CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XLVII, Issue 5012, 13 March 1877, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The oiual fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held at four o’clock yesterday afternoon ; present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors lok, Nathan, Turner, Jones, Bird, and Hawkes.

FINANCE. The Town Clerk reported the receipts for the fortnight to be £623 14s lOd ; drainage loan account balance credit, £5Bl 7s 8d ; general account, £2835 11s; receipts, £623 I4s lOd ; total, £3609 5s lOd; drainage rate account credit, £3382 17s lOd; hi l Is paid by Works Committee, £180; drainage loan account wages, Ac., £425 11s Id; bills to be paid, £554 ids 3d. The Mayor said the whole of the drainage money waa expended. There was stock on hand to the value of £IOOO, but there was no money to work it. He thought it ai well to mention this, so that one of the Committees might taka the matter up. Until something was done they could not proceed with the side-channels. Councillor Turner did not think the Works Committee should hesitate a moment in going on with the side channels. Councillor Ick said that the Works Committee had already had the subject under consideration. At the present moment there was no work that was actually pressing. Councillor Hawkes said there were one or two streets that wanted doing very badly before the winter set in.

SCAVENGING. On the motion of Councillor Hawkes, it was resolved to allow h lr DrlgliUlug to carry uu the scavenging until some permanent arrangements were made. bueyetob’b eepoet. This report waa read as follows :

1. I have caused an account to be token of the vehicles passing tho Bank of New Zealand during (oar days of last week, between the hours of 8 a.ni, and 5 p.m. each day, by which it will be seen that during the four days 7018 vehicles and 828 equestrians passed along that part of Colombo street. 2. Two small brick sewers have been built—one reaching from Goss’ corner, Durham street, and running into the Kilmore street sewer, and tho other from Ward’s Brewery to the river—which I hope will facilitate the escape of water from tho side channels daring heavy rains.

3. The concrete channelling on the East Belt is now completed, and the formation of the Bolt will, I hope, be finished this week. 4. A plan (or the formation and shingling of Salisbury street east will be laid before tua Council. The cost of forming and shingling that portion of Salisbury street, 27 chains in length, would be £253 3s 3d.

5. My report on private streets will bo laid before the Council at its next sitting. The report was adopted. to-night’s meeting. Councillor Turner referred to the meeting of burgesses to take place to-night, and said he trusted there would be no bear-baiting, but that the ratepayers would dispassionately consider the matter. He only wanted it fairly put before them. He hoped noise and personalities would be avoided. The meeting would not decide anything, as a poll would have to be taken subsequently. He was not present at the drainage meeting, but, from the reports in the papers, it was, ho considered, a disgrace to Christchurch. The Mayor would preside at the meeting to-morrow night, and should keep strict order and decorum. The Mayor considered the meeting at Christchurch on the question of drainage was a very orderly one. Councillor Turner said it had not appeared so from the newspaper reports. However, he hoped this meeting would bo an orderly one. LBTTEB FBOM THE AUDIT OFFICE. The following letter was read from the Commissioner of Audit Audit Office, March 1,16/7. Sir.—ld reply to your letter of i’eb. 2G, I have the honour to state that the Commissioners of Audit have no power to comply with jour request in tho shape In which it la made. If the Council has, by a specif' order, made a apodal rate to continue for a ilxiid number of years, in order to provide interest and sinking fund on a loan, such into is a legal charge on the ratepayers. The power of tbo Commissioners of. Audit extends only to sanctioning an alteration in such a rate, as for example, from od to Iki In the ii, In which case the latter would bo a legal Cl SdTfiS. no power to sanction the nrm-coUoctiou of a special rate, uor docs it boom a * a, u»irh B&nctioa is necessary. So loujj as tbo S nfiwwer to enforce the rate or reason for CB wfl C l i: yoube so good as to reply to the following pedal rate been m-vdo by special order ? O' I'or what duration of time r i WiuTttuy part of the rate allotted to sinking T It OS it likes in the 'natter . . or ,loi, the ComU r is may Ik, miasionors will iwuouon lov iablo to cover [ and sinking fund on tbo debt for its term of ~,,-rnncv —I t‘«ve, Ac-. currency. jfjmiKiui.n, „ . ... Jami.b (joramiHsionorof Audit. The Town Clerk, Christuhureb. The 10 wn tAJtr MATT BUS. . , wa , read from the Local Board of Health, -“rtf “g„* rSi B °? rd Vt,nv letter from the same Board woe ;"itie"n‘sht-.oU, » "V** b f ““ L °“ l referred to tho Committee just appointed. All> . - fla d from tho Christchurch square for the Club. Agreed to. , w tho attention of tbo Councillor I c »

Council to tho wanton destruction of tree, in Uranmor square. Councillor, boro out his remark., and •aid tho attention of tho police should bo drawn to this matter.

MABTIH BTBBBT, A letter was road from Messrs Harman and otevons, a. agents for Mr A. R. Oroyko, asking that Martin street might bo token over as a public street.

Tho letter wa. referred to tho Surveyor to report upon.

CHANNBLB OHOKBD UP, A letter wo. road from tho Sproydon Rood Board, calling the attention of tho Council to the necessity that existed for clearing the side channel on tho south side of tho bolt between Colombo and Montreal streets, the same being choked with water-cress and woods.

On tho motion of Councillor Jones, it was resolved that tho work should bo done on tho usual terms. DBIVBBS’ LIORNBK3. A letter was road from Lorenzo Zuoh, asking for a reconsideration of tho action taken by tho Council in refusing him his lioen.o as a driver. It was resolved not to again open up the auction, but to sustain tho former action of the Council, A letter was road from Hans Clark, asking for an interview with tho Council as to the cause of tho refusal of his license. Tho Council decided similarly in this case. DBAINAOB. A letter was read from Mr Armi.haw on tho subject of tho drainage of Christchurch, saying ho was prepared to fit up a closet in a certain way as an experiment. Tho letter was laid on tbo table. INSPECTOa’B BSFOBX. Tho report of tho Borough Inspector was road. It stated that he hod found a number of open cesspools, and that ho had served a number of notices to obtain pans. The report recommended the erection of public urinals and closets in certain portions of the city. There was a groat necessity for these at the theatre. Some of tho clauses of tho report wore approved, some were referred to tho Works Committee, and some to the Surveyor. T*>o clause in reference to public urinals and water-closets was referred to the Sanitary Committee to bring up a report as to the best sites. NOTIOB OF MOTION. Councillor Nathan gave notice of motion for the next meeting, “ That all resolutions binding this Council to contribute half the cost of forming, shingling, and making the roadways on the rural side of the belts be rescinded.” ‘