TRICK BOARD.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 655, 1 August 1876, Page 2

TRICK BOARD.

A meeting of ilia a >ov Highway Bjard. tojk plac« ou b<icura<ijr ufieruuou ao -2 o'd«jk p m. Tu<ji*« w*s uu aaeiidanco ,of l-l or 13 rati-payerg. Tub object, ot die laucting was to elect a memlvr of thi Bourd in the stead of Mr Aumsoo resigned. Mr S Steeie proposed and Me Paynes seconded that Mr Knot take lh» eliair wliicli w*s carried on ihe voices. The chutmevo. then road from tao Wxtkato Tim us Cue advertisement calling ttto inoeting. Mr &t.colo then said t'jat ai thore had Imen torn* doubt expressed at to hta right to (it as chairman of tb» Bjard. owing to a question of l«^ality at; tho annual meeting, ho would read the result of the polliug, wbijli he did. Ha r.lien proceeded to atate m reference to the ojie of Mr Atlduson that t'iree per•out had not' recorded their votes at t'*e annual meeting correctly. 'He raid th*t Air Johnston who had voted for Air Atkiriion ias was only allowed one vote irhereas he was ro»lly entiiled to cl-r-ci j e ..wtf votei. Mr Alexaoder w»s also placed in the s&mo pojiCiou. A porsju named <?oIl«nS!^ acl *>acn. polUd, •n.d Such. a p»rsju had never h*d a vote. MrSkcele then, pracaeded to read the mipptSl of the previous meetingt held on Joiy'7tLi and Bth. Ho said ilossr* Joues and Rothwoll had refused to *f.eni ttltb v >ugli tbej had agreed to its being hold. iNeirlj all resolutijiu contained in minuto book had been pas3od bufore Mr Aikinson't resignation. Mr Steele tbon re^d iir Alkius >n's resignation, itnd tho soctoa of the H.ghway a Act, 1871, authorising the Uhairinm of a Bo vrd to cull ix mcouing 'ot ratepajere to elrcs a ueir mcmbei' in place of one who hai r j*igned. The Chairman ask.-d if any ratepayer hail iiny one to propoi). Mr Alexander piopj«e3, and Mr Ridler seconds 1, That Mr Joan Atkinson'be elected to II 1 1 the vacancy. Mr Atkinion propoied and Mr McNicol seconded Mr tit >kcs. > Oapt Biore *»hed the point settled as to whethe' a chairman of an an dual meeting nad a doliber^tiTe ad well as a casting vote. Hj htd not. seen the Empowering Act Bill, but from reliable inform ti>n he under Jtojd tl'at a ci-a rman was capable of Cve.cuiag both. He read the clause of the di^hway't Act, 1874 r«-gulat-iug the ludle of VJte» and enlarged on tha construction whio i tbould be pUcodupon > ij. lie rofer.'ed to clauses 15 and 17 of the same Ant aui suggtttal that at all Aunual Meetings oxcept the first there was both a deliberative and casting vote veitedin the Chairman. 'An annmtl meeting be «aid wan a very different affair to a iirst me -ting. In tho one cast, the cbairmtn had been rated and his vote usaeB3ed ■which might be ouo two or' three, but in tho other he really had only one vote. Tna Act was never fra ned to exclude • a chairman from exercising his privileges ■ai a rate payer. A poll was then taken by "open voting, nnd wtlifut sciutime • when 43 votet "were recorded for Mr Atkinson who w.fg declared tho duly elected member. The meiting then sepirated. It is bub. (air to itate tint the par^y 'W to haj sup jorU'd Mr StL>kei were noi p-.seit owing to their beiief tint tbo nhjle affair vnu illegal, aul it is i'.t-'ndod to t-y the queitiOß, we understand, iti the court of law, Our read rs hive alreidy been placet 'hu fait' in referen* to-tho legal aspect of the qustlioo.