CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume XVII, Issue 547, 27 June 1879, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the City Council! was held last night. Present— His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Miller, Greenfield, Fisher, Logan, Maginaity, Dixon, Altai,. Moss, Thompson, Hunter, and Diver. THE NBWTOWW " SLOUGH OP DBBPOMD." A large deputation, appointed at a recent meeting of Newtown, residents watted on the Council to urge a more rapid prosecution of the formation of Ridditbrd -street and Adelaide. Road* They also conveyed a vote of censure passed by the meeting upon the Council for their neglect of duty in the matter, and a request that Mr. Saundcrs might be put upon, the " black list." and precluded from accepting any more work from the Council as be had failed to complete bis contract by the specified . time, namely, 26th May. Mr. Wilson, tbe chairman cf the mooting,, having addressed the Council, Mr. Barhbtt, an expressman, said that the state of the road had deprived him of part of his means of living, and had lamed bis horse. He asked who was to give him compensation ? Mr. Bay li 88 said that there were 28 houses vacant at the present time, owing to the state of the road, and the tradespeople had refused to bring provisions up there. Another member of the deputation said that an express, in order to deliver a small case to Mr. Ames, of the Newtown Hotel, bad to be drivea-TtU the way ratal by the locks and the Patent SHp. The" JOatob said he was sure, he spoke for * every member of the Council when < he? said that they were very sorry for tbe difficulty in which they had got with regard to the Rlddi-ford-atreet contract. He thought he might also Bay that they would take every means la their power to get the contract finished as soon as possible, irrespective of the expense to the contractor. . , Mr. WilsoK said that if something Vere not done, the residents intended to petition Parliament for the separation of Newtown. Another member of the deputation said thai: he would be very glad to take out any Councillor, and he would guarantee to put him in. sixteetof mud. (Laughter.) Councillor GJtteuMjpiiiLD said there" . had' been very exceptional weather since the "icontract was accepted. He believed that in eight or ten days the street would be made as far as. tbe Newtown Hotel. The City Bnqinbbk stated that the contractor put on all his carts and advertised for" ~" more, but could not get a single answer to the advertisement. The Matob observed that Pirle-street,. which led to the Mayor's residence, was just as bad as Riddiford-street. Councillor Dixon suggested that ten of the Corporation's carts should be put on the work. After some iurther discussion, a clause !n the Public Works Committee's report, to tbe effect that the City Surveyor had been instructed to urge upon the contractor the necessity for the utmost expedition, was adopted. COBrOBATIOM LBABBB. Mr. F. M. Ollivier, solicitor, attended on behalf of Mr. Kmeny, whose premises (the Royal Oak Hotel) were burnt by the late Hr«. He stated that Mr. Emeny had a lease, nine years of which wereunexpired, from the Council ,at a ground rent of £20 a year. H.e pointed out that it was quite out of the question that he should put up such a substantial building as required by the by > laws for such a short period, and asked that tbe Council would grant him a fresh lease for 42 years. Councillor Maginnitt referred to a clause in the Municipal Corporations Act, which provided that Corporation leases should be 'put up to auction. The question, at the suggestion of the Mayor, was reterred to the Public Works Committee. MB. WATBON'S CLAIM. Considerable discussion again took place with reference to this subject. The City Solicitor, it may be remembered, advises that tbe arbitration by which Mr. Watson was Awarded £400 odd was informal, and, were tbe Council to lecognise it, they would be committing an illegal act. Councillor Thompson moved that £2-50 be paid to Mr. Watson in lull of all claims. Councillor Moss seconded. Councillor Miller pointed out' that Mr. Watson was only a sub-lessee. After settling witb him they would have to deal with the lessee, and then with the native freeholder, so that they would practically pay for tbe land febc times over. Councillor Thompson then withdrew the motion, and the recommendation of the Public Works Committee, embodying the opinion of the City Solicitor was carried. HOSPITAL COMMITTBB'S REPORT. This report, a summary of which appeared in last night's Post, was carried, the name <~ r the Chairman of the Benevolent Institu" . being added to those who aro authorised to issue orders for admission to the Hospital. BUILDING REGULATIONS COMMUTES. It was arranged that the regulations, together with the amendments suggested by the recent conference of architects and others should be printed lor the consideration of the. Council. INSURANCE. It was agreed that the insurance on the Corporation buildings should be Increased to the lull amount, and that the furniture, &c, be insured for £1000. A DISPUTED