The Press. TUESDAY, JANUABY 15, 1818.

Press, Volume XXIX, Issue 3894, 15 January 1878, Page 2

The Press. TUESDAY, JANUABY 15, 1818.

A SHOET time ago, while the AesemDiy was in session, there was some little excitement aroused in Cnristehureh by a Bill which was brought in chiefly, as we understand, at the instance of the City Council. The Bill, in consequence of representations made by some citizens, was amended in various ways, and was finally passed under the title of the Chrietchurch City Reserves Act, 1877. At the time of the discussion we made some remarks about the Bill, and we now propose to again draw attention to it, because, in one or two particulars, it appears to us to inflict a wrong upon the public. The Act contains five clauses and four schedules, but at present we shall confine our remarks to the second clause and to a portion of the first schedule. The clause provides that the parcels of land described in the schedule shall be vested in the Mayor, Councillors, and citizens of the city of Christchurch " for the use of "the inhabitants * * * as public I " gardens and promenades." Turning to the schedule, we find the parcels of land to be Latimer and Cranmer squares, the plot round the Godley statue, the river banks, and so on; but amongst these is one deserving attention. It is that piece of land between Hereford and Worcester streets, opposite the Clarendon Hotel and bounded by the river. Wβ find that this plot is included with all the rest, as intended for " gardens and promenades" with, the exception of " such portion as is " now vested in the Mayor, Councillors, " and citizens." Now, if we do not mistake, this piece of land is one of those which, during the peeing of the Bill, aroused opposition amongst the public, and it will-be well to see how the matter stands with* regard to it. Our readers are all, probably, ;,Vejry well aware that, instead of being an'tnsiament to the city, this block of land has-been rendered hideous, not the erection ,^ ,a mill at one end (wbicn cannot now be helped), but by a collection' of dirty huts and rubbish heaps piled m-jt by the City Council. It will not be amiss to let the public know how far the municipality have had the right to thus disfigure the city. In the fifth session of the Provincial Council of Canterbury an Ordinance was passed transferring the Canterbury Association Reserves to the Superintendent, and in 1862, by another Ordinance, the Superintendent transferred his control . over some of these to the municipality oi [ Christchnrch. Amongst the reserves thus dealt with was the following:—Al] that piece of land " containing 16 perches, I " more or less, situate on Oxford terrace ■ " West, having one chain frontage to the " south eide of Worcester street, and " extending back southerly ii*-a rectan- * " gular block a distance of on< " chain." Why this -particular little f bit of land was so treated we do noi ! know; but the Ordinance goes on 3 to provide that the municipality I shall hold it " in trust for the public usei 8 " and purposes of the Province of Canter i " bury, in accordance with the provision! t " of the Canterbury Association Reservei " Ordinance, Session V., No. 2." If w< c turn to this last-mentioned Act, we fim 9 in it nothing which could authorise th< erection of any buildings upon such re servos, and a good deal which would seen to imply that no building of any cor should be there put up. But it must b 1 admitted that there is nothing definite oi this point. -However, as we have seen the law gave the municipality a piece o: g land with a frontage of one chain on Os 1 ford terrace, and a frontage of one chah '' on Worcester street. Let us see wha 1 they have done. The block of land be tween the mill, the river, the terrace, am the street is considerably larger thai - that vested in the City Council by th k Ordinance we have quoted. It ha ■ a frontage of about two chains o: ' Worcester street and about four chain on Oxford terrace: it is in fact proVabl; twice as large as the piece handed ovei r- The City Council have not*onry apprc priated (illegally as we believe) the whol of this land,|bnt they have interpreted th expression " public uses and purposes o " the Province of Canterbury" to mea the erection of a series of wooden shed «• and the formation of a workmen's yard. *" It is possible that we may be thougl *" to be ultra-critical. If the City Counc n had sixteen perches given to them to d n what they liked with, the taking in < U another sixteen perches may be said to I of no moment. But we take leave i _ think otherwise. We are inclined t believe that, if they had confined then selves to the strict limits of the Lin given them by law, the municipals n- would probably not have have been ab to make their yard and Iheir sheds; coi eequently the City would have bee f, spared the infliction of such exerescene* in what ought to be one of its moi ornamental portions. There are cas where it is advisable to stick to tl absolute letter of the law; and this one of them, for we have daily oenL ' demonstration of what may happen if tl City Council is allowed the least bit < , latitude. It is for this reason that we ha\ said nothing about the Besident Magi , trstte'e Court and City Offices, althoug *| they are sn excrescence and, as is te believe, illegally where they stand, Bi in that instance we do not know that tJ City Council have exceeded the limits < the land vested in them on the north si< of Worcester street, and moreover there a possible donbt as to their power ' erecting buildings thereon. With i . gard to the reserve on the south side Worcester street, there is no doubt th 89 they have largely exceeded their powe:

Ye therefore draw public attention to he wrong committed. As we said just ow, if the City Council are compiled, as they ought to be, to confine heir operations to tbe sixteen perches rhich legally belong to them, we believe hat they will not be able to keep on it heir wooden sheds and their yard. We ,re strongly of opinion that the existence of these in snch a spot is a disgrace to the city. "We have ugliness enough in Christchurch without that, in all conscience: but one good thing will at all events be accomplished if the citizens will pnt a decided stop to the Vandalism ef their municipality. "We venture to suggest to the new Mayor that he should, inlhis matter, anticipate the public, and remove the eyesore which his predecessors have illegally allowed to exist.