MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

Manawatu Herald, Volume III, Issue 2, 7 September 1880, Page 2

MANAWATU COUNTY COUNCIL.

» VESTEUDAY. The Council met at 2 p.m. yesterday. Present— Messrs Mne*rthur (chairman), K«bh«0), Rockstrnw, M'Lnnnnn, Linton, Sara n, Gray, M'Beth, and Douglas. Mr Douglaa, the newly-elected member for Mancheiter, took !iis seat. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. EANaiTIKEI FBIWV. Letter read from RungiUkei Cou»'y Council, asking for half payment of cost of maintaining Scott's ferry, Usngituei Riv r, amounting to £12 10«— Mr M'Lennan ask-d what condition the forry wao h 'Id on. He had beea kept waiting there over two houri a few days ago.— The Chairman said the forry being » subsidised on-' he mutt he amenable to the Act. — Mr M'Lrnnan iftid he Wiis on bis way to a sale at Rangitikei, and did not reach the aale through the delay. Tho punt was away at the steamer, and could not cross — The Chapman said the Engineer nhould visit tha ferry, and see the" Act \t&i carried out. The Council •hould see tho?! 1 money wai expended to public advantage. THE NSW ROAD. Letter read from Mr Jno. Toney, Foxton, and Hon. J)hn Johnston, Wellington, complaining of damnge being done to their land by smd blowing from the newly-formod road through the Hon. Mr Johnston's land. — The Chairnaa asked the Engineer if the stnteraentH wade *ere true. — Mr Hay us said they were not. Grass seed had been sown, and the sand was not blowing on to Mr Johnston's land. — Mr Bockstrow said no do»bt Mr Johnston had been informed by his Foxtoi agent. — The Engineer said no sand bad been blown on to the land of Mr Tonoy.— Mr Rockstrow said the Clerk should write and inform Mr Toney that ihe Council would not charge him for the sand that was blown'on to his land. (Laughter.) COURRSPONDENCE. Letter read from L. Jamieson, offering to full some bush near his house on road line at Is 6d per chain. The Engineer said the charge was fair and it was resolved to pay the charge. Le'ter read from Returning officer for Manchester announcing that Mr A. P. Dourlas had been returned to the Council Letter road from Hutt County Council, asking for t'6 10s, towards cost of maintenance of Waikauae Ferry. chairman's statement. The Chairman said that at last meeting he was requested to see into certain matters ! when at Wellington, and he would now explain what he had done. First, there was the representation question, upon which the Council at last meeting passed a resolution. He *aw Mr Bryco, Mr Johnston, and the Premier, on the matter. First, he saw Mr Uryce, who said the policy of the Governtnent wts that of single electorates, there being only one exception to that rule, which ho (Sir Macarthur) afterwards learned was Wanganui. This principle cut away the ground from under his (Mr Maearthur's) feet, aud he therefore oould not ask lor two members. He ascertained indirectly before he left town that the Bill would not pass. Mr Bryce had told him the first proposition was to add tho Ridings along the Coast to Kangitikei. Me suggested he (the speaker) should see Sir Win, Fox on the matter. He did so, and' found that such was indeed the oase. Jia fact, he believed that it was at Sir- Wra Fox's instigation the proposal w.is at first made. He supposed this, but believed ir was correct. After seeing Mr Bryce he saw the Premier, and toli him that if any alteration was made in tho representation in this Provincial District, it ahould be done justly. He pointed out that the Wellington Country and Hutt electoral districts together had only 1400 voters, or two-tbivda of Manawatu ; ia fact, he had heard from the Mauawatu Returning Oftioer that Ihe total of voters on the roll was 2.300. He therefore urged the Premier that as Wei lington Country and H'itt were closo to the City of Wellington, and enjoyed many advantages in consequence of of their contiguity to that city, one member would do for the two, the second being handed over to Manawatu, which, because of its isolation, needed moro representation than places close to Wellington. It was unfair to put lha advance of M&nawatn to the credit of another Coun'y. On the last day ho was in Wellington he got tin: Krpre«entati<m Bill, and then found »he schedule cut off the Otaki district, and loft .S*udon as at present. Otaki hii» no interest in common with tho Wellington County. All had grown together, and should share in the a^ance. He hoped his remarks would not be put down to political l )ii8, bat he felt bound to con .lemn Mr Johnston for his inaction on this and nriny other matters. He had not taken the slightest interest in this matter according to Parliamentary reports, and whan ho (Mr Uacarthur) pressed him on it ha said ho would lonk into it. Then a#iin. in reference to tha Wellington railway, he I saw the district member, and told him that something mere than surprise wag felt amongst the settlers a* hit inaction. Since t!Sen he saw he had made a speech in the .louse ou the question. There wa* another matter, the 20 per cent, of land fund. By vlirection of tho Council a copy of the letter ■;ent to the Colonial Treasurer was forwarded to Mr Johnston. In that it was pointed out that no notioo of the intense 1 withdrawal of the 20 per cent Wits giv*n, and that great wrong would be done to the County if it were taken away. Upon that question a division took plaoe, there being 34 on each aide, aud the casting vote was to do away with the 20 per cpnt. Thus Mr Johnston's vote lost that to them He (the Chairman) estimated that the 20 per cent of land fund being withdrawn would main a loss of at least £110,000 to this County ; in fact, thi're was not a County in tho Colony to which the 20 per cent was a moro important matter. The Otaraakapua and other blocks would shortly bo ready for stile, aud if the 20 par cent woro still paid the County would haro recoived a large sum from that somco. Mr Johnston had not given his vote in a moment of foi'get fulness, but just after getting a letter warning him of tho import ance of the 20 per cent to this County. Tho 20 per cenl was itnporfcan' to the settlers who wanted roads, and to tho County Council who were asked to make tho roads. Mr Johnston's iutorosts were almost ontirely in Wellington and of course the 20 per cent of land fund would not affect Wellington in tho least, either one way or the other, lie thought this wa» a cruoial instanco of the folly of country districts returning representatives who were town residents. Mis remark 3 wore made not from political bias, but a* Chairman of the Council ; in fact, if the representative were his own brother, he wodld say the same things. He hoped that bs regards the r. presentation question especially the Council would not loio sight of the importance of tho matter. Mr iCebbell enquired if tho Chairman during bis visit to Wellington had asked why a £5 license had been granted to Mr Udy. Tho Chairman laid he bad forgotten that matter, not having had a note ot it. He would however, see into it. As to the Fencing 13ill, upon which he was asked to press the attention of the Government as to the necessity of & chain wide being fellod in bush country, he heard from Mr Bryce

