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Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 39, 3 March 1877, Page 3

w Letter from Manager of Bank ,6f Australasia, with terms on which, the County business would be done.- 1 With respect to this last letter the Chairman suggested that perhaps, before opening the same, it would be well to reoonsidef their former resolution as : : to giving thY Bank of Australasia the accounf; and instead to. call for . tenders ; from thte whole 1 of the banks m the district: Councillor Sneison considered they Had settled the matter by their resolution of previous meeting, and he did not think the question could be fairly discussed afresh. Councillor Gowmr thought that the matter which induced the passing of said resolution was r the fact that the bank chosen had two branches m the district, but at the same time he saw no 'reason 1 why they' should not ' retrace their .steps if it was considered desirable ' 'to'have offers from other banks. ; Councillor Sanson considered that the question of tenders should have been |»6ne into before passing the beforementibned resolution, and that now it was a pity ; to reopen 'the discussion. Councillor Halcombe did not agree to stultify the actions of the Council by reconsidering the matter. If a mistake had been made, he considered the Councillor who brought forward the opposite motion was to blame m not being prepared to state the advantages offered by the 'bank he supported. He thought ifijfe letter from the Manager of the iJank of Australasia* should be opened and the terms known, and should there ; then appear to be anything glaringly ; : wron"g it would be still open for discus- : sioh. The Chairman desired to say a few words m explanation of his suggestion ■<p : Jljbe subject. A letter was ordered to be? written to the bank asking for terms, and a reply had only just been received appearing to him as if the manager to let the terms be Imown -until too late to communicate with other banks, thereby shewing that the lowest terms had not been offered. Councillor Macarthue dissented from the remarks of the Chairman, considering the bank fully justified m withholding their reply until the last moment. ■ Councillor Kaxcombe proposed that , the letter-from -the Manager of the Bank of Australasia should be opened. Councillor Sanson seconded the proposition, which was carried. • In reply to Councillor Gower's question at the previous meeting relative to the reserve-laid off as a township at the mouth of the Eangitikei river, . The Chaieman read a letter received fi-dm the Government, stating that " the site left for a township at the mouth of the Eangitikei Eiver is not a reserve, and the Government have no power to hand over Crown lands to the County CounciL The control of these lands is 'vested/inthe Waste Lands Board of the "Provincial district. - -'• Councillor Halcombe gave notice : that he would move the adoption of the Report of the Standing Orders Committee on next sitting day. . j The Chairman stated that a reply to Iris letter suggesting the amalgamation of the services of the Engineer by the various Eoad Boards would be sent, after the next meeting of said Boards. The Council then adjourned for the purpose of discussing the financial position of the county, but no action was taken, .as it was thought better to know definitely what assistance . could be obtained from the bank. The income of the county was stated to be about £2,600 per. annum. COUNCIL EESTTMBD. -Councillor Gowee moved, That m reply to- Mr Barton's letter he be informed that his services would be accepted. Carried. Councillor Sanson moved, That the Engineer be instructed to advertise for tenders' for carrying but the works set forth m his estimate as submitted to the Council. Tenders to be sent m not later than 21st March next at noon. — Carried. ■ J^uncillor Sanson moved, That m iflwpreting the resolutions passed at SKfost meeting, relative to paying half tnwcost of valuation roll, no error of assessors or other persons be taken iDto ' consideration m making such payment. — Carried. Councillor Macaethtjb moved, That referring to clause 155 of the Counties Act which prevents the Council borrow- - ing from the bank by way of overdraft to an amount exceeding the amount of revenue collected by the Council during the year ending the 31st March previous^ thereby preventing Councils obtaining an overdraft at all during the first year of their existence m a legal manner, and also to clause 209 of the same Act which empowers the Governor to remedy defects m the Act, the Chairman be instructed to ask the Government, should the Council's interpretation'of clause 165 prove Correct, that the Governor be advised to exercise his power under clause 209, and empower the Council to borrow by way \of overdraft to the amount of rates collected by the Local and Highway Boards^in. the County during the year ending the 31st March, 1876, on which amount the subsidies for the present six months are paid. — Carried. Councillor Snelson presented to the Council a petition signed by settlers m the Upper Manawatu district, praying the Government to form and metal a road running into the block about to be set apart for sale on deferred payments, west of Palmerston, and asking the Council to lend their support to the same. He then moved, That the Manawatu County Council urge upon the Government the desirability of making, constructing, and'inetalling a main line of road through the deferred-payment block west of Palmerston, by expending

