CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XXV, Issue 1695, 23 May 1866, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

The City Council held its' usual••.meeting" on Monday night, at its offices: : jfembers. present:—Messrs. Bishop (Chairman)) "Duncan, Farr, Luck, Macfarlan, : RAiddenklau, and Alport. The Chairman stated that the amount to the credit of the Council at the bank was £6OO 9s lid, that the over-draft on the drainage account was £430 9s Bd, that':the amount of rates collected was £7l Is 3d, that the sum received from the Inspector was £25 14s 6d, and that the rents for allotments in the market-place amounted to £2 9S. .. v ,l' _ ■..:. d ;.H»* The weekly pay-sheet and other accounts were ordered to be paid. A letter was read from Dr. Foßter, stating the pfesent''positidn of the appeal of Mr. Wynn Williams and the City Council. The Chairman stated that he had waited on the Resident Magistrate, and understood from him that there would be a difficulty in enforcing judgments, pending the appeal case, He had had an interview with Mr* Williams; to endeavour to effect'an arrangement, atthe Magistrate's -request. Mr. Williams had undertaken to withdraw from all opposition, if the Governor would proclaim Christchurch a municipality, as the present laws ami ordinances were not, legal. Several lawyers in the town were of the same opinion; but this matter must be considered by the Council The Chairman then '*ead some suggestions as to the powers which the should have. . > ~ • ' Some discussion ensued on the subject of Dr. Foster's letter. A letter was read from F. E. Stewart, Esq., the Provincial Secretary, asking if the Council had any drain-pipes for sale, as the Government wanted some. The report of the City Surveyor on the matter was, thatif the drainage of the city were carried out, all the pipes would be required. ~ Mr. Luck said that he ; happened to know that the Government only wanted a few pipes to lay in front of the Government Buildings; he thought the request of the Government should, if possible, be acceded to, as it had come to the relief of the City Council in a very handsome manner a short time since; It was agreed that the Government should be asked how many of the 4in, Bin, and 9in pipes would be required before any answer was given. A letter was read from Mr. Hitchens, imploring the City Council not to poison that most useful unnavigable river, the Avon, by draining the city into' it; the drainage should be taken to the estuary. The letter was ordered to be acknowledged with thanks. The form of agreement for letting the allotments in the Market-place was considered and settled, and ordered to be printed. / The report of the City Surveyor was read \ and considered. I The report of the Rate Collector was also read and considered; it contains a list of persons who refused to pay their rates, pending the appeal of Mr. Williams. ', It was ordered that-the matter should stand over for: a week, with a view to the publication of the names. Mr. Luck, in moving the resolutions standing his name, said that, as the drainage pipes had arrived, the Council was morally bound to begin the drainage as soon as it could afford to do so He did not .think it would be right to dispose of the pipes'; for the honorable pledges given to the citizens by the Council in times past should not now be disregarded. He would not object, however, to defer the work for financial reasons, prodded it was not shelved altogethiT. He thought, at any rate, that the preliminary Part of it should be at once commenced. In conclusion, Mr. Luck moved the following resolution:— " This Council is of opinion that the exigencies of the city render it essential that the underground drainage as recommended by the Drainage Committee in their report to, the Council in November 18C4 should- be at once proceeded with, and that 'be necessary steps should be taken for commencing the works." Mr. Macfarlan, seconded the resolution, Mr. Luck having withdrawn the words " at once." Mr, Alport was of opinion, that the Council could not drain within the limits of the uty, and that the resolution should have been accompanied with an estimate of the cost of the work and of the number of houseimldcrs likely to avail themselves of it. He »Jso thought that under the present proposals 'he pipes would not be laid at a proper gradient. In conclusion he moved us an amendment, "That this Council bearing in mind the Present uncertain stateof its financial position, «oes not consider it desirable to commence the underground drainage of the city, or any

other work requiring a large outlay of money." Mr, Ruddenklau seconded the amendment The Chairman said he should support underground drainage, but not at the present moment. Mr. Luck replied at some length. Ou the question being put, the amendment wag carried. Mr. Alport, after a few introductory remarks move.l,-"That a committee be appointed to investigate the present and probable financial position of the Council, more particularly having reference to the heavy law charges which are being incurred in the actions now being carried on with Mr. Williams ami Mr. Allen, and also to the liabilities to bo met on account of drainage pipes recently imported, and now arrived per Japanese. The committee farther to consider the possibility of the Council being able, with justice to those ratepayers who have paid their rates, to carry on the business and proposed works of the city for the current year, in the event of the abovenamed law proceedings being continued for an indefinite period; the committee to consist of Mr. Barnard, Mr. Duncau, and the mover, and to report to the Council at its next sitting." Mr. Parr seconded the resolution which, after some discussion, was carried; after which the Council adjourned. LYTTELTON MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. —* Monday, May 21. Present Mr. E. A. Hargreaves in the chair, Messrs. Hill, Balestiee.Ward. Grubb, Willcox Gee, and Wright. Minutes of previous meeting read and confirmed. A letter was read, received in reply from Messrs. Ollivier and Luff, Engineers, Dunedin, and agents for the patent American ; Hydraulic Bams used for raising water. They I gave several details respecting the sizes of pipes required for the different rams, infofmation asked for by the Chairman. A letter was also received from Mr. F. Pavitt, Steward for the Church Property Trustees,statlng that he had not had the opportunity to place the subject of improvements in Exeter street before the Trustees, but would do so at their next meeting, he also asked to be furnished with the amount that the Council would expend in lengthening the culvert on the Church property. It was agreed that a reply should be forwarded to Mr. Pavitt. A letter from Mrs. Buckman, St. David street, was read, complaining about a nui- . sance near her residence, caused by some of her neighbours throwing slops on her ground. , The Council entered into a lengthy discussion respecting their power to interfere iu similar cases. The Ordinance provides that, if the Inspector of Nuisances, or a medical officer, reports that a nuisance exists caused by persons accumulating filth and rubbish near their premises, that they have power to take proceedings, and the parties offending are liable to a penalty of £5. The Inspector was ordered to give notice to the persons complained of by Mrs. Buekman. ; Mr, Grubb also carried a proposition to have a committee formed to revise the present Miinieipal Ordinance, and forward the same to the Superintendent when elected. Messrs. Willcox, Ward, and the Chairman are to form the committee. On the motion of Mr. J. Grubb, seconded by Mr. J. Hill, it was resolved that copies of the correspondence with the Resident Magistrate's Clerk and the Council should be forwarded to the General Government, ; ! The Clerk read copies of letters forwarded tp'Messrs. Walton, Warner and Co., trustees in the estate of Urquhart Macpherson, asking for immediate payment of the rates due on his property in 1865. On the motion of the Chairman, the sealed agreement with Mr. Perrin, Collector of rates was prepared. '. i Mr. Ward obtained leave to postpone his motion for one week, on the subject of im-~ provements of Exeter Street, as recommended by the Road Committee. . It was reported that the new.pump erected 'ftt'Oxf6wh^re«t*BMwere4«flrel^Tmd'was ,i creditable to the contractor Mr. Smith, of Christchurch. After passing a few accounts the Council adjourned till Monday, May 28, 1,866.