MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 767, 2 June 1864, Page 5

MEETING OF THE TOWN BOARD.

The ordinary meeting of the Town Board was held at their rooms in Princes street yesterday, at two o'rioelc in the afternoon. There were present: —Mr Bastings in the chair, Messrs Turner, Gray, D. Miller, jun., Barnes, M'Leod, Lowe, Howard, Ham, Murray, and (Jriffin.

The minutes of the last meetings having been read and confirmed, Mr, Sounies was heard in appeal against the rating of his premises, which were assessed in portions at different rentals. On one assessment a small reduction was made—the rest were confirmed.

A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary representing that the request of the Government made in accordance with a resolution of the Provincial Council, for particulars of the mode in which the L3o,QJO loan had been appropriated had not been complied with. In reply to Mr Turner, the Clerk said he had not been in a position 10 answer the Secretary's letter. Tb.3 letter was not e^ressed exactly in terms of the vote.

Mr Turner : I apprehend the works have been carried out in accordance with the terms of the vote of the Provincial Council, and I now move that the Clerk furnish the required information.

Mr M'Leod asked what the information required by the Council was ? Mr Bastings euppos ad from the letter that the inquiry wa^ why the Hay market hod not been proceeded with. The Clsrk rfad the reply which had been sent to the Provincial Secretary's letter. After some little perplexities the CIURK discovered a portion of the Chief Secretary's letter, detailing the information wanted which he had inadvertently overlooked, viz—a detailed statement of the sum expsnded out of the LIO,OOO vote, and of the L 35,000 loan. Mr M'Leod said it appeared to him, from the number of letters received from the Government, that they were endeavoring to gain a, little popularity at" the expense of the Town Board. He believed the Government were informed on every occasion how the money was expended. All the outlay had been with the consent and knowledge of the Provincial Government, who not only consented to the apportionment of the L 35,600 loan, but. they consented to every contract under it, and also to the mode in which the LIO.OOO was expended. It seemed to him, therefore, that tha letter* received from the Government were not only unbusinesslike, but childish in the extreme. iVjr Turner said the letters were quite unnecessary, for the Government must be quite well acquainted with every contract that had been entered into. He could not, therefore, see the object to be gained by the Government in seeking 'informal ion.

Mr M"Leod thought the answers already given to the Government sufficient with regard to the LIO,OOO loan, and moved—" That the Board decline to furnish to the Government any further answers." Mr Turner seconded the motion. An amendment was moved by Mr Murray, to the effect that the Government be iurnished with the -squired information. After some discussion, and a reply by Mr M'Leod, the amendment was carried by a majority of I—6 voting in favor of the amendment, and 5 against it. A letter was received from the Provincial Secretary, approving of the tender for metal of Messrs Crashaw and Mitchell, under the 135,000 loan.

A letter was read from the Superintendent, asking the Town Board to postpone the works at the Octagon, until an accurate and reliable survey was made. The Clerk read a reply to a former communication, explaining that the Board had no intention to form an inner footpath at the Octagon ; ami therefore no encroachment on the reserve could take place. The letter was ordered to lie on the table. A letter was read from Messrs Pearce and Packham, complaining that although the Engineer had certified for work having; been done, entitling thorn to receive LIOOO on account of Princes street contract, and although they had repeatedly applied to the Clerk to the Board for payment, in consequence, apparently, of a misunderstanding between the Board and the Government, the Board did not appear to be in a position to pay them, and requesting attention to the subject. The Clerk said the cheque was ready and signed by the Treasurer for the amount, but he could not get the signature of the Government. A similar complaint was made by Mr M'Kenzie by letter, who stated that the amount claimed, LlO 0, was nearly a month past due, and asking for a return of liis deposit, in the event of the Board not. being able to pay the amount claimed under certificate. Mr Ham thought the Board had got into a mess with the Government, but believed it was only necessary to appeal to the Superintendent if the Government persisted in refusing payment for contracts entered into and approved of by them. A. great amount of indignation against the Board was to be explained away, and he did not think an antagonistic position ought to be taken up. Mr M'Leod thought the only answer that ' could be given to the contractors was, that a»

soon a* tbe B"Hrd 6- Id get mone.y fnitn t/ie ti;>ve<i;inen!, th«\ wouid b< h-ip'-y to han i over the amounts cert.fied for, and that the Board regretted that the Government should repudiate contracts which they had approved, and through that approval the Board had been induced to enter into them. If the contractors suffered any loss they would most decidedly have their remedy either against the Government or the Board, as one or the other was responsible. For his part, he thought if the Government refused payment they ought to suffer for it.

On the motion of Mr Murray, it was resolved that Messrg Pearce and Packbam be informed that the Board will take prompt action in reference to the accounts presented, so as to facilitate their getting their money. On the motion of Mr Gray, it was resolved that £328, the amount of Mr M'Kenzie's deposit, be returned to him.

Mr Barnes moved that the offer oi metal by Mr M'Kenzie at 8s per yard be accepted. The motion was agreed to. A letter was received from the Chief Postmister, asking permission to put iron letterboxes at the junction of Stafford street with Melville street, York place and Rattray street, Maitland street and Princes street, Clyde street and Albany street; and asking, where footpaths were not formed, that the Board would indicate to the Contractor the precise position and level of the corners of the streets.

The proposal of the Postmaster was agreed to. A letter was read from Mr Martin, stating that he wished to have his footpath asphalted, and that the contractors were waiting for the decision of the Board.

The Clerk was instructed to inform Mr Martin that he is to carry out the footpath under the direction of the City Engineer. The Inspector of Wuisances requested the Board to relieve him from the duty of reporting as to the manner in which the contract for the scavenging of the city is carried cut. The request was referred to the Sanitary Committee.

