CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Post, Volume XX, Issue 265, 12 November 1880, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

¦? An ordinary meeting of the Wellington City Council was held last night. Present — His Worship the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Miller, Brown, Thompson, Fisher, Maginnity, Logan, Diver, and Young. . The letter from the Harbor Board, asking for the appointment of a committee to confer with the Harbor Board relative to tho taking over of the Queen's Wharf by tho latter was read. Tho Matoe remarked that it would have been better if the Harbor Board had made a definite proposal to the Council, so that they could have discussed it. After some conversation it wa3 agreed to refer the letter to the Wharf Committee, to bo considered at a special- meeting on Monday evening next. The report of the Basin Reserve Committee was read and adopted. It was resolved to postpone the selection of the three Councillors, who are to fill the office of trustees, so that notice might be given of tho names proposed. - - The reports of the Waterworks Committee and Public Works Committee, both of which have been published, were adopted without discussion. Cheques were ordered to be drawn to tho following amounts : — On the general v account, £2051 16s 8d ; wharf account, £39 19s lid ; hospital account, £855 4* 7d. Councillor Maoixnitt, amid some laughter, drew attention to tho fact that among the Hospital accounts was 8s 6d for a bottle of '" Allen's Anti-Fat." He did not think the Council ought to pass the accounts over without some comment. If they were to continue to pay £350 per month for Hospital, it would take the whole of the rates for that purpose alone.

The Mayor remarked that the £850 did not include salaries. Councillor Maginnitt added that theße would probably amount to another £100 a month. It was perfectly outrageous that the dispenser should be ordered to get a bottle of Anti-Fat for a patient. The Mayor said that unfortunately the Council had not.muoh control over the hospital expenditure. The doctors ordered what they thonght neoessary, and the Council had to pay the bill. Councillor Maginnitt moved — "That, the ratepayers having consented to a loan for street improvements, and the sum of £1500 appearing on the schedule for forming and metalling Glenbervie Terrace, tho work bo proceeded with without delay. He produced a petition in favor of the work being done, signed by 67 persons rending in the immediate neighborhood of the cutting. He pointed ont that only £8800 had been spent in Thorndon Ward out of the £100,000 loan, whereas £23,000 had been spent ill C6ok Ward, and there tfas, in addition, a quantity of work still under contract in tto titter ward. Councillor Fisher seconded the motion, i Councillor Diver urged that the motion should be postponed until the absent members of the Council returned to Wellington. One of thoso Councillors (Councillor Allen, a representative of Thorndon Ward) said he could produce the signatures of 300 or 400 people in tho Ward against the work. Councillor Young also opposed the motion, remarking that Councillor Maginnity knew that three of the members were run* nine for the office of Mayor, and wanted to l>ring pressure to bear upon them< (Laughter.) He (Councillor Young), however, was not going to sacrifice his principles, and should vote the same way as he did when tho matter came before him in committee. When the proper time camo, and tho inhabitants of the Ward stated that they thought the work an absolute necessity, he should vote in favor of its being dono. Councillor Logan pointed ont that the Council had agroed to postpone a number of other works, because they believed the money would be bettor in the bank at tho present time. Tho Mayor said the same argument would apply to largo sums of money whioh had already been expended. It seemed rather hard on the Thorndon Ward that this objection should bo raised now. Councillor Brown thought they could do without new streets, for tho present, and if the money wore kept in the bank it wonld save the city something like £3000 a yea*. During the next eighteen months they wonld have to disburse something like £50,000 out of the waterworks loan, and he thought that would be quite sufficient money to spend. Councillor Millbr said the motion was just a dodge of the Thorndon members. They had got^. thoir "mainspring" away, and wanted *to take advantage of his absonoo. (Laughter.) ' ¦ .r . Councillor MAGINNirr, in roply, said ho did not expect to oarry the motion. As Boon as Councillor Allen came book, howovor, he would table it again. The motion was then put and lost, only three-^-the Mayor, and Councillors Maginnity and Fisher— voting for it. On tho motion of Councillor Fisher, it was resolved that a return bo prepared showing tho amount of law costs lnourrod in tho cose of Climio v. the Corporation. It woe also resolved to prepare a return asked for by Councillor Fisher in reforonco to the water pipes The following tenders were accepted: — Kerbing portion of Ingeßtro-street, Isaao Morrison.} formation of Rhodes-street and approaches toiWftripori-streot and Herald* street, M. P. Britt; supply of sand and gravol for 12 months, J. Shiels ; supply of firewood for 12 months, T. H. Wilmshurst and Co. ¦ The Council were about to open tenders for the removal of night-soil for 24 months, when it was pointed out that there was net a quorum present. The Mayor having intimated that he woala call a special meeting for Monday night, the members separated.