WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XII, Issue 946, 16 July 1878, Page 2

WAIKATO COUNTY COUNCIL.

A speciaf, meeting of the above Council was held on Friday the L2th instant. Present: Cr. Claude (Chairraau), Crs. Clark, Camming, Gall, Leslie, Ivirkwood, and Whyte. The minutes of the meeting held on the 28th May ware read, and Cr. Clark took exception to the action of the Council in continuing the special meeting on business appertaining to a special meeting after the adjournment, when he distinctly understood that t the business was coucluded and he and Cr. Leslie had left the meeting. Cr. Leslie spoke to the same effect, and the Chairman, while admitting that no doubt the general impression was that the special business was concluded when the Council adjourned, but on resuming it was found that the concluding portion of Cr. Cuuiming's motion had been accidentally omitted, and in order that it might be entered on the minutes complete it was moved de novo. No new matter was introdticed. After a considerable deal of discussion, it was generally agreed that it would be preferable to strike out of the miuute book the special business done after the adjournment, and by a motion amend the original resolution, which was done by Cr. Camming moving that the following words, omitted from his resolution passed at the special meeting on the 2Sth ultimo be now added, viz. : "And that the representation be so amended by giving three members to Cambridge, three to ICiriuiriroa, and one to Rangiriri." Seconded by Cr. Whyte, and agreed to.

The minutes were amended accordingly, colifirmed, and signed by the Chairman.

In accordance with Cr. Whytes' motion at last meeting, the Chair. raau laid on the table a map prepared by Mr T. G. Saucles showing the new boundary line between the Cambridge and Kirikiriroa ridings together with a written description of the same. After being carefully examined by Cr. Leslie, he moved that the boundary line as shown on the map now before the Council be adopted as the new division of the ridings of Cambridge and Kirikiriroa. Seconded by Cr. Kirkwood, and carried.

Cr. Camming then proceeded to move his resolution relative to the appropriation to ridings of the sum of £1522 4s sd. Thij was the special business for which the meeting was called. He stated that he had been mainly induce:! to move in the matter by the representations made to the Council on the subject by local bodies'(Kirikiriroa Highway District, and the Hamiltou Borough Council on behalf of the late Harailtown East Town Board) as well as a petition now on the table. He did not feel very decided in the matter, he wouid prefer obtaining the opinion of the Government or other competent authority. He considered Hamilton East had some claim to a portion of the money, and that could not be entertained if the distribution was based upon rates collected to March, 1878. He would therefore move tb"t the latter portion of Cr. Clark's motion carried at the meeting on the 28th ult., with reference to the Government of £2222 4s sd, be altered by substituting the figures 1877 instead of 1878. • Cr. Whyte in seconding the motion said that he had been of the opinion from the first that the grant was a portion of the revenue belonging to 1577.78, and it would be unjust; to Kirikiriroa and Hamilton to adhere to the distribution ao-reed to at last meeting. With reference to Cr. Cumming's remarks about obtaining an opinion elsewhere he considered it was a question wholly for the Council to decide. He added that to make sure on this point he had consulted the Colonial fSecretary who hud informed him that it was a question for the Council to decide, the Government would not suggest a

basis of distribution, nor interfere in the matter.

r &a n stated that it was oril|feßf short time before entering the Council Chamber nt the previous meeting, that the Clerk had informed liim of the receipb of the grant, he had therefore no time to maturely consider the question. He had thought it over carefully since, and had come to the conclusion that as the money was voted during the session of 1877, it . formed a portion of the revenue of that year, and consequently Hamilton East was fairly entitled to a share. Ee allude fto the fact that long befere the money had beeen received and before the amount of rates collected to 31st Maron, 1678, had been ascertained, a sum of £6OO had been hypothecated for the reconstruction of the Whaugamarino bridge out of this grant. Cr.. Clark was of opinion that the grant had been divided on a proper basis, and to disturb the action already taken was a very serious matter. He read extracts from the Counties Act relative to the manner in which the annual balance sheet, showing the assets and liabilities of the county, should be made out; and that as, on a reference to the balance sheet he could not find the grant entered as an asset of 1877, nor the suoi agreed to be spent upon the Whangamarino Bridge as a liability, the only reasonable conclusion that he could come to was tfiat the money formed a portion of the revenue of 1878, as no doubt the accounts would show. He strongly deprecated any reference to the Govern men t, as suggested by Cr. Cuinming. The Council he thought quite competent to decide the question. He referred to the purpose for which the grant was given, namely for roads in the North Island. The several ridings had a large extent of roads and by giving them the money they would be carrying out the intentions of the legislature. Tt was well known that Boroughs had got no share of it, and the Hamilton Borough had obtained valuable endowments and levenue with Hamilton East, which would amply compensate for the loss of their portiod of the grant. Crs. Leslie and Kirkwood agreed with Cr. Clarke' that the balance sheet iorrned the best criterion as to which year the revenue belonged to, and was fatal to the argument that it belonged to 1877. - The Council being in committee, thera was a considerable amount of argument on both sides of the question, when Cr. Kirkwood bridged the difficutty by moving, as an amendment on the motion, " That the motion of Cr. Clark, passed at last meeting, be revoked, and that the following be substituted: ' That, of the sum of £1,522 4s 5d available for distribution, a sum of £96 be paid to Tamahere Riding, and the balance of £1,416 4s 5d be divided equally between the Ridings of Cambridge and Kirikiriroa.'"

The happy medium seemed to be generally acceptable; Cr. dimming asked leave to withdraw his motion, which was accorded, and he seconded Or. Kirkwood's resolution as an original one.—lt was agreed to unanimously.

The Chairman called attention to a copy of a petition, publicly notified in the Waikato Times, by which it would appear that an effort is being made to create a new county, to be called Cambridge County. Cr. Whyte moved, " That this Council is of opinion that the boundaries of the County, as at present censtituted, are •unsatisfactory, and that the Government be requested to take into consideration some general scheme which would rather tend to enlarge counties and thus decrease their number." Seconded by Cr. Gall, and carried by a majority of two. For: Crs. Claude, Gall, Gumming, "Whyte; against: Crs. Leslie and Clark. Cr. Kirkwood had previously left the meeting on urgent business. • This concluded the meeting.