A FEW WORDS ON MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 20, 30 March 1870, Page 5

A FEW WORDS ON MUNICIPAL MATTERS.

The Cromwell Municipal Council lias again mot, and with results as eminently unsatisfactory as usual. Our readers will find a report of the meeting in another column, and from it will glean a little information as to the small probability of satisfactory relations being established between the conflicting elements of vrhhh it is composed Cromwell of all the Municipalities which hare been created in Ofcago seems to have been the most unfortunate, and thsre is not the remotest hop?, that we can see. of any change for the better taking place, so long as the present antagonistic spirit is exhibited by the Mayor and Councillors. It is with considerable delicacy that we write upon the subject of the Municipal dispute at present raging, as we perhaps lay ourselves open to the charge of doing so because we are interested in the result. We for a considerable time refrained from addressing ourselves to the question—the roason we have mentioned being one among others—but in justice to our readers and the ratepayers generally we were compelled some two weeks ago to express our strong disapprobation of the conduct pursued by one or two parties in the Council, and of a journalistic coadjutor, and we are happy to learn from conversations with members of the community that the remarks we then made were endorsed by the majority of the ratepayers. The great matter in dispute is the coaonnatfcion or otherwise of the proceedings of the Council while Mr W. U. Whbtter was acting as Mayor—the Councillors at that time being Messrs Burkes, Daoo. Fraer, ntvl Badger, and subsequently Mr Dawkiss, who was elected in the stead of vlr Fiueb, when that gentleman resigned.' This Mayor and Couucil have l>33n traduced in several newspapers (both in this Province and out of it) through the agency of * Cromwell correspondent—a malignant spirit, whose paltry and despicable nature shines ou.«tn bold relief in all his easilyrecognised and ono-sidod epistolary productions, and at whom the finger of' scorn jjs already directed by the majority of his fallow-citizens—for tho individual in question i 8 well known, both hero and in the Neighboring Provinoe of Southland, to on*

of the journals in which" Province his slimy and untruthful concoctions find their way, bearing on their face the impress of tho unscrupulous author. This valued' member of the community seerqs determined to do his utmost to promote anarchy in our midst, and to give our readers a specimen of his rhapsodies wo quote the following from a correspondent's letter which appeared in the Witness of the 26th March (the italics being our own):—." A decree of the Supreme Court, pronounced a few weeks ago, decided .that an organisation which had held tho reins of government for about six months previously, had done so in open defiance of the law therein made and provided. Finding the atmosphere getting rather hot, the would-be Mayor and Council made a virtue of necessity and gave up the sweets of office. A fresh election took place, and through the, apathy of the electors, the ringleader l of the previou* organization was allowed to step in as representative for one of the Municipal Wards. Things have turned out just as might have been expected. For the purpose of revenging his defeat, he has succeeded in arranging an opposition party, and eve-n/ attempt at progressive policy has been thwarted: In this unsatisfactory state things remain for the present, and to all appearance they are likely to remain so until another election takes place." Could anything more abominably false than the above have been penned 1 It is a well-known fact that Mr WHSTrES could hardly be induced to come forward as a candidate for one of the vacant Councillorships, and instead of being [' allowed to step in through the apathy of the electors," he was urgently requested to come forward by the majority of the ratepayers in the ward for which he was el cted. Any reply to the second misrepresentation, "that he has succeeded in raising an opposition pSrty for the purpose of revenging his defeat," is not necessary, as where the opposition lies is well known. And while dismissing this characteristic production, we may remark that " no decree of the Supreme Court was pronounced a few weeks ago, deciding that an organization which had hold the reins of government for about six months previously, had done so in utter defiance of the law ;" but that a rule nisi was simply granted, calling on Mr Whetter to show cause why he w.is acting as Mayor. When Mr Wn etter was elected to the office of Mayor upon the resignation of Mr Goodger, it was from no desire on his part to again take office—in fact he had determined not to do so, but was induced on the representation of a numlwr of respectable ratepayers to allow himself to be nominated and elected. He took his declaration before Messrs Dacg and Fragr, two Councillors who had been elected according to instructions forwarded by thni Provincial Solicitor, and went into the C mncil with an honest determination to do his duty to the ratepayers. He acted under the be?t legal advice that could be procured, and with those members of Council who worked with him, did his best for the interests of the town. As the case is still pending in the Supreme Court, we are not at liberty to make any further remarks on the subject, but one thing we are sure of is that which ever way it is decided Mr WhetTkr will still retain the confidence and esteem of his fellow-citizens, and will no doulrt be re-imbnrsad for anv loss he m iy suffer through it.