THE PROPOSED LEASE OF THE COAL RESERVE.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 712, 11 August 1870, Page 2

THE PROPOSED LEASE OF THE COAL RESERVE.

SPECIAL MEETINGS OF THE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

. On Tuesday morning a special meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Town Hall, convened by circular, for the purpose of taking into consideration the application of Kilgour and Co. to the County Council for a lease of a portion of the Railway and Coal Beaerve on the: south side of the Grey River, as the granting of the same was calculated to interfere with the progress of the Annexation Movement. There, were present Councillors Kennedy (in the chair), Wickes, Purcell, Coates, Moore, and Nichol. The minutes of the last meeting having been read and confirmed, Mr Niohol said that since the meeting had been called, he had received authority from Mr Kilgonr to state that the applicants for the lease of the Coal Reserve intended to withdraw their application, in order to prevent any injury being done to the district. In order to give the applicants an opportunity of withdrawing, and of assuring the Council that they had done so, he moved " that the Conncil adjourn until 8 p.m." , Mr Moore seconded the motion, which was carried, and the Council adjourned.

In the evening, at 8 o'clock, the Council again met in the Town Hall. There were present — Councillors Coates(in thechair)? Wickes, Moore, Parkinson, and Purcell. Mr Wickes, as one who had signed the requisition calling the special meeting, explained ihat he had done so because he: considered that no further delay should *:be allowed to stop so ■flagrant an act of injustice as was about to be perpetrated, in taking away a most valuable property in such a crisis in the Annexation movement. Unless immediate action was taken to prevent it, the lease might be granted at once. Mr Nichol had stated to,. them that morning that Kilgour and Co had withdrawn their application. He was not satisfied with that. He wished to see some written document that such, was the case, because ho had it only at third hand; and it wa3 clearly th^ir duty as representatives of the people to see ■ that the matter was properly "represented at head-quarters. He, would therefore move — "That the interference of the General Government be requested to prevent tho alienation by the County Chairman of any portion of the Railway and Coal Reserve, until the question of Annexation to Nelson is decided ; that telegrams to this effect be forwarded to the Colonial Secretary, Chairman of the Westland Waste Lands Board, Messrs Harrison and Lahman. Also, that Mr Hoos be informed that the Council is unanimously opposed to the granting of the lease before the question of Annexation to Nelson is decided upon by the Government."

Mr Moore seconded the motion. As Borough Councillors they had unanimously signed the application for Auuexation, when the Coal Reserve was put down as an asset ; and they were now bound to oppose any alienation in favor of any private party or company at the present moment. They would only be doing their duty in telegraphing to tho head of the Government, and also to let Mr Hoos. know what was the opinion of the Borough Council. Still he would like to have the matter discussed at a fuller meeting. Mr Purcell supported the motion. Mr Parkinson thought it necessary that some immediate action should be taken in the matter. It was certainly . very desirable that the Coal Reserve should be leased and worked, but an application such as this at the present time was ill-timed, and was calculated to injure the town and district. He considered it the duty of. the Council to endeavor to prevent any alienation of the Coal Reserve at the present time, as it would jeopardise the Annexation scheme, He agreed with Mr Moore . that the motion should bo supported by a fuller Council than was present that night. The mqtion was put and garried unank mously, , It was then agreed that in order fco

give the other members of the Council an opportunity of expressing their opinions upon the motion, and to give the applicants for the lease another opportunity of stating to the Council th,at they had withdrawn, that the meeting stand adjourned until 10 a.m. on Wednesday morning.

Another adjourned special meeting of the Borough Council was held in the Town Hall on Wednesday morning, one hour after the agreed upon time of meeting. TJie interval was spent by the Councillors in discussing the question in dispute in the Town Clerk's room, instead of at the Council table, consequently- we ate prevented from reporting ; the debate. When the Councillors came into the hall there were, present Messrs Kennedy, •Wickes, Purcell, Parkinson, Co'ates [and Moore. ■ , . , ; Councillor Kennedy was called to the chair. ..,...' ; Mr Wickes said he understood the .meeting had been adjourned in order-. "to receive some satisfactory reply from the applicants for the lease, so as to do away ■ with the necessity of sending the tele- ; grams as agr,eed upon, and also to give ; other Councillors an opportunity of being .present. He was not aware whether any document had been received. \ The Town Clerk said that nothing had been received. He had seen Mr Kilgonr privately, and he had said that he would not satisfy the Council. ' Mr Moore was in favor of a direct application being made by the Town Clerk to Mr Kilgonr, in the name of the Council, whether it was the intention of the applicants to withdraw. They must have a decisive answer. He therefore moved to the effect that whereas the action of the County Chairman in granting the lease would interfere with the progress of the Annexation movement, a formal request be made to Mr Kilgour to withdraw the application ; and failing a favorable answer by 2 p.m. that day, the Town Clerk be empowered to forward the telegrams, as previously agreed upon. Mr Pabkinson seconded the motion.

