BOROUGH COUNCIL BYE-LAWS.

Kumara Times, Issue 2981, 22 May 1886, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCIL BYE-LAWS.

[to the editor.] Sir —ln the second scene of the fourth act of “ Much ado about Nothing ” the following words may be found;— Conrade : Away ! You are an ass, you are an ass. Dogberry : Dost thou not suspect my place? Dost thou not suspect my years 1 O, that the sexton were here to write me down an ass! but, masters, remember, that I am an ass ; though it be not writton down, yet forget not that I am an ass. O that I had been writ down an ass. It appears from this that it is not a new custom for those who are “ dressed in a little brief authority ” to instruct their clerks to write them down asses, but I think it may be conceded that it is a custom “more honoured in the breach than the observance.” Especially is it desirable that the fact, even if written down, should not be proclaimed at the expense of those over whom the brief authority is wielded. With this short preamble, 1 now call upon the Borough Council to withdraw the nonsensical advertisement still appearing in your columns. I ask them to do this for the following reasons :

Ist, The advertisement pretends to give the words ot a proposed bye-law, whereas it does nothing of the kind. It only gives the words of a resolution. How can a law commence thus—“ That the Council be empowered—”

2nd, The Council cannot empower itself to do anything. Some other and higher authority can empower it, but it is absurd to talk about empowering itself.

3rd. The Council is bound before it even “considers” a bye-law, much more before it “makes” one, to publish it for seven clear days in the Borough—which it did not do. 4th. The Council can only make bye-laws on certain subjects which are clearly defined in the Municipal Corporations Act, among which the making of a bye-law to empower itself to make bye-laws in a different manner from that provided by the Act does not appear. sth. A method of repealing any byelaw is provided by the Act, and in this , manner and in no other can the Council proceed to do so. I am informed that the silly action taken by the Borough Council is an endeavour to do away with the necessity of advertising any change in byelaws as fully as provided by the Act. The Borough Councils are much in the habit of expressing virtuous indignation at the cost of advertising necessitated by the various Acts under which they exist, but the framers of the-e Acts were wise in their generation and knew the necessity of preventing any change in the bye-Kiws being made except in the full light of day, and after due consideration by those affected by them. A wise and a foolish expenditure of money in advertising are two different things.—l am, &c., Englishman. Knmara, May 21, 1886,