AUCKLAND IMPROVEMENT COMMISSIONERS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XII, Issue 4391, 9 December 1875, Page 3

AUCKLAND IMPROVEMENT COMMISSIONERS.

An acijourned ordinary meeting of the Board was held yesterday,—his "Worship the Mayor presiding. Present—Messrs. Fenton, Buchanan, Heale, and Clark.

Minutes. —The Secretary read the minutes of the previous meeting. Mechanics' Institute.—The Secretary, by direction of the Commissioners, had replied to a letter received from the committee of the Mechanics' Institute, asking the terms upon which the Commissioners were prepared to exchange the site of the Wesleyan Church for that of the Institute. The rep'y was in. effect that the' Commissioners were not in a position to enter upon any fur-; ther negotiation on the subject. \ Wesleyan Church, High-street.—ln reply to a letter received from the General Government, the Secretary informed the; Government that, the Commissioners were prepared to sell the Wesleyan Church building and site for £4000, to go in reduction of the amount of £sCott ' guaranteed by the Government. '

Minutes.—Upon the motion to confirm the minutes, a discussion was raised as to ! whether the accounts,. '-asCread, had been passed. Several members said thrt, although the accounts had not been formally put, they had been virtually passed.—Mr. Bu-; chanan proposed a resolution, to protest against the accounts being passed without being again gone into. He thought they should be reconsidered.—Subsequently it was agreed that the accounts, as amended at last meeting, be reconsidered. The minutes were then confirmed. Estimate.—Mr. Fenton moved, and Mr. Heale seconded, "That an estimate be obtained of the cost of forming a proper connection of Bowen-street with Victoria-street, not including the cost of compensation for land, if any.—Agreed to.

Building Act Regulations.—A letter was read from the Town Clerk, relating to the concession asked for under the Building Regulations Act in respect to the allotments in Symonds-street. It was in effect that the suspension of the restriction shouldbe limited to two years, and recommended that notice to that effect should be given to intending purchasers.—On the motion of Mr. J. M. Clark, it was agreed that a. similar suspension should be aeked for the allotments in Prinres-street, so that all the allotments would be uniform in this respect.

Unprotbctkd Wslls. — The coroner's jury, in the case of Albert Ernest McGrath, returned a verdict that the child was found drowned in a " certain imperfectly covered water tank," and subjoined to the verdict the following rider : "It is our opinion that the Auckland Improvement Commissioners are very much to blame for leaving the water tank; in which the deceased infant was found drowned, in so dangerous, a: state as has been shewn by the evidence, and that the danger should have been averted long since by hlling up tho said tank." He forwarded this rider with the verdict to the office of the Colonial Secretary, and the Commissioners received the following communication: — " Colonial Secretary's Office, Wellington, 11th November, 1875.—Sit, —I am directed by the Acting-Colonial Secretary to transmit for your information a copy of the verdici and of the rider thereto found by the jury at a coroner's inquest, held at Auckland on the 30th ult., on the body of an infant named Ernest Albert McGrath.—l have the honor, &c, Amelius M. Smith, Acting TJnder-Sec-retary. The Secretary to the Aucklaud Improvement Commissioners." —The Secretary said that the whole of the buildings adjacent to this well were occupied by the General Government, and the Commissioners never had possession of them. Tr e blame attributed by the coroner's jury did not properly rest with the Commissioners.

