LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XIII, Issue 1730, 24 September 1868, Page 3

LYTTELTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Monday, September 21. Present —The Mayor, and Councillors Allwright, Chalmers, England, Hawkins, Ward, Willcox and Woledge. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. A letter was read from the Solicitor to the Council with reference to the lease of land for a road to the north of Canterbury street, which the Clerk was requested to reply to. A letter was read from Mr Macfarlan, the member for Lyttelton in the General Assembly, acknowledging the receipt of the Drainage Bill, stating that he was afraid it was too late in the session to get it passed, and promising to do all in his power to get it passed if possible. Two letters were read from the Secretary for Public Works. The first requested the Council to appoint a time to meet him with reference to a site for the Resident Magistrate's Court. The second stated that the Government would grant £100 towards the cost of putting the Governor Bay road in repair. Cr Willcox brought np his report on Graham's quarry. He was of opinion that Mr Graham wasnot entitled to any compensation for the state in which the quarry was left, as it was left in fair working order; but awarded the sum of £6 2s 6d for the extra stone taken out. The report was ordered to be received. A letter was read from Messrs Mather and Griffiths respecting the rent due by them to the Council, and asking the Council to allow them to work out their arrears by carting metal. I It was stated that Messrs Mather and Griffiths were not the lessees of the land, and were not liable to the Council for the rent, although they had hitherto paid the ront to J I the Council. [ After some discussion it was resolved on the 1 motion of Cr Allwright, seconded by Cr England, that the offer be acospted subject to the quality of the metal being approved by the Works Committee. It was resolved that the Council should hold a special meeting at half past eleven on j Thursday morning to confer with the Secre- j tary for Public Works on the subject of a site i for the Resident Magistrate'B Court. The following accounts were passed for payment : Weekly pay sheet, £19 9j ; six copies of the Municipal Corporations Act, £i 8a ; H. Hawkins, £8 8s; Graham's award, £6 2% 6d. Permission was granted to England Brothers to use part of the road in effecting some alterations to Captain Gibson's house. Cr Chalmers said it appeared that under the j Act the Council were not bound to await the revision of the rate-roll before striking a rate. He would suggest that a committee should be appointed to consider the amount of the rate required ; and to avoid litigation the Council should ask the ratepayers to send in objections by a certain date. He wished to caution the Council against incurring law expenses. Cr Woledge thought the Council was a little out of order in going into the question of a rate till the report of the valuation had been considered. It was desirable to have an estimate of the amount of money required. He would move that Mr Godfrey's valuation

be received. The motion was carried. The Mayor thought it would be better to appoint a committee. Cr Ward thought it would be better to settle the rate roll before making a rate. After some conversation, Crs Hawkins, Woledge, and Chalmers were appointed a committee to form an estimate, in ternw of clause 208 j to report next we*k.

i Cr Allwright called attention to the nuisance » caused by emptying the night-soil at Stickingpoint ; and sug_ented its removal from the i only pleastnt walk at present available to the inhabitants of the borough. The matter w,i9 discussed at pome length, I nnd ultima!civ referred to the works pom!ni:tt*e. Tlie amended by laws were ordered to be advertised. Cr Woledge then moved the motion of which he hid given notice at last meeting to alter the time of meeting during rhe summer months from half-past six to seven p.m., to commence on the sth October. The Council then adjourned