Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1884. THE BOROUGH WARD REQUISITION.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IV, Issue 45, 21 January 1884, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) Suivant la verite. MONDAY, JANUARY 21, 1884. THE BOROUGH WARD REQUISITION.

People are now so accustomed to t)je mendacity of our contemporary, that scarcely any mis-statement that ap-_ pears m its columns causes them much surprise. But there is still to be found here and there an occasional reader who attaches some little credence to" what it publishes as facts. Its leader on Saturday evening is a glaring m \ stance of its utter obliviousness to anything favouring of veracity. Jn our Friday's* issue we stated that a deliberate insult had been offered to the Borough Council by a small section of the ratepayers, m sending down to the Government, without the conseDt or knowledge of the Council, a requisition for the division of the Borough into wards. We pointed out how irregular and indecorous was suoh a procedure. It appears that the Act provides that such a requisition can be forwarded either through the Borough Council or through a J.P. The facts with regard to the requisition are mmplythese. At the December meeting 'of the' Borough Council, a letter was received intimating that a requisition for the division of the Borough into wards had been signed by a considerable number of ratepayers. The requisition itself was not presented to the Council. Cv Snelson then j moved that the petition when received j be transmitted through the Council to j the Government. There was some opposition to this/proposal ; and, aasome of the Councillor* present pointed out, the Council stiould not commit themselves by passing a resolution to forward a requisition which was not before them, and with the contents of which' they' were not conversant. An ampnc}ment was thereupon proposed, and subsequently adopted, that the requisition should be received; by the Council and dealt with when presented. This, uncter the circumstances was the proper and only .: poneujtenp course that the Counpil could legitimately pursue. Had they acted otherwise, they might have compromised themselves as a body, and placed themselves m a difficulty, jf we remember aright; when a division was? called for on the original proposition to forward the i requisition when received, (but whioh had not yet been received) all the Councillors present,

with the exception of the mover and seconder, voted for the amendment, viz , that when the requisition was presented it be received and dealt with by the Council. According to our contemporary, the promoters of the requisition, Messrs Milverton and Abrahams waited upon Mr Russell, J.P., and asked him to forward the petition, assigning as a reason for not handing it to the Borough Council, which was the nsnal course, that " when the matter was laid before the Council m a letter, a hostile spirit was shewn." ! These .simple-minded patriots, Messrs J Milverton and Abrahams, appeared to think that the Council should without having the requisition before them, or knowing anything of its contents, have straightway undertaken to forward to Government a document of the tendor of which they had absolutely no knowledge whatever. Now, would it not have been a most", improper course, on the part of the Borough Council, to have undertaken, straight off-band, to forward a requisition to the Government, which, fpr all they knew might have contained • matter most prejudicial to the interests of the ratepayers and the Borough. And because wiser counsels prevailed, and what was apparently a precipitate and indiscreet resolution was not adopted, the sapient promoters ta consider that " a hostile ' spirit had been shewn," and forthwith they rush, off to seek counnel at the hands of their oracle, Mr Russell J.P. No doubt Me Russell, J.P. (gave them a favourable audience, and -'6wih» "to the representations " made (sic) he "consented "—mark the words, he " consented" to forward the petition* though at the time perfectly aware of the whole position of the matter. How kind of him to consent. How very good, gracious, patronising, and condescending of Mr Russrll J.P. to " consent." How very obliging, to be sure. And what a deep and everlasting debt of obligation the ratepayers as a body owe to Mr Russell, J.P. tor his great kindness m " consenting ". to do this for them. How can they ever forget the disinterested sympjathy and self sacrificing disposition sh'ewri by Mr Russell J.P. on this occasion." But the Times contends that "it would be wiser and better, and inote^ lijkely to secure the end desired,' for a J.P. to forward it;" Just so. It really is as"tonisbing what an amount of influence some J.P.3. think they haye. got,jand how they imagine they can works the oracle as they please.- The Council naturally feels incensed at such an . unwarrantable liberty having been takeu j and the ratepayers as a body are very indignant that ...two^or- three people, with, apparently very vague notions of What is right and proper, should have gone out of their way to deliberately, insult the Municipal body, by entirely ignoring them m a matter which obviously came directly within their ! legitimate sphere and functions; to deal with. We say it was a most impertinent and inexcusable course to adopt on the part of all perj sons concerned. As the requisition had among the signatures names of members' of the Borough Council,of former Borough. Councillors, also former Mayors, the Government would naturally suppose that everyl thing was fair and square, and aboveboard j instead of being a most .dis- ' creditable and underhand piece of business, of which the promoters and instigators should be heartily ashamed. The Government have now heen placed m possession of the facts that the; requisitionnever came before the Borough Council, and was ; never ; adopted or otherwise by ilfat body; and that' with regard to the proposed scheme of ward division, the Council have ; ri6 knowledge whatever. The result will probably be that .the. requisition; will be returned, so that il may be submitted by the Borough Council and dealt with by, them m the usual manner. We do not see how the Government can act otherwise under the ciyojmstances. The May oi, on hearing of the underhand oourse thai had been adopted, took occasion to expre-s his views on the subject m very plain and unmistakeable language to one of the promoters, Mr Milverton, and also to Mr Russelll, J.P., who unquestionably is very much to blame for the part he appears to have taken m the transaction. We believe Mr Milverton now U prepared: to admit that he acted indiscreetly, ,and that the course with r which he identified himself might easily bear the construction of a premeditated and gross insult to tho Municipal body. Mr Russell, J.P., will, however, admit no error of judgment, or breach of good taste or propriety, so far aa he is concerned. He is one of those rare mortals who has t uever committed an indiscre* tion m l^a life ; if he did he never had tho manliness to acknowledge it. Re maintains that all that .. was dope was perfectly proper. Possibly nfs moral yisipu may be so perverted that he cannot very well discriminate m stich matters. The ratepayers think differently, and although they do not hold Messrs Abraham and Milvsrton blameless of indiscretion, the general opinion is thatMr Russell., J.P., is the principal offender, and his aotion m the matter has caused very general indignation, chiefly for the reason that he is considered the prime mover m the surreptitious communication with- the Government — |/)ssibly the main instigator to that course ; and also because he ought to have knq%n better. The studied discourtesy shown to the the Borough Council is a most disreputable feature, and one, as we said before, of which each party concerned should feel heartily ashamed, that is to say if thore is any shame left m them. If the ratepayers desire that the Borough be divided into wards, (with regard tp which We wnderstand there is some diversity of opinion), there is a legitimate and proper course to adopt ;but : let that coursp bp adqnted m preference ! to underhand tactic?, which pan only reflect discreditably on tho movers, and I have a tendency to stir up feelings of dissension aud indignation among; the [ ratepayers, who, as a body, have no sympathy with any line of conduct which is calculated to insult qr hiun}liate their representatives m the Municipal chamber. We feel convinced tljat tho ill-advised, impertinent, and unwarrantable action referred to will be universally condemned by all rightthinking people, ay jn all respects most indecorous, discreditable, and Jinproper, and entirely without precedent or justification.

