The Corporation of Hamilton could be reduced to nothing more than a ceremonial body under legislation about to be tabled, according to Hamilton Mayor Charles Gosling.

Mr. Gosling yesterday said Cabinet has stonewalled his requests for open discussion on the move which could replace the municipalities' franchise with an appointed board.

One letter he sent to Senator David Burch came straight back in the same envelope, marked "Return to Sender" with Mr. Gosling's letter ripped to shreds inside.

Many thought plans to abolish the Corporations of Hamilton and St. George's died earlier this year when Premier Ewart Brown pledged not to take any legislation to the House of Assembly without support from the Progressive Labour Party caucus.

It's understood only about one third of caucus is in favour of repealing the Municipalities Act 1923, which would likely lead to the demise of the Corporations; the rest either want the Corporations to modernise or stay the way they are.

And Dr. Brown, who is said to be extremely keen on Government taking over the Corporations, only has three Fridays left in the House to push through any legal changes.

However, despite the lack of widespread support in the PLP, Mr. Gosling fears the Premier could attempt to get it through caucus the same way he tried to get the cruise ship gaming bill through the House last year by calling a vote when his opponents are out of the room.

PLP<\p>members could then be placed under a three line whip to ensure they back the bill in the House, Mr. Gosling said.

He is expecting the bill to remove the municipalities' franchise entirely, replacing it with an appointed board which he says would mean no representation for taxpayers, residents and businesses in the city.

The Corporations' assets would be given to Government, leaving it only performing ceremonial duties.

"Over the last six months or so, the public response we have been getting from everybody is that we won, it's all quiet now, I guess the issue has gone away," the Mayor told The Royal Gazette yesterday.

"In talking with caucus members, they are all saying it's over, it's done, no one wanted it in the first place, it's too much of a political hot potato.

"But we have heard, on a firm enough basis, from three or four different sources, that a bill will be present to caucus by next Wednesday. If successful, a bill will be presented in Parliament for debate.

"Unfortunately, I think there are members of caucus who have a poor reputation to being punctual. If you have your team all set you can arrange your agenda at a particular time."

Mr. Gosling claimed backbenchers overwhelmingly don't want to press ahead with legislation, but said: "We are advised that we have no friends in Cabinet."

He said that, in a Rotary speech last March, he outlined how the Corporation is allied to Government and not an Opposition party.

He posted a copy of that speech to each member of caucus, but the one he sent to Sen. Burch was hand-delivered back to City Hall, with the document in little pieces, the envelope stapled back together and "Return to Sender" scrawled in red pen on the front.

Mr. Gosling said "When you receive communication like that from a Cabinet member, I feel perhaps you have reached a stage where you need once more to hold out the hand of friendship and wanting to work together.

"For us to create such a political hot potato that they don't want to touch us at all would be a defeat: a defeat for the Corporation, for potential constituents, for the Island as a whole."

Asked if he had contacted Sen. Burch about the incident, Mr. Gosling replied: "That's enough of a kick in the gut that I don't want to be slapped on the ear as well. I consider it to be childish at the best of times to do something like that. For it to come from a member of Cabinet is doubly surprising."

Sen. Burch declined to comment when approached by this newspaper.

Mr. Gosling gave a presentation to Cabinet on June 1, in which he called for more dialogue.

He said yesterday:"Cabinet continues to remain silent. Four weeks after the fact, we still have not received anything from them, even after the Premier had made the comment that we do realise that we will work together.

"Can't we for once put a number of things aside where we can, sit together and work this thing through?"

He said his meetings with Dr. Brown since he took over as Mayor had been "very courteous, very friendly, very affable and relatively superficial I guess".

Government has spent $800,000 on a review of the Corporations, with then-Minister in charge Walter Roban telling Mr. Gosling in a letter this February: "Government is committed to the repeal of the Municipalities Act 1923."

But Mr. Gosling says local government is vital to maintaining high quality service in the city and giving citizens a voice.

Dr. Brown and Minister without Portfolio Zane DeSilva, who is now in charge of the review, both declined to comment when asked whether legislation has been prepared, what the legislation will do, and when it will come before caucus.

They also declined to give their personal stances on the Corporations or respond to Mr. Gosling's claims that they're avoiding discussion.

Some in the PLPsay Dr. Brown's likely successor, his deputy Paula Cox, will not want the Corporations to be abolished because it would saddle her with a legal battle early in her probable Premiership.