LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VII, Issue 133, 5 June 1872, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

o Before entering upon the business on the Notice Paper, Mr. Kynnersley said that, as chairman of the Select Committee appointed to consider and report upon the condition ot tbe town of Westport, he felt it his duty to call the attention ofthe Council to a circumstance that had come under his notice. A few days after the appointment of the Committee, a discussion arose as to its constitution, Mr. O'Conor having stated that he should like to be a member of it. Mr. Macmahon offered to resign in his favor, but this Mr.. O'Conor declined, and it was ultimately agreed, on the suggestion of the Speaker, that he should be allowed to attend its meetings and give the benefit of his local knowledge and advice. Accordingly, when the Committee met last week he was present, aud was so again at its meeting tbat morning. During the sitting it was determined to recommend the removal of the Government Buildings to the upper part of tbe town, and some of the members were of opinion that the sections at present open for selection Bhould be distributed among those whose laud had been washed away. Some objections were raised to this, and it was ultimately agreed that at all eveDts tbe sections should be withdrawn from sale until the matter was decided, and the following resolution was adopted : — " That the Waßte Lands Board, be requested to withhold from sale all sections open for immediate selection in the town of West-

port until this Committee have reported to the Council." Mr. O'Conor then left the room, and he (Mr. Kynnersley) immediately wrote a letter embodying lhe above resolution to the Chairman of the "Waste Lands Board, and took it himself to the Land Office where he found Mr. O'Conor. He had since ascertained that while he was writing the letter, Mr. O'Conor bought, and paid the upset price for, six of the most valuable sections in the upper partof the town to which it was proposed to remove the buildings, and which the Committee, in Mr. O'Conor's presence, had decided ought to be reserved from sale until the Committee had reported. He would make no lengthy remarks, but he conceived it to be his duty, as chairman of the Committee, to report to the Council what appeared to him to be highly reprehensible conduct on the part of a member of that Council. Mr. O'Conor said, in reply to the charge brought against him, that he was not in the room at the time the resolution was agreed to, but had he been it would have made no difference to him. The land was open to all, and if not taken up by him, who had been the heaviest loser by the encroachment of the sea, it would bave been bought by others, and so lost to the public. If it was the wish of the Council that he should do so, he was perfectly willing to give it up at once. He bad been negotiating for the purchase of the sections for the last fortnight. — Mr. Donne moved — " That this Council desires to place on record its stroog disapprobation of the conduct of one of its members, namely, the member for the Buller. Mr. Eugene Joseph O'Conor, in taking advantage of certain information obtained by him as a member of the Council on the 4ih inst. during the deliberations of a Select Committee appointed "to consider and report upon the present position and condition of the town of Westport,' 1 in the purchase by him of certain sections of land iv Palraerstonstreet, Westport, which the said Select Committee bad resolved the Waste Lands Board should be requested to withhold from sale pending the report of the Select Committee." He was influenced by no personnl feeling in bringiug forward this resolution, but he looked upon the matter as a most grave and serious one. Mr. Kynnersley had carefully and correctly stated the circumstances tbat had transpired, aud he (Mr. Donne) was prepared to make a statutory declaration to the effect that Mr. O'Conor was present during the deliberation of the Committee on the subject, and that he was just leaving the room when it was arranged that the letter should be written to the Waste Lands Board. Some time ago the Council had felt called upon to express a very strong opinion upon the action of certain Government officials with reference to the purchase of land at Wangapeka, but the | conduct of those officials utterly paled be- | fore that of a member of the Council taking advantage of information obtained inside that Chamber for the purpose of putting money into his own pocket. In the interests of the public the Council could not too jealously guard its honor, nor protest too strongly agamst a breach of that reticence which should surround the proceedings of a Committee when deliberating npon a matter affectiug tbe interests of a large portion of the community. He felt fully entitled to express his simple opinion that Mr. O'Conor had been guilty of an act that was positively indecent, and, although not a breach of the law, something that was far worse, namely, a breach of honor. Mr. Kynnersley seconded the resolution. The | Provincial Solicitor thought they were proceeding very hurriedly, and jumping at a conclusion too fast. Mr. Kynnersley had made a serious charge against Mr. O'Conor which was, probably, well founded and correct, and if so, the motion before them was by no means too strong. The Council should set its face against any member turning information he had there acquired to his own advantage, for if they did not insist upon tbat, they would soon lose their usefulness and character for honorable dealing. Still, before passing such a resolution as that before them, they should give Mr. O'Conor every opportunity of affording an explanation, and he therefore thought that before tbe matter was brought before the Council, it would be better to refer it to a Committee to be selected by lot who should hear all the cvi ence on both sides, and then report to the Council. None could deprecate more strongly than he the conduct of any member of the Government or of the Council in obtaining information in his official capacity and then making use of it to his own advantage, but to pass such a resolution as that proposed without giving the accused an opportunity of explaining would be perfectly useless. He ' would move, " That, the subject now before the Cou ocil be referred to a Selec t Com mi ttee of seven members, rejecting the names of the Westport Committee, to be selected by iot; such .Committee to report to-morrow -bight." Mr. Gibbs seconded the reaolu-

