To the Editor of the Evening Mail.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 111, 11 May 1874, Page 2

To the Editor of the Evening Mail.

Sib,—As Mr Rout has asser.eJ in your paper that the correctness of the statements he made in the Provincial Council with respect to tho Waim.a Road Board .Bye-laws can be proved by facts I shall be obliged by your publishing the correspondence on the subject, which shows that Mr Rout's statement i_ altogether without foundation in fact. - Th-Board passed certain Bye-laws which they sent to the Provincial Government on the 24th Augu.t 1872. On the 24th of October following a reply was written by the Provincial Secretary forwarding the opinion of the Provinc!al Solicitor to the effect that it was doubtful if the Board had power to pass Bye-laws. In 1873 tho Provincial Conncil amended the law so as to give the necessary power to Highway Boards, and it was not until the 19th February 1874, that the Waimea Board forwarded to the Provincial Government Byelaws passed under the authority of that Act, one of which has been disallowed and lhe others confirmed. Mr Rout stated in tho Council that the Bye-laws had been submitted to the Executive a year and ten months since and no reply had been received and notwithstanding the contradiction I gave to hi* assertion at the time, and a full explanation of the matter to himself afterwards; he has thought proper to make the assertion I have referred to in your columns. Mr Kout would have been nearer the truth had ho wiittentbat the incorrectness of his statement in tnis matter can be proved by facts. I am, &c, Albert Pitt. Nelson May 9,1873.

Secretaby of Waimea Road Boabd t3 Provincial Seobetabt. August 24, 1872; Sm — Under the powers given in clause 4 of "The Country Roads Amendment Act, 1863." the Waimfa Road Board passed certain by-laws, of which a copy is herewith transmitted, which were duly confirmed as required by the said Act. A doubt having aiisen as to whether tho said by-laws are still valid, I have the honor, by direction of the Board, to request that you will have the goolness to inform the Board whether they are so, or, should they not be, to lay them before His Honor and the Executive Council for approval, as by-laws passed by the Board in accordance with clause 18 of "The Highway Boards Empowering Act, 1871." I have, &c ., T. J. Thompson, Secretary Waimea Road Board.

Provincial Secretaby to Waimea Road Board. Superintendents Office, Nel. on, 241h October,' lß72. Rib— Your letter of the 24th August has been referred to the Provincial Solicitor with the by-laws enclosed therein, and I now forward the Provincial Solicitor's opinion as to the Board's power to pass by-laws. It is doubtful whether the Board has' any power to make bye-laws a_ all, but if so I do not thiok that Nos. 1 and 2 would be within their power. No. 3 is already provided for by " The Protection of Roads Act. 1864." I have, &c, Alfred Gbee"<- ;eld, Provincial Secretary.

Secretary of Waimea Road Boabd to Pbovinci\l Secbetabt. Richmond, Feb. 10, 1874. Sir— The Waimea Road Board finding theoiselve.s.powerless to abate certain nuisances, regarding which complaints are from time to time made to them, owing to the absence of any bye-laws to meet the case ', I am directed to transmit the accompanying copies of bye-laws made (by the Boar J, and to respectfully request that His Honor the Superintendent and his Executive will consider and confirm the same. I have, &c, T. J. Thompson, Secretary.