CITY COUNCIL.

Tiie: regular meeting of the City Council was :held last; evening. Present :iHis.Worship the ..Mayor,, and, Messrs. i Stevenson l Dacre,' .Phillipps, Devore, C rowther. ihompson,' iAicken;. .Harper, '.Fleming. ;,.Bell. Garratt,' Burns, George. Correspondence:—Letter from' R.' Carr, ..drawing? attention to the disgraceful state of , VVeUesley-street west footpath.—The En:gineer, reported that tenders for kerbing and channelling had been called, but the Council did . not'accept any. — The JEngineer was consulted,aß.:to. whether temporary repairs could iiiot be done, or whether it would not be ibetter itof do-' the .. work-; permanently, i He, .recommended the ' latter course.—lt v 'was agreed ;to, call for. tenders for the works.— Mr. G., I. i.-Panter.- wrote,, re Waverley Hotel -license, that he was prepared to accept f the offer of £500,; subject to obtaining transfer-of said license, upon'which he would :ipay' £450;': already ; paid... £50,.„t0j :secure the .:license.—The - Mayor ?; said he .understood th&ybfler-;to=be a definite one 6f . £500; . that' , beingr :,the ft price fixed . by - the Council.—lt was:vsagreeds-. to inform Mr. -Panter that £500.wasV- the :v, sum fixed, : and: -if- not detmitely settled ■by noon of. ..Wednesdays:, next/.-:-the--oflerv? be with-: ■ drawn. An-. amendment'-by :?Mr.; : Bell,' that the sum be £450, was not seconded.— Mr.: James: Scottdrew... attention to the bad state of the gutter.-of Karangahape-road in front of htsr premises.—The Engineer re-' ported that the road had never been made on this side; 'and ;now ithat^the water-tables were opened - nothing -could • be ' doao i with them until they were permanently dealt With. This was provided for in the works authorised.—lt-was agreed to send a reply-in accordance with,, the Engineer's memo.— Messrs. Devore. and Cooper wrote, on behalf - -of.Mr;-- C::, Joynt,-:. claiming. compensation ■ fordamage, to. Ilia property -caused .oy works ml I Picton-street:—.Referred to the Streets Com-

mittee.-—An-amendment proposed by "Mr; Crowther that an offer: of half the cost of : ,:raismg.the;house to.the street* level be maue : to Mr. Joynt,s;was;.not . seconded; and MrS Flemiug moved l : that ; .::it 3;bereferred to the Legal Committee This was lost.— ; -Mrs. Finlay v wrote ..complaining i that' her verandah, ,Upper;Pitt street, had not boon 1 put.back in its place. Engineer reported' that the Council hadidone.what was neces- ■ saryi—lt was agreed toanawer/ that'- the ; -.Council, declined;', to; do/any thing further in , .this .matter.^-;Mr. ! Fi -L.'? Prime wrote asking .the. Council"to .plant trees lu ADglesea-street;- : :as.'promised v-.three : years ago;—lleferred totlie Legal.cand iPark -Committee.—Mr; Jolm' Parker wrote asking for a permit to erect, a : dwelling-house imposition sdowo on plan.— Thc.Buildmg Surveyor reported that it right-of-way was granted by the Council, a permit . would. .bo issued;—ltiwas agreed- to post:pone tlicrapphcation ■ until , the Legal . Com-. : .imttee's: ..report., ivwasw.rconsidered. — Mr. J. £>. AYickliam:;;; wrote'. .enclosing ■ cheque . f0r.£9,,17s ,6d: for water rates,-and stating : that.ho would be compelled to discontinue the use of water as a motor,, unless the Council made in the rate or'sbme concession, such as the removal of the meter, and; he would pay ; a rent of £20 per i annum : —Refqri-ecl.'to .the-i)treet3:..Committee.—Mr.* J, A. Tole .wrote stating that a large quantity : of eai:th ; had.slipped.from the property of the ' Benedictines m Upper, Queen-street" to' the; ; ,1-oadj,,und, was a; scrious obatructlori. Thc owners-.proposed to erect a rubble w-ail;'-aud' asked -tof' have- the- rubbish^removed —Th< reported that'lt would: cost i.'iO' tc . removcfthe loose.earth away.—lt vvas agreec to.authorise,the removal of.tbe ; :Bui.ke and,;party, .submitted;; a proposal tc dispose of-a : ipiece;of.;quaiTy; "land; 40-aercsj ivt Mount Albert at a cost of £730.The Mayor mo\cd that the otlei be not. .accepted.. . .It . waa^-toodistant' fron the. city. — The motion was agreed "to.— C.:.Trotman ~uomplaintd,:of 2 the-intolerable : nuisance..caused. by-a;bnck-ki!n in Clareiicestieet, jPonsonby>■ ..-.There was' also-a -report ..fioiii the. Nuisance.ln-['t'Ctor, on the subject; —Ihe Toun.Clerk said a judgment had been obtained;agaiußt the.company, and tlip Court ordered that ithey ishould i discontinue; : ilt was..agreed, to take the stepa to haye xhe order:of. the Court enforced and tho nmsance abated. .A:-.Pooley. asked; the 1 patronage., of .the.,^Mayor*. ; and: Council ' for :l; a I series oi popular concerts which he proI posed, to give ... on' Saturdays.';: -. ' It', was' agiced to comply with the request.— l - MVv 'il. Ivay. agam wrote complaining'of .? the . state, .of Constitution -Hi 11.—The Jblngineer reported that ashesvwere.put on ;for tlie pre'-" sent, no.better material being- available,:hut : when-available it wouldi-.be put on.—lt was agreed to reply that the matter is in the iliandsot the Park Committee.—The Secretary" of the Harbour. Board ..forwarded a resolu.tion relative to the proposed cutting down of . Linily.-place, Committee was appointed a comuiittee to..'confer ' with'the ; deputation of ,'the Harbour ; Board — ; Mr., Superintendent Thomson forwarded r a-' .claim from' / Constable;; ;KyanV' : for ■''£10' .reward, ottered:- by the =: Co uu e i l":f or-" a ' cpJiyiction,:,under. l Act'; ~-rrßeferred to /.the. /Legal Committee.— Mr,-I';v:Doran asked permission for his band to., .'play 'outside .i'thej!.Opern,;House;' :: It apjieaieclj.the.sergeant''6f':'policehad; Mr.' \Vaddel ;moved ! that .- it; be - referred to tbe.:Legal Coin'uiittee- to ascertain the.'posi-;: ti'oll of the-Council in the "matter;—Mr;: Bell moyed tliat, theiperiiissiori be granted.—The amend men t:waa carried,