tion. He did not doubt the statements made by Mr. Kynnersley, but thought they should have positive proof of their correctness. Mr. Guinness thought that this was a question involving the honor of every member of the Council. It was their duty to calmly deliberate upon the matter, but he questioned the advisability of postponing its consideration. Mr. O'Conor admitted bavin-*-; purchased the land, aud had stated bis willingness to return it if tbe Council thought fit, but it was for ihe Council to consider the simple pointy did he avail himself of knowledge obtained at the Committee ? He denied being present when the matter was under deliberation. The question must not be allowed to lapse, and no time Should be lost in considering it. Mr. F. Kellingapproved of the amendment, as he thought it was but fair to Mr. O'Conor. Mr. Wastney did not think that any delay was necessary. Mr. O'Conor admitted buying the land, but denied the assertion of the chairman of the Committee that be was present when the resolution was agreed to The evidence of the members of fhe Committee might he taken on this head. The Provincial Treasurer said the charge should be made in such a way as to give Mr. O'Conor every opportunity of defending himself, and also to allow of the evidence being placed on record. He was a member of the Westport Committee, and was perfectly certain that the recommendation to withdraw the land from sale was fully agreed to before Mr. O'Conor left the room, and tbat he was present at the time the discussion was going on as to the method in which it should be laid before the Board. He trusted all would agree to the appointment of a Committee. Mr. Reid thought there should be a close inquiry and a definite record of the facts. It was not so much a question whether the withholding of the land from sale was definitely settled upon before Mr. O'Conor left the room, as whether there was an understanding that certain arrangements were likely to be made which would increase the value of the land; in fact, did anything transpire while he was in the room to offer a greater inducement to anyoue to purchase the land than existed at the time he entered it. He (Mr. Reid) believed tbat it was so. The whole matter should be promptly and thoroughly investigated and every publicity given to it.

Mr. Luckie thought the Council should take it up without delay, and thoroughly sift it from beginning to end. Mr. Kynnersley said that with reference to the accuracy of the charge brought by him, he might say that from his own observation he could say that Mr. O'Conor was present at the time the Committee arrived at their decision, and also that he was in the room when some suggestions were made for distributing the upper end of the town among those who had lost land at the lower end. Whether he was there when the questiou was formally put, he could not assert from his own observation .. He hoped the matter would not be passed! over lightly, as, if the charge were proved, he considered that Mr. O'Conor had shown his utter unfitness to sit there any longer as a member. The Council might 1 not perhaps get through its business as quickly as those of other provinces, and there might be considerable differences of opinion between the members from the West Coast and those of the settled districts, but there was one point in which he was sure they were all agreed, namely, a desire to maintain a high and pure standard of honor and morality. — The amendment was then put and carried on tbe voices, and the following members were selected by lot :— The Provincial Solicitor, Mr. Collins, Mr. Guinness, Mr. Baigent, Mr. Luckie, the Provincial Secretary, and Mr. F. Kelling. — On the resolution of Mr. Gibbs, it was resolved, " Tbat his Honor the Superintendent be requested to invite the attention of the General Government to the advisability of takiog immediate action for providing a cheap and ample supply of water in the Collingwood district, whereby a large extent of auriferous ground would be worked to advantage, and furnish employment to a considerable number of miners." — The "Publicans' Licensing Bill" was read the second time and passed through Committee. — The "Electoral Districts Bill," giving a member to tho Inangahua, was read the second time and committed; and an attempt which was made to increase the number of members to twenty-two was defeated. — On the motion of Mr. Donne, it was resolved : — " That his Honor the Superintendent be requested, before entering into any contract for the erection of a new Lunatic Asylum, to obtain copies of plans of the Yarra Bend Lunatic Asylum, Melbourne,

for the information and guidance of the Executive in giving effect to the resolution ! of this Council passed on the 3rd instant." — Mr. Guinness moved " Tbat his Honor the Superintendent be requested to invite the attention of the General Government to the advisability" of taking immediate action for constructing the Napoleon Hill Water Race, which would ensile a large extent of auriferous ground to be worked with advantage, and afford remunerative employment to a considerable number of miners." Negatived. — Mr. Baigent moved " That his Honor the Superintendent be requested to cause a sufficient number of copies of the 'Highways Act' to be printed and circulated among the members of the Road Boards in this Province, before the 15th day of the present month." Agreed to. — The Council then adjourned until this evening at 5 o'clock.

