CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume VII, Issue 682, 5 January 1865, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

The Council held its weekly meeting on Tuesday evening. All the members were present. The Chairman in the chair. The minutes of the last meeting were read and approved, after which the following letters and papers were produced and read: — A letter from the Provincial Secretary, dated December 20, stating that a voucher had been passed to the Treasury for £500. A letter from Mr. William Swale, on the subject of renting a stall in the proposed New Market A letter from Mr. Pavitt, resigning his seat as a member of the Council. A letter from Mr. Oram, of the Carlton Hotel, in reference to a recent visit he had from the Inspector, informing him that action would be taken against him for allowing his drainage to flow into the city. The subject has been before the Council several times, and the Chairman expressed a hope that the Council would still abide by their former resolution. Mr. Oram did not contribute to the city taxes, and he should not be allowed to send the slops of his house into the street, to the great inconvenience of many of the inhabitants. Mr. Luck thought that if a covered drain was put down into the river it would enable Mr. Oram to get rid of the water from his it might be objected that it could be used for all household drainage. It was moved by Mr. C. W. Bishop, seconded by Mr. E. B. Mrr Oram's attention be directed to the letter addressed to him in November last, on the subject of the surface drainage fSxjti —ifar hotel, end that Mr. Oram be iifornawl that the Council on «c no Tm^ BL *<> depart from their decision as communicated to nun on that occasion. ,. Carried. 4 A letter from Messrs Hadfield Brothers, in reference to the continuation of their contract for emptying the night soil pans; also one from Messrs. Harrop and Sellers on the same subject. j The consideration of these letters was de| ferred until the next meeting. J The report of the Committee on hacknej carriages was brought up, read, and Adopted, [We published this report lasj week]. Accompanying it was the draft bye-law, which was read {hrough. and considered seriatim by the Comtcil, and severfl amendments were made, tod a few clauses struck out. This bye-|aw occupied tie Council a considerable time, and seveml other matters had to be postponed. f -It was moved by Mr. C. W. Bishjp, seconded by Mr. Bailey—" That the drift bye-law be forwarded to the City Solicitor far his approval, and for a final dmft thereof." Carried. f f The report of the Citj- Surveyor was read. The Surveyor also forwarded plane and pections of the proposed pipe drainage, with a schedule of the quantities, and a specification of the work to be dona in supplying the pipes. He mentioned that previously to Mr. John Anderson leaving this province for the Australian colonies, he had requested him to make enquiries relative to the possibility of obtaining a supply of pipes from either Melbourne er Sydney. Mr. Anderson had kindly done bo, and through the care and trouble he had taken, he (the Surveyor) was in a position lay before the Council price'lists from bith places. Hβ had also receive*! from , MriMarkSprot the prices of Hie various pipes|fcc., of the home mart et. ' The following h the substance of the Sorveyor's weekly report: —He stated that having carefully etamined the broken stone used in metalling the Perry road and other parts of the main thoroughfares through the city; although hew and there there appeared evidences of some oi' the outside stone being used, he did noticonsider sufficient cause existed for withholding any portion «f the contractors , money. At various times during the execution of the contract he had been obliged to mnove many yards of stone on account of the quality being inferior. He s paesed his account for'the balance due. In accordance Tpi a resoluion of the* CouncOhehad enteral into a contract with Mr. Smart to lay dem the side channel irom the south side of G ouceater street, as far northwards as the jftone kerbing extends. The work would bj done in a different manner from that emgbyed in the other channels, and lie hoped fould prove effective.* Across Gloucester strict the drain will be three feet %ide, exclusive of two outside kerbs of six inches each; fhat along the eide channel will he 18 mdles. with a stone kerb of four inches. He lotted the sanction of the Council to enter into a contract with the Gas Company fo r the lighting of 17 of the

