COUNTIES ACT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 279, 6 November 1884, Page 3

COUNTIES ACT.

*We have received a copy of a Bill to amend the Counties Act which has been introduced this session of Parliament by Mr. Cadman (member for Coromandel.) It provides (inter alia) that Chairmen of County Councils shall be elected by the County electors annually ; and that every candidate for the office of Chairman shall, at the time of nomination, deposit with the Returning Officer the sum of £lO. In the event of any candidate not polling one-eight part of the number of votes polled by the successful candidate, such sum shall be forfeited, and the Returning Officer shall pay it into the County fund. Clause 4 of the Bill provides that the Chairman shall be a Councillor in virtue of his office over and above the number of Councillors fixed by the Act. If a Councillor is elected to be Chairman, his office as an elected Councillor shall thereby be vacated, and such a vacancy shall be deemed an extraordinary vacancy. Provision is made to pay the Chairman such salary out of the County funds as the Council may from time to time direct. Section 41 of “ The Counties Act 1876 Amendment Act, 1882,” is to be repealed with the view of substituting the following : —“ Every holder of a miner’s right whose name appears, in virtue of being the holder of a miner’s right, on the roll of the electors of the Riding in which he resides, not being an alien, shall be entitled to vote at an election of Councillors for such Ridings and for no other Ridings : provided that no other person shall be entitled to vote by virtue of a miner’s right who is entitled to vote in any part of the County for rateable property.” Provision is also made for the amendment of section 10 of “ The Counties Act Amendment Act, 1888,” by allowing electors to vote notwithstanding that their rates may not have been paid prior to an election.