The Wellington papers announce. the formation of a Carrying Company from Wellington to the Wairarapa. ; ! Commenting on the absurd attempt of the young man O'Conor to intimidate Her Majesty, the Spectator says : — " The event should teach the nation, not indeed that the Queen dreads such public ceremonials as she has recently gone through — for we believe her equanimity and gallantry to be quite beyond any fear of this kind — but that there is a certain amount of real risk to the head of tbe nation attending all such excitements of the public mind ; and that tbe Queen, in totally disregarding such risk and thinking simply of her official duties, has an additional claim upon our gratitude. We should think little of such courage in a man, in whom it would be only what was !i fitting ; but in a woman who has now been five times publicly assailed, and who has never shrunk, either at the moment or afterwards, from any discharge of public duty, there is a real metlle which we ought heartily fo recognise. No one knows better than the Queen tbat Royal processions and Royal thanksgivings and great ceremonials of all kinds which fix public-attention on the highest person in the realm, are sure to breed some sort of mad design or caprice in some of her numerous family of thirty million. Doubtless she also knows how difficult it is for weak brains to ca-ry out lhe foolish purposes thus bred in them. But no monarch has ever ignored more completely the nervous apprehensions which might well have been inspired by the occurrences of this nature during her reign ; and the Queen ought ceriainly lo know that the life which she so fearlessly exposes to the perhaps not very grave but real risks which cleave to every throne, and especially io every throne which is set up over an empire constituted of races whereof some are more or less disaffected to ihe sceptre, is rendered dearer lo her people by every alarm and every escape which she undergoes." The San Francisco Alta says that the crime of jerking the hair oul of your wife's head is not so sinful as it formerly was. It is just as ungentlemanly as ever, but it doesn't hurt as it used to do. A Fbench Gentleman, learning English to some purpose, replied thus to the question, ' How do you do, Moosieur?' 'Do vat ? ' How do you find yourself ? ' 'T never loses myself.' ' How do you - feel?* 'Smooth — you just feel me.' * Good morning, Monsieur.' ' Good ! No, it's raser bad one ; it's vet and nasty.' Awkward Interruption. — Many stories are extant as io performances being interrupted by the entry of innocent messengers bringing to the players in the presence of the audience refreshments tbey had deigned to consume behind the scenes, or sheltered from observation between the wings. Thus it is told of one Walls, who was the prompter in a Scottish theatre, and occasionally appeared in minor parts, that he once directed a inaid-of-all-work, employed in the wardrobe of the theatre, to bring him a gill of whisky. The night was wet, so the girl not caring to go out, entrusted the commission to a little boy who happened to be standing by. The play was Othello, and Walls played the Duke. The scene of the senate was in course of representation. Brabantio had just stated : — " My particular grief Is of so flood-gate and o'erbearing nature, That it ingluts and swallows other sorrows, And it is still itself;" and the Duke, obedient to his cue, had enquired — " Why, what's the matter ? •' when the little boy appeared upon the stage and exclaimed, "It's just tbe whiskey, Mr, Walls; and I could na git ony at fourpence, so yer awn the landlord a penny; and he says it's time you was payin' what's doon f the book." The senate broke up amidst the uproarious laughter of the ' audience. — Dickens' All the Year Round. In the Gazzetta ef Italia are some particulars of Mazzini's last days : — He lived in Pisa under the name of George Brown, and his presence there was not known to the authorities. He bad been suffering from an affection of the throat for' gome time, but it was not until the 9th of February that a medical man was sent for. Dr. Rossini attended, and the patient was then suffering from spasm of the' oesophagus. From tbis be appeared to recover, but congestion of the lungs set ini''' Professor Minati was called in in. consultation, but nothing could be done, and Signor.Mazzihi died oh Sunday, the 10th, as ; already 'stated. He expired in ■' the full possession of his mental faculties. One day, Dr. Rossinir^-who knew him ' only under hia assume* hap-ie-^expressed his** astonishment that an should^^jpieak Ital% With such' purity. He then with very visible emotion, and with an energy which contrasted strongly with c»lia he 1 hftd' hitherto maintained,

replied, *But I am an Italian, and dearly I loved, and love, my country.' Afterward^ calming himself, he exclaimed, 'I lived 40 years in London;' and then was silent." Special telegrams forwarded te the Dailt/ News state Jhat at Mazzini's funeral at Genoa, a crowd of 80,000 persons followed the car, which was surrounded by tbe intimate friends of the deceased, by the members of the municipality of Genoa, deputations from Pisa, Naples, Venice, &c, numerous representatives of the Italian and foreign press, and of many working meu's associations and Masonic lodges. At Rome on the day of the funeral more than 15,000 persons marched in procession from the Piazza del Popolo to the Capilol in honor of Mazzini. On a large car draped witb black, was placed a colossal figure of Italy crowning the bust of Mazzini. The procession was formed of members of the working-men's associations, and of persons representing all shades of political opinion.