WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1986, 9 May 1885, Page 2

WELLINGTON CITY COUNCIL.

AtfVELYSOENE,

Since- the advent of Mr G. Fisher tc tho Mayoral chair of the Empire City, the Council of tho Corporation has become little better than a bear garden; but we think nil previous soenos were eclipsed at the meeting held on Thursday night, when differences with the Harbour Board came up for discussion, CrS. brown, speaking on the subject, is reported in a Wellington paper to have said:—The meeting of which Mr Allen was Chairman was calledapublic meeting, but only about 100 people held up their hands when the resolution was put, He was ashamed of that meeting/and thought the way the Mayor acted on that occasion was a disgrace. He would like to knowby whose authority that plan was prepared. The Mayor—Mine, sir. Or Brown—Then .what authority had you fordoing that?. As Mayor, sir, 1 tell you you did wrong. The Town Clerk is the cxeptiye. officer of. this body, and it was clbarly his'duty,'and not yours, to get such a plan prepared, jf one was con-'! sidered necessary."lt instated—you can deny it if you before the meeting was held in the Arcado, you got up a private meeting at Newtown, that you

caused circulars to be issued, and held Ja private meeting before wo were able to make a recommendation to the Council. That proceeding was simply on a piece with what you nave done before to make mischief. The plan was not correct, and was calculated to mislead the citizens who went to the Arcade. It was only comflfc fair play to those citizens who were askeS -•■-'• to decide the question that they should ■-'■'• have had both sides put before therii. *- Sgiii6;ofyqur statements, sir, wore diA- '■' courteous, and were, in fact, untrue. If the question of the face Jjiie was intended -• ■ ■ to be submitted to the' burgesses the- • • matter should have been put fairly'before ■■'• them. You took a most prominent part :•>.• at the meeting. You went on the plat- Vform likej»' travelling Cabinet; Minister, ■' witha'pile of books under.your Arm.V-.. ~ The Mayor—You mean burgess rolls, -v don't you;;: .. i : Cpuncilljor Brown-No. That meeting * was got up by you for the purpose of ;. annulling all that we have done

' 'The Mayor (laughing)— Why, you have'nt done anything yet, Councillor Petherick—l really must object to these interjections by the Mayor. If anyone else did such a thing he (the Mayor) would be the first to.spring on •' hinilike a tiger. The Mayor is certainly going. off. his mind, if he has not already gone eft it..: ' Councillor. Brown still addressing & are always trying to upW everything that is for the good of the ' ■■ community. You aro always talking of' \ '•■ your loyalty, but if you would 'act a ' little differently to what you do it would . f reflect more credit upon you. lam not : accustomed to speak behind anyone's back. I tell you to your face that you have not acted in a creditable manner so far as this reclamation question is concerned; If the committees had been allowed to report the result of their deliberations things might have gone on all right; but no, you would hot allow them \ to do that, and now a settlement of the '/ difficulty is as far off as ever, - - if' At a later stage the Mayor was speaking and said he would not disgrace ■ the pru« ' ceedings of the Council by making use gf any urtseemlyj%ases such, as had been Used that night; well might the citizens ponder over them, The councillor W J, O used them would never figure in this Council Chamber after his present term.' of ufiigo had .expired, To say that ho (the Mayor) had done wrong in objeogfe to the offer of the Harbor BoardHs quite untrue, He had always had the ; interest of the city at heart, and he had novermade a single sixpence out of it. He had never been a pavty to such a transaction m getting, the foundations of tho gasmefer dug at the expenso of the Corporation, Cimnoillorfi, Brown—lt's a lie, The Mayor-What? Oounoiller Bro\vn-I say it's a lie, and tlwmaiv who is saying it is a liar. Tho Mayor-It is not, I say that they (tho Gas Company) got the benefit. Councilor Brown (jumping up excitedly)—lt's a lie and I challenge you to prove it, George Fisher. (Cries of 'order.') Counciler-Brown resumed his seat. . Mr J. D. Baird has since then written a quiet, letter in which he explains that hej&k was City Surveyor at the time the trans™ action with the Gas Company took place, and that under .the arrangement .made, the Council obtained a large quantity 'of giwelTorls. 3(|. p yard,' Affi' under. ether circumstances witnikj ha'ye q% 4s.