Municipal Council.

Bruce Herald, Volume IX, Issue 984, 3 April 1877, Page 3

Municipal Council.

BALCLUTHA. The regular^otJLnightlx meeting of the above tody-was, held in the Council Chambers on Tuesday evening last. Present : Tbe Mayor, and Crs Cramond, Tosh, Donll, Dui\ne, and Hogg. The minutes of the" former meeting were read and confirmed.. The inward correspondence consisted of letters -as y follows : — From tbe Colonial Secretary, in .reply to previous letter from Council with regard to the proposed bye-law anil the new iVluuicipal Act; from Mr J. S. Fleming, asking permission to plant trees on the edge of footpath in frdnt of bis property m Lanark-street v and from Mr ; Joseph '- Robertson, informing the Council that the term of lease of the 89-acre paddock was on the point of .^expiring,'. and itititnatiiig that it WM not hi* iutentiou to take afresh lease of Tte letters were received. The accounts of John Sinclair (£3l 4s), and of a number of daymen (£4 4s 9d), were passed for payment. The account of Mr Henderson, Corporation Solicitor (£42 4i 2a), was referred to the Finance Commitl|e. If :. -_"■. The Town Glerk stated that the receipts from the Pound, «nee the Corporation dayman had taken charge of it, were £9 13a, and the expenditure in connection with it was £4 9s. Tbe weighbridge receipts since 20th December were £2 18s 6d, of which the Council got half.; Mr Fleming's request gave rise to some dis•uuion. It was agreed to leave it over till next meeting with the view of the Council considering the advisability of planting trees on the streets throughout the town *'■ ■■• <* Colonial Secretary's Office Wellington, March 13, 1877. g| r> — 1 im directed by the Colonial Secretary to acknowledge the receipt of your letter or the 22nd January last, upon tbe subject of the bylaw maHe by the Borough Council of Balclutha, and submitted by yon for the approval of his Excellency the Governor. In reply, I am to uy that you are quite right in contending that the Act of 1876 does not apply -to the Borough of Balclutha. I had omitted to, notice the fact of ito being an Otago borough. The iume reason, however, will preTent youi Council from taking proceedings under the Act of 1876 and amending Acts, unless these have been extended . to Balclutha; and even if this extension has been made, the Government •re advised, that it is very questionable whether bylaws made as those submitted by you would be covered' by the saving clause in section 2of the Act of 1876, which in any case only covers what was done before the passing of the Act (October 81, 1876), and not before the date on which it. came into operation as fixed by section 361 (January 1, 1877).— 1 have, &c., G. S. Coopxb. Consideration of the letter was held over. Cr Hogg said evidently the Government wished the Corporation to come under the 1876 Act. There was "no compulsion — only you must." It was determined to sell the lease of the tO-aere paddock for next year by auction. The Mayor said the Rev. Mr Kubwles had •poken to him about having tbe footpath formed on the street in front of the new English parsonage, from Mr Robert Grigor's corner to Glasgow-street. He thought the dayman could do the work, and suggested that instructions to that effect should be given. Some of the Councillors thought it would be unfair Many citizens, who had paid rates on their residences for years, were still without footpaths, and this was a newly-built house on which no rates whatever had been paid. Cr Dunne proposed that the Works Committee report on the matter. . Cr Hogg seconded. Cr Cramond strongly objected. Most of the Councillors were apparently against the footpath being made, and it was a farce to ask the Works Committee to spend their tune over a thing that would not be carried out, even if they reported in its favor. The motion was carried. The Mayor said he had given instructions to the dayman to repair the second bridge on the Fioegand road. It was a question at first with him whether this bridge was within the municipality, and he had spent tome time in searching maps aud gazettes, and was now of opinion that it was. He might mention that there was property in that direction which had escaped rating for tbe last seven years The Mayor was requested to take steps to have the boundaries of the. township pointed out and fixed, as at present information on the subject was very vague. On the motion .of Councillor Dunne, it was agreed to refund the expenses of the deputation of Councillors which waited on Mr M'Lean in Dunedin lately. With regard to the Valuation List, which had been declared by the Judge of the Assessment Court to be entirely informal and valueless, the Mayor said the Council had liberty to name, for the Judge's acceptance, a new valuer or valuers. After a considerable discussion over tbe whole affair, Councillor Dunne proposed the names of Messrs R.Grigor and J. Whyte, and this was seconded by Councillor Hogg. : Councillor Doull proposed the names of X. . Paterson and J. Robertson. Seconded by Councillor Cramond. For .Councillor Dunne's proposal, there Voted himself and Councillor Hogg ; and for Councillor Doull's, himself and Councillors v r :.'<Crii^j|4.ud;Tosh r .; j The latter wasjtherefore declared carried The Council then closed proceedings.