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Grey River Argus, Volume VI, Issue 387, 7 July 1868, Page 2

The petition of the householders of Greymouth, to»be constituted a borough, under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1867, is to be taken into consideration by the Governor ou the 15th inst., and as no counter petition has been presented, there is no doubt that the town will be brought under the provisions of the Act and constituted a borough on or about the date mentioned. It may therefore be instructive to take a short glance at the Act under which we are for the future to live. Wheu the time arrives for the Governor to take the petition iuto consideration, it is then lawful for him by proclamation to constitute the district a borough under the Act "if it shall seem fit so to do," and such proclamation shall be published in the "New Zealand Gazette," and tLen the inhabitants of the proclaimed borough shall be a body corporate, under the name of the Mayor, Councillors, and Burgesses of the borough, and shall have a perpetual succession and a common seal. It is provided that the number of Councillors to be elected for the borough shall be nine, and the qualification of persons standing for the office is, that on the 20th of June last they were electors eurolled on some electoral roll, which, under the provisions of the Registration of Electors Ace, 1866, shall for the time being be in force, whose qualification is in respect of lands or tenements situate within the borough. But every person is disqualified from being a candidate for office who had been insolvent, and has not obtained his fulfil order of discharge, who has been attainted of treason, or convicted of felony or .perjury, or any infamous crime, or who holds a place or ollice of profit under the Council, or participates in the profits of a contract for the Counci l , The first election of Councillors under this Act shall be made by persons whose names are enrolled on any electoral roll for the- time being in force in the district, and whose qualifications are as previously stated ; and the election shall take place on such day as the Governor shall appoint, not being less than forty days after the same shall have become a borough; and he shall appoint some person to conduct the elections. The person so authorised is required to give fourteen clear days notice of the time and place when the nomination of candidates shall take place, by advertisement in a public journal. The nominations must be made in writing, and signed by not less than three persons duly qualified to vote at the election, and also by the candidate therein mentioned, in token of his assent to being so named. A five not exceeding £20 can be inflicted for the nomination of an incapacitated person, and for any person not entitled to vote, " willingly and knowingly," signing a nomination paper. The-Act then goes on to provide for the fixiug of the polling-day, the mode of election, the filling up of extraordinary vacancies in hhe Couucil, the aappointt t meut and qualifications of assessors and auditors, tfce. The Mayor shall be chosen by the Councillors. The clause regulating this reads thus :— " At the first meeting of the Council in every borough, after the first constitution of

such borough, the Council shall by a majority of the votes of the Councillors present, fleet one of their body, or some person not being one of their body, but qualified to be a Councillor, to be Mayor ijntil the iiexfc annual meeting of the Council, and at each annual meeting of the Council in every borough, j the Council shall in like manner elect a Mayor for the ensuing year; and the Mayor shall preside as Chairman at all meetings of the Council at which he shall be present; and if a Councillor shall have been elected Mayor, and the Mayor cease for any cause other than the retirement of Councillors in i-ota-tion to be a Councillor lie shall be incapable of being or continuing Mayor," &c. During bis tenure of cilice, the Mayor shall continue to act as a Counpillor, and the Governor may appoint him to be a Justice of the Peace, to act ouly within thedistrict of the Mayoralty, and so long as he continues to hold such office ; but this does not limit the power of the Governor to appoint any person a Justice of the Peace for the Colony. The iirst meeting of the newly elected Council shall be held at some convenient place, at ten o'clock in the forenoon, on the third Wednesday after the first appointment of Councillors, or as soon thereafter as conveniently may be. Ordinary 'weekly meeting will be held, but the annual meeting must take place on the third Wednesday in December of each year. Powers are granted to the Council for the valuation of rateable property for the levying of general and special rates, and for the recovery of the same as by law provided ; but the special and general rates taken together shall not. at '-.any one time exceed two shillings in the pound of the assessment of the rateable property subject to the special rate, and no special rate shall at any time be made so that together with any special rates heretofore made and for the time in force it shall exceed one. shilling in the pound of such - assessment for the time being. Full power is given to the Council over roads, streets, footways, bridges, feriies, watercourses, markets, pounds, tolls, lor sewerage and lighting purposes, and for the cairying out of a large number ;of works of public utility.