BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The first meeting of the Council of the Borough of Greymouth was held yesterday morning, at one o'clock, at the Institute, Gresson street. There were present Councillors Masters, Wickea, Parkinson, Coates, Ashton, Rae, Kilgour, Strike, and Moore, The Councillors went through the form of making the declaration required by the Act. ELECTION OF MAYOR. Mr Rae proposed that Mr Edward Masters be elected first Mayor of Greymouth. Mr Parkinson seconded the motion, because he thought the Council could not make a better selection. Mr Masters wai a gentleman they all knew and respected, and one who held a high position in society. There was every reason to believe that if elected he would fill the chair with credit to himaelf and the Council, and would discharge the duties of the office in a fair and impartial manner. " Mr Wickes put the motion, •which was carried unanimously. (Applause from the public, which was resumed when the Mayor took his seat.) The Mayor thanked the Council for the honor they had conferred upon him by electing him to the honorable position of Mayor of Greymouth. He did not pretend to the possession of qualifications superior to those of other Councillors, therefore he took their decision simply as a mark of the confidence they reposed in him, which he would endeavor to merit during hi* term of office, by acting in a fair and impartial manner on all subjects whioh would be brought before them. Thgy ha,d now fairly started on the business of the Borough, the Act making it compulsory on them to elect their Mayor at their first meeting. They had now obtained the management of their own local affairs, and he trusted the hopes of the inhabitants would be realised. The Municipal Corporations Act was new and strange to all of them, and the working of it would no doubt cause some slight irregularities at first; but as they had all come there with the intontion of doing their best for the good of the town, these matters would be overlooked and corrected in time. He. believed the gentlemen who had been elected as Councillors wjere thoroughly competent to deal with all matters which, might be brought before them, and would give them, their bqst consideration., (Applause.) BYE-LAWS. Mr WtCKES moved— "That the clause in the Act, in part 11, containing standing orders, be adopted by this Council," Thja was seconded and carried, TOWN CLERK. Mr Parkinson mentioned the appoint* ment of Town Clerk, and suggested that it should only be a temporary one, until they became acquainted with the duties he wculd have to perform, and arranged the amount of salary to be paid to that officer. Mr Strike proposed that Mr J, A. Whall be requested to act as Town Clerkpro. tern. . ! Mr Coates seconded the motion. \ : . [ Mr EUiqqur, thought ihe appointment should hot be made until they advertised for applications, as required by the Act. This matter ought to receive the fullest consideration. The Mayor said it was intended to thoroughly ventilate the question before it was finally decided. They could not proceed without some one to take a record of their proceedings, so that the present appointment would only be pro. tern. The motion was carried, and Mr Whall proceeded to act. A letter was read from Mr Robert Take, Hokitika, making application fop the offices of Town Surveyor and Town Clerk at L4OO per annum, with the pri-* vilege of practising his profession, privately. . . . ! Another letter was read from Mr J. A, \ Whall, making application for the situations of Town Clerk, and Inspector of | Works. | Both letters were received, and ordered to lie. on the table until the applications, i for the si.uations we/c called for by publia | advertisement. ! Mr Wickes gave notice of his intention : to move, at next meeting, a resolution : regarding the present distribution of the, revenue collected at this port between. I Westland and Nelson. I BUHLJC WORKS COMMrTTBB. A discussion took place with regard to the composition of the Public, Works Committee, which resulted in the follow* ing gentlemen being appointed :— Messii Pvae, Masters, Strike, Wickes, Coates, and Kilgour. FINANCE COMMITTEE. Mr Wicker moved, "That his Worship the Mayor,, Messrs Kilgour, Rae, Coates ; Parkinson, and the mover, be appointed a Finance Committee to wait upon the managers of the Banks, in order to ascertain the terms upon which they can obtain an advance in order to meet present requirements. < • Mr Ashton seconded the motion, which was carried. "WHARFAOE AOCOMMODATIOIT. _.f. The Mayor read a telegram he had received from Mr Sale to the effect that Mr Wylde had applied for room on the, wharf for- coal, that Mr Bonar wished the Harbor-master to give him the required space, on condition that he strengthened the wharf ; and he asked what the opinion of the Council was on the subject. Mr Ashtqn moved that the matter stand over until next meeting. Mr Coates seconded. The Mayor, thought * reply of some, kind should be sent at once. In connection with this telegram he read a letter from Mr Wylde x asking what assistance the. Council was willing to grant the Grey ' Coal Company in the shape of wharfage accommodation for landing coal, on which several thousand tons would have to be stacked. E[e asked the Council to take the matter into their consideration at the, earliest possible moment, as he could not decide, now the railway line would be. brought into town until he knew where the wharf accommodation would be fixed. The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee. CORPORATION SSAIi. It wa,s referred to the Finance Comniittee to obtain and submit to the Council for approval a design for the Corporation seal. OFFICERS OF- THE BOROUGH, Mr Strike moved— That the thrt©.

