MEETING OF WAIPACOUNTY COUNCIL AT OHAUPO.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 718, 23 January 1877, Page 2

MEETING OF WAIPA COUNTY COUNCIL AT OHAUPO.

Fkiday, 19th Jancaby, 1877. Councillors present- Major Wilson) chairman ; Councillors King, Germann, Hill, Hammond, Fisher, and Mandeno. The minutes of the last meeting wore read and confirmed. Proposed by Or Hill and seconded by Cr Germann, " That such part of this Act (Lbe Counties Act) as is mentioned m the Third Schedule shall not come into force m this county j and that the Chairman shall forthwith send a copy of this resolution to the Colonial Secretary. Cr Hay pro osed as an amendment "That the jCouncil consider it expedient that tiie cons deration of the inoiion standing m the name of Councillor Hill be deferred until the 2nd day of March next at 1 p in, at Mr Edwardls Hotel, Ohaupo." Cr Hay m introducing this motion, said that he thought it would be much better to let this matter sßand over until they 'had the experience *bf other, counties before them for their guidance. It might be that m their own council, as m others, some c uucillors might have been pledged at the Election to a particular course of action. Now, very lew councillors even understood the Act at the first meeting and it was not therefore unnatural to infer that a very large proportion of ratepa,) e;s were m ihe same position. Tue pledges, therefore, must have b^eu given under a miscunceptioj. Ho would advocate delay m order that each councillor might have an opportunity of discussing vyitli the ratepayers the advantages and disadvantage of the Act. For his own pan, if the council proceeded, to the immediate settlement of the> question, he would vote against the .motion, for the following reasons amongst 6t tiers j that uuy extension of their powers of self-go-vernment, should be accepted, and if they did not exactly 6uit they could get them mudifiHd as soon as possible; that the county would lose' about £2,5U0 per annum m subsidies, licenses, and lees, because if the council did not adopt the Act it could not levy a rate, audif no rate wai levied there could be no 6ubaidy granted. Again, the subsidy From the consolidated fund Was payable lor five years only Bnd it would be unwise to lose a year. As far as the road boards were coucjrned, he did not see that the Act i:\ any w y interfered detrimentally with their uselulness. Ho should be m favor if the Act were worked, of levyiug a county rate of i half farthing m the pound i'u order to entitle the county to the subsidies, the uuioun: of which could be regulated l.y ihe road board's rates, and not the county one. For these rpasons lie would deprecate takiug rash action ia the mutter. Cr Hill m supp-i't of the resolution, said that the great |Uiujjnty of the electors of hia Ridiug were not m favour of bringing the whole of the Act m force at present. He saw no reason for shelving the .question for another 6 weeks as proposed m Cr Hay's ainendnum, he wus quite as open to conviction to-day as he would be at the expiration of that time. By not bringing the Act into f jrce now, they could wait and watch, and have Mie benefit of the experience oi the Wai kato County wno had determined to bring the Act into force, Vr Gvrmann m support of the resolution, was not m favour of bringing the nhole of the Act into force at present, although he w»s certainly m favour ot local self-government. The Act had Leen passed at the fag end of a very loi.g seuion, m a hurried manner and' many grave errors had already been discovered which would require amendment to make the. Act workable. He though 1 ; that if they waited for a year, they would benefit tiy the delay, as b\ that time t";e required amendments would, doubtless have baen mtide and they would also have the benefit o£ the experience of the coumies which had brought the Act into foree — which might save monvy as doubt less many mistakes would be made. The fact, too, that they could not bring the Act into force without additional taxation, to which he knew the people of his district W"uld have a very strong objection, would cause him to support the resolution. Cr Fisuer said, on coming into the room, he was under the impression that ihe question, whether they should bung the Act into force or nut, should oe 3ettlod to-day, but after hearing Cr Hay's speech, and that they might possibly lose some £2500 to £3000 a year subsidies, he bhougtit they should further consult the ratepayers. He would like to know whit Mads tbe council would have to take >ver. He lound the couucil would bo entitled to a great deal of reveuue under ihe Act (Cr read clause 85), and was mjliaed now to think they would Joae a arge revenue by not bringing the Aot nto force. The chairman was inclined to wait for mother six weeks before deciding the [uestion, for the simple reason that the \ uounvenieuce aiiother meeting would i ;ive to six or seven councillors was I othing to thejimportaut question to bo I iei-ile I upun. Cr Hammond spoke strongly m favor t f the ameudment. He waa for adopting \ he Act, as he thought it would be a & reat injustica to the ratepayers that they I i hould lose the large fcubsidie* they would j c entitled to from the Government under t be Aot. 0 Cr Mandeno had come there determined a ot to bring the Aot into force, but now s

