RE BOROUGH SOLICTOR.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 3, Issue 980, 21 January 1882, Page 2

RE BOROUGH SOLICTOR.

. « . [To tbe Editor of the Daily.l Sir,—ln your/issue of the 18th instant, and also in the Wairarapa Star of same date, a report appears rifa jrliaclißSton that took place' in the MaVtelrtou Borough Council on the 17th instant, relative to the appointment of a Borough Solicitor, in which my action in' connection with that body was very freely' disoussed and severely criticised.. Sjratly-It was stated that leaving drawn up the By-laws for the Borough, had; in a recent impounding case, demolished my'own work by seeking out the weak pointajin the By-laws. : - Thiß report .is entirely" false and without the . slightest foundation. In.no oase in which ■• I have''been professionally engaged have I had to impugn the By-laws' of the Borough'; In-a oase relativo to a cow belonging to-Mr Ewinpton, whioh had been impounded on the 21st ultimo, by a. man;in t.he.,emplqyof thtf Poundk;eeper, iro-cepngs were taken .under "The . '[Wellington'lmpounding Aot,. 1874*"-. I•Kad.no occasion, nor did -I, as counsel for , Mrjwirigton in that oase.attaokoroall' ; validity of the Borough , ;By/AW»ii. Se'obndly-Coincillor Vile is. ; tove stated that when I was .; Council aB Borough; Solid- ; .tptat Wiguine'as per annum my oharges ! in addition to that fee'"were exorbitant, . TJiis\siatement is falsa. I was appointed Solicitor in August, 1877, at a; Srfttajnibß: fee, of 10 guineas, The first by me after my appointtoeht 'was referred to the Finance.Com'ojiUe6;tb investigate, and this Oommittee,. • on, the 12th. November, '1878,/ recommended its payment, which thVOouncil' agreed to on that date. .In the accounts sent into theCounoil I have never charged > nor have I ever been paid the retaining . fee of 10 gniheas'. ,' , ".''.■, .<, Referring iq Mr McCardle's remarks as.to .the £ll being oharged instead of £lO 10s in my nccount of August 31st, 1880,1 would lull attention to a reaoluthe Oouhcil on the 24th June, 1879, which" adopted the following recommendation of 'the Committee:"That Mr Bunny be appointed Solicitor to the Bordiigh-j'as per his offer for 10 guineas per annum, to include ordinary advice-to-Council arid' Town Clerk. Written opinions of cases and preparing documents to be oharged at .ordinary, rates." • ir " : '-'-'-'■ ; L '''•' ■ On the 12th November, 1880,' the Council settled my second account, to amount of £l6osßd (not £l7, as stated by O McCardle).; This amount, as.per .account, was for work done during a period nf seventeen months-from September 23rd, 1878, to February 28th, 1880which period, you will notice,, embraoes the date of the resolution last referred to. This amount of flßosßd ismadeupas follows;r-£107aforpreparing documents, oneMvicej 6s Bd, and the balance, £{ 7s, is actual money paid by myself. out of •pocket' forrstanip duty and registration' 'fee's. Hence, the Council instead of paying for legal advice, as stated,' only ■paid fa 8d; for actual advice, the £lO 7s being for preparing 5 legal doouments.of . which)thei ßorough, at present enjoys the benefit, and ,fpr : . .yjiich, according, to'the resolution; I- waS| permitted to'..charge at. ordinary, rates.. But even supposing this - were not so, on deducting the £i 7s money paid but of pocket from the £ls oa:Bd'receiverl,a balance; remains of £lol3a Bd, making the exorhitant sutti v 6f 3a 8d over ''andiibwe ,',:The.:Cou'iicillors_:who made the state-, should have in-j):iirje.diiito-.nnd.aßcertained whether the faqts were really as they sta,ted them' to be,' otherwise '.it.-bears, the' appearance that ihe' : Councillors' who made them -.were jabtuated by personal motives, and that ,tooy-%ere;ma i de-wjth a view at :iajitfiog ■' WJ! Wfpf^S«?.WtUNpntatioD,:;,- - ''■';;/; ; \-i-.« .v«» ; :Iam, &c;r v -, ••. ■•-•'•;' "?'■:■;■ , temi% !, Bmit, t: Miik w -w.% « .«;/•■ j. •■•- i -• .; " . . '■•■ :tft«i!.!'-^''.>'.^-'.- ; ''.'.„il.:.,ij.? <A