Oldal 70 [70]
a
and wealthy District, that I should notice some of
the changes occasioned by the amendment of the
laws, which, from an early period of the existence
of this colony, reguired the performance by the
magistrates in Quarter Sessions of certain important
public duties. Among these was the power to raise
local assessments for the building and repair of
court houses and gaols, for the payment of a gaoler’s
salary, and for the support of prisoners, as well as
for defraying the expense generally of the adminis¬
tration of justice in the respective Districts.
Any surplus of the District revenue, after making
provision for those and other objects connected
with the operations of the laws, the magistrates
were authorized to expend in the building of
bridges and in the repair of roads.
Compiaint had long been made in various parts
of Upper Canada, whether justly or not, it is not
necessary now to enquire, that the justices, in the
expenditure of the District revenue, were not euided
by that scrupulous regard for economy which, in
the opinion of many, the interests of the people at
large required at their hands; and, consequently,
that an inconsiderable portion of the monies of the
Districts was laid out to improve the internal com¬
munications.
[t was supposed that the only remedy for this
and other alleged evils of a
found in some Legislative
transfer the fiscal affairs of each District from the
superintendence of the Magistracy to the people
themselves, by the establishment
like nature, was to be
measure, which should
of municipal
corporations possessing the power of extensive
self-government.
A measure of that nature, you are aware, passed
the Provincial Parliament at the late session, and
is now in force throughout the colony; and you
have met here this day, on behalf of the inhabitants
of the Johnstown District, to discharge the duties
and to perform the functions created by that
Statute,
Whether the objections made to the manner in
which the Justices of the Peace disposed of the
District funds were well or ill-founded, I am led to
believe that they will regard with much satisfaction
the relief which the Municipal Act affords them in
that respect, for no part of their public duty was felt
to be so onerous and so obnoxious to animadversion.
And I may venture to add that no class of the com¬
munity will see with more pleasure any improvement
that may be made by the Municipal Councils in the
financial condition of the several Districts,
The Justices will henceforward be left in the ex¬
ercise of their own legitimate authority to administer
the laws for the Preservation of the puvlic
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the security of life, liberty and property unembar¬
rassed by the perplexing care of public money, its
collection and expenditure. Whilst you, on- behalf
of the whole body of the people in their corporate
capacity, shall meet here quarterly to deliberate on
the best means of promoting the improvement,
wealth and prosperity of the District.
10 do this you are supported by powers which no
one can dispute. Asa Corporation invested with
lawful authority, you may not only at once assume
the management of the sevéra] matters ; the charge
of which I have just explained has Hebe removed
from the Justices to you. But you are now at liberty
subjects which the Magistrates in Quarter Sessions
had no control over, |
The Municipal Act not only places at your dis¬
posal the present assessments of the Districts, but to
enable you to exercise a rigid supervision over every
department of expenditure; youare wisely assisted
by two disinterested accountants or auditors, who,
under the solema obligation of an oath, will be
bound to examine with the strictest scrutiny every
charge brought against the public for services per¬
formed or materials furnished.
And besides, the care bestowed by the Legislature
in providing a wholesome check to the possibility of
waste or fraud on
the part of any District officer, it
1S now impossible to embark in any improvement,
the ultimate cost of which, as in too many instances
in their own knowledge may be determined by
chance, for the law not only guarantees that all
public works shall be well done under the superin¬
tendance of the District Surveyor, whose gualif¬
cations must be ascertained on examination by the
Board of Works. Butit declares that you shall not
pass a By-law for performing any public work with¬
out having first received an estimate of the cost
thereof, prepared, or examined and reported upon
by the District Surveyor, and after all these pre¬
cautions to secure the interests of the public, the
work can only be executed under a written contract
in conformity with such regulations as shall Írom
time to time be made by the Board of Works.
The establishment of these necessary and prudent
rogulations for the economical collection and expen¬
diture of the District revenue, as well as for the
proper performance of the labor bestowed in making
and maintaining the public highways and bridges,
cannot fail to meet the approbation of the whole
community where once the system is brought into
full operation, and when the working of it has
become familiar to the people at large. |
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