BLENHEIM BOARD OF WORKS.

Marlborough Express, Volume III, Issue 126, 18 July 1868, Page 5

BLENHEIM BOARD OF WORKS.

A meeting, called by the late Chairman of the Blenheim Board of Works, to elect three members in the room of Messrs. Dodson, Warner, and Bythel resigned, took place in the Council Chamber on Tuesday last. Mr. Norgrove was voted into the chair. The Chairman read the advertisement calling the meeting, and the clause of the Act relative to elections. He then read an abstract of the receipts and expenditure of the Board, with a statement of their liabilities as under:— Abstract of Receipts and Expenditure of the Blenheim Board of Works to July 9th, 1868.

Mr. Gtokrie proposed that Mr. Henry Dodson be a member of the Board. In the event of his not wishing to fill the seat, perhaps he would be good enough to explain why he resigned, and if there was any encouragement to offer to those who might aspire to office. Mr. Sklaahk seconded.

Mr. Dodson replied that it was not desirable to work under the past Board, which was constituted by an Act, it was found impossible to carry out. They had great doubts whether they could collect the rates, and the reasons were the faults of the Act. If they elected fresh members, the same reasons would exist. The Board feeling that retention of office might be an obstruction to steps being taken by the people towards a better state, thought proper to resign to allow a new Act to be brought into force. He therefore proposed—

“That it ia not desirable to elect members under the present Act. ”

Mr. Goesik would open the question, what proceedings they should adopt, and how the debts of the Board should be liquidated, as it would be unjust to expect the members themselves to pay those debts. If the matter was to lapse, should not men be elected till the town got up a petition under the Municipal Corporations Act. Could a new Board pay off those debts ? Mr. Dodson said the difficulties of the liabilities was the chief object the Board had in view in retaining office, but he could not see how a new Corporation could take the liabilities. For that reason it was that the late Board tried to merge into the other. Mr. Conolly’s account was large, the clerk’s services .were fairly given, and there was much work for him to do, consequent upon their position. An overdraft at the Bank had to be paid off, for which the members personally were .liable, and which they themselves paid. He said at the last meeting, that he had too much confidence in his • fellow-townsmen to believe

.they would let members be mulcted, or those who had trusted the Board. He was advised that the creditors of the Board had no claim against members personally. Mr. Sinclair had a claim of £45 against them for legal expenses; but as a court of law had decided it was right, they must allow it was justifiable, however much the circumstance was to be deplored. Except by the good seuse and honesty of a future Board, he did not see how these liabilities could be met. He himself would not support any candidates who would not agree to clear off the debt, and he thought an adverse answer would be fatal to the election of any one. Mr. Lawrence wanted to know what had been done with the money the Board had received.

Mr. Henderson said he was astonished at the stupid question of that man.

Mr. Collie called the chairman’s attention to the language used, but the chairman did not interfere.

Mr. Sinclair said he would support Mr. Dodson’s proposition in all honesty and fair play. They would have had his opposition if they had illegally proceeded, to form a Board. If they started afresh, they were in honor bound to pay the debts of the old Board out of .he new arrangement. TKey“cotddr not~iegally‘ * elecTa " Board" no w. They required to go under a fresh Act, and as the Municipal Act was proposed, that would suit them better. It was likely that Act would be improved this session, and if they applied it, they must do so without preventing people to elect members for themselves, as took place not long ago. Those that had to pay ought always to have a voice in the matter. It would bo necessary for them to be guided by the errors of the past. There was a pretty stiff bill against the Board, and every one who acted in the Board was personally responsible. He himself had a claim for compensation against the Board, as by their work they had taken away the frontage from some 20 or 30 sections of his. If things went right he might not call for compensation. ( Applause.) -... Mr. Dodson asked if Mr. Sinclair would agree to the extra rates being refunded, under the new arrangement, to those parties that had paid them,. Mr. Sinclair was willing to meet the question by saying the sums so paid should stand to the credit of the parties,: and he would impress the same opinion upon parties with whom he had any influence. Mr. Sinclair seconded the resolution. ■Mr. Johnson enquired Low it was proposed to meet the difficulty of initiating a Municipal Board, if the present one ceased entirely, since in that case it would require not less than 100 signatures to a petition. Would it not be well to elect members pro forma, for the purpose of getting a Corporation the more readily. Mr. Dodson thought that in any case 50 names would be sufficient where there had been a previous Board.

