GREY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2534, 5 August 1884, Page 2

GREY COUNTY COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the members of the Grey County Council was held at the offices of the county, Greymouth, last evening at 7.30. Present—Crs. Guinness (in the chair), Taylor, Foley, M'Kechnie, Warren, Ryall, Marshall. The Argus reports that upon the Councillors taking their seats, The Chairman, in a voice broken with emotion, moved that the Council adjourn for an hour as a mark of respect to a valued and deeply esteemed servant of the Council who had just breathed his last.—Cr. Taylor seconded, and the Council adjourned. Upon the Council resuming at 9 o’clock, it was with the understanding arrived at during the interval that all business would be postponed until after the funei’a! on Wednesday. The Chairman, on taking the chair, said that in rising to propose that the special meeting of the Council stand adjourned to 7.30 p.m. on Wednesday, he really felt reluctant, so to speak, to trust himself to say more than a very few words that evening in respect to the loss—which came upon them like a shock—the County had sustained by the death of so valuable and estimable an officer as Mr Edward Butler. He had been in the service of the County for the last eight years, and knowing his many good qualities so well as he did he felt that just then he was unable to do that justice to his memory in moving a resolution expressive of their

regret at the sad occurrence that he hoped he should do when they met again. They must therefore excuse him saying any more than to ask them to agree to the resolution. .He thought they would best show their respect for deceased and sympathy with his relations and friends by adjourning the Council without doing any business until after the funeral. He hrd intended to leave for his parliamentary duties the following morning at 8 o’clock, but he felt that he could not but remain to pay the last tribute of respect to an officer they all so much valued and esteemed. Cr. Taylor seconded. He said that Mr Butler’s death caused him deep sorrow, and he felt at a loss how to adequately give expression to his feelings. But he knew that each and all felt that by the death of Mr Butler the Council had lost an invaluable servant and each of then a true friend. The resolution was then carried in silence, and the Council adjourned till Wednesday next, at 7.30 p.m.