BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 718, 17 January 1879, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A special meeting of tlie Bvough Council was held at the Town Hall last evening. Present: the Mayor (E. Blake, Esq.), Councillors Brown, Campbell, Sedd in, King, Pollock, O’Har.i, and Dn.ngan. ■ The Town Clerk read the requisition i calling the meeting, signed hy Conncilj lors Scddon, Campbell, and Brown. i Several letters written by the Town : Clerk, by direction of his Worship the Mayor, to t ie 1 'ommissioner of Crown j Lmds were read and approved of. j The replies to the foregoing curesjiondence were also read and received. | Cr. ‘Seddon said I lie object of this I special meeting w mid lie explained hy ; the question on th-*'order paper, which ! might, be divided into two patts — lmsi- ; ness licenses and s-ale of lands. The • sale of land wi'hiu the Borough had been fixed f-r the 12th of March next, i and sis this- ha I been promise 1 from ! month to month since last November, j a number > f persons had n t taken out I th-iv Im.sinoss licenses for fios* three ■ months. IP- considered this was an I injus'i -e done to die Boronph. and also ■ an injustice to tlnse pm'sons who cou- | form-(I to the law. He slem'd move—- ' That in consequence of the Police hav- ■ ing been instructed not to proceed against persons carrying on b isiness in that part of the Borough which is within the goldfield without ho!«ijiig business licenses, the Town-Clerk iie instructed to lay inform ition against s ich persons for carrying on b isinesj m ilve g >ll,held without holding business 1. •euses, and at the same time that the whole matter be respect-

fully referred to-the Minister of Justice. Also, that if any persons so carrying on business take out licenses between this and next Monday, and afterwards purchase the section occupied by them, a refund will be guaranteed of an .amount proportionate to the term of the licenses and the time between the date of purchase of the sections and the expiration of such licenses. During the number of years he had been a resident of this colony he never knew such a glaring case of injustice as appeared in the Komara Times that evening, as the police were instructed to wink at the law. He had yet to learn that the Government, or any power when once a law was made did not carry it out. He defied the Minister of Public Wovks or the Commissioner of Police to do it. The Borough Council drew a part of its revenue from these licenses, and yet the police are told from head-quarters not to perform their duty. The police had no right to act in this manner and yet by Dr Giles’s letter the Government endorsed their action. The Council must remember that it was only yesterday the Commissioner applied to the Government to have the land withdrawn, and consequently when the letter relative to the action of the police was written the land referred to was a portion of the Borough. Any civilian, if he ever saw an infringment of the law, could lay ah information and have a person punished as well as the police. The Government might as well sent word to tiie Resident Magistrate to let the offienders off • hut 1m (the speaker) knew that the reply of the bench would he I am here to administer the law and not to he dictated to hy the Government. Referring to j the equity of the case, lie thought that if persons to k out a six months’ license and only required three, they should not be treated unfairly, hut should he refunded a portion out of the money derived from the sale of the land. Why should some people he allowed to squat on land to the detriment of the Borough while others had to pay a license foi the same privilege. The idea wa? monstrous. They had been elected by the ratepayers of the town look aftei their interests, and this was a viml one. Had a public meeting been called on this matter and the que.-tion dis- | cussed openly, Ire would, have thought it fair, but when one or two people who were, intere ted got bold of a. member of Parliament, ami through him referred ! the matter to the- Commissioner of j Crown Lands th night it was time j f>r the Council to take, action as they | had been pejfectly ignored and insulted, in the business He thought that when the whole matter was referred to the Minister of Justice some oin- w.nthl get “ a rap over the knuckles, ’’ f >r the part they had taken in (his mat'er. Cr. Campbell, in seconding the resolution, thought it met the requirements of (he case in every way. He might say that it was the moat remarkable case that ever came within the scope of his experience. The mover of the resolution had said that this matter was an insult to the Council. He (the speaker) would go furthei, and sav it was the greatest injustice ever perpetrated, as their revenues were to he swept away at a moment’s notice. It was simply a telegraphic flash from Wellington, and their funds were gpne. The only excuse, that he could form in his own mind for this action was that being holiday time the. Government might have, been a little muddled. He ' thought the refund of a portion of the | license money was but fair, and, on the ! other hand, the Council were entitled , to the license revenue for the time I being. On the whole the resolution met his views of the case. They should make a hold stand against this innovation on the part of the Government, as on the same principle they might sap all law and authority, and might apply it to all the sources of revenue the Borough possessed. He had great pleasure in seconding the resolution. The Mayor thought the wording of the resolution might he modified, as lie did not believe in harsh words. He con'd not see what, the Minister ot Justice had to do with it. If the Magistrate decided that people had to pay, theie was little doubt they would be compelled to do so. He could not reconcile the idea that one man should have to pay, and not another. There were some persons who no don'-t could I barely afford it. but lie should d-al fairly with these, and he felievo-d in .the i refund of the money as proposed bv the 1 mover of the resolution. He certainly could not see whv the honorable memb- r for the di-tri -t should be al’owed to i ide riugh-diod over the Council. It Wis not bectnse Mr Ba.rff was a friend of Dr Giles, that he sh, mid take the matter up an 1 write to him on the subject. I i his o.union- the wh d<* nnt'eicould be settle 1 in the Ma.dstr »te’< Court, Ivu na’a. Cr. Dougin was nf th - *.•l-11 ■ idei as .the Miyor, and alth mgh he agreed with the res >1 ut on to a Pertuti eve it, he thought it ought to he more respeit-

fully worded and not to read as if they were flinging defiance in the face of tire Government. He believed in being plain and firm in the business. He should set his face against, license-hunt-ing, as it was objectionable in the extreme, in whichever way it was looked at. The townspeople had not acted in violation of the law, as they had been led to believe that this land would be sold, and that they would be able to make a home upon it. He quite agreed with the Mayor that many were, unable to pay the amount of their licenses. Every consideration ought to he shewn the ratepayer's [Tire speaker’s remarks were here drowned by tire applause emanating from the audience in the body of the Hall.] He could not agree with the remark that a violation of the law had taken place with the cognisance of tire Government. It could not he said it was without precedent, as similar cases had occurred before. He did not. want to place anj obstacle in the way of people who proposed to settle on the land and make it their home. [lnterruption.] He did not Irnow what action the mover of the resolution inl tended. There were some persons he knew had licenses, some had not; but he trusted the Council would give the defaulters notice before proceeding to extreme measures, and he hoped the resolution would be modified. Cr. Seddon, in reply, said he hid made many concessions in the wording of his resolution, Hut lie would not destroy the principle it contained. Should any case of hardship crop up, it might be dealt with in a similar mfWiner to the rebate on rates. Give ratepayers the money, if necessary • but j carry out the law. The motion was then put and enrj ried, the only disseutimit being Cr. j Dungan. j Cr. Seddon moved, and Cr. Campbell ■ seconded—j That a letter be sent to the Colonial Secretary requesting that the land may ; not be withdrawn from the goldfield, but ! may be sold under clause of the Mines Act, and explaining the reason for the request. Cr. Seddon moved and Cr. O’Hara seconded—- • | That the sale of lauds he restricted to that block lying between the Main Road , and Cushman street. These two resolutions were both rar- [ ried after bii»f discussions, and the * Coum-il adj united.