COUNTY COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1443, 17 March 1873, Page 2

COUNTY COUNCIL.

Friday, March 14. The Chairman brought up the report of the Finance Committee, recommending that application should be made to the General Assembly for power to enable the County to raise a loan of LIOO,OOO upon the security of the waste lands of the Crown within the County, to the extent of 200,000 acres, in not more than four blocks ; the land to be selected with a special view of encouraging the utilisation of the extensive and valuable forests existing in the southern portion of the County ; the purposes to which the loans should be applied tobe(l): the satisfaction of outstanding liabilities ; (2) opening up communication with the southern portion of the County ; (3) the removal of the Hotcitika Hospital ; (4) such works as may be necessary to develop the resources of the County. The report recommended also that temporary provision be made • for outstanding liabilities by accepting the j offer of the Bank of New Zealand to advance L7OOO in addition to the deficiency bills now overdue, the rate of interest upon all advances to be 7 per' cent, per annum. The arrangement to be only of an interim nature, pending the final decision of the General Government in re the payment of the cost of the Arnold and Kokotahi road. The report was read and received. HOKITIKA AND GREYMOUTH TRAMWAY. Mr Cassius moved — " That the resolution of this Council, passed on the 24th February last, having/reference to the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway being referred to arbitration, be rescinded." The Council divided on the question for rescinding the resolution previously passed. Ayes : Messrs Bonar, O'Donovan, Dungan, Kennedy, Barff, and Cassius. Noes : Messrs Smith, Cuming, and Robinson. The motion was accordingly carried. Mr Cassius moved — "That the Chairman be authorised to take the necessary steps to have the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company referred to arbitration." Mr Barff seconded the motion. Mr Kennedy considered that he had a right to vote on this question. At the commencement he did certainly absent himself, thinking it would be better if the question were settled when he was not present ; but seeing that the matter was about to be shelved, he felt it to be his d uty to take part in the discussion. He would support the motion, but if any other mode, better calculated to bring the matter to a settlement, were propoesd, he would support it in preference. He might say that the report of the Select Committee was sufficient to convince him of the justice of the claims of the C >mpany, but from his own personal knowledge when in Hokitika some years ago he was aware that the public had derived substantial benefits from the tramway,and the County had been spared expense iv maintaining roads. There was also the fact that through the encouragement held cut by a resolution of the Council, the Company had been induced to lay out a considerable amount of money. Under these circumstances to abstain from making a settlement amountted to repudiation. He did not say that the Council should pay the whole amount set down by the company, but he understood that the account had been sent in by the company merely for information to make the Council aware what the Company's losses had been. For himself, he felt bound to say that he would not give anything like the amount the company j had set down, nor did he think it was expected. With respect to the arbitration, there might not be need to refer the whole of the matter. There were two questions involved, one of the eight pei cent guarantee and the other as to compensation ; the Council might send one to arbitration, and settle the other. He should think that there could not be much difficulty in doing that, and had he been entirely unconnected with any Tramway Company he would have brought forward a defiuite resolution on the subject. He did not do so because though hot connected with the case before the Council he had au interest in a tramway which might at some time form the subject of discussion. He should, however, vote upon the present question, as he thought it would be quite as unreasonable to debar the member for Paroa from voting on a miner's petition because he was himself a miner, and might at some future time have an interest in a mining grievance. That was not the way that matters were settled in commercial circles. If a shipwreck occurred who were the men who conducted the inquiry into the losses I They were always mercantile men, and men conversant with the laws of inquiry. He was satisfied that the Company had claims and he would not be a party to a system of starving them out by deferring the settlement of those claims fn.rn session to session. It was unfair to the company and injurious to the County, whose honor was as much involved in its word being kept as was the case with an individual. If a man fails in his word his credit suffers, and so must it be the case with the County. The Chairman objected to the motion, because it was premature, inasmuch as the question to be arbitrated was not ready for arbitration. He moved as an amendment — "That the Chairman, during the recess, be empowered to obtain the necessary information respecting the desirability of having the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company referred to arbitration." Mr Smith considered that under the resolution passed by the Council respecting compensation any undertaking constructed since was clearly entitled to receive the compensation. He could not see the advantage of arbitration, as after all the award would have to be enforced by a Court of Law. He could not help expressing his surprise that certain members who were connected with Tramway Companies were taking part in the discussion, and proposed to vote on it. He believed that one member, af. all events, had in the course of his election promised that he [ would not do so. : Mr Cassius objected to the amendment, as only shelving the question. Mr Kennedy had said, when speaking previously, that if any definite motion were proposed, he would support it in preference to that on the Order Paper, but he did not consider the amendment of the Chairmnu of that character, nor such as he (Mr Kennedy) could support. With respect t)j the moral obligation referred to by the Chairman, the present caae was quite different tp the one he (th,e Cl.uirnian) mentioned. Here the public had

had the use of roads when the County could not construct them, and the pnblic convenience had been also otherwise served. When individuals constructed bridges they received protection, and were allowed to levy tolls even upon foot passengers. On this tramway there were several bridges, and on none of them was the company allowed to levy tolls from foot passengers. With respect to taking a part in this discussion, he remembered having said something during the election, to the effect mentioned by his colleague (Mr Smith), but he (Mr Kennedy) wa3 speaking of his own tramway. But in this case he was not in the slightest degree interested, and he felt no difficulty in voting upon it. Besides, it had been, in a manner, forced upon him to take a part in the discussion, by the manner in which the matter had been dealt with by the other members. He should vote against the amendment, and must remark that he entirely disagreed with the spirit shown by the Chairman in the matter. The amendment was put to the vote and negatived on the voices. Mr Cuming moved as an amendment, " That owing to the great diversity of opinion existing in the matter of Tramway compensation,! this Council is desirous of having the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company referred for final settlement to a Judge of the Supreme Court of the Colony to be b™ him decided in Equity ; and that the Chairman be requested to take immediate action to carry out the foregoing resolution." Mr Kennedy seconded the amendment. After considerable discussion, the Council divided on the amendment. Ayes : Messs Bonar, Cuming, Dungan, Kennedy, Barff, and Cassius ; Noes : Messrs Smith, O'Donovan, and Robinson. The amendment was therefore carried, and became the motion. Mr Smith moved as an amendment — "That the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company be referred to a Select Committee, consisting of the Chairman, Mr Bonar, and Mr Cumy«; to inquire into the matter during tne recess. Mr Dungan seconded the amendment. The Council divided — Ayes : Messrs Smith, O'Donovan, and Robinson ; Noes : Messrs Bonar, Cuming, Dungan, Kennedy Barff, and Cassius. The amendment therefore was negatived. Mr Smith moved, as an amendment — "That the consideration of the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company be deferred until the members interested refrain from voting on the question." The amendment was not seconded. The Chairman moved, as an amendment— " That the claims of the Hokitika and Greymouth Tramway Company be referred to a Judge of the Supreme Court in Equity, after a statement has been drawn up and approved of by this Council of che claims respectively, of the various tramway companies." The Council divided — Ayes : Messrs Smith, O'Donovan, Dungan, Robinson. Noe3 : Messrs Bonar, Cuming, Kennedy, Barff, and Cassius. The amendment was therefore negatived. The Council then divided on the motion of Mr Cutniug, referring the question [ to a Judge of the Supreme Court in Equity. Ayes : Messrs Bonar, Cuming, Kennedy, Barff, Cassius. Noes : Messrs Smith, O'Donovan, Dungan, and Robinson. The motion was therefore carried.