do so with some approximate knowledge as to the destination which the epistle will eventually reach. But, for some reason or other, this lamp is extinguished at an hour considerably earlier than the rest of the city lamps. Those unfortunates, therefore, who have not completed their correspondence in time, havo to feol their way to the letter box by means of lighting matchos, &c. There is no reason whatever -why this should bo so. The lamp at the Post Office is equally as convenient to tho general public, if not more so, than ordinary city lamps, and should certainly allowed to remain alight equally as long. Wo commend this matter to the consideration of the Lighting Committee, with a hope that thry will see their way dear to altor the present system, and allow the Post Office lamp to romain lighted up to the usual hour for extinguishing the city lamps.