WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Westport Times, Volume III, Issue 455, 21 January 1869, Page 3

WESTLAND COUNTY COUNCIL.

Tho following narrative of the proceedings in the Westland County Council which culminated in the election of Mr Hoos as chairman, is given by the West Coast Times, written, of course, from the point of view taken ! by that journal:— Immediately upon the opening of the Council it was quite clear to every one, both members and spectators, that Mr Rees, the member for Kanieri, had a little game afoot. There was not much concealment about the little game, although perhaps, until this evening, there were some whose eyes were not perfectly open to it. Mr Eees's little game was first to defer the election of the Chairman; secondly, to procure by hook or by crook the unseating of Mr Sale; thirdly, to substitute Mr Prosser; and fourthly to obtain Mr Prosser's election as Chairman. Mr Prosser, of course, did not appear; he kept in the background. Having before him the objects we have mentioned, Mr Eees, as Mr Prosser's agent, first of all proposed that the election of a chairman should be deferred, andthat the Council should proceed to decide the cases of disputed election. Unfortunately the good sense of the Council ultimately prevailed, and the members decided, notwithstanding Mr Eees's opposition, to proceed at once to the election of their Chairman. As soon as this was decided, the various preliminaries were arranged, and everything seemed to be in a fair way for the election. To the surprise of every one, Mr Bees, the agent of Mr Prosser, and the bitter opponent of Mr Sale, voted in favor of this measure. "Why? Because he wanted time. However his hopes were again frustrated, the resolution was negatived, and it appeared almost hopeless to get his man in in time for the election. The end of it was that the decision of the matter was postponed till yesterday. Yesterday morning another little scheme was started. A meeting of certain members of the Council was held at the Criterion Hotel. At this meeting it was decided that some member should be appointed to hold the chair temporarily, on the understanding that he should vacate the chair at the end of one month. In the meantime, Mr Eees voluntarily undertook to support Mr Bonar as a candidate for the Chairmanship, and in fact somewhat obtruded his services as the supporter of that gentlemen. We now come to yesterday evening's occurrences. Immediately before the business commenced Mr Eees obtained from our present respected Chairman, Mr Hoos, something which he considered to be an undertaking to resign office at the end of one month, if elected to it. This proposal met with strong opposition from Mr Bonar, Mr Harrison, and Mr Sale on the grounds of its illegality. But these gentlemen need not have been afraid. The motion was found to be perfectly legal. It was, not that Mr Hoos be appointed Chairman temporarily, but that he be appointed Chairman. The upshot of the matter was that Mr Hoos was made Chairman, and Chairman he will remain for two years, unless he thinks proper to resign before the end of that time.