The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1882. COUNTY AMALGAMATION.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 4, Issue 1226, 10 November 1882, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1882. COUNTY AMALGAMATION.

At the meeting convened by Messrs W. H. Bcetham and D. McGregor for Saturday next in Carterton on the above question, a warm discussion may be expected for and against County amalgamation. The new Counties Amendment Act does not deal with the union of Counties, and therefore if amalgamation takes place it will be effected under the Act of 1876. The provisions for the union of Counties under that Act are contained in tlio following clauses

25. The Governor, in Council may, by Proclamation, declare any two or more counties to be united and to form one county under such name as he thinks fit, subject however to the following conditions (1), That a petition from each of the counties proposed to be united, signed by not less than one-third of the county eleetois thereof, is presented to the Governor praying him to unite such counties. (2). That such petitions are publicly notificdjin such counties before being presented to the Governor. (3), That no counter petition sicjncd by not less than one-third of the county electors of any one of such counties is presented to the Governor within two months after the date, of such public notification praying him not to assent to the prayer of the first petition. 2G. The provisions o£ the fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth sections shall apply respectively to any Proclamation issued under or to any of the petitions mentioned in the tweutyfifth section.

27. The Governor shall, in any such Proclamation uniting two or more counties, divide the new county into such number of ridings, not exceeding nine, with audi names and boundaries as he thinks fit, and shall fix tho number of members to be elected for each riding. 28. Upon the union of two or more counties, the Council of such counties shall be dissolved, and tho Governor shall make provision for the election of tho first Council of the new county, as hcreinaftei provided.

2!). When any two or more counties are united,'(1.) All property, real or personal, belonging to oither of such counties shall become vested in the Corporation of the new county. (2.) All rates or other moneys payable to the Councils of either of such counties, shall become payable to tho Council of tho now county (3.) All the liabilities and engagements of either of aucli counties shall becomo liabilities and engagements of tho new , county, (4.) All actions suits and proceedings ponding by or against either of such counties may be carried cn and prosecuted by or against the Corporation of 1 the new county. The fifteenth, sixteenth, seventeenth, and eighteenth sections to which refereiico is made, provide for the consent of Parliament to the proclamation, and the signatures topetitions to be verified. We have now given our readers the basis on which union ig to be effected. As. far as the East Comity is concerned no difficulty may be expeoted, but in County Wcßt there will be a struggle. In the latter division there are some fourteen hundred ratepayers, and the task of obtaining the signatures of one third of them to a potition in favor of amalgamation will not be difficult, but if a counter petition of one third is obtainable, it will have the effect of neutralising the petition, The issue is therefore a very flpen one. If amalgamation be carried a great permanent benefit will accrue to the If .on the other hand it bo lost, a great deal of time and money will have been wasted, to say nothing of the disturbing influence which the agitation undoubtedly lias on the progress of practical operationsin the counties interested, Possibly Saturday's meeting will show whether there are enough earnest men in favor'of amalgamation to carry it, and it may also reveal the strength of those ratepayers who are opposed to it, $ ■ 1 ■ . !To