CITY COUNCIL.

An ordinary meeting of the City Council waß held last night. Present : His Worship the Mayor and all the Councillors, except Cr. Harley. After confirmation of the minutes of previous meeting, and passing accounts, letters were read, amongst them the following:—A letter from the Inspector of Police stated that in accordance with instructions, after the Ist July, the police weuld cease to. collect the dog tax.—A letter from the Secretary to the Treasury, etatiug that the sum of Is, amount of fees to credit of Borough fund during the month of April had been paid to their account at the bank.—A letter from Mr H. Warren, asking permission to erect a slaughterhouse on section 9, block H. (mud-flat). Referred to the Publio Works Committee.

Cr. Little presented a petition signed by 24 honseholders, agreeing to pay half the cost of asphalting in front of their premises, and he said there were several more willing, but he had been unable to obtain their signatures yet. After some discussion, in which an opinion was expressed that the asphalting, if done at all, must be done continuously, the matter was allowed to stand till next meeting for further signatures, &c. The following tenders for the reclamation work between the Commercial wharf and the Pilot Station were received, and opened : —F. Atkinson, £487 ; W. Patterson, £603 15s; Martin Thomas & Co., £557 3s 4d. The first-named tender was accepted.

Applications from Messrs Buxton and Co., for license to store 2000 gallons kerosene and 75 pounds gunpowder, in a covered passage adjoining their warehouse, and another from Mr Wilkins, for storing 800 gallons of kerosene in a storehouse at the rear of his premises were read. A note from the Surveyor attached, reported that both tbese places were unsafe, and recommended the conduction of a building on the mud-flat, near the Post office as a kerosene store, to be divided into sections, the rent for which could be very low. It was suggested in Council that the magazine was the proper storing place for gunpowder, and, after much discussion, it was resolved to refer the whole matter to tbe Works Committee, to report at next meeting. The advisability of issuing wharf porters'licenses and hawkers' licenses was then discussed. The latter was thought undesirable, but for the former it was agreed that a by-law should be drafted.

Some disoussiou ensued as to procuring gas stoves for sale at the Gasworks, and it was said that next summer the price of gas for cooking would probably be reduced to 10j. It was thought undesirable to enter into the sale of stoves.

His Worship referred to the proposed Municipal Conference at Wellington, and asked whether it was desirable to send a delegate. Cr, Little proposed that Cr. Everett should be sent, but that Cr. said he should first like to know the probable good which would accrue from such an expense ; it seemed to him, so far as the last conference was concerned, that the game was scarcely worth the candle. Cr Little proposed that the Council should provide a market place, and suggested Augarde's late auction rooms, as a desirable^place. He spoke at some length in support of his views, but the matter, not being supported, was dropped. .