Mr. Collie said the resolution before the meeting was the only one that, with any show of reason, could be put, for the Hoard by the way they had acted had really committed suicide ; and not only that, but they had killed the Act which had been entrusted to them. The public had chosen the members on account of their presumed wisdom, and when they found themselves, as they did, between rocks on the one hand, and a whirlpool on the other, they ought to have taken the sense of the people who, they know, would have to pay for all mishaps. But .'the Board, instead of submitting the grounds of appeal and their position, to know whether they were to go on or stop, went on, and had unduly accumulated debt .to the amount of £ 176, odd; and he blamed them for not acting with candour. They had not till that meeting confessed the falseness and the illegality of their position. Mr. Dodson had hoped they would not have touched upon delicate ground. The whole of the last speaker’s assertions had been met. at last meeting. To-day they sought the advice and guidance of the town ; certain parties had paid rates, others had not. They took the best legal advice, and put a case into Court. The District Court decided in their favor, and they were forced to go on. They lost upon appeal, and upon points so nice, and over which they had no control: He was sorry to have to reply warmly to attacks then. The past ought to have been the past, whilst the future was before them for their future good. Mr. Sinclair had very generously dropped all angry elements of speech. The last speaker had not spoke from his better judgment; and he was incorrect in saying the Board had not confessed their real position till then.

Mr. Collie would prove that the Board had never until then, when they were obliged, acknowledged the falseness of their position, for at the previous meeting, Mr. Dodson himself declared that if the rate-

payers did not help the Board to merge into the Municipal Council, they would go on and collect the rates.

Mr. Dodson- : I said could collect the rates.

Mr. Collie; You said would collect the rates.

The resolution was then put and carried unanimously, thus terminating the existence of the Blenheim Board of Works A vote of thanks to the chairman closed the proceedings.

Dr. £ s. d. To amount of rate collected ... ... 8 8 9 To amount advanced by Henderson ... 3 0 V 1 Do. do. Dodson ... 1 0 0 Do. do. Henderson ... 1 0 0 Do. do. Dodson ... 1 0 0 Do. do. Nosworthy ... 1 0 0 Do. do. Warner ... 1 0 0 Do. do. Bythell ... 1 0 0 Total ... £17 Cr. 8 10 By overdraft Bank of New Zealand ... 10 6 6 By interest ditto ditto 1 12 4 By Allen, assessor ... .. ... 5 0 0 Total £17 8 10 Liabilities of the Blenheim Board of Works to July 9th, 1868. £ Nixon and Sweeney, for repairing culvert at Collie’s ... ... ... 3 8. d. 3 0 Collie, stationery ... ... ... 3 14 0 Marlborough Express, advertising, &c. 5 12 6 9 Millington and Co., ditto ... ... 5 7 Conolly, solicitor’s charges in Bagge re 1 Sinclair ... ... ... ... 28 2 Sinclair, ditto ditto ... ... ... 45 Adams, salary of Inspector of Nui0 0 sauces, live months ' ... ... 4 3 4 Robinson, clerk, seven quarters ... 70 Henderson, cash advanced to pay over0 0 draft Bank of New Zealand ... 3 0 1 Dodson, ditto 1 Henderson, Dodson, Nosworthy, War0 0 ner, Bythell, Allen (assessor) ... 5 0 G Robinson Brothers, tools ... ... 0 12 6 Taylor, repairing tools 0 5 6 Terrell, Court expenses 0 9 6 Williams, repairing bridge, Halifax-st. 0 15 0 Total £176 5 3