CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XXII, Issue 2680, 10 March 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, March 9. A special meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chambers. Present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs Bishop, Jones, Gapes, Lane, Ick, and Hobbs. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The Mayor stated the object of the special meeting was to consider the proposition to borrow the sum of .£12,000 for drainage purposes. He also stated that the Provincial " Gazette" of 9fch February, 1874, coUtaiulng the advertisement was then before the Council, and that it had been published in the daily papers as required by the Act as follows :— " The City Council of Christchurch hereby give notice that it is their intention to con* aider a proposition to borrow a sum of £12,000, such amount being required to meet the expenses of the works in connection with the drainage of the city which will be undertaken during the present year, the said amount to be raised on debentures value £50 each, bearing interest at six per cent per annum, issued for a term of fifty years on the security of a special rate of 2d in the £ on rateable property in tho city which rate will provide the said interest and a sinking fund, as by the City of Christchurch Loan Act, 1871, required. The interest will be payable half-yearly, and the principal at the time specified in the debentures, at the offices of the City, Council, Christchurch."

Cr Bishop moved — " That the Council agrees to the foregoing resolution, and the Town Clerk be instructed to advertise the same as required by clauses 144 and 252 of the Municipal Councils Act, 1867, so as to make it a special order ; and that a special meeting of the Council be. held on the 6th April next for the purpose of confirming the above resolution." Cr Gapes Beconded the resolution, which was carried. The ordinary weekly meeting of the Obancil was then held. The Town Clerk reported receipts for the week as follows—From rate collector, account General City Rates, 1873, £91; Waimakariri, £15 38 6d t from inspector, account of scavenging, £28 8s 2d ; from Mr Kuapman, for asphalting crossings, £38 10s ; fines from Resident Magistrate's Court, £6 ; licenses, stage coaches, drivers, Ice, £31 10a j rent market place, 7s; building license, ss; total receipts, £211 3s Bd. Drainage account, Dr, £371 18s Id ; drainage rate account, Cr, £685 3s 7d. The Mayor stated that no report would be read from the surveyor that evening, as that gentleman was unwell; he trusted, howerer, he would be sufficiently recovered to submit his usual report at their next meeting. With reference to the tenders that had been received for a supply of stone, he and the surveyor had given the subject their attention, and considered the tenders too high. Since then, a contract had been entered into with Mr Ward for a supply of stone at 7s per yard ; the total cost, including delivery, to be 7s 6d per yard ; and as the lowest tender was 8s 6d, a considerable saving would w thus effected, and he believed with an equa* satisfactory result. With reference to the land purchased from Mr Bawtell, which baa been applied for for grazing purposes, we committee had found that to make it practicable for that purpose would entail too great a cost for fencing. ,_ri£« A letter was read from the CtommisiKßL; of Police, acknowledging receipt qf Itf* «* licenses granted for hackney coaches ana drivers; together witl* four copies of byelaw No. 14. . A letter was read from the secretary w the Gas Company acknowledging receipt or letter from the Count;;!, and stating W|« the necessary instructions had been banqw to the company's working accord with the intention of the resolution alluded to in the TownJClcrk's letter; w«> thanking the Council for the resolution. A letter was read from Mr Joseph JW«» of the Caversbam Hotel, requesting W' mission to have the pathway in front ot n« hotel asphalted. . t On the motion of Cr Ick, permission WM granted. M r A letter was read, signed by Messrs *. Perkins and J. Roundtree, asking P^ 1 *?' 0 * to lay down three inch pipes into the nw by the Kilmore street drain, for the pur pose of draining the surface water from tneir cellars, and promising to make the ro»* good again. , , T It was resolved that permission to »j down six-inch pipes be granted under wj surveillance of the surveyor. -.^ A letter was read from Mr Oofl, t»7