pubtielijMgm ;_ .J/* would «tfll remain four wheretjtemfrF 3 .snot laid, which would still have to b&c with kerosene. /'The contractfor fjx 'hg the 8out& Town' Belt from Ant%ua. & »et to_ Be&wyn street being completeoV and jl, short bridge 16 feet' wide being put over ;he ditch drain on the west side of the first named street, with* the consent of the C >uncil he purposed fencing the approach* s of the whole of the remaining widtl :of the Belt, leaving openings at each of the footways for foot traffic, so as in some degree to prevent carts, &c, destroying the oew footways, there being a culvert in the drain the whole width of both. He had had a small house made for the swans, and suggested that a few more, say seven or eight, should be made and put on the various islands. The two swans which found their way down to the estuary were eentback yesterday by railway. The boring in front of Mrs. O'Hara's was now 40 feet deep ; the pipes had successfully been put through a log of manukau 12 inches in thickness, at a depth of 30 feet. The trees in the nursery on the North Town Belt had been cleaned from weeds. He was sorry to report the plants were nearly all dead, but Mr. William Wilson very kindly informed him he would furnish others of the same kind. The fence on Cambridge terrace, at the junction of Antigua street, was completed, as also the bridge over Free's Creek, in Peterborough street. The other works within the city were being carried on satisfactorily. The Town Clerk reported that he had received from the Provincial Government, £500; from the Collector of Eates, £119 17s; from Mr. Brunsden, a quarter's rent, £18 15s; from Mr. G. Allen, contribution towards the artesian well in front of Mrs. O'Hara's, £10 ; from the Chairman of the Gas Company, £4 16s; for earth, and from the Eural Sports Committee, £2 16s; making a total of £656 4s; all of which he had lodged in the Bank. Bilk to the amount of £505 16 10d were ordered to be paid. The balance sheet for the year ending December 31, 1864, was laid on the table, and approved of. Mr. C. W. Bishop said lie thought the City Surveyor had entered into the contract with the Gas Company, as he saw several of the lamps had been altered. The Council had not yet given its sanction to the alteration of the lamps, and therefore the Gas Company had exceeded the intention of the Council, and were forcing their light 011 the Couicil in a hasty manner. He thought that a sense of what was proper would have suggested to the Company to wait for the formal approval of the Council. 3£r. Luck said he was sorry Mr. Bishop was; not satisfied with what had been done to jthe public lamps. He thought it most desirable that the gas light should be introduced as speedily as possible, as its great suieriority to all others was obvious. If the minbers of the Council wished to be still Hmmarkneaß, ■ the 4xas Company would restore tJthem the original so-called light. He Mderstood at the last meeting the lamps ifcrp ta Ire a&erfid if the two in Cathedral sfuare were approved of, and he had never. jeard one word against them being fully what was expected. I Mr. E. B. Bishop knew the gas would be used in the public lamps, but it was not yet sanctioned by the Council, Mr. Barnard said he agreed with Mr. Bishop. The formal sanction of the Council had not yet been given, and therefore the Gas Company had no right to interfere with any more than the two lamps in Cathedral square. He hoped the gas would be adopted, but suggested the lamps should no be opposite each other. The Chairman considered the resolution at the last meeting, as far as possible, was to allow the City Surveyor to enter into the contract with the Company —the effect, in his opinion, of the two lamps in the Square was something which might be compared to the light of a large wax candle and a farthing rushlight. The cost of the lighting was settled before, if the Council approved the earliest possible effect should be given to the resolution. Mr. Barnard approved of the sample lights. He, therefore, begged to move—" That this Council approves the gas-light shown in Cathedral square, and directs the City Surveyor to enter into a contract with the ■Directors of the Gas Company to supply such lights as are accessible to their mains, ■and in the meantime to notify to the present contractor, Mr. Oswald, that his engagement to light those lamps will cease forthwith." This motion was seconded by Mr. Luck, and carried. It being now past 10 o'clock the other matters we ordered to be brought forward at | the meeting of the Council on Monday next — the Council to meet at six o'clock. j