CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL

Waikato Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2234, 2 November 1886, Page 2

CAMBRIDGE BOROUGH COUNCIL

A special meeting of the Cambridge Borough Council was held yesterday afternoon at the council office, when there were present Crs. Hughes, Gillett, and Hally. The meeting was convened at the instance of the councillors who were present for the purpose of receiving an explanation from the Acting-Mayor re some correspondence which had passed between himself and the Colonial Secretary.— On the motion of Cr. Gillett, Cr. Hally was voted to the chair, and the clerk having read the minutes of the previous meeting, the chairman read the letter requesting the calling of this meeting ; also a letter from the Acting-Mayor, which intimated that he would not be able to attend the meeting, and enclosing copies of all the letters received and forwarded by him from and to the Government. — The Clerk read the correspondence enclosed in the Acting-Mayor's letter, from which it appeared that Mr Houghton had endeavoured to influence the Colonial Secretary in the direction of getting him to ignore the resolutions of the council and the petition of the ratepayers asking for an Order-in-Council. — — Cr. Gillett said the Mayor had been {voting indirect opposition to the wishes of the majority of the council by c ing with (ho Government and leading the latter to believe he was acting in the name of the council, thereby treating the council as a nonentity.— Cr. H.illy proposed, and Cr. Hughes seconded, the following resolution, which was carried unanimously :—: — "As the Acting- Mayor has admitted taking advantage of his official position to further his own private views, and acted in direct opposition to the will of the majority of the council, as expressed by their application for an Order-in-Conncil, dated 7th September, and that by signing his letters to the Government as Mayor he Unas misled the Government and led them to believe that the council did not wish an order to be issued at once, for these reasons the counoil think it necessary for the snke of their reputation to pass a vote of censure on the Mayor, and the clerk be instructed to again write to the Government asking for a reply to their letter of September 7, and also enclosing a copy of the resolution now passed."— This being all the business, the meeting terminated.