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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 24, 10 January 1877, Page 3

TO THE EDITOR. Sib, — Perhaps you will allow me the opportunity of saying a few words respecting your report of the first meeting of our newly-elected County Council. As I am one of those unfortunate individuals who cannot afford time to visit such meetings, I am perforce obliged to, content myself with reading newspaper reports. I felt very anxious to see what our wise-acres had done at their first meeting, which I had always thought would have shewn us something to admire ; something beyond what we could'have expected from any oE our past Provincial systems ; something that would give us an idea that we had advanced a step m political liberty, when we could boast of a County Council. My idea was that we would see men met together to study the interest of a county as a whole, not any particular spot or work such as Foxton and the Sandon railway. From your report it would appear to outsiders that, instead of a County Council we have two, for I cannot help seeing that every resolution was carried by the casting vote of the Chairman, which, to say the least, looks rather fishy, and speaks only too plainly the unpleasant fact that all we may expect from the newlyelected Council is a fight between four and four, which m all cases will be decided by the all-powerful casting vote of the Chairman, who naturally enough must vote with his men, and" perhaps dare not vote against them. He is put into office with the casting vote ; his expectations re salary will be decided by his casting vote ; as it seems plain enough that the opposition cannot, when the time arrives, consistently join m voting a salary to the Chairman,, when one of their number (and a most suitable man for the office) -kindly offered his services gratis, which offer was as kindly declined by the casting vote. I never did m my experience read anything more one-sided or unfair, as your report of that meeting goes to shew. It seems almost equal to a "farce to think that the county system, from which so much is expected, should be ushered into our midst m the undisguised form of " log- [ rolling." Poor departed Provincialism ! with all thy Kttle corruptions, thou wert pure m comparison to our newlyelected local institution. lam not at present going to attempt to criticise any of the speeches of the Councillors, except that of our Sandon representative, who seems to have lost all thought or consideration for the public weal m his blind zeal for the Vigilance Committee and his pet railway scheme. If his idea of a railway be good, I am sure there is no one m this district will lift a finger or tongue against it, providing the Government or a company construct it ;' but lam quite as sure that the ratepayers of the Manawatu County are not the class of persons to stand quietly by and allow the Council to do anything towards making the railway, even though the resolution should be carried by " a casting Vote of the Chairman." I can scarcely believe that any man, who had influence enough to be elected for any constituency, could coolly say m a public meeting as Councillor Sanson did, (m reply to Mr Macarthur while urging that the public should be taken into consideration while arranging the place of meeting of the Council), that the convenience of the public was not to bo considered, but that of the Coun-

cillors themselves. I would like to ask him who the public are and who the Councillors are. A few days ago the public wei'e looked upon by him as most important and all-powerful — while lie was busy bowing and scraping to some of them for their votes, and actually driving them to a polling booth. What a change mso short a time ! Has his success lifted him so far above the public as to cause him to exclaim from his exalted (to him) position, that only the convenience of the Councillors must be considered ? It strikes me he will soon find his level among the Councillors, and will be powerfully reminded that he is a few miles from home. He may yet see that the ' public m all cases should be considered before either party or private interests. I can guess that j his forte does not lie m assisting to govern ; but he is, no doubt, well qualified to be a leading member of a Vigilance Committee, where he may sometimes succeed m putting his spoon into other people's broth. Don't forget the old saying that sometimes m so doing a man stands a fair chance of getting his tongue slightly burnt. — I am, &c, Vigilance. Palmerston North, 9th Jan., 1877.