"City Board Office, "October 22, 1866.

Daily Southern Cross, Volume XXII, Issue 2885, 24 October 1866, Page 6

"City Board Office, " October 22, 1866.

" Sir, — I have to acknowledge receipt of your letter of the 20th current, requesting to be informed what sum the Bjmrd propose expending in forming the Old Court-bouse and site into a temporary market-place, before you approve of the* Board's intention to do so ; and also, before you inform them for wbat period possession of the site of the same will be granted. In answer to your Honor's letter I have the honour to enclose herewith copy of a letter 1 have this day received from the Engineer-in-Chief, to -which I beg to refor, and from which you will observe that the total cost of the proposed alterations is estimated at £150. Ido not think, however, that the Board at preseat intend to- expend the whole of the amount estimated. With reference to your inquiry whether the Board propose to find accommodation for the Sheriff until the new Courthouse shall have been completed, I have to state th at this matter can be adjusted at any time before the operations on the Old Court-house itself can be carried out, and. after I have had an opportunity of bringing the matter before, the Board. At present the operations of the Board are to be confined to the site and out-buildings above. Asa special meeting of the Board has been called for 2 o'clock to-day to take this matter into consideration, it will be obliging if your Honor will favour me with your reply to my letter of the 16th current before that hour.— I have, &c, "John Ogilvib."

"Superintendent's Office. •' Auckland, Ostober 22, 1866. " Sir, — In reply to your letter of this day's date, having reference to the conversion of the site of the Old Supreme Court-house into * temporary marketplace, and stating the amount proposed to be expended thereon by the City Board, I have the honour to inform you that, subject to the adjustment of the question of accommodation for the Sheriff, the Superintendent approves of the intention of the City Board, and will give possession of the Bite in question for two years.— l have, &c, "Hugh Carleton, "Provincial Secretary. "J. Ogilvie, Esq., "Secretary, City Board." Mr. Keetley moved, "That the works now in course of progress at the Old Supreme Court-house b« discontinued until the plans, specifications, and estimates have beeu laid before, and passed by, the Finance Committee." Mr. Ashek seconded the motion. Mr. Ashton supported the motion, saying that unless it was carried they would get into a fix, and be the laughing stock of the whole province. The going on with the work was premature and unwise, and he felt disposed to call upon those who gave the order, aud ask them why they had commenced operations. By the reading of the correspondence the undue haste in beginning the works was made clear, for the letters with reference to the tenure and cost followed after the decision to do— it was scarcely known what— to do a grievous wrong — to commit an error to which that Board ought nob to be committed. If passed, it might be made a precedent that, if followed, would be fraught with very bad consequences. He denounced the going on with the work as extravagant and ridiculous, and it was out of all order of business that it should be gone on with without being referred to the Finance Committee. What were these matters referred to the Finance Committee for? He could refer to the minutes for, the last three or four years where decisions had been come to, in order to prove what he contended for. Suppose he and the mover and seconder of a motion at once took steps to carry it out, what would the Board think of it? They would say that an undue liberty was taken with the funds of the Board, and that they had outraged their position. He was certain that the Chairman knew, from the minutei of the last three or four years, of numbers of works that lay in abeyance that had been approved by the Board, and that in a more formal and positive manner than by the report of the committee in reference to the Old Court-House. Several works had been approved of, but were in abeyance still. Mr. Geobge said they had waited so long for a market-place, that he thought they might wait a little longer. The Old Court-house was not suitable - it had done its duty, and ought to have been pulled down. Then it must be 'remembered that they neglected their market reserve by not going on with the drainage. The money had been granted for the purpose of executing the drainage, and if that was not done the Board would be breaking faith, and be actually courting disease and death. Mr. Macready thought those who had brought them together had had very little to do. They had called the Board together because it did not suit their purpose that a few pounds should be spent to accommodate the country carts that came into Auckland. Mr. Anderson had now, he believed, got plans ready for the making of Victoria-street, which place was now crowded with carts on Saturdays. Now this place of the Courthouse was for no other purpose than to accommodate those people, who would have to pay a small sum for the use of the ground. \a for the drainage of the market reserve, no one would support it sooner than himself, and some time ago he had moved that it be gone on witb. At that time he was anxious that part of the work should be done, if it were only 500 feet covered in. But he was then put down by some of the members who were now wanting to carry out the thing. He might mention that one of the members who had signed the requisition met him the morning after the last meeting, aud said, in reference to what had been done in this matter, that it was the very thing he would have done himself. Such a gentleman did not, { in his opinion, represent anything. As to the order to go on with the work, that had been given, he believed, by the Secretary. He (Mr. Macreadv) had certainly asked the Secretary if the work was being commenced, and in doing so he was nob going beyond what he had a right to do. As to the drainage of the market reserve, he for one would support it, as soon as the money could be got. In reference to Cook-street, orders had been given that the work should be commenced, and it was commenced, but was stopped by the people requesting that the street be made the full width. To this the people on one side agreed to contribute, but the people on the side of the market reserve would not pay. The Board agreed to pay half, but those people sent back woid that they would not pay anything. They trie.l to do their best, and it was not right for people to come and throw cold water upon them. He (Mr. Macready) tried to do his best for every one. The people in Grrey-streat had little to complain of, as they had one of the best streets in the town, and the people in Cook-street had disagreed amongst themselves, so that nothing could be done. Mr. Macready then spoke of how certain proprietor! in Drake-street had protested against the street being cut to the proper levels. He thought the members of the Board had been fetched there for a very frivolous thing indeed. All that would be done between this and the next Board meetingjwould not amount to £15— merely throwing down the fence, levelling a piece, and turning the carts in from Victoria-street. Why, in one month, the whole of the money would be got back. 255. had been offered for one site, and several sums had been offered for other places, where people could go with their stands. There was no fear of their getting that as a permanent market-place, for, as soon as the Superintendent saw his way clear to draw the £25,000, he would take care not to let it be occupied as a market. But that would not be for two or three years ; and seeing that the Superintendent thought it might be put to some use — to make £500 a-year out of, would that not be something to make the drains with they were crying out about ? He might mention that there was a street, namely, Hepburn-street, that Mr. Ashton assured them would not cost more than £48. That did not satisfy their friends in the far west — he meant the west of the city, not the wilds of America,— but they got £128 spent upon it, and that was a street which was not a Government street at all until lately. It was made so by John Williamson, to make Hugh Coolahan's paddock come in nicely. Mr. Ashton : I think I am at liberty to explain ? The Chairman : JS T o ; I cannot allow you to speak now. Mr. Ashton for a few minutes persisted in speaking, until peremptorily called to order by the Chairman. Mr. Swanson said he had been for some tiin-} anxious to have this matter gone on with. Some months ago, he had managed to get a slight sketch from the Engineer-in-Clnef ; but he could not at that time induce the Government to do anything in the matter. He thought it was a pity to see such a property going to waste ; and if they could bring it into use for the expenditure of £150, it would be a very good thing. If the site was sold for £25,000, the City Board had the firat claim for £12,500. The site could not be sold for some time ; and, until it was, they could not have a markeb made at the reserve, nor anywhere else. Mr. Ashton said he did not mean a market-place and house costing £14,000 ; that was a bugbear. Mr. Swanson said that the Superintendent had promised nothing more than £7,000, so that they aid not need to go on talking about £14^000, for