the half of the upset price of the lands m the block upon such road. — Carried. Councillor Halcombe, m speaking to the resolution before the meeting, stated I that he felt, very strongly upon this : question not only as regarded the particular block named, but also every other block that might he opened forsale. The policy hitherto had. been to throw upon the settlers the onus of making roads after purchasing the land. This he considered a great detriment to the sale, as much of- the land remained unavailable for years. Eoad boards could not undertake these roads, and the Government were not likely after receiving the -purchase-money. He would like to see the cost of constructing roads through every block put up for sale put upon the price of the land, and let the law be that half should go towards construction of roads and half to the land fund. The resolution was then put and carried. Councillor Liddle, m reply to the motion asking him to be Treasurer to the Council, stated that he could not undertake the work, and proposed, — That an advertisement be inserted m the Manawatu Times and such other I papers as the Council might think desirable, calling for applications from gentlemen willing to act as Clerk and Treasurer at a salary of £250 per annum. This proposition, after some discussion, was postponed for further consideration. The Chairman having called attention to the fact that a special meeting was appointed for that evening at 5 p.m., adjourned by consent the present sitting of the Council until 7 p.m. SPECIAL MEETING. A special meeting was then convened to take into consideration a proposition to be. moved by Councillor Halcombe, that an additional representative be allowed to the riding of Manchester. Councillor Halcombe did not suppose, m speaking to the resolution standing m his name, that it was necessary for him to state the reasons which had induced him to bring it forward, for all m the Council were aware that both m population and amount of rates and very nearly m area, the Manchester riding represented quite a third of the County; whilst, by an error m the distribution of representatives, it was only represented by one-ninth— at the same time that two of the other ridings, viz., Foxton and Palmerston, had two members each. All he asked was that his riding should be placed upon the same footing as these two, and he therefore begged to move the proposition standing m his name. Councillor Macarthur seconded the proposition. ' Councillor'GowEß, whilst feeling that the Manchester Eiding was not fully represented, did not know what advantage would be derived should they accede to the proposition, particularly as the election could, not take place for some time to come. He believed the Council were fully prepared to give impartial justic&to the whole of the County, and he felt inclined to think that it would be better to defer it for twelve months when, should it then appear desirable, the proposition could be acceded to. He would move, as an amendment, That the granting an extra member to the Manchester Eiding be deferred for twelve months, and if it should then be Councillor Halcombe's wish to urge the question the Council will then be happy to discuss it on the merits of their experience. Councillor Sanson, m seconding the amendment, said that he was quite aware that the Manchester Eiding exceeded the others, as stated by Councillor Halcombe, and he would be quite willing at the expiration of twelve months to move, should the present status of the Eiding remain the same, That a Councillor be taken from one of the others now having two, and given to the Manchester Eiding, but he thought it probable that many of the settlers now living on their acres would be obliged to seek a livelihood elsewhere. He therefore thought it better to postpone the question m terms of the amendment. The Chairman stated that he would like to say a few words m justification of the. course he intended to take. There would shortly be, without doubt, a readjustment of the boundaries of the different ridings throughout the County, and this might materially alter the present status. He thought therefore the question had better be deferred for the present, as it would be quite time enough to redistribute the representation when that was done. Councillor Halcombe failed to see any argument against his proposition m what had been urged. He considered it a bad argument to say that because no, injustice was being done at the present instant, that therefore there was no necessity to equalize the representation. He considered the best way to ensure justice was to be prepared to prevent m j ustice . In reply to an interruption from Councillor Sanson, that a new member could not be elected for twelve months, he would state that he brought the matter forward to test the feeling of the Council. An injustice had been perpetrated, and he wished to see it righted. He considered that the action of the Council showed that the Manchester Eiding would get justice so long as it suited the majority. As his Tequest was" refused, though he should do his best for the County whilst sitting there, he thould nevertheless urge his constituent's to apply for separation. The amendment was then put, when a. division was calie'd-for; which resulted m its favour,— Ayes :' Thynne, Sanson, Liddell, Gower, and Macdonald. Noes : Halcombe, Macarlhur, aud Snelsoii.