HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5188, 7 November 1877, Page 3

HUTT COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Council met yesterday at one o’clock. Present : Councillors Mason (in the chair), Dick, Monaghan, Smith, Speedy, Morgan, Lancaster, aud Chew. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. Accounts amounting to £324 were ordered to be paid. A communication was received from the Colonial Secretary (in reply to one from the Council) stating it was intended to introduce a clause into the Amended Counties Act, providing that travelling expenses should be allowed to councillors attending the meetings, but intimating that it was likely that the matter might not be carried this session. The half-yearly balance-sheet was laid on the table, by which it appeared that the receipts for that period were £3038 2s. 76., and the expenditure an equal amount. There were outstanding liabilities to the extent of £361 13s. 4d., of which £6l was overdraft. The Auditor in hia report pointed out that the members of the Council were personally responsible for the amount of the overdraft, with interest. He also pointed out that there was no legal authority for the payment of travelling expenses of members, for which a sum of £lll 18s. had been incurred, and of which £BS had been paid, and the balance was amongst the outstanding liabilities. A resolution was passed calling the attention of the Government to the necessity of providing by legal enactment that these expenses should be chargeable ou the revenue of the county, aud also that power should be conferred upon these bodies to borrow to a limited amount, and that such authority should have a retrospective effect, aud that the county valuation should be made every three years instead of yearly. It was resolved that instructions should be given to the County Engineer relative to the Kaiwarra and Johnsonville road.