BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1112, 2 August 1882, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held last evening at 7 p.m. Present: His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Brown, Tutchen, Somervell, Clayton, Tucker, Whinray, Lewis, and Berry. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed.

Outgoing correspondence as follows wa« then read ;—To Town Clerk*of Auckland re burial expenses of paupers, seeking information.— To H. Cannon, Poundkeeper, instructing him to supply a board at the Police Station for pound notices.—To the Secretary of the School Committee, stating that Derby-street would be attended to as soon as possible.-—To Mr Peters, Napier, re Gisborne breakwater.—To A. McDonald, M.H.R., forwarding resolutions passed at a public meeting. Incoming Correspondonoe t —From Dr. Leggatt requesting the construction of a culvert over a drain opposite hi* property in Greystreet. Resolved that Dr. Leggatt bo informed that he has an entrance to his paddook in Derby-streot, the fono* to be removed if in accordance with his wishes.—Frqn) Mr Geo. Flouko, requesting permission to transfer a sootioq, 77a, to Mr O. B. Hubble j granted,— From Mr Alex. Hird, requesting remiMion of rates for shingling for hi* property in Roebnck Road ; application declined.—From Mr Jc*oph Hat well re Grey-street culvert, complaining of damage from stoppage of drain. The Engineer was instructed to advise Mr Hatwell in the matter.—From Mr R. H. Fisher re borrowing a sum of money on leasehold property ; declined.—From Mr H. J. Read, complainining of water on the footpath after rain in Derby-stroet. was rggqlyqd that a hian be employed op this work for a couple of days.—From the Town Clerk of Auckland stating that the Borough Council have little or no control over the burial ground which is outside the town boundaries. —From Mr G. S. Cooper, re Order in Council affecting dangerous goods storage. —From Messrs Oppenheimer and Co., forwarding lamp* and enclosing account for payment. BEX'lU’fqNd, Bdtitjqn from residents in Palmerston Road, requesting that the footpaths may bo gravelled afro*h. Tho petition was received. The Reports of tho Council officers were then read end adopted. The following payments were passed Herald, £l4 14s (Id j T. Adams, £2 14s ; Qppenheiiper and Co.J £23 Ils J.Od • Clerki £l6 16s 4d ; Engineer, £l6 13s 4d j T. Fare in, £8 6s 8d ; A. Martin (contractor), £5O ; E. Wiikinjon, £IQ 8s j A. Martin (workman), £1 4s | Solicitor*’ fee*, £9 10* (| ( l ; Capt. Porter, refund of money paid, £3 --this item wm ordered to stand over till next meeting ; Oxenham, £207 10# Id—vfchie item was ordered ' to stand over for tin) proiont, i

