Brisbane Courier (Qld. : 1864 - 1933), Friday 27 February 1891, page 6


SOUTH BRISBANE MUNICIPAL

COUNCIL.

ELECTION OF MAYOR.

Ageneral meeting of the ¡3outhBrisbane Muni} ¡cipal Council was held 'at noon yesterday for 'the purpose of considering a letter received from the Colonial Secretary in answer to a com-

munication from the council in which the names of all the aldermen were submitted owing to a difficulty in choosing a mayor for the current year. There were present-Messrs. Hardgrave, Stanton, Blocksklge,' Lose, Jones, Nott, Heaslop, -Scanlan, Stephens,.-Francis, i and Morry. Mr. Caswell was the only alder-

man absent. The chair was opoupjed by the town .clerk (Mr. Hül)>,ri0 ifhe.following is a ! copy of the letter :?- , }0 ,..,, .

" I have the honour,, by direction, to acknow-ledge the receipt of your letter of the 23rd in-stant, containing the< , particulars of the proceedings of your oouiloil at the several meetings held for the. purpose of electing for the current year, and, with reference to the resolution passed at the meeting on, thç 23rd instant,1 to inform you that in . the event of the mayor not being elected within the period prescribed by law, it is the intention of the Colonial Secretary to recommend to lus Excellency the Administrator of the Government-in-Council to appoint Mr. Thomas Heaslop."

The document having been road the council resumed, the Standing Orders having been suspendedat themeeting on Monday in order to allow of the passage of a motion that the names of all the aldermen should be submitted to the Colonial Secretary. Upon the resump-tion of tho council, the amendment by Messrs. Blooksidge and Stephens that Mr. Thomas-Heaslop be elected moyor for the cur-rent year, a's against the resolution moved by Messrs. Hardgrave and Franois .that Mr. William Jones bo mayor, was put, and carried

amidst acclamation.

The mayor-eleot was then conducted to the chair by Messrs. Blooksidge and Stephens.

Mr. HEASLOP, having taken the chair, said he was in a rather 'peculiar position - a position similar to that In which* one of his predecessors had boen placed. It was not a position that ho desired upon assuming > office. It would.have been much more desirable if the whole of the aldermen or a large majority of them had sent him in. As it }iad happened, however, he thought the Colonial Secretary had chosen wisely. He hopod to see Alderman Jones, his opponent on this occasion, occnpyinp; the position of mayor during a future municipal year. The proper course for the Colonial Secretary to have pursued was to have looked at the qualifications of both the candidates. On one side a candidate had served tho rate-payer» for nine years, and on tho other the candidate had served for three years. It. had been argued that the wealthiest ward should have returned the mayor, but he did not think that that argument was a substantial one. He thought that tho fitness for the posi-tion should have been judged by length of service. Ho thanked those who supported him during the contest; and he anticipated equally as strong support from the aldermen as his colleague, Alderman Stephens, received when he was chosen two years ago in a similar manner. Mr. Stephens got good loyal support, and he anticipated the same. He w-as suro that he would not have a stancher supporter than Aldorman Jones. There was no enmity between them. If the matter had boon left to Mr. Jones and himself ho was sure that it would haio been settled within a week. Ho would endeavour to carry out tho duties per-t-lining to the office to the best of his ability. Ho was not so well versed in the details of tho Local Government Act as some of the aldermen, but bo would not be slow to ask for advice when he found his knowledge deficient on any given subject or point. They had a good town clerk, who would be of valuable assistance in such cases. He quite recognised tho fact that tho

duties of the office would be rather onerous. In consequence of the new Bating Act they would not havo so much monoy to handle as tliey had last year, and therefore ho could not spend so much money as his predecessor. Nothing but necessary improvements would be attended to as far as he was concerned. (Ap-plause.)

Mr. JONES said it became bim to congratulate the mayor on his elevation to the chair. (Hear, hear.) As the mayor had remarked, there was no difference between them as far as they were personally concerned. * He (Mr. Jones), in contesting the seat, was merely act-ing in the interests of the ward he represented.

Se asked no one.to vote for him, nor raid-he 1

tend any of the caucug meetings. He thanked Aldermen Hardgrave and. Francia for nomina-ting him. Thoy should aocept the ohoioe of the Colonial Seotétáry , ,ho would, vhpwever¡ have been much bettor, pleasod ii some one reprosonting his own wardhad been nominated. He trusted that the counoil would givo the-now mayor a loyalsuppoit.- (Applause!)

1 Mr. MORRY also congratulated.the mayor, and said th'e new municipal head would find that tjie office was not a sinecure, as it("wpuld occupy a gieat deal of his time. -He was-'eure-.' that Mr. Heaslop would display the same tact and stnowdness while oeoupying the mayor's chair which had chaiaoterised his actions during his termas aldeiman. (Hear,"hoar.)

The next meeting was fixed for Tuesday^ 3rd Match, at 3 p.m. ,