THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND FURTHER SUPPRESSION OF DOCUMENTS.

Waikato Times, Volume XV, Issue 1254, 13 July 1880, Page 3

THE BOROUGH COUNCIL AND FURTHER SUPPRESSION OF DOCUMENTS.

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, — The strictures in your leader of the 10th inst., in reference to the mode of procedure of the Borough Council cannot but v find an echo in the mind of every burgess, and will, I trust, be the means of some of those gentlemen taking a stand upon their individual and collective rights in that Council. At a public meeting, as reported in your issue of the Bth inst., the Mayor informed the Chairman he had called the meeting at the Chamhers " in order that they may rtfcr to the books and papers " This wa* thoughtful and generous. A plain and simple proposition vrae submitted in respect to the action of the Council in purchasing a pieco of laad ; " that it was unwise without the consent of the burgesses — price exhorbitant —no funds available." I will pass over the remarks of the mover, who, unfortunately, did not supply any facts in support of his proposition, but in lieu thereof gave his private opinion. In place of showing, under all the circumstances the irhdoin and necessity of the purchase., and that, backed aud supported by several le^al opinions, the Councillors began to upbraid each other as to the part each individual took and as to their respective responsibilities ; all tbe papers, books, and documents, the Clerk stated, were produced, and the Chairman allowed all to be read and animadverted upon. This brought to the surface that the document whioh was the purchase paper "was not sufficient, as it did not disI close tho power to purchase by the contracting patties ; no other document was shown or referred to th it did exist ; the minutes entered in the books unmistakeably give power to purchase ; a purchase was effected; that purchase was ratified subsequently ; the property taken possession of by the purchaser and part re-let, the purchaser receiving thfe rents. Why was this defence not made and a dignified attitude assumed by the Council ? In your report of the 10th of the further proceedings of the Council, at an/oxtraordinary meeting," a still more degrading, pusillanimous action was decided upon — "to submit the question of the above purchase to the burgesses by poll." The j seller had said to the representatives of the Council, in dealing with the matter, " I am placed at a disadvantage, inasmuch, as lam prepared to treat ; you are mere representatives of a body without authority." The sequel disclosed in the purchase power was given to purchase ; that power was stamped and signed ; it was kept back ; where uit * Why is it not in the records of the Council P Why not produced at the meeting ? By the dictum of those Councillors at the extraordinary meeting referred to, the burgesses can annul the act and deed of the Council by their veto ; that veto can render null and void all the proceedings of the Council. The only drawback to such a course is that the Legislature, in its wisdom, did not provide a clause to meet such an emergency in the Municipal Corporations Act. Will the burgesses go to the poll ? If so, upon what issue ? It certainly cannot be as stated in your paper, the purchase, or if even it was possible, they have only now an ex parte statement — thii document, which was alleged by some as necessary, kept back. — I am, &c, Albert Potter. Hamilton East, 12th July, 1880.