The Inspector of Nuisances reported, for the information of the Sanitary Committee, that he had signed a certificate for Ll5O to the contractor for cleansing the streets. This was not the full amount, but he had not certified for all, as the contract had not been carried out satisfactorily.

EXPENDITURE OF THE £10,000 GRANT. Mr M'Leod moved the following resolution— " That the Olerk be instructed to write to the Provincial Secretary expressing the regrot of the Board that the Government should see fit to repudiate the contracts entered into by them (by and with the consent of the Provincial Government) under the LIO,OOO grant for main line, and that the Town Board hold the Government responsible for any loss that may be sustained through the withdrawing of sums cer'ified to be due to contractors under such contracts."

The motion being seconded, Mr Ham moved as an amendment, that a deputation, consisting of Messrs Bastings, 'Griffin, Gray, and the mover, wait upon His Honor the Superintendent to ask the grounds on which the Government refused to comply with the terms of the contract entered into with Messrs Peirce and Packham and Mr Mackenzie, which have been carried out in accordance with plans sanctioned by them. Mr Murray sefonded the amendment.

Mr Tukner objected to the arrangement on sever al grounds. He thought amongst otliers, that the Board would only be humbling itself to the dust to do so. He thought Mr M'Leod's motion the most sensible of the two.

Mr M'Leod objected to the proscrastination which must result from adopting the motion of Mr Ham. Answer after answer had been given to the Provincial Council, and the Clerk had applied in vain for payment for the amount of the contract not a single contract had been entered into either under the LIO,OJU advance, or the L 35,000 loan, which had not been approved by the Provincial Government, and the Board ha! letters signifying that approval. It was sheer nonsense for tbe Board to be humbugged as they had been for the last fortnight, in being unable to meet the certificates given by the engineers. The amendment was supported on the score of expediency by Mr Barnes and the chairman. Mr M'JjEod suggested that contingent on the amendment being carried, a special meeting or an adjourned meeting should be held, to receive the reports of the deputation as the object to be gained by appointing the deputation -was to save time.

The amendment was adopted.

CORRESPONDENCE,

A letter was received complaining of the nonpayment for the scavengering contract according to the terms of the agreement, which was referred to the Sanitary Committee. A request was received from the Secretary of the Total Abstinence Union, asking permission to erect drinking apparatus at various stand pipes and pumps in different parts of the city. The rpquest was acceded to, subject to the approval of the City Engineer. Matilda Wilkes complained of the state of the street opposite her house. The City Engineer was directed to attend to the removal of the nuisance.

Walsh Brothers and Thomas Collins complained of the damage done to their stock by having had their property flooded through alleged insufficient drainage. The Clerk said that he had received a summons for L2O, the alleged amount of damage, without ever having had the particulars handed to him.

Mr M'Leod thought that the Board was in duty bound to prevent the recurrence of such damage. To his own knowledge there were eight inches of water in one shop and six Inches in the others. But he did not think the Board responsible for the damage done. At the same time, if they could take steps to prevent it occuring again, it would only be rght. The City Engineer said that until a system of underground drainage was adopted, such nuisances would of necessity be constantly occuring, and considerable expense must be gone to before the cause could be removed.

The Clerk was instructed to reply that the matter would be attended to.

Mr Fegan complained of the state of the road in front of the Carrier's Arms. The distance of the metal from the door was 38 feet; the intervening space being filled up with soft yellow earth, into which drays sank since the wet up to "the heads of the wheels. So that ingress and egress from the yards was impossible. Should it not be removed, and be allowed to remain in that state through the winter, it would certainly ruin him.

Mr Bastings thought the matter should be immediately attended to. The City Engineer said the only way of remedying the evil was by laying on metal. About 70 or 80 cubic yards would be required. On the motion of Mr Murray, seconded by Mr Gray, the standing orders were suspended to allow a motion on the subject to he introduced. It was resolved that not more than 100 cubic yards of metal be appropriated to the purpose. Several trifling and unimportant requests for permission to wake crossings over footpaths were referred to the City Engineer. Mr Samuel Goodman applied to be allowed to affix advertising boards to the lamp posts, and proposed to lay before the Board a sample. It was resolved that Mr Goodman be requested to furnish a plan. TENDERS. Tenders were received for the supply of kerosene oil, Messrs Fish and Son, at 5s 3d per gallon ;Mr Briscoe at 5s 6d per gallon; Messrs Stanford and Co. at 3 m«nths, Carsons oil, 4s 6d per gallon; S'antord, at ss. Messrs Stanford's offer at 5s per gallon was accepted. The Board adjourned to three o'clock on Thursday. _____^——

Suicide by Needles.—M. Caen has published the case of a woman, aged twenty-six, whobeing in prison, and dreading to be brought to trial, resolved to deatroy herself. This she accomplished by thrusting about thirty pins and needles into her chest in the region of the heart. She introduced them with great gentleness, and used to press them inwards with the aid of her prayer-book. She died on the day preceding the intended trial. On a post mortem examiaation, numerous needles were found in the chest, all of which were more or less travelling inwards ; some had reached the lungs; one had reached the back part of the right auricle. The windpipe was also perforated by a needle, and several were found in the liver. —French Paper. Recovery from Apparent Death.—A woman, supposed to be dead, was a few days back removed to the hospital of Blidah, in Algeria, for the purpose of being subjected to a post-mortem examination, her disease having appeared Inexplicable to the medical men who attended her. As the surgeon was about to make use of the scalpel, a.nd commence her disseotion, the supposed corpse uttered a loud shriek and sat up. She had been 'in a state of lethargy, and awoke just in time. It will be remembered that Abbe Provost, the author of" Manon Leseant," was less fortunate. It is known he died from wounds inflicted by the dissacting-knife under similar circumstances.— " Gftliffwai."