The following tenders were then opened : — Spreading Beach shingle on Derby-street: W. J. Morgan, £23 8s 9d ; Alex. Robb (accepted), £l9 10s ; C. McDavitt, £l9 17s. Orders of the day were then read. Ch. Tucker’s Motion. Cr. Tucker considered this matter entirely within the province of the Council. Ho adduced the fact of the Council having previously recommended a Session of the Supreme Court in Gisborne. If there were only one policeman in Gisborne, and the functions of the police were so curtailed, it would only be right for the Council to take notice of it. If the requirements of justice were not properly served it was the Council’s province to interfere. From the Reports of the Public Petitions Committee it would appear that tho Government had refused to institute a prosecution. The police did not move in consequence of not getting a sign from Government. Here he quoted a late ca*e well known in Reports. He could *eo it was a hard thing to argue this matter out without mentioning names, but he meant to try nnd du *o. He had not endeavored to bias or persuade Councillors to his view. Mr J. C. Brown had questioned the Hon. Mr Bryce on this subject, which ho looked upon as a singular coincidence. Mr Bryce had answered this by saying police matters were referred to their natural authorities, but he shirked the question of whether Ministers reserved the right of interference. He would ask the Council if they can point to any case of a working man in which the prosecution had been ordered to be abandoned. He know of such instance* in tho case of a rich man, and he thought that if there bo env allegation that ponoe matters within the Borough wore interfered with, the Council should express an opinion. He could go at length into the matter. He trusted for a full expression of opinion on tho question of police interference within the borough. Ho brought no ohargo against tho police here. Cr. Lewis said that in seconding the motion ho did so on certain grounds, but in this instance ho would prefer seeing 11. 31. He had done so, and as far as he could see there was no fault to find with the Government, who hod said that they were prepared to give the police assistance if tho prosecution wore undertokon. He would withdraw his name a* a seconder, oxoopt as “ pro forma,” Cr, Brown said that- tho case had been held over in order that Councillore might make themselves acquainted with the matter. Ho had done so, and foiled to see how they oould go on without referring to a case. He thought the Government had done all in their power to further the ends of justice. The case hod been dismissed by tho R.M. here, and an opportunity had boon offorded to Mr Tucker of prosecuting. The only apparent ground of complaint was tho withholding of tho Xnspeo* tor's report. The Commissioner was deserving of somo deference. This is a matter whielj does not concern tho Council at all. With yet spoet to Cr. Tucker’s argument re the Supreme Court session, that a totally different metter, gnd there wm nq parity of reasoning. He would not support the motion. Cr. Somervell know very Ijttle qf |ha reh» tions between the Government and theroHoe. but he thought this matter within the province of the Council. This was a case when for our owq protection wo had a right to interfere. The Government had no right to pigeonhole reports ond claim them as private. He had no porsonal feeling, but ho would support the resolution on public grounds. Cr. Tucker regretted that there had not boon a sufficient discussion. It wo* not hi* desire that the police should be instructed in the matter at all. He complained that thcA police had been interfered with. If the* started on a particular course they carry it out. Tho police had not dona so in this instance. In some way ha was unahle to / discover, the police had been grossly interfered With—the proof of it was that thpy hgd started with thp prosecution and had left it off. Ho had been offered the recourse of a private prosecution with polioo assistance which ho had refused. He would still call it unfair to cask this burthen back upon private persons after once starting with jt, lip wgs in no way referred to any report of a Police Commissioner, Tho Civil Service report was treated much in the same way at first. If we pay the polio© wo have a right to know that they do their duty, or tho reason that they don't. To sum up th© ease, the report had been stopped by tho Government, and wo have a right to say that this was wrong, and we hare a right to question it. There is no security that the police may not be stopped in their future pro* •ecutione. r

On a show of hands being taken—For the motion i Crs. Tucker, Somervell, Tutchen. Against it: Crs. Lewis, Whinray, Brown. Berry, Clayton. Then Cr. Tucker wished to bring before the Council Mr McDonald’s Native Land* Bill as compared with Mr Bryoo’s. He thought Mr McDonald’s Bill fairly met tho wants of tho placo. Ho went at somo length into thp matter, and compared the Bill*. After a lengthy discussion it was resolved that an expression of opinion bo made and forwarded to Mr McDonald, M.H.R. Cr. Tucker then fabled the following— ‘ This Council is of opinion lines 24 and 25, Clause 4, that grants issued to purchasers should contain the same and no other conditions than those contained in tho original grant. That a mortgagee should not have power to negative a sub-division. That the whole of the grantees and not merely a majority should be parties to the surrender of a grant, and that when there has boon any disposition of the interests vested by the grants, it should not be surrendered, but should be treated a* in one of the clauses of the Native Lands Aot of 1873.” It was seconded by Cr. Somervell, and carried. Crs, Lewis and Tutcheq w!*ho4 to move some extraordinary business, but owing to thp lateness of the hour his Worship ruled that it oould not he cnterlainodt A dlsoussion udqso as to whore the lamps just reosired from Oppenheimer and Co, should bo fixed. A Committee composed of Crs. Lewis, Somervell, and Brown, wore appointed to consider tho matter and report, It wo* resolved that on and tfter the 2nd of August the Gladstone Road should hq’ closed from Roebuck Road a* far u Read'* Gato for repairs. The meeting then tqvnpnated.