LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

Lyttelton Times, Volume IV, Issue 221, 13 December 1854, Page 5

LYTTELTON COLONISTS' SOCIETY.

The following "Report was read at a General Meeting of the above Society, held in the Town Hall, Lyttelton, on Tuesday evening last: — " The Committee entrusted to consider and. prepare a scheme for the establishment of Municipal Institutions for Lyttelton desire the attention of the Society to ttie existing want of effectual provision for the following purposes :— A means of supplying the inhabitants with water. An effectual system of drainage. The prevention and removal of nuisances. The supervision of slaughter houses. All these may be. classified as affecting public health. "."Night watching and lighting. A fire brigade to be established and; disciplined. A supervision of all new buildings with regard to the prevention of fires and lessening the danger of communication from building to building. A control over the warehousing of gunpowder, and other inflammable materials. All these affect the public safety. Theestablishment of a market. The verification of weights and measures. • The maintenance of the streets. The conservancy of the beach and control over the wharves, jetties and landing-places. These all affect^the commercial interests of the i community. , *, To these the committee add the-substitution of some more satisfactory court for that of : ... the^itesident Magistrate. The Committee are satisfied that the above purposes can be most efficiently carried out by the local supervision of a Board elected by the inhabitants. Your Committee therefore suggest that Lyttelton, with its suburbffshould be constituted a Municipality. ' . :■ . > : That a Town Council be elected to consist of twelve members; the borough for this purpose being divided into four wards, each^ward: to elect three members, one from each vy^p.annually to go out of office in rotation, but to be open to re-election. The abojg mentioned, twelve Councillors to elect annually" out.'of their own number a Mayor, and further to elect either out of their own number or from the constituency three Aldermen, to whom^tliat is, to the mayor and aldermen, should ;*be confided the duties.and powers of Borough Magistrates. Two to sit as often as may be deemed necessary. This court to be substituted for the Resident Magistrate's Court. Youv committee recommend that the mayor, aldermen, and town councillors be unpaid officers, and that they have the control and superintendence of all the departments above-men-tioned under the clauses, Public Health, Public Safety, ahd|Gomnierce. The committee^ having considered the question of Eevenue, recommend that the Town Reserves and other properties mentioned.in the schedule annexed to this report, should, if possible, be obtained for the corporation, but these estates being now subject to a liability estimated at six hundred pounds -per annum, your cormmittee recommend that the municipality assume these liabilities: on receiving complete titles to these reserves and properties, and that the Council should have fpower, in case of deficiency of income, to levy a rate in no case to exceed one shilling in the [pound per annum on a valued rental. Youv committee consider that for the present wants of the community, the only officer payable out of Municipal funds would be ;t town surveyor, who would superintend new buildings, streets, &c, and also act as inspector of Nuisances, and Slaughter-houses. (Signed) -Wai. Dokalb, J. G.'Fyfe, Wm. Gkaham, J. S. Wilcox, JAS. SpOWBKS, If. iiLI/WIUGBT, A. J. Alimrt, I Members of Committee.

We, the undersigned, except from this report that portion which gives to the Council the discretion to elect the Aldermen either from the constituency or their own body. We recommend that tlieir choice should be confined to their own body, as being elected by the freemen. (Signed) Wm, Donald, A. J. A'lport.