MR JAMES BROWNE AND THE COEPOEATION ACCOUNTS.

West Coast Times, Issue 637, 9 October 1867, Page 3

MR JAMES BROWNE AND THE COEPOEATION ACCOUNTS.

TO THE EDITOB Off THE WEST COAST TIMES. Sir — Mr James Browne, a candidate for Municipal honors, when addressing the electors on Saturday last said "Ho wished to draw the attention of the citizens to the accounts of the Corporation which at the last moment had been placed before the public." This, sir, was a serious charge, involving as it did the accusation that the members of the Municipal Council had kept back the accounts from the public to the last moment required by law, and I accordingly set^about to investigate it. ■".."Judge, Mr "Editor, of my astonishment when on looking over the Act I found the following section : — 98. — An account of all moneys received and expended by virtue and fox* the purposes cf this Ordinance signed by the Mayor and Town Clerk and certified by tne Auditors specifying the total sum received from each source of in come and the total annual revenue and the total amounts disbursed under each head of expenditure and the total annual outlay ma'lo up to the Jirst day of September in each year shall on or before the first day of December be printed and published for distribution among the citizens or advertised for public information as the Council may direct. According to the Actthc last moment for publishing the accounts is on the Ist December next. Mr James Browne, therefore, when on Saturday last he told the citizens thab tho accounts had been pubV ihed at the last moment either stated Lliat which he knew to be untrue, or made an assertion which only showed his gross ignorance of the requirements of the Act. Mr James Browne is quite at liberty to rest upon which horn of the dilemma he chooses. I am, sir, &c, Caustic. October 8, 1807.