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n Large DéféIcations. , 1 1 "' n A'I'(;\'e repog otinovi:cial Municipal | tion of a death before burial with the | Auditor J. B. Laing, which was laid on | fiear:stt' postmastey, yinstead of the (the table to--day by Mr. Davis, shows municipal clerk. .., -- _ the necessity for the appointment of an Mr. Davis did not,.agree that the pub-- oflicer to do the work performed by ! lic convenience demanded this change, this gentleman. «In compliance with hiu' for no complaints had reached the de-- instructions from the Government, he | partment. The ragistration was a new ivisited as many as possible--53--of the | one and it was apparently working well. leading municipal offices throughout the 4 After a long discussion, during which Province to ascertain their mode of . instances where inconvenience had been keeping accounts, so as to be the b«-t-! experienced by the»awarking of the act ter able to judge what system of book-- | had been quoted by'hon. members, Hon. keeping of a uniform character would | Mr. Davis stated that @lthough no com-- | be most suvitable for the future. Ne-- i plaints had been Madé to the depart-- cessarily his examination of the books ment. yet it was-- apparent from the of these offices was very cursory,unless statements of hon.:members that there {it was evident that there was some-- might be some difficulty and incon-- thing radically wrong. When he ex-- venience experienced in complying with ; amined the books of Treasurer Van-- the _ act in the;, outlying. dis-- ', «luven of Frontenac it was evident that ; triects and it would probab-- | § his accounts were in a deplorable con-- | ly <be as well to allow the bill to ; dition and his shortage large,. There j go to the Legal Committee. He im--.} was also an evident shortage in the ac-- pressed upon the House, however, the ; counts of Treasurer Peckham of Nia--| recessity for insisting upon a medical gara Falls, and the County of Simeoe' cortificate as to the cause of death be-- | had the greatest defalcation of all. The | fore burial. l investigattlons which disclosed -- fraud 4 ' were as follows :-- 3 Town Councils. | County of Simcoe, 8. J. Sanford, Trea-- Mr. Caven moved the second reading | surer, deficit $62,857. of his bill respecting Town Councils, County of Frontenac, W. T. Vanluven, which provides that the Councils of Treasurer, deficit $31,380. towns shall consist of a Mayor and six Town of Niagara Fauills, J. R. Peck-- Counc'llors to be elected by general > bham, Treasurer, deficit $3,000, yote, and in incorporated villages of & | The last inquiry was not considercd Reeve and four Councillors to be elect-- ; to be fraud, but a case of bad book-- ed in a --similar manner to those in' keeping, but the money was lost just towns. In townships where there ars the same. Necessary -- investigations ward divisions there ghall be one Coun-- were also held in the offices of the town cillor for each ward and the Reeve for of Niagara--on--the--Lake, Township of . the whole township. Manvers, Township of Roxborough, Mr. Cleland heartily supported the Township of St. Joseph and the Ridge-- bill as a result of his experience in his town Collegiate Institute. These dis-- . Gw»n town, * closed 1m:o defalcation or any features of | Mr. Stratton, while quite in sympathy interest outside of their respective com-- . with the change suggested, thousht it munities. A great deal of time has been had better be withdrawnsfor the pro-- taken up with the preparation of the sent. He recalled the bill of the At-- municipal cash books intended for the torney--General of last session which use of villages, towns, townships, coun-- | provided for the clection of one mem-- ties and cities under i5,000 in popula-- | ber for cach ward «and a certain num-- tion, for which their use is compulsory. | ber from the: mumicipality at large, > The main features studied have been | which was a compromise with the pre-- correctness and simplicity, and the re-- | gent system. He hoped that at the sult of their use will be the immediate next session the Government would detection of a fraudulent entry.. They / again bring forward a bill. will be delivered to the municipal Trea-- Mr. Whitney was inclined to oppose surers by the end 6f this month. Mr. the proposal to reduce the number of Laing, in the event of further legisla-- Councillors in towns to six, neither was tion in regard to municipal accounts, he in favor of the abotition of the office | says that it would be in the public in-- of Deputy Reeve :; there was no r A= | terest to have muntcipal auditors ap-- son why the Councillor having the high-- i pointed in November or December, and est number of votes might not he call-- | also to give all municipalities the power ed Deputy Reeve. He protested against | of appointing one skilled auditor. Aud!-- the inactivity of the Government in | tors should also be compelled to have regard to taking up questions of pub--] a stamp to be used»when passing ac-- lic importance, such as that under dis-- | counts, debentures, étc., In some late cussion at this session, when there is | cases, owing to the, want of this pre-- practically no other, work to do. | caution, the same debentures have been Hon. Mr. Hardv,could hardly hope | issued twice by the. defaulting Trea-- that the bill would become law at this | surer. Mr. Laing is unable to state session or even perhaps the next ses-- ! what the actual loss will be in the case sion, but he was perfoctly certain that | of the countles whose Treasurers de-- it will become IlaM#t &At a very early | fauited, ut under the most favorable date. _ There were many differences of | clreumstances it will no doubt be heavy. opinion among members as to the ex-- | The total amount of defalcations dis-- act number of Councillors that should | covered since May last, if the Town-- be elected or the exact nature of the | +« ship of Osnabruck is included, will be changes. . He was pergonally convinced | over $100,000, In conclusion the auditor that some of our small towns. are says that he has found the great body weighted down with the number. of of municipal Councillors and officers Councilliorswhich was needlessly large. distinctly in favor of improving the ; The bill fvas read--a gecond time and condition of the munlcipal accounts,and . referred to the Municipal Committee. some municipalities are disposed to go The House adjop!:neq at 10,45 p.m. i considerably further than the Legisla-- {