PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, August 31, 1881.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume IX, Issue 974, 31 August 1881, Page 2

PUBLISHED EVERY WEDNESDAY & SATURDAY. Wednesday, August 31, 1881.

One of the most important items of business done at the Cook County Council meeting on Friday evening was the consideration of a most remarkable letter received from Mr. Allan McDonald, fortunately for him, the letter was written in his capacity as member for the East Coast, otherwise, it is not too much to say that it should have been consigned to that dark limbo whence the Honorable gentleman, himself, originally sprung. The Honorable gentleman deals with many questions. Some within the range of his mental calibre —some, without. Amongst other things he says : — Members here are enquiring why the County Council, at a public meeting in Gisborne, should have been condemned for having paid £lOOO of public money to the road contractor, Mr. Hurrey. I can give them no information on the matter, but should advise you and the Council to have the fullest enquiry. It is to be regretted the Council permitted the meeting to carry any such resolution, especially as it appears that no public enquiry has been made. lam trying to get the Waste Lands of your County vested in the Council, but am twitted by certain members who have seen copies of the resolutions regarding Hurrey’s contract, who say the present County Council are not fit to have the management of lands, &c., when they have been sued by the contractor, and condemned at a public meeting. I should be glad to have the fullest information, so as to justify your action and to prove that the Council have not wasted the £lOOO referred to. The matter should be cleared up as the management of the Waste Lands of your County would be useful to the Council.

Now, it is all very well for Mr. McDonald to put on political side in this way, but, in plain and homely language, “it won’t "wash.” It will be observed that Mr. McDonald writes to the Council, under date the 12th of August, stating that “ members here are beginning ” &c., and he says “ I can give them no information on the matter.” Give whom information ? And on what matter ? In what way did the County Council “ permit ” the meeting to carry the resolution ? But let us hear Mr. McDonald himself. On the tenth of August, two days before he addressed his letter to the Cook County Council the following appears on the Order paper of the House : —

Mr. McDonald asked the Government, if they have been informed of a public meeting having been held at Gisborne on the 30th July, convened by Mr. Ross, accusing certain members of Cook County Council of paying a certain contractor £1,087 Ils lid over and above what he was entitled to ; and, if not, will the Government inquire into the matter ? He might state that at this meeting a vote of censure was passed condemning the action of the Council in excluding the public when they discussed the matter, and also the following resolution “ That this meeting is of opinion the charge made by Mr. Ross seems to be well founded, and warrants an investigation by a Government officer duly appointed.” He would like to know if the Government had been informed of the circumstance ; and, if so, whether they intended to appoint an officer to investigate the charge.

To which Major Atkinson very properly replied :— That the Government had no information at the present time, and, on the face of it, it seemed to be a transaction with which the General Government had nothing to do. If the matter came before them, he would no doubt be able to give the honorable member a more definite answer.

Can political tergiversation further go ? Supplementing Major Atkinson’s astonishment, we would stop to enquire what on earth the Parliament of the Colony has to do with the question at issue ? The Honorable gentleman says, he is “twitted by certain members.” We do not doubt it. Political jackasses, who bray when there is no occasion, generally do get “ twitted,” or beaten with many stripes. And it is amusing to see how he tries to get mixed—and is hopelessly mixed—in the matter. He disturbs a hornet’s nest, and then is astonished at the stings he receives. If any person on the floor of the House has said by his actions that “ County Councils are not fit to have the management of lands ” it is the Honorable member for East Coast. “ I ” he says, shall be glad to have the fullest information, so as to justify your action, and to prove that the "Coun- “ cil have not wasted the £lOOO re- “ ferred to.” Who on earth is Mr. McDonald, as regards the Cook County Council, that he, of all men should seek satisfaction at its hands ?

And pray let us learn from this modern Gamaliel what the House of Representatives, or the Government has to do with the expenditure of County Councils. We are ready to admit that there may be mistakes ; but Mr. Allan McDonald, the Honorable member for East Coast, trying to make political capital, at so cheap a rate is too much even for a Poverty Bay constituency.