Summonses were issued and evictions decreed; but these were seldom carried out, being generally disregarded by almost all concerned.
The only exemption to this was in the case of the jetty, for which a special ordinance was passed, authorizing and empowering the Commissioners to levy tolls, dues, and wharfages on a scale set forth in a schedule attached, and from which a fair revenue was derived.
The powers of the Commissioners were thus limited to merely the reserves in and about Dunedin. It was necessary, therefore, that a more extended authority should be created. For this purpose an empowering ordinance was passed, vesting in the Superintendent certain powers heretofore exercised by the Governor or Lieutenant-Governor of New Zealand and by the Resident Magistrate of Otago. Among these were powers providing for deeds and vital registration, licensing publicans and auctioneers, debts' recovery and roll courts, militia and constabulary, sheriff and coroner, prison regulations, asylums, slaughtering, savings' banks, education, census, rates and tolls, dogs; on all of which the Superintendent could legislate with the advice and consent of the Provincial Council.
As the town had now become a district, and even a separate part of the Province, it became necessary that some distinct and separate powers should be conferred on the inhabitants. Accordingly, in the second session of the Provincial Council, 1855, an ordinance was passed, "constituting a Public Board for the town of Dunedin, to be incorporated under the name of the Town Board, to have the administration and management of various matters and things concerning the town, which might be from time to time beneficially devolved on such a Board elected by the inhabitants." The Board was to consist of nine members, who would accept and hold for the benefit of the town and its inhabitants all lands, buildings, goods, and other property, have and use a common seal, and borrow money for the execution of any undertaking entrusted to them by ordinance of the Provincial Council.
This enactment was followed by another ordinance to regulate the management and control of streets and other things
