CITY COUNCIL.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXVI, Issue 9489, 11 August 1891, Page 6

CITY COUNCIL.

OEDINAEY MEETING. An ordinary meeting of the Christchurch City Council was held at the Council Chambers at 7 p.m. last evening; present —The Mayor and Councillors Goss, Wood, E. Smith, Cochrane, Barns, J. T. Smith Humphreys, Gapes, Thomson, Eowe, Patrick; Prudhoe, Cooper, Swann and Bonnington. ( FINANCE. The Finance Committee reported tha the Council’s overdraft at last meeting amounted to £4844 15s Bd. Since then payments on account of ordinary receipts amounted to £328 14s 2d —Cemetery account 10s 7d, suspense account £94 12s sd. On the other hand payments had been made from the general account of £3BB 2s 6d, and there remained to be paid £154 17a 2d, making a total of £542 19s Bd. Other payments were—Cemetery account £1 19s 6d, and suspense account £7; grand total £551 19s 2d. The report was adopted. SIGNBOARDS. Councillor E. W. Humphreys presented a petition signed by Messrs G. Coates and Co. and others, asking the Council to rescind the by-law dealing with signboards in the city. Councillor Humphreys said that if there were valid reasons for stopping the erection of signboards in the city, there were equally good reasons for ordering the old ones to be taken down. He thought that the slackness of trade made it an inopportune time for placing restrictions upon such forms of advertising". Councillor Cooper stigmatised the present by-law as unjust, as it did not treat all shopkeepers alike. On the suggestion of the Mayor, tha bylaw was read.

Councillor Goss asked if it would be just to make the by-law retrospective. He was opposed to making fish of one and flesh of another.

After some discussion the Mayor ruled that nothing could be done at that meeting, though a notice of motion could be given in the matter. Councillor Humphreys gave notice of motion—“ That portion of the by-laws with relation to signboards be rescinded, and that in the meantime Messrs Coates’ and Co.’s action be not interfered with.”

The Mayor did not think the latter half of the motion necessary, but suggested that the latter half of the by-law could be suspended in the meantime. Councillor J. T. Smith moved—“ That the petition be referred to the By-law Committee, with instructions to consider the sdvisableness of altering or repealing the by-law.” The motion was lost by eight votes to seven, and the notice of motion stood. THE SINKING FUND. On the motioi? of Councillors Prudhoe and Goss, the Mayor was authorised to sign the release of the Hon £. C. J. Stevens from his position as one of the Sinking Fund Commissioners. THE PARNELL MEMORIAL. A letter was read from Mr H. W. Potter, Secretary to the S. D. Parnell Memorial Committee, thanking the Council for the use of a room in the Municipal Buildings as a meeting-room. “ SOCIETY OP ARTS BILL. The Mayor said that there was a subject which he thought affected the interests cf the residents iu Christchurch and the surrounding districts, and which called for an expression of opinion on the part of the Council. Some time ago the Canterbury Society of Arts promoted a Bill in Parliament to enable it to obtain a site for its building. Now it found that the building was inadequate to its requirements, and proposed to add to its ground a small plot northwards from the present section. The idea of tho Society was to establish a free art gallery for the use of the citizens. They were all agreed that this was a most commendable object, the project of a hardworking Society, backed up by a hardworking Committee. The Bill to enable a portion of the adjacent reserve to be used for art purposes. Lad been .passed by the Lower House, and had nearly got through the Upper House. He had been waited on by two gentlemen deeply interested in the Society and its Bill, who stated that owing to the representation of two of the subordinate officers of the department in Christchurch, tha matter threatened to go against the Society. Neither Mr Justice Denniston nor Mr Beetham had been consulted in the matter, and a dog-in-the-manger policy might rob the Society of the laud it oiight to have. There was no want of land for the purposes of the Department of Justice, while the requirements of the Society of Arts claimed quite as wide a recognition. He had been asked to bring the matter before the Council, with the view of getting a resolution pub to it, and obtaining a mark of the Council’s feeling in the matter. Ho would, therefore, move—“ That the Council is of opinion that the Bill promoted by the Society of Arts, and now befoie the Legislative Council, is unquestionably in the interests of the citizens of Christchurch, and, therefore, should become law.” Councillor Humphreys endorsed all that the Mayor had said. He was of opinion that such a Society would be of invaluable service in the education of the young. Ho seconded the motion, which was carried unanimously. NOTICE OF MOTION. Councillor Eowe gave notice of motion —“That the City Surveyor have three months’ notice of the termination of his agreement with the Council.” After some business of minor importance had been disposed of, the meeting terminated.