THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL.

Te Aroha News, Volume III, Issue 110, 11 July 1885, Page 7

THE MUNICIPAL CORPORATIONS BILL.

In the new Municipal Corporations Bill before the Legislative Council, introduced by the Hon. Mr Buckley, there are a gooii many new provisions) which it may iuterest our readers to know. In this Bill too it is propose.! to incorporate the Public Health Act for the sake of brino-mg it into prominence ; many powers li 'ing under that Act to i Councils, which might be exercised with advantage more often than thoy are. Chairmen of County Councils, Road ! Board*, and Town Boards are to be compcile I to give aity information required by Borough Councils to unable them to carry out the Act, and als> to produce books and papers as m:ty be required. B-yond the ordinary fine for breach of a by-law, it is proposed to give power after conviction to apply to the Supreme Court for authority to obtain an injunction to restrain persons from persisting in such breach, It is intende 1 to provide that no district can be constituted a borough unless it have an exclusive annual income from gener.il rates alone of not less than £250. No ward can be constituted with less than fifty ratepayers, and not more than three wards shall be created in any borough where the population does not exceed six thousand. For the purpose of adjusting the boundaries of contiguous boroughs, the Governor may, with the consent of the Councils affected, incorporate into a borough any portion of a contiguous borough, in the same manner as a part of a district would be included. A new clause is inserted in the Bill to allow of existing burgess' lists remaining h force if the new roll is not completed in the manner prescribed in the present Act. With regard to the qualifications for Mayor and Councillors^ it is proposed to permit any person convicted of felony, perjury, or infamous crime, Who has obtained a pardon, or completed his sentence, to be eligible for election as Councillor or Mayor if possessed of the Qualification of a burgess. No person is t> be eligible for the office of auditor for more than two yeafs consecutively. When a borough is divided into wards the Council mu*3t cause" at least one-thii'd of the net income to be apportioned among the wards in proportion to the amount of the general rate* The #m*ral rate may be made to vary in different tfards. A' -ipecial work *>iay be undertaken and » -eparate rate made for it j but the tota amount of puch rate is not to exceed h in the £. Bolative to special audits,

t!n r spoeiaMiu>litor is ro In- armed witn power to sue his.v Council which hat. consented to any illegal payment or incurred any improper liability. New provision is made for raising separate special loans — Councils are not to incur overdrafts beyond the amount of on« year's income. Councillors are intended to be made personally liable for moneys borrowed in a full penalty of £200, which may be sued for by any burgess on bohalf of the corporation. Throe-fifths of the total votes must i»e recorded before a sreoial loan cm bo aiuhorisc.l. Pio vifion is made for levying on lands and . buildings whoso rateable value does not exceed £12 10s, a wiiter rate m>t oxceedins? 10s j for value exceeding £12 iOs, and not exceeding £100, f per cent j exceeding £100, and not exceeding £2M), b' per cent ; exceeding £200, find not exceeding £3tt(>, 5 per cent ; exceeding £#!>(), a rate not exceeding 4 per cent on tlie animal volution. On lauds and buildings to which water can no, but is not, supplied, situated one lundrftd ym* Is froi.i tne water works, a rate not exceeding one half of the fore<oing ratr* ; upon buildings use 1 as stores or warehouses, or For purposes >rh"r than as dwelling houses, a r.ito of >$ pur cent ; and with respect to an extraordinary water supply, such rates will .>e chargeable a-? may b°. fixed by by-law. lhe Council may accept the volunti or service* of not, njore (!ian fifty men to ict as a lire pol.cft force, with the p nvers if constables, to be enroll >.| for ono v r ear, and to be under the direction of (■he Firo Inspector. In addition to the present powers to m ilcc by law, the Borough Councils arc t.) have authority to make by laws to lognlate the erection of houses not having a frontage to a •street, and to prevent the overcrowding of the giound with houso- ) to prohibit. I persons throwing refuse iutw rivers ; and Ito punish persons putting water cress jor weeds into them ; to provide for li- : cen^ini? 1 eania^es kept for hire. A . license taken out by a licensee in the. borough in which a person resides to -nffiee for a district n'ifhin a dis'ance of live miles therefrom. A section is added to authorise the expenditure of borough funds on school buildings, for oither erection or maintenance. When separate accounts are kept for the different wards in boroughs the general rates shall be levie-d in the different wards according to their requirements, so that they may vary in the different wards ; and the rates lievied in a ward are to bo expended exclusively therein, subject to a contribution from each ward towanlii general expenditure. Clause 141 is taken from the Counties Act, and permissive only. It proWhere separate accounts are not kept general rates may be varied in the different wards, or separate rates levied therein, in supplement of the general rates. Provision is made for levying special rates within a portion of a borough fcr interest on special loan raised for benefit of such portion.