CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XI, Issue 3995, 1 September 1874, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the City Council was held yesterday afternoon, at which the i following members were present: His Wo.ship the Mayor, and Councillors Prime, • Holdship, Macready. Cosgrave, Buchanan, and Williams. . MINUTES. [ The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The Town Clerk read a list of the letters '• sent from the office since last meeting. Letters from the Gas Company re gas cortraet were allowed to lie on the table. ; A letter from Mr. Winstone, in which an offer was made to water the streets upon the 1 same conditions as previously was received, 1 and its consideration deferred. A letter from the Secretary of the Harbour Board was read. Enclosed was the report of the Endowment Committee as to the land from Custom-house-street to Fort-street. The committee had resolved, "That, the red line on the plan proposed by the City Council be adopted as the level between Fore-street and Custom-house-street. A letter from H. and W. Williams, requesting that the lane at the rear of their premises might be formed as soon as possible, was received. Mr. Anderson reported that the lane could not be made through to Wel-lesley-street until the retaining walla had been built, but a porjiors could be done from the Market entrance down as far as Cou.plajd's new build'ng, which would give an entrance to back premises. This matter was referred to the City Engineer to act upon his own report. .FREESTONE. A letter was received from J. J. Symonds, informing the Council that he had forwarded a sample of stone from the quarry at Big Muddy Creek for inspection. The specimen, the letter stated, had been prepared in the form of a paving stone by Mr. Gillingliam, aud was suitable for paving purposes. It could be supplied at the Auckland Railway terminus at Is 2d per superficial foot, aud for other than paving purposes at 2s Cd per cubic foot. — On the motion of Councillor Macready, seconded by Councillor Prime, it was agreed that if Mr. Symonds would supply a small quantity sufficient for a test, the Council would undertake to lay it down, so that it might be practically tested. STREETS COMMITTEE. The report of the Streets Committee w.'.s read, and its consideratio x deferred until the next ordinary meeting of the Council. KBI'OKT ON" BACON'S LANE. 'The Inspector of i* uisances reported that he had inspected Bacon's Lane, and was of opinion that, if possible, the whole of the houses in that locality, " and the abominations should be cleared out." If this could not be done, the lane should be put ill good order, either by a sewer in the centre, or by the lane f being raised, and an open drain put down the centre, so that it could ha swept or cleaned once a week. It was, he considered, essential that something should be done to improve the sanitary condition of the locality reported upon before the hot Vvea.'ii-'rsets in.--Tt was moved by Councillor Holdship, seconded and crried, "That Mr. G oldie exercise the powers vested in him, as acting in his capacity of Inspector under the Public Health Act., to take the measures and precautions he eould to abate the nuisance and stave off the threatened evil." REPORT OF THE CITY SURVEYOR. The City Surveyor reported that the improvements in Commerce-street wore complete, with the exception of metalling the road to the height required. It was agreed that this work should be done, if the Harbour Board would have their side of the street treated in the sme n'anner. The report pointed out the necessity for drainage to prevent the lower portions of the city from being flood.;l by heavy rains. Until the main drains were carried up the steep streets, this could not be done, and the report recommended that this should be done as soon as possible. The report contained a list of the probable esti-xates for improving the streets and drainage, which was as fo'lows : —For drainage and other proposed works, Hob:.on-street, complete from Wj ndham-street up, including Pitt-street, £9290 ; probable estimate of drainage works required oil side streets before Hobson-strcet could be drained — Welleslev-strcct, £604 ; Cookstreet, £034 ; Victoria-street, £200 ; Uurhr.mstreet, £100 ; Wyndhain-street, £100 ; probable estimate of continuation of main sewer, from Welleslcy-street to foot of Wakefieldstreet in Queen-street, £020; Wakefieldstreet drainage, £050: Sin'.' lland-strcjt drainage, £450. Total drainage, £~>'J22 ; streets, £6907. Grand total, £12,229. The report, with the exception of its first paragraph, was laid on the table to be considered after the question of ways and means had been disposed of. curLDiNc: r.r.ori-vnoNs. Councillor Holdship, in accordance with notice of motion, moved '' That the follow ing sections be transferred from the innar area of the City Building Regulations io the outer area, as shewn oil the plan, subject to the conditions hereinafter mentioned :—Section I. Between the sea, Chapel, Victoria and Hobson-streets. 2. Between Victoria, Albert, Cook, and Hobson-streets. 3. Between Wakefield, Symonds, Wellesley, and Rut-land-streets. 4. Between the sea, Princesstreet, Waterloo Quadrant, and Eden-street. Conditions : That the roofs of all the buildings hereafter erected shall be covered with slates or iron, and that the plans of all such buildings shall be approved by the Council. In moving the above resolutions, Councillor Holdship said that if the alterations proposed were :;\ule in the I - .. judary nt the area in wiiicn the boi2.!i:>g nI- rv.is were enforced, respecta'jio wooden tjuuUiiigu wowUi bo erected in the place of the present hovels, and the income of the city would be considerably increased.—Councillor -Macready seconded the motion, and spoke in its favour. • —Councillor Williams opposed the motion. He believed that the buildings should be composed of a less inflammable material than wood.—The Mayor said that be objected to retrograde movements, and such he believed the present one to be. He was sorry the motion had been brought : forward, aud should oppose it. — Councillor Holdship having replied, the motion was put and carried. ACCOUNTS. The usual fortnightly accounts were read, aud, on the motion of the Mayor, ordered to be paid. DOC NUISANCE TAX. Councillor Prime moved, "That application be made to his Honor the Superintendent for the Dog Nuisance tax to be made over to the Corporation, as conceded to the Thames Municipality."—Councillor Buchanan seconded the motion, which was agreed to. WATER SUPPLY. It was agreed that the Council should meet in committee at 4 p.m. on Monday next, for the purpose of finally determining upon the water supply question.