hat the Attorney • General held that it not be legal to pus* such a law. He woifed also explain that he had requested Mr Bell, of Jzard and 8011, to give him a legal opinion as to the Foxton and Beach road question, which opinion, had not yet arrived. DAT OF MEETING. Tiie Chairman said that by law the Coun. cil ahould at each meeting fix the date and , hour of the »übsequent one. If by a mistako the Council neglected to do so, great inconrenience would be caused. He would suggest that the Council should definiteijr fix tho first Monday in the month as itjg day. Mr K«bboll moved, "That tra| orlinarv mee'ings of this Council bo lien^f on the first Monday in the month, at 2 p.m., until otherwise ordered by the Council." Seconded by Mr Douglas, and carried. J.KOAL EXPENSES. Letter read from Mr C. L. Maclean, solicitor, re legal charges for leases, and offering to make certain reductions. The chief items considered were those relating to a lease drawn up for the Couusil to Mb Bull. The whole account amounted to nearly £30. Mr Hanson said he could not understand how such a large amount was obar^ed, seeing the land was under the Transfer Act. He was under the impression that the lessee should pay the legal expenses, and the bill would nearly absorb one year's rent. He would move, " That Messrs Button & Hanfcins be appointed County Solicitors." That fvm were convenient, and would, he believed, do the work pro-pe.-ly. Mr Linton, in seconding the motion, said be did so for throe reasons — first, Messrs Huston & Hankins were a respectable firm, and would, he believed, do the work satisfactorily; secondly, their offices were in | the town, and an opinion could be gained at short notice upon matters required by the Council ; third, the solicitors would he able to see the Council books without trouble. Tbe Chairman said the Council did not need to pay a retaining fee of £2 2s for nothing. If they appointed a solicitor, they were bound in etiquette to give him their work Sometimes they needed the very highest legal opinion they conld get, but they could scarcely go away from affirm whom they hud appointed their solicitors. The whole bill before them from Mr M'Lean was extortionate. Mr Itockstrow objected to appointing a new solicitor until Mr Maclean was settled witn The Finance Committee had not had tine to consider his account Upon division the motion to appoint Messrs Button & Hankins County Solicitors was lost Ayes —Messrs Linton, Sanson, M'Lunnan, and Gray. Noes — Messrs Douglas, Ko«listrow, Macarthur, M'Beth, and Ketbell.