Valuer, forwarding Tarnation for the City of Chrißtchurch, for 1874, making a total of £112,950 10s, being an increase of ahout £10 000 on the annual assessment of 1873. A ? letter was read from Mr Cbas Cooper, tailor, stating that as he had been forced at a short notice out of his cottage, adjoining Wood, Shand and Co's bonded store, through the City Surveyor reporting that he considered it unsafe, he expected to receive compensation from the Council to the extent of £20 sterling, through the inconvenience and loss sustained by him. The letter was ordered to be laid on the table. , _ A letter was read from Captam Cbarlsworth asking the Works Committee to inspect the large .drain which was made to form the embankment, and stating that unless it was deepened his land would be flooded during the winter. Referred to the Surveyor to inspect and report. A petition was read from the employees of toe Council, asking for an increase of wages. ... _ jpb e petition was ordered to be received, - and on the motion of Cr Jones, the Council vent into committee to consider the matter. On resnming, the Mayor put the amendment carried in committee, viz. :—" That the matter be referred to the works committee," which was carried with two dissentients. Statements of the estimated receipts and expenditure of the Council, and assets and " liabilities to the Ist April, 1874, as required by the Act, were laid on the table by the finance committee. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances - was read and approved. The Mayor stated that he had the authority of the chairman of the sanitary committee for stating that the services of George McCullagh' were no' longer required by that com- i mittee. On the motion of Cr Ick, seconded by Cr I Lane, it was resolved—" That the services of George McCullagh be dispensed with." Applications from Stephen Lawrence for a hackney carriage license, and from James Kearney for borough stage carriage, were « Received and granted. 1 '- licenses were granted to Alfred John Lawrence, William Jannaway, and Robert Falloon. Cr Ick moved—" That the report of the lighting committee, as laid on the table on last Monday night, be adopted," and contended that the number of lamps stated . r hi the report was really required, and more ** " if they were obtainable. Cr Gapes seconded the motion. Cr Bishop stated that as the report did not state whether the lamps were to be lit with gas or kerosene, he was not debarred from taking part in the discussion. Crick said it was certainly the intention : of the committee that the lamps should be lit by gas. Cr Bishop was only guided by the report. Cr Lane reminded Cr Bishop that any Cr taking part in a discussion where interested, was liable to a penalty of £50. ' Cr Bishop. would be responsible for any remarks he might make. He could adduce .instances where persons interested _in a ' matter under discussion in that Council had taken part in it. Because three of the (Jouncillors happened to be interested in a , Gas Company, it was simply carrying a re- ' solution by a fluke to expend £300 for one , purpose, when they were not in the pecuniary position to do so. That was his opinion, and he took the responsibility upon : himself of expressing it. ■Crs Bishop and Lane here withdrew. Cr Jones considered that the city did want lighting up, and he would support the resolution.

Cr Hobbs strongly supported the resolution. The motion on being put, was carried unanimously. Crs Bishop and Lane again took their seats. Or Jones moved " That the works committee cause immediate steps to be taken to relieve the ownerß and occupiers of property In High, St. Asaph, and .Madras streets, from the overflow of water during heavy storms, occasioned by the imperfect construction of the Btone culverts, especially the following :—That running from Wilson and Sawtell's to Bennett and Saunder's, Tuam Street; and those in High street from the corner of St Asaph street to Wilson's garden." He and the Mayor had visited the place on Saturday after the storm, and found an accumulation of water there which, unless remedied, would always be a nuisance to persons residing in that neighbourhood. Cr Hobbs seconded the motion pro forma,. Cr Ick considered that there was no occasion for a motion, as it was one of those matters which might be brought under the notice of the works committee as ordinarily done by the Councillors on each Monday evening. After some discussion the motion was not put, it being understood that the matter would have the attention of the works

committee. On the motion of Cr Gapes, seconded by Cr Ick, the erection of an additional lamp on the Papanui road was consented to. In reply to Cr Lane, the Mayor stated that he had that day been promised by the chairman of the Board of Conservators that the accounts for 1872-73 would be ready in a few days, and he (the Mayor) would have great pleasure in then laying them on the table. Cr Ick mentioned that complaints were being made as to the laxity of the Inspector in not compelling many persons to cut their fences. ? In reply to Cr Lane, his Worship stated that the question of the Hackney Carriage Bye-law would be tested on Thursday next in the Resident Magistrate's Court. Cr Ick gave notice of the following motion for Monday, the 23rd instant: —"That tenders be called for from the banks in the city of Christchurch for the City Council's account for a term of two years," The Council then adjourned.