CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL. Special Meeting.

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2217, 23 September 1886, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL. Special Meeting.

A hpbcialj meeting of the Cambridge Borough Council, called for the purpose of choosing a delegate to attend the convention held in Hamilton yesterday re the j Hospital and Charitable Aid Act, wan held in the Council Chamber, Cambridge, on Tuesday afternoon. Shortly before three o'clock, the hour j for which the meeting was called, Crs. Gillett and Hughes entered the chamber, and Cr. Gillett took the chairman's seat. A few minute" afterwards, Cr. Houghton, who is advised that de jure he is Mayor of Cambridge until an election for that office shall be held, entered the room, and requested Cr. Gillott to allow him to occupy his chair. Cr. Gillett : I'm chairman of this meeting, and, for the present, intend holding the position, in which I was placed by a majority of the council. If you, Mr Houghton, will have patience for a few minutes, and listen to me, I will read certain clauses of the Act under which this borough is constituted, that will convince you of the validity of the present proceedings. Cr. Gillett proceeded to read extracts from the Municipal Corporations Act. At this junoture Cr. Hewitt arrived, and protested that the council had no right to depose the mayor at the last meeting in the manner in which they did. Cr. Gillett urged that the late meeting of the council, being actually its first under the new constitution, the council had pow«r to elect a chairman. He was quite ; sure that the legality of his proceedings could not be questioned, as he had been voted to the chair by a majority of the council. He did not wish to hold the seat after the minutes had been read and confirmed. Cr. Hewitt said there was nothing to be confirmed. This was a special meeting. Cr. Gillett held that at any meeting the confirmation of the minutes of the previous, meeting was an absolute necessity, and quoted clauses of the Act in support of his opinion. Cr. Hewitt asked who constituted Cr. Gillett chairman. Cr. Gillett: A majority of the council. Cr. Hewitt : You had no majority. Cr. Gillett said he knew to what Cr. Hewitt alluded, Cr. Ashers inability to i vote, but stated that the Act said that such a vote, once given, could not affect the legality of the proceedings. Cr. Hewitt paid he did not come there to argue a point of law. Or. Houghton, still standing: I am chairman of this meeting. Crß. Gillett and Hughes : We don't recognise yon. Cr. Houerhton : A certain responsibility is placed on me by the Governor's proclamation. Mr Thomson, please read the notice calling this meeting. Mr Gillett : How .about tho minutes of last meeting ? Cr. Houghton :We are here to-day f (> r a special purpose. Cr. Hewitt : All minutes of our spo-ial meetings are usually confirmed at tho n^\t general meeting. Mr J. P. Thomson proceeded to read the notice calling the nine ting, but was interrupted bv cries of "No ! No ! Tho minutes !" by Crs. Gillett and Hughes. Cr. Hughe-*, to Cr. Houghton : You know V(iu were urgod into doing an illegal act bv Mr Wells, and if you'll acknowledge you were wrong you c.»n take tho chair again. Cr. Gillett: This meeting was called fora j special purpose, and we must have things done, in a legal manner. Cr. Hewitt, addressing Cr. Houghton : Mr Chairman, if you Jon't take the chair I'm not going to sit here. Cr. Hughes : Then you can leave. Cr. Gillett: I don't want to keep the chair. Once the minutes of the last meeting have been read I shall be happy to vacate the chair in favour of Cr. Houghton. Cr. Houghton : Mr Thomson, please read the business. Cr. Hughes : Oh ! let us leave. Cr. Gillett: No, we don't want to do that. Cr. Hughe s : If the minutes are not confirmed I shall leave. Cr. Houghton : There will be no minute* confirmed at this meeting. Cr. Gillett: I think we should have a competent opinion on the subject. Cr. Hughes : Oh ! he's got Wells' advice. That's enough for him. Cr. HoiiGrhton : Gentleir en, I think we've had enough of personalities. At our next meeting I will have a legal adviser alongside m*. Cr. Hughes : Wo won't let him in, unless authorised by the council. Go on with the businoss. Cr. Gille.tt proceeded to read the minutcH of last meeting. Crs. Howitt and Houghton objected. Cr. Hughes: If Mr Honght<>n will ! acknowledge he was wronsj last time, well vote him back to the chair. Cr. Houghton : Gentlemen, this ir.ei-tin/ is called for the purpose of electing a delegate to a meetine to be held in Hamilton. Cr. Gillett: The minutes fir>t. You're addressing the meeting and acting as chairman. Cr. Houghton again attempted to proceed, but was interrupted by Cr. Gillett, who asked if he wished for no meeting. Cr. Hewitt : Nut if you're in the chair. Crs. Hughes and Gillett then left the room, and the meeting terminated without any business being done.