Mr Kennedy thoroughly concurred with the motion. It was the better way to ask a written answer from Kilgour and Co., as it would give them and opportunity of making any explanations they might think proper. . ' The resolution was carried unanimously, and the Counciladjourned until 2 p.m. to receive the answer. The Council met again at 2 p.m. All the members were present except the Mayor. Councillor Wickes took the chair. The Town Clerk read the letter he had delivered to Kilgour and Co., in terms of the resolution passed at the last meeting, and also the following reply :— " Greymouth, August 10, 1870. ' ' Gentlemen — We are in receipt .of letter of this morning's date, signed by the Town Clerk, and under your directions, requesting us to withdraw the application for lease of Coal Reserve from County Council. , "Being of opinion that the Borough Council have no rjght to make any such request, and that they are distinctly overstepping the Municipal Corporations Act in attempting in any way to interfere with private and legitimate enterprise, we must decline to accede to their request. "The matter is in the hands of the Nelson Annexation League Committee, with whom we are prepared to deal. " We have the honor to be," "Gentlemen, " Yonr obedient servants, '■" J. Kilgour, and Co. "The Councillors, Borough Council, Greymouth." Mr Nxohol said, he was in a position to give the Council some information respecting the letter. The application for. the lease of the Railway and Coal Reserve' had. been withdrawn by Kilgour and Co. ; consequently, he thought the less said about it the better, seeing that the object for which they had all been 3trivinghad been gained. He could give the Council his word that he saw the telegram sent to Mr Hoos to withdraw the application of Kilgour arid Co M and as it was the intention of the Annexation League to have a meeting that afternoon or evening, at which Mr Kilgour would be requested to attend, and at which he was expected to confirm what he (Mr Kichol) had now said, he thought that no further action in the matter should be taken by the Council. He thought that some credit should be given. to Mr Kilgour for giving way— not to pressure — but in the interests of the Annexation League. He believed the application for the lease had been lodged without due consideration at the moment of the injurious effect which it would have upon the movement in question. He would therefore move " That this Council adjourn until Fridayj without further considering the letter." Mr Strike seconded the motion. The answer was just what he anticipated. He was convinced that Kilgour and Co. intended to carry out what had heen stated to Mr Nichol and himself, that the appli-; cation was withdrawn. He might say that he met Mr Kilgour with the telegram in 'his hand, withdrawing the application. He fully believed that, when Mr Kilgour made the application, he did not think it would interfere "with the Annexation movement ; and whenever it was shown to him that it would, he gave his word that he would withdraw the application ; and, so far, he had done what he promised.

The motion was put and negatived. Mr Nichol said that as he considered further proceedings would be impolitic, and would show very bad tasto when it w.as considered that the person they were dealing, with was the Mayor, he moved " that the letter of Kilgour and Co. be simply acknowledged," leaving the Council free to take any action they might think fit hereafter. Mr Strike seconded the motion, because he could not see what further object the Council could, have in. view. Mr Moore objected to the letter being answered in such terms. Not half the anxiety and uneasiness would have been caused if it had riot been the Mayor who applied for the lease. It was his position alone that had caused all this excitement, and these special meetings. If any person outside of the Council had applied for the lease, i-ifluence could have been brought to bear upon him, but when a gentleman occupy ing the position Mr Kilgour did towards that Council stepped in and made this application within a few houra of the prorogation of the County Council, it was time i'»v them to take action. Mr Nichol protested against anything the Mayor might do in his private capacity being introduced there. Mr Mqore would then §ay that the

reply of Kilgour and Co y to the letter sent by the Town Clerk was not a proper answer, after therespectfulletterwhichhad beeri sent to Kilgour and Co, they received a reply that it was beyond their power to interfere, although they were the only* local body who had to watch over the interests of the residents in the district. The coal lease would by-and-by become a very valuable acquisition to the resource*. of the Borough, and they were justified in watching an affair which might act as a^ bar to the receipt of this retetitie by the town. . '• I -);, ■■•~ ■'-.'. Mr Kennedy opposed the letterjjbeing answered as proposed, and moved ,as an amendment— •" That fG6imcillor r Jfciehol having guaranteed that the application of Ktlgour and Co. for a lease of the Coal and Railway Reserve is withdrawn, the object of this meeting is achieved, and th* telegrams authorised by this Council tobe sent are unnecessary. .. Mr Parkinson seconded the amendment, which was supported by Messrs Purcell and Wickes. On the amendment being put, there voted for it— Messrs Kennedy/ Parkinsoa. Purcellj Coates, and Moore— s. Against —Messrs Nichol, and Strike— 2. The, amendment was carried. ' : ■ ; A conversation then took place on the general question of leasing or selling lands or reserves in this district until the Annexation question is settled,^ iqtiite irrc- , spectiye of Kilgour and Co/s "application,, when it was agreed to send telegrams to the Chairman of the Waste Lauds Board, the Chairman of the County Council, and MrHarrison,stating that the opinion of the Council was unanimously against dealing with these lands and reserves at present! This was moved by Mr. Moore, seconded by Mr Kennedy, 'and carried unanimously — Messrs Nichol and Strike having left, the room. . . The Council then adjourned.