CITY COUNCIL.

Press, Volume XXVII, Issue 3643, 13 March 1877, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

1 Monday, Mabch 12. ! ■ — « fhe ordinary meeting of the Council was *Jd_t4p.Bi. Present—His Worship the togot, and Crs Jones, Ick, Nathan, Turner, and Hawkes. fhe town clerk reported the receipts to be 13, the fortnight £623 14s lOd. fte Mayor said that the scavenging conconcluded within the next few days, would be as well for the Council to *2_o-er the matter." He might say that Mr "Sghtling would continue the contract at fSpresent rate until something definite had teen arranged. (vfurner moved —" That Mr Brightling be «a_ested to carry on the contract until some _S n it e arrangements are made." was agreed to. fbe Mayor said he might state tbat the ■neurit "at drainage account was exhausted. 4_wo-ld therefore be for the Council to what was to be done with regard to JajjuelliDg. Cr Tomer urged upon the Council the of doing the side channelling before pother work was taken in hand. after some discussion it was resolved that 4« works committee be instructed to conXse the work out of general funds. fhe surveyor's report was read as fol«L I have caused an account to be taken r_ the vehicles passing the Bank of New _r tt j w d Soring four days of hut week, betfecn < i hours of 8 a.m. and 5 p.m. each to by which it will be seen that during fbtfcur days 7018 vehicles and 828 eqnestriins passed along tbat part of Colombo 4lreet "2. Two small brick sewers have been built, one reaching from Goss's corner, Durham street, and running into tbe Bilmore street sewer, and the other from Ward's brewery to the river, which I hope will -facilitate the escape of water from tbe side during heavy rains. "3, .heconcrete channelling on the East fcelt is now completed, and the formation of tbe belt will, 1 hope, be finished this week. "4. A plan for the formation and shingling of Salisbury street east will be laid before the Council. The cost of forming and shingling that portion of Salisbury street 27 chains in length would be JE2SB 31.-. «5. My report on private streets will be laid before the Council at its next sitting. " 0. Walkden, " City Surveyor."' It was decided to proceed with the work an Salisbury street, as proposed by the snr■veyar. Or Turner said he hoped tbat means wonld te taken to prevent any touting at the meeting on the following evening, but that the ratepayers would dispassionately consider -tbe matter. The drainage meeting, held tome short time since, was to his mind a -disgrace to Christchureh, and he trusted that the meeting on Tuesday would not be a tknilar exhibition. Ihe Mayor thought the drainage meeting -referred to was a very orderly one. The following letter was read from the •CommissioDer of Audit:— -"Audit office, March let, 1877. "Sir,—ln reply to your letter of the 26th Sebmary, I have the honour to state that the Commissioners of Audit have no power to -comply with your request in the shape in which it is made. "If the Council has by a special order •made a special rate to continue for a fixed hus-ber of years, in order to provide interest and sinking fund on a loan, such rate is a - legal charge on the ratepayers. Tbe power of the Commissioners of Audit extend only to vS-QCtioning an alteration in such a rate, aa for example from 6d to 3d in the £, in which caw the latter would be legal charge on the ■ratepayers. The commissioners bave no power to sanction the non-collection of a •special rate, nor does it seem that such sanction is necessary; so long as tne Council pays tbe interest and sinking fund there seems no power to enforce the rate, or reason -for enforcing it. "Will yon be co good as to reply to the following questions :—' "1. Has a special rate been made by special order I " 2. For what duration of time 1 " 3. On what date I "4. Was any part of the rata allocated to sinking fund in such order ? If no such special order was made or any sneb -step taken by which the Council contracted with the bondholders to levy a particular rate for interest or sinking fund, there is no reason why tbe Council Bhould not make such order not? as it likes in the matter. "If such rate was fixed by special order •commissioners will sanction such decrease as may be found to leave sufficient rate leviable to cover interest and sinking fund «*n the debt for its term of currency. "Ihave, &0, | " J. E. FltzGebald, " Commissioner of Audit. * The Town Clerk, Christchureh." A letter was read f-om the Local Board of Health, suggesting that a conference between the two bodies should bake place on -S-t-tary matters and the question of th_ reißioval of night soil. Crs Ick, Bird, and the Mayor were ap pointed as a committee to meet the Board •of Health aa requested. A second letter from the same Board was read, forwarding a resolution requesting permission to use the reserve vested in the Council for the purpose of depositing night -soil, as required by the Local Board of Health. The letter was referred to the committee mentioned, A letter was read from the Christchureh Football Club asking for the use of Cranmer Square for the club. Ihe request was granted, A letter was read from Messrs Harman -and Stevens, as agents for Mr A. R. Creyke, asking that Marton street might be taken over as a public street. The. letter was referred to the surveyor to report upon. A letter was read from the Spreydon Boad Board, calling the attention of the Council to the necessity which existed for clearing j the tide channel en the south side of the belt between Colombo and Montreal streets, fiie same being choked with watercress and weed*. It was resolved that the work be done on file ÜBual terms. A letter was read from Lorenza Zouch, a_ring for a reconsideration of tbe action taken by the Council in refusing him his license as a driver. The Council decided not to reconsider the case again, as all bad received careful consideration at the hands of the Council. A letter was read from H. Clark, asking far an interview with the Council as to the oase of the refusal of his license as a •driver. A similar answer was, returned to this letter as to tbe one previously mentioned. A letter was read from Mr Armishaw " (dative to the disposal of sewage, which was : hud on the table, s Ihe borough inspector's report was read, ; stating th .t he had made a house to house visitation, and served a urge number of I *>ticeß to remove cesspools. In various J**rts of the city there were a number of wases without pans. Ihe various matters referred to in the report were passed on to tbe works comI *Jutetee. On the motion of Cr Nathan it was resolved that the sanitary committee be reto report upon the best sites for "three public closets and urinals in tbe city; It was resolved that a notice be published wsting that the Council would summon "PS-ana who swept out the dust and rubbish <* main thoroughfares and into the side caanueig. NOTICE OP MOTION. » _ Nathan—" That all resolutions binding «a Council to contribute one half the cost shingling, and making the road_2-"«» the rural tide of the belt be re•aaded.** *he Council then adjourned.