CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXI, Issue 1233, 10 May 1864, Page 5

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Mondat, 9th May. The usual weekly meeting of this body was held in their room, at 6 p.m., yesterday. Mr. Ollivier occupied the chair ; and the other members present werh Messrs. Tribe, Luck, C. W. Bishop, Barnard, Burnell, and E. B. Bishop. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, the Secretary read the following letter 44 Provincial Secretary's Office, 9th May, 1864, «Sir—l have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter with reference to the desirableness of lighting the Gloucester street foot bridge, and in reply, I have the honor to inform you that the Government will have no objection to the City Council making use of the lamps now on the bridge for that purpose. " I have the honor to be, Sir, "Your obedient servant, " Wji. Rolleston, " Provincial Secretary. " Chairman City Council." In reference to the above, Mr. E. B. Bishop moved and Mr. Luck seconded the following resolution " The City Council desire to acknowledge the receipt of the Provincial Secretary's letter of the 9th May in reference to the lighting of lamps on Gloucester street bridge, and remind the Provincial Secretary that the bridge in question not being the property of the City Council, they cannot, therefore, undertake the responsibility of lighting it. They will, however, not object to include the cost in any contract they may enter into for lighting other lamps within the city, providing the Government will defray th« cost of the same." The resolution, being put, was carried. drainage of the city. The following communication, in reference to this subject, Was next read to the Council: — Provincial Secretary's Office, May 3rd, 1864. Sir, —I have the honour to inform you that the Government consider it very desirable that advantage should be taken of the presence of Mr. T. W. Doyne in the province to obtain from that gentleman a report on the whole question of the drainage of the city of Christchurch. The Government feel confident the City Council will concur in these views in a matter of such great importance to the city. The arrangement will entail no expense upon the Council. I have the honour.to be, sir, Your obedient servant, Wm. Rolleston, Provincial Secretary.

Chairman City Council. Mr. Tribe said the Council should not lose the advantage of securing the services of a surveyor, which were offered gratuitously to them. According to reports, Mr. Doyne was a gentleman of very great experience, and in a matter involving such great importance his services would, he was sure, result in very great good. The Chairman hoped the Council would not allow themselves to be dictated to, and have the sei vices of certain persons thrust upon them by the Government. If they would agree to accept the services thus proferred them, Mr. Moore, the City Surveyor, would no doubt be very indignant, and would in all probability tender his resignation. He (Mr. Ollivier) was certain Mr. Moore possessed as great an amount of ability in his professional capacity as Mr DoyneSo far as he had heard, the latter gentleman was employed in Australia, but had afterwards gone to Nelson, where he obtained a situation at the Dun Mountain mines as assistant to Mr. Fitzgibbon. Ultimately he had been brought to Canterbury for the purpose, he believed, of being elected Provincial Engineer, and, having been so imported, the Government were endeavouring to thrust upon the Council his services in the carrying out of the city drainage. The question was, whether other professional advice than that of which the Council were in possession was needed. For his own part, lie had every confidence in the ability of the City Surveyor, and hoped the Council would reject the proposition offered by the Government. '' Mr. Tribe highly eulogised the City Surveyor upon his ability; but, nevertheless, it was the duty of the Council when services of an important nature were tendered to accept them, and moved the following resolution- 44 That this Council in acknowledging the receipt of the Provincial Secretary s letter of 3rd May, with the offer of Mr. Doyne's gratuitous services to report on the drainage of the city, reply that they will be glad to have the advantage of any information that gentleman may afford, lhe Coun eil however, wish to state that no occasion has arisen to justify a doubt of their surveyor s ability to deal with the subject, and would at once place the matter in his hands, but they are compelled to delay the consideration of it, and other matters of equal importance, until they may be in a position to lew rates, and thereby have a security to borrow .J. £ »

t] \h^JßurneH U seconded the resolution. From the discussion it appeared to him that the matter was considered a personal one between the City Surveyor

ail Mrf Luck^remarked that Mr. Moore should be directed to take the subject of the drainage of he City into his consideration. He was well aware that the matter could not be immediately carried put; but it was desirable that the present evil arising from insufficient drainage, should be remedied as soon as possible. He did not think that the Council should accept the services of Mr. Doyne in preference to those of their own Surveyor, and moved an amendmend to the effect that 44 the Council are of opinion that no occasion has arisen to justify their questioning the ability of their Surveyor to afford them every information of which they stand in need; ana thev have only abstained from entering upon the subject of drainage and other matters of equal importance in consequence of their inability to levy the requisite rates. As soon as this

power in given to the Council, they purpose giving their attention to the subject, ftti ; I l hey conceive that it would ha an injustice to the City Surveyors's professional reputation to doubt his ability to suggest the best means of carrying out the works they may require. The Council, therefore, respectfully decline the offer of Mr. Doyne's services, as communicated in the Provincial Secretary's letter of the 3rd of May." Mr. C. W. Bishop seconded the amendment. A warm and lengthened discussion followed, which resulted in the amendment being carried. Surveyor's Report. The report brought up by the City Surveyor, contained nothing of very great importance. Four of the lamps sanctioned by the Council were lighted that night for the first time—two in Cathedral square, one near Mechanics' Institute, and one in Worcester street and Oxford Terrace. After the reading of the report of the Inspector of Nuisances, the Council adjourned till the usual hour on that day week.