BOCTOtt'B BILL. Dr Mirbach sent in an account for £05 10s for attendance on x<lrs. Hedges, wbo was injured by ialliDg down tbe Willis-street cutting. The Public Works Committee offered him £30, and this offer was refused by Dr. Mirbach, who wrote to tbe Council stating that bis attendance extended oter three months, and included fees to two other medical men who assisted him in performing operations on Mrs. Hedge while she was under chloroform. Councillor Thompson moved, and Councillor Fishe* seconded, that £50 be paid to Dr. Mirbach. The amendment was lost by 7 votes to 3. . Tea clause of the Public Works Committee in which they stated that they saw no reason to increase the amount offered to Dr. Mirbach (£3O) was then carried. A CLAIM FOX COMPENSATION. The Public Works Committee reported that the claim of Mr. J. Dooley, Corporation contractor, for loss of horse (£3O), could not be recognised. It was stated by the Mayor that the horse was killed in drawing a cart over an impassable part ol the Taranakl-strcet extension. Councillor Fisheb moved that £15 be paid to tha contractor. Councillor Grebnfibld observed that horses must die at some time. (Laughter.) He objected to councillors, for the sake of a little popularity, voting any sum of money to any contractor. If horses that died during a contract were to be paid for, it should be 'z — stated in the specifications. After a. great deal of abstruse speculation as to whether the horse did or did not die a natural death, tbe Council divided) and Councillor Fisher's motion was carried by tbe casting vote of tbe Mayor. Councillor Allbit gave notice th at be should move that tha amount be increased to £30. A MIB APPREHENSION. Considerable ditcussiun took place upon a clause in tbe Public Works Committee** report to the effect that four of the tenders accepted on tbe 19th instant bad been thrown up fa consequence of some misapprehension of the terms of the specifications ; the committee, therefore, recommended that fresh tenders be called for and the deposits returned. A letter was read from Mr. Lyon, one of the contractors, urging that the lowest formal tender be accepted. Eventually it was agreed, on tbe motion of Councillor Logan, that the clause be referred back to the Public Works Committee, a special meeting of the Council being called for Thursday evtning next to receive the report of the committee. DAKIBL-SIBBBT. With reference to a portion of the report of the Public Works Committee to the effect that they saw no reason for altering the decision of the Council relative to charging the resident! of Daniel-street half the cost of the approaches to their respective houses, tbe Mayob stated that he differed from the committee. Some of the houses were left perched up at a height of 20ft, and it was very hard on the occupants. The clause was, however, curried.

PUBLIC WOItKS KBPOK. The rest of the Public Works Committee's report was adopted. TBWDBKB. Kerbing, &c., Dixon-street and I**""* 1 : place :— Accepted— C. O'Connor and Co., £1* 2« per chain. Refused-R. Lyo*. £21 ; T. Power, £15 18s; Kelleher and Mahony, ±,W 10s: P. Scalley, £18 6»; Moore and Co, £17 ; I. Morrison, £l9 ls 6d: J. Powell £l9 7s 6d; J. Watt*, £30; W. F. Oakes, £16 19s per Ch Woolshed on Eogliih T :-Accepted-Phil-pott and Mathieson, fWH^ Mitchell and Thompson, £798; T. Orr, £703; J. Cross, £660; J. Ruddle, £583; J. M'Grath aad A. King, £607 7s 6d. Tbe tenders for hospital supplies were leJertedio the Hospital Committee. PINANCB. Accounts amounting to £1840 13s 8d were rpassed for payment. A HBW CBMBTBRT. Councillors Logan, Maginnitj|, and Allen were appointed a committee, in conjunction with the Mayor and the committee appointed by the recent pnblic meeting, to wait on the Government in reference to a new cemetery. THB XiiTß FIKB. A letter was read from three of the sufferers by the late fire, asking the Council to take up their caw. No action, however, w»s taken on the subject. STBAM FIRB-BNGIHBB. Councillor Divbr, in accordance with notice, moved that (1) a steam fire-engine -and j(2) « floating* fire-engine be obtained for the uae of the city. He urged that the late fire in Manners-street showed that their present appliances were quite useless to grapple with a fire of any magnitude. The price of a . land engine would be from £380 to £2500, acd that of a floating fire-engine about 10 per cent, lower. "• Councillor Hxntrma. seconded the motion. •, Councillor' Moss warmly supported the purchase of a land engine. One of sufficient size could be purchased for £1500, and he did not hesitate to say that bad the Council possessed one at tbe recent fire tbe Wesleyan Church would have been saved. He did not think a floating engine necessary. ¦ Councillor Allbk moved, and Councillor Maginnitt seconded, as an amendment, that a committee be appointed to confer with tbe Insurance Companies to see what amount of assistance they would give to the scheme. On a division the amendment was carried by 7 votes to 5. The remainder of the business on the orderpaper was postponed, and the Council adjourned at 12.20 a.m.