Streets.* Committee." — ThisScommittee reported:^Re^petition.from Victoria-street residents, as .:.to.hoarding at Sargood's building; that-.a reply be sent that the permit extends.to;.oth:of,August,:and before that date' arrangements will',be .made for foot pasSengeis.on the. pa vein 1111. They recommended a; /crossing! opposite;Howe-street oil- Kara-'" • road ; that m regard to Mr. Th waites' .. application A for;.: leave.' to'. extend his shed: it was recommended that the building regulatioiis;.. be ;adhered; to.—That; the Enyineur.ls repiirt . (attached) ; as-to duties, &0.., of . ..Clerk ...' of .-.AVorks,..-.' Foreman, and working .-.overseers,be adopted.—Re letter ;fioniy : Mi. -Aitken, ottering- Mr.-Thomas *Kuss.ell'sjproperty in Chancery-street and WatorloOiQaadrant ifor,. ilsoo,.the . committee■ recomuiended: that, tne.viand ■; be v. purchased - for. street- widening, .purposes.— Kb eletter from Mr;.. Kussell, ollering laud ; fori street: from G ra'fton?roady :to feymonds-street, f thatt its. oousideratiombe deferred.—The clauses were cuus:dcccd/6cria(im.i pi he first was adopted. Jo the. .second"'clause ;m amendment .was lnovtd.thatithescrossingishould be opposite .the. ; rost ;i.Olhce,iianfl/.,was carried' onthe casting vote .;of-othc::;ilayor. > Mr. Gairratt inov.ed'as a.,further amendment "„That the crossing-be,from the west. side of Pitt-street -across iKarangabape-road;"-?-. The amendment was . lost. Clause :3, as to Mr. Tiiwaites' [application, was adopted without discussion ; and.clause-4 ( was also .adopted. . .. Clause 5, re-the purchase of . Mr. liussell's property in Chancery-street: Mr. Thompsom ~ moved that it be. referred to the Finance Committee tonfurther consideration.. This was carried, .and the report as amended was then put and adopted.

LhCAL Committee.—This committee reported; as to applications from G. Marshall and-James Dempsey that, having obtained the' 1 opinion'of counsel, they recommended that the Building Surveyor be authorised to issue permit to build, but that no right of way. or easement is granted by such permit, and that such permits issued have an endorsement to that effect thereon. —Re memo.

i from solicitor as to case duimisaed at Police Court, the committee reported that the time having expired for appeal, no antion can be taken.—That the thanka of the Couucil be tendered to Messrs. Fenton and Hamilton for the presents of trees and plants. —The report was adopted. Finance.—The accounts were passed for payment, and it was agreed to transfer £-1000 from Borough Fund account to Improvement Trust account.