offices of Town Clerk, Works Manager, and Rate Collector, be combined, at an annual salary of L 250. Mr Coates seconded. Mr Parkinson : [s he supposed to do the work as well ? Mr Strike : To superintend the works. Mr Moore thought it was quite impossible for one man to superintend the public works, keep the books of the Corporation, and attend to his office. Mr Ashxon . thought that if they combined the offices of Rate Collector and Town Clerk his hands would be pretty full. They required another man for the office of Manager of Works. The Mayor thought a motion of this nature required a notice to be given. Mr Wickes moved — "That this, and other matters, be discussed in Committee of the whole, at the close of the present meeting." Mr Parkinson seconded the motion, which was carried. THE PROTECTIVE WORKS. Mr Wickes said that some days ago a number of the Councillors privately combined, and authorised the Engineer of the Road Board to expend £50 in pile-driving to complete the embankment near the ■wharf, on condition that if the Council would not take over the work, they would pay for it out of their own pockets. He now moved that the work be taken over by the Council, and that the Public Works Committee be authorised to carry it out, as well as to complete the Boundary street dam. Mr Strike moved as an amendment — " That the public works now being cnrr.'e 1 out be taken over by the Council." The Mayor thought that if any one of the Councillors who had given the guarantee voted on this question he would be liable to a penalty of £50 for voting on a matter in which he was personally interested. It was explained that no money had been paid, only a guarantee giver. Under these circumstances, The Mayor thought the motion should be given notice of. It was ultimately resolved to consider the matter in Committee of the whole Council at the close of the present meeting. A PUBLIC GAOL FOR OREYMOVTU. Mr Wickes gave notice to move at next meeting a, motion to the effect that steps be taken by the Council to have the lock-up at Greymouth declared a common gaol, and the sittings of the Supreme Court held here. The Council then adjourned for half-an-hour for refreshments. On resuming, the Standing Orders were suspended, and Mr Strike moved that the Town Clerk be authorised to write to Wellington, requesting the Government to supply the Council with nine copies of the Municipal Corporations Act, and also the General Government Gazette, for the use of members.—Carried. NOTICES OF MOTION. Mr Moore to move, at next meeting, to the effect that the Government be requested to hand over the Greymouth wharf to the Council, with power to levy wharfage dues thereon. Mr Kilgour to move, to the effect that the Government be communicated with regarding the present difficulty in dealing with the wharf and streets in the Native Reserve, the san-.e never having been handed over to the Government by deed. Mr Kilgour to move — "That an Inspector of Works be appointed." Mr Wickes to move— "That the Government be communicated with, asking if there is in existence any arrangement with the Native Trust by which certain reserves were handed over to the Government, on condition that they made up And metalled Mackay street." Mr Wickes to move — " That two valuators of property be appointed." The Council then went into Committee of the whole, and we believe that a discussion took place with regard to the application of Mr Wylde for wharfage Accommodation for the coals of the Grey Coal Company, when it was agreed that the temporary use of the wharf where the coals are now stacked be given to the Company, until the Council is in a position to fix permanently the position of the coal and timber wharves. The question of the appointment of officers was also considered, when it was resolved to advertise for applications for the combined situations of Town Clerk, Rate Collector, «rad Clerk of Works, in the absence of the Engineer, at a salary of L 250. It was agreed to engage the District Engineer, Mr Johnston, to give a portion of his time to superintending the public works, at a salary of Ll5O a-year. The Council resumed, and adjourned at 5.30 p.m., until to-morrow afternoon, when a conference with the Road Board will take place.