A notice of resumption of classes at the Turakina Commercial and Classical School will be found elsewhere. During the discussion nboutthe inauguration of the Wainui-o-rnVta water supply m the Wellington City Council, Councillor Miller thought Auniversary Day would be an excellent opportunity to brinu the water into town. He jocularly added that the new supply would come m handy to wash down the victuals at the tlr b\g feed" which the early colonists were to indulge m on that occasion. "Or" added Councillor Maginnity m the samp strain, "tn wash down the early colonists." (Laughter.) Amonfif t.ho«e whose names are on the reir.ster of vendors of poisons for the Provincial District of Wallintjton are the nameiof-R. Leary, A. Remington, and <f- M. Snelson, Pa'mewton North, and A. E. Rrtoiinyton, Bulls. Our Saturday's issue was again a very heavy paper, consisting of eleven columns of reading matter, or five columns m ex« cess of that.. of our local contemporary .equivalent. to nearly double. think our readers wtH admit that for a penny daily country- newspaper, the qnantity.or re«dine matter given m e»oh issue of the Standard is very creditable to otfr staff, «nd is more by a long way than that given byany other daily oountry journal published m the district— or indeed for that matter m tho colony. . ..-., . . : . The Mount Ida- Chronicle . has the followingparagraph:—" Early on Monr day morning Mr , Leary, chemist, was aroused by the sound of crashing class m the front portion of his premises. Springine out of bed he ascertained that an inquisitive old horse had thrust his head through the glass door and wa« quietly standing with his head inside the shop. On the glass panes had been painted " Teeth extracted " but whether the horse had been inflicted with toothache and was attracted by the sign we cannot say. However, extraction is sure to follow, if it is only m the ferm of extracting y a few shillings from the pocket of the owner of the horse to pay for the damage done." . ,'■■ We desire to put our' readers— both town and country — who are ratepayers, on their guard as to the confiequences that may ensue under the new, Act if they allow proceedings for recovery to go to the full length. The notice may be posted on the property if the owher is not found ; and if the judgment is not satisfied, the Public Trustee may be applied to, and he may proceed to sell or lease th« property. A pretty bill of complication and costs ! ■ ; : . The following is claimed to be a very effective cure for scratches on the fetlock joint of a" horse, one which never tails. Win 1 a woollen rag- around the affected parti and fasten it, and let it be till it wears off. No matter if |you drive your horse m the mud, do not take off the rag, and befpre you Ye aware of it the scratches will be cured. The Government of New Po«th Wa'ei have offered a Reward of £500 for! the apprehension of the .other offead«r« conoerned m the recept outrage at Waterloo.