Engineer's Report : Levels op NewWards.—The Engineer submitted a report of the progress m,.de with Qxing of levels in the new wards, In Grafton the whole of the levels had. been taken, and a complete plan was near completion. In Karangahape levels of 26 streets hud been taken, leaving 11 yet to do. The surveyors, who were in Grafton, were now at work in Ponsonby. Hi- 1 pre3fnt intention was to complete the office work of plans in Grafton Ward, follow. M S with Karangahape and Ponsonby. ■_&esig:s*atioj?.— Mr. G. Aickin tendered his resignation as member of the Legal and Park Committee. — Mr. Devore and Mr. Phillipps urged that Mr. Aickin should reconsider ■ the matter.—Mr. Aickin said lit was in ord-r that - the duties should be j' properly ..adjusted that he resigned, I and:,; the Mayor was the proper perIson to adjust. lie partly blamed the Mayor. ViAnother councillor had taken the matter s out of his hand, but he partlycoincided.—Mr. Thompson said the Mayor should not be b'amed, but the Council, who supported that councillor.—Messrs. Devore - and Phillipps ..eaid.they should consider on the.; same, grounds as Mr. Aickin whether they should not tender their resignations.— The Mayor;made an explanation, : and concluded by. urging .Mr.: Aickin to withdravr his "resignation.. — Mr." Aickin said that having attained the object of ventilating the matter, he'woold withdraw his resignation. - —Permission was granted. — The Mayor asked. for,, the,,suspension. of .the standing order.- 1 , in order that Mr. Thompson might be,.-, appointed... to ■■■■ the, Finance Committee. - He had now vindicated his ideas, and he (the May.ir) was of opinion that his services .. should be - retained. —The motion, seconded; by Mr. Aickin, was carried, and the motion by the Mayor that Mr. Thompson be'. appointed.. a ,-member of the Finance Committee was seconded by Mr. Phillipps. —Mr. Thompson consented to be added to the committee, and.the motion was carried. ■ ■ - Poblic Library.—On the motion of the Mayor,;,the ; advertisement for competitive designs - forthe-Free ■ Public ■■ Library was deferred. SfeWELLiNCTON-STRBKT."—Mr.-- Phillipps,"" fa accordance - with notice, ■ moved, That tenders be called for the works in Welling-,tori-street.The.. motion -...was ■ seconded by Mr.-Fleming and camel. ' .v.;-: Scoki a Contract. —Mr. Stevenson movcd- " That .-the Cityt Engiueer report to the Council,w hether- the. present , contractor, for scoria metc»l. Ciirting,ciSc.,„is doing his work accordiugfe.to,, specifications or to his entire satisfaction, and if nos why the Engineer did not,,take,: steps to ■ have the contract - carriid out."—Mr.Dacre seconded the motion, and it was carried.

. ;?VYat£.r O-V th h VVlla [; k.—Mr. Harper < mo\ed, " That wa'er-pipea . and • connections■ ■ ke,l".id,.OE',the;-new tee„on .the west side of ' ■ .Queen-street Wharf , for supply to shipping, and that two extra drinking taps be erected on suitable places on, said wharf for the con- ", venience of the public." He said the first portion.of,the motion had been provided for, and bis motion,- that two. drinking taps was all.that .remained...,: Ho got leave to amend his resolution, and moved the latter portion -wjw? of. that-of .which he had given notice.—M p... ■Thompson, as an amendment, proposed that it be referred to the Streets Committee. tTixe -TownvHall-j Site.—.Regarding the * ■' purchase.of; the; site of tho Army and Navy Hotel as the, Town Hall site, the Council had' '-"" ■' agreed to pay £3SOO. - Mr. Jagger now wrote demanding £4000 and the cost of transfer of license.—Mr.-Xhompson said that 1 although 1 he had always favoured the site, he should *«*••'* most strongly object to this concession.—Mr. ' Crowther and several other rupmbers spoke in - .the. same strain,.and;the-!application was re--Trww v\ Compim- —Mr. Wad del asked for,iuformati&n re goods traffic on the pro- s ®-®- posed company, lhe Mayor said he had .forgotten to look into.', the matter,«and Mr. • c.Waddelv at vX)nce; ; accepted sthe explanation, :and ; Mr.y:.uevore pointed out that in the agreement, the..word -," goods", was used whatever it meant >, . =.? ,IE Nt.w* Loan". —Mr. Harper then moved that the Council go., into committee to coutinue.: the.discussion re the new loan. Bell opposed j .it was too late at that hour of the-night,.; and moved that it bo deferred - until Tuesday;night.—Tfcia was opposed hy =-v Mr.j,,AicUin,r,,andsupported, by ■ Messrs.--" Crowther,. Stevenson, and others, and on a division the-adjournment? was ■■ carried, eight .voting in fa\our of it; and seven against. ■ The rough minutes were then read, and the meeting rose.