MUNICIPAL REVENUE MEETING.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4160, 21 July 1874, Page 2

MUNICIPAL REVENUE MEETING.

A special meeting of the City Council was held at the Chambers, Custom House Quay, yesterday afternoon. There was a full attendance of Members, the Mayor presiding. The business before the Council was the consideration of a petition, which had been forwarded to the City Council here from Christchurch, dealing with some very important mattei's touching the fiscal arrangements of the Provinces. It runs as follows ; That there is a large amount of expensive work to be performed to complete the formation and metalling of streets, belts, and for erecting bridges, and other urgent and important works. That owing to the increase of buildings and population, and as a means for prevention of crime, it is necessary to have the whole of the City lighted at night. That this Council is borrowing a large sum of money under a Special Act to cany out a system of drainage. That the ratepayers are already heavily taxed. That this Council humbly submits that the fees arising from licenses granted to auctioners, hotel keepers, merchants, pawnbrokers, and taxes on dogs within the boundary of each municipality should form part of its revenue, as in the case of the Otago Province. That the Council therefore humbly pray that your Honorable House will bo pleased to pass an Act securing to each municipality the fees above referred to. Attached to the petition was the draft of a Bill which it was proposed to be introduced, and which was to the following effect : WhertSas it is expedient to.provide further sources of ordinary revenue for Municipal Corporations established in New Zealand. Be it therefore enacted by the General Assembly of New Zealand in Parliament assembled, and by the authority of the same as follows 1. The short title of this Act shall be The Municipal Corporations Revenues Act, 1874. 2. This Act shall come into operation on the Ist day of January, IS7">. 3. All licenses which under the authority of any Act of the General Assembly of New Zealand, or of any Act or Ordinance of any Provincial Council of any Province of New Zealand, shall be issuable for the purpose of authorising any person or persons to act or trade as auctioneers, pawnbrokers, wholesale wine and spirit merchants, keepers of hotels, accommodation houses, public houses, or public bars, or as keepers or managers of theatres, or places of public amusement within the boundaries of any city or borough, the fees payable whereon shall not form part of the revenues of the General Government of New Zealand shall be issued by the City Council of such City or Borough, and all fees payable upon the issue of such licenses, .and all fines and penalties payable for acting or trading without such licenses shall bo paid to and received by the Council of such City or Borough, and shall go and belong to and form part of the City or Borough Fund thereof. It shall be the duty of any Resident Magistrate, Justice of the Peace, officer, or other person by whom any such license shall be granted, forthwith to certify such grant to the Mayor of the city or borough within the boundaries whereof the same is to take effect. 4., All fees which shall be payable for the registration of dogs or goats owned or maintained by or following any person residing or carrying on business within the boundaries of any city or borough, and all fines and penalties which shall bo payable in respect of the non-registration of any such dogs or goats shall be received by the proper officer in that behalf on account of, and it shall bo the duty of such officer forthwith to pay over all such fees, fines, and penalties to the Council of such city or borough, and the same shall go and belong to and form part of the city or borough fund thereof. 6. All such fees, fines, and penalties shall bo recoverable in a summary manner before two Justices or a Resident Magistrate, in the manner provided by The Municipal Corporations Act, 1867. The petition having been duly read, a conversation of a somewhat desultory character ensued. The majority of the members, however expressed tolerably strong opinions, to the purpose that the prayer contained. in the body of the petition was one which would have a very beneficial effect, if carried into law, on tho question to be decided by it. It was pointed out by Conn-

cillor Mills very forcibly that further funds were required by the municipal authorities here for the prosecution of works absolutely necessary in the boundaries of the City. Further conversation followed, in which it was urged that Canterbury had shown itself but too anxious to obtain a share of the revenue accruing to herself in advance of other Provinces, which had had much greater burdens to bear in the way of local taxation. Ultimately it was resolved that the Mayor should be instructed to get a Bill prepared so as to deal with the whole question of the division of the amount allocated as between the Province and the Municipality.