Public Works Office. —Tho Secretary read the Wowing letter received from the Under-Secretary of the Public Works Department. It related to ths Miilding standing on one of the Symonds-street allotments, for which applications had been mado:— "Sir, —I am directed by the Hon. the Minister for Public Works to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist November, and in reply to state :—That as it would be extremely inconvenient for the Government at once to give up the offices used by the Public Works Department, the Minister will be obliged by your informing him whether the Improvement Commissioners will permit the offices to continue to be occupied until those now in use by Messrs. Brogdon are vacated. If the Commissioners will be good enough to comply with this request, Mr. Stewart shall be instructed to remove the latter as early as it is possible to do so. --I have, &c, John Knowles, Under-Secre-tary."—There was considerable discussion upon this letter.—The Secretary replied to several questions put by members of the Board, in effect, that in accordance with present arrangements the Commissioners intended to occupy Mr. Brogden's office when itshould be vacated. Arrangements wero being carried out for the sale of the several allotments, and an application had been made for that on which the Public Works Office stood. He had a conversation with Mr. Stewart some two years ago, from which ho understood that it was the intention of the Colonial Government to build an office for tho Public Works Department at Point Britomart, but nothing had been done.—The Secretary was instructed to acknowledge the receipt of the Under-Secretary's letter, and in doing so to state for his information tiiat the Commissioners, in order to keep their engagements, were obliged to sell their lands; that they intend to occupy Mr. Brogden's office when it should become vacant, and that the allotment upon which the Public Works Office stood had been the subject of an application. Periodical Sales.—On the motion of Mr. Buchanan, it was resolved to sell their lands periodically, at intervals of three months. The ordinary monthly accounts wero passed, and the meeting terminated.

POLICE COURT.—Wednesday. fßofore W. J. Hurst and J. Cosgrave, Esqs., Justices.] Drunkenness.—One man and one waman were brought up on this charge and dealt with in the ordinary manner. Drunk and Disorderly. — Edward Wright was charged with being drunk and disorderly. He pleaded guilty to being drunk, but stated that he had not acted in a disorderly manner. He was also charged with destroying a hat, valued at 9s, the property of Constable Allen ; a pair of trousers, valued at £1 17s 6d, the property of Constable Dews ; and also with resisting the police in the execution of their duty. The prisoner denied the last three charges. Constables Allen and Dews were called, and gave satisfactory evidence that the prisoner had conducted himseli in a very outrageous manner. The prisoner, ■ who had striven with much eagerness during the course of the trial to give his version of the occurrence, was now allowed to speak, and he at once made a statement that he was proceeding quietly down to his vessel—the Maud —when, the constable accosted him, and insisted upon placing the "darbies" upon him. He was entirely innocent, and was quite capable of taking care of himself at the time he was arrested. The Bench, however, took a different view of. the matter, and for destroying Constable Allen's hat, ordered him to pay the amount of the damage done, besides a fine of 10s, and l costs 4s ; or accept the alternative of 14 days' imprisonment with hard labour; for destroying constable Dew's trousers he was also fined , 108.and costs, and ordered to pay tbeiamount of damage, or be imprisoned for 14 days, the sentence to commence at the expiration of the previous one j and for resisting the police a further fine of 10s and costs was imposed, withthe option of an additional 14 days' term t 9f j! imptisornnettt at Mount Eden, to commence at the conclusion of the previous sentences, i Assault. — William Crayford pleaded guilty to a charge of assaulting his wife, Annie Crayford, on the 7th instant. Mre. Grayford gave evidence in support of the |: case. She did not wish to press the charge 1 ■ against her husband; she only desired ! maintenance for herself and family, and the granting of a protection order. While sober

he was a good husband and father, but when ■under the influence of liquor he acted like a madman, and .she was in constant fear of his doing her some bodily harm. The prisoner promised, if leniently dealt with, to again join the Good Templars—he having broken the pledge—and also strive to amend his future course of conduct in relation to his wife. The man seemed really ashamed of himself, and the Court discharged him, with a caution to the effect that if his past conduct towards his wife were repeated, he should receive a double sentence. NEGLECTED AIJD DESTITUTE CHILDRES.— VVilliam and Thomas McManus, aged 9 and 12 years, respectively, were brought up on the above charge. Sergeant-Major Pardy said the whole family had, at one time or ottier, been before the Court for various ottences, and the two eldest sisters of the lads were now serving terms of imprisonment in gaol. The younger boy was ordered to be sent to the Industrial Home for six years and the elder to the Naval Training School for a period of three years ; both children to be brought up m the Roman Catholic faith. An order was made upon the father for a sum of of 3s. each weekly for their maintenance.