that the question Jm-i be-n raised regardw« the jubaidie. the council would be entitled m,e would suppo't the amen^ t0 giV ° ™° re time for coa " Cr/inher would like to know what d». ea: would Crßha V a- to take over. ■ make all the mam maiti roada ? I ■■ ■ Op Hammond would divide county rata. If the council attempted to take K^t; a t h r would »•»•«*«£_ fhe Ohair nun called members to orter, them 1 ! ' queßtioa W before The am^ndmont having been duly ' Heoon,ed by Or Fisher, a & ow of han / 8 was taken when) the*, were found for ' the amendment r-Messrs Fisher, Hay. Mandeno, and Hamn.ond. Against the .-amendment : Messrs Garmann and Hill. Amendment carried t oST ff W i 18 .° n , then Baid fchat m o^ 1 " ™«? Ih.*,? lo he ""Elation jsut passed, that ejshouid be prepared what Sn ? ta \ e . when «h« subject came on * g ThV dISCUB3ion ' h« would move •Ihatw.thm the last fortnight before by Cr Hill and carried unanimously, hv P, P w b ?£ r Ma^eno and seconded fh P Ha 7» "^at a special meeting of the Councu be held at Ohaupo on 2nd March next at 12.45. pm for the purpoae of considenng the advisability of altering the number of the council so aa to givl Kangmohm another member. Carried unanimously." The Chairman I hen asked farfcherifany busings was before the council. io rising, Ba id he hnd a mat- s Jer to bring before the Council, which -^ he considered a mo*t impor.ant one to W 6 W n . 6^ tbe Befctlerß of t fa e Waikato. He alluded (0 the interference of King natives with the surveyor., while «n fi aged ZmT W ° rk On European land, he might almost say m the township of Alexn uVl 1S 80 cl ? 8el y approxiuia ed to it. L.r uiu here gate the particulars of the purchase of the land by a southern gentleT n Z M l . Smith ' and th ° ordering off of Mr btubbing the surveyor, as hare already appeared m your columas. Or Hay was afraid, although deeply sympathizing mi n the matter, that it was Otl n v-» c dutieß of ihe Council, Cr Mill warmly insisted that it was withm theduties of the Council, and amat- ? er that afftcted individually every eettler . m the Wuikato. Wireuru Hun.a or Te JNgikau was known as the mouthpiece of Tawhiao the Maori King. Had the affair occurred on native laud he would not look at it as of much importance, but m this case they had como on to private Jiuropean pro, erty inside the oonsßcated boundary and by threats and intimiiation p. evented peaceful seltlement. If no notice were taken of the matter great depreciition of value of property would take place through the whole of the district, as the natives claim the whole side of the country on the west side of the Wuipa, as their property said to have been given to them by the late native Minister. . A good deal of discussion ensued on the subject, which the council agreed was a most important one to the Waikato. Proposed by Cc, Hill and seonded by Cr Fisher, « '1 hat the Council ia of opinion that the (Jhairman should communicate with the Government respecting the late outrage by King natvos, wnich occurred m Firongh, on Tuesday the 16ih i'lst, asking tuat the proprietor of the Und be protected m the peaceful occupation of his property and that immediate steps be tak n io protect the lives uud prope.-iyof the i ihabi'uuts of this Council m the . neighbourhood. Camel unauitnous y." i'ropojed by Cr Hay and Beeonded by Cr Gh-raiann, " ThaL with respect to the foregoing resolution if no satisfactory reply be received from the Government within a reasonable time, the Chainniu be requested to coaler with the Ch^irmsn of the Counties Waikao, Piako, ami Uaglau with a view of holding a public meeting on such day, and at suoh time and place as they may decide." Carried ua. auuuousiy. This concluded the business.