BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 1107, 17 April 1880, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Town Hall on Thursday evening ; presentHis Worship the Mayor (J. S. Pearn, Esq.) id the chair, Cohticillors Campbell, Fitzsimons, Blake, Pollock, Pierson, and Seddon. The minutes of the last ordinary and special meetings iwere read and confirmed. . The; outward correspondence was read and approved of, and the inward read and received. At this stage the ordinary meeting was adjourned. SPECIAL MEETING. The same Councillors were present. The Mayor was about to propose a resolution, when Cr. Seddon. asked ' how the special meeting was called 1 The Town Clerk said by advertisement in the Kumaua Times. Cr. Seddon objected, as it was not in accordance with the Municipal Corporations Act, as a special meeting must be called in a specific manner. The meeting should have been held on the Ist inst., and adjourned until that evening. Cr. Campbell contended that under the 81st section of the Act the meeting could be called by a resolution ol the Council. The Town Clerk read the clauses of the Act relating to special meetings. Cr. Seddon said the 81st 82nd ami 83rd clauses mast be read together, and as there had been no resolution of the Council nor had they received notice of the special meeting, he contended they could not legally hold one. He was in favor of the bye-law relative to the Pound being confirmed, but let them do it in accordance with law. Cr. Campbell thought they had better resolve themselves into an ordinary meeting again and confirm the resolution. Cr. Seddon said the mistake occurred through the special meeting not being called in accordance with the 81st clause of the Act, and the sooner they went back into an ordinary meeting the better; and he would move that the Council do now resolve itself into, an ordinary meeting for thewlespatcb of business. Cr. Campbell seconded the motion, which was earned unanimously. ORDINARY MEETING.; The Mayor moved the confirmation of the resolution of the 18th Inarch,

last relative to the bye-law in connection with the public Pound. The resolution was carried. The expenses of the late conference were stated by the Town Clerk to be X 7 7s, of which amount the Council were indebted XI Is. A letter from Mr Minton was considered, in which the winter complained of the great hardship he labored under on having to remove his cottage off the street, after having resided there nearly three years, Cr. Seddon said that notice having been given Mr Minton, the Council could not override its own bye-laws, ■which provided a very, heavy penalty for non-removal. It might have been a question for the Council as to whether notice should be given or not, but now they were powerless in the matter. If a petition was brought before the Council on this matter, he would •support it, but at the same time a person buying freehold property bought it subject to the streets as laid out in the Borough. He moved that the Town Clerk write to Mr Minton stating that he would have to comply with the notice given. Cr. Campbell thoroughly coincided with the remarks of Cr. Seddon. He I could not consider it a hard case, but otherwise, as Mr Minton had used the street for three years, and be knew his house was on the street and nob on a, section. He seconded the motion ’of Cr. Seddon.

The motion was put and carried. Cr. Seddon explained that although they had confirmed the resolution of the 18th March, that evening, relative to the bye-law in connection with the Public Pound, it could not come into force until such time as a copy with the seal of the Council attaclxed had be,(gi forwarded to the Colonial. Secretary, and returned, after which it would require to be published in the iCuMARA Times seven clear days prior to the date of its coming into force. He spoke feelingly on this subject, as through the misapprehensions of some persons the stock in trade of a new line of business he (Cr. Seddon) was about to start had after being nearly hunted to death by the Mayor and Council, been forcibly impounded, and he hoped a repetition of this would not occur. He would suggest that the key of the Pound be lodged in the Town Clerk’s office until such time as the bye-law in regard thereto was legally in force. -■ The Town Clerk brought up a report on ‘ a racecourse reserve and also oh some 1 land that had been applied for by some person to purchase, both of which reports were received and adopted. The following report was read ahd adopted:— . Pepobt op the Committee on Mb Simmons’ Petition. ' The Committee report as follows : A Committee of the Council having reported that the valuation was made in a satisfactory manner, and their report having been adopted by the Committee, find no reason for coming to a contrary dpinion, and exonerate the valuer from the charge brought against him by Mr •Simmons. John S. Peaen. Chairman. A statement of the estimated expenditure and revenue for the ensuing year was laid on the table, and received and adopted. ■ A notice of motion given by Cr. O’Hagan was, on the motion of Cr. Campbell, postponed until next meeting, in consequence of the absence of the proposer. Accounts to the amount of ,£l6O were passed for payment, and the Council adjourned.