they bad no claim ou the province for that. But till such time as the Old Courb-house site was sold, they would have uo £7,000 to begin with, nor any part of that sum. Till that time, they proposed to spend £150 on a market which would return £500 a-year, which was not a bad beginning. If the city could get that for two years, he did not think the members of the Oifcy Board would be very much blamed. All that Mr. Macready or himself wanted was, that the place should be levelled and the fence thrown down, and surely the Foreman of Works was capable of carrying out that little job. S&The Chairman said the Foreman of Works could spend to a certain limit. Mr. Swanson said the Foreman could spend up to £10, without coming to the Board at all ; but in this case a formal resolution had been passed, and thousands of pounds had been spetft in the same way. He (Mr. Swanson) had an idea that that meeting was to consider the works, and to ask for more being done, which he intended to oppose. As to the spending of £150, it would well repay itself, and he would just like if they would make it over to him for two years, on condition of spending the money. Outside the Court-house now were stalls, with people selling poultry, hardware, and all kinds of things. When the alteration was made they would have better accommodation, and a better class of people would come. Until such time as they could get the money they had no power to do anything with reference to the market reserve. He hoped the Board would not stop these works, for if it did it was just possible the city might go without a market for years. If the market were established at the Old Court-house, when the province wanted the site, they could say, "Well, before taking it from us, you must provide for these people." Let them get the market there and let it succeed, and they were sure of having it either there or somewhere else. Mr. Ashton said it appeared to him to be a matter more of abuse than argument. Why did Mr. Macready come forward and task him about a street that he had no more toldo with than he had himself ? Mr. Kbbtley said he did not intend to speak about the market at all ; but if thousands of pounds had been spent in the same way that the money had been spent in that work, the members of the Beard had not fulfilled their trust, for no money ought to be spent until they knew what they were spending, and what for. The works had been commenced last Thursday, and they had the letter to-day telling them how long they were to occupy the ground. r Jhe Superintendent himself, although not custodian of the city's revenues, had asked what the cost of the alterations were to be. On the ground of the irregularity of the affair alone, would he put his motion. He would rather have the market at the Court-house than not at all, but he felt it was not right to go on with the works in the face of the minority, and of the petition which had been presented. The Chairman said he might explain that, although those letters were only received that day, it was distinctly understood with the Superintendent that the place would be got for two years. Mr. Macready asked if it would not be right to put a motion to level a piece of ground for the carts. Mr. Keetley's motion was then put and carried, and it was arranged that the Finance Committee should meet next day at two o'clock. The Board then adjourned.