PORT CHALMERS TOWN COUNCIL.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 2118, 18 November 1868, Page 3

PORT CHALMERS TOWN COUNCIL.

The regular meeting of tho above Council was held in the Town Hall on Monday evening. The Mayor, T. Tayler, Esq., presided, and there were,present Messrs Farnie, Randall, Innes, Millar, Den"b, and Dodson. The minutes of previous meetings wero read and confirmed. COHRESPONDENOH. The following letters were read :— From Mr G. Warren. I rcspectfullv beg leave to call your attention to wh-**: I consider the very unfair manner in which mv application for Soction No, 203 was decided on the 3rd instant. It appears thafc there was only one »p ilicmt besMes myself, and that both our t -nders were for the same amount, when Councillor Innex proposed thst the section shonld bn lot to Mr Peacock, the other applicant. The motion was seconded hy another Councilor, who at the same tine remarked that Mr Peacock intended to Imild imw diatclv, wh-"ch tho other man (al; tiding to myself) would not do. lam informe 1 that it was in a great measure through thi.t misreprcscntaton tbat the land was Ic' to Mr Peacock. T'nder those circnmsl anccs, I trust you will > c pie iaed to allow the case to be ro-heard. The a>>ove section is of much greater value to me than it is to any other piiWi. as it will greatly improve the triangular portion of one of my sections,' No. 188,' which is contiguous to it. . From Mr Morris, the sexton :— I have to rf quest that yon may be paused to inform me how long notice 1 should receive prior to interments, and particularly when they Occut on Sundays, as there is nothing specified in the Cemetery Knles and Relations regarding whs* notice I should recetve, ncuther is there any provision m»de for condncting mirrmisrtU on .wnnday.- I hsve hithertomsde no objections to funerals taking place on Sundays, even although I did not know -whether it w»s legal ; but as I only received notice on Satnidsy. the 7th inst., after five o'clock p. ni., for a funeral that took place on Sunday, th» #th; and also anothoj

case took place on the lst inst. somewhat similar, I think tbat it* funeral* are permitted on Sunday, I should receive suificicnt notice to allow me to dig the grave ou Saturday. From the Collector of Customs to the Town Clerk :—

Referring to your letter of the I4th inst., relative to the kerbing of that portion of the Government Reserve on which the Custom House stands, I havo the honour to inform you that this land being Crown property, the Government de not consider themselves liable for the improvements referred to.

From tho Secretary of tho Band of Hope :—

I havo tho honour, on behalf of the Port Chalmers Band of Hope Society, to apply for permission to erect a marquee upon the Flagstaff Hill, for holding onr anniversary treat in about the I cginniog of December.

From Mr J. Gibson :—

I beg for permission to open a drain across the footpath opposite my premises, owing to it' being stopped up, and tho surface water running over tho footpath on the adjoining premites.

HAWKERS' AND DOTTLE LICENSES.

Mr Miller, according to notico of motion, moved, J< That this Council tako Hawkers' and Bottle Licenses into consideration."

The Mayor said the Council had nothing to do with tho consideration of tho matter. It was tho province of tho Provincial Council. Tho public should havo a meeting on tho subject.

Mr Miller considered tho Council was tho public.

The Mayor would not hear Mr Miller any further. Ho would not entertain the tho motion. The Council had no power to take them into consideration, nor wero eight men tho public. Mr Miller: If that is tho caso, we might all leave. Tho public put us here to represent them. I will again bring forward the motion.

The Mayor Baid if it were bronght forward again, ho would not entertain it.

Leave was given to Mr Dcnch to let a notice of mo'ion standing in his namo, referring to municipal sections, to stand over for a month. PUBLIC WORKS. Tho following report from tho Public Works Committee was read. Your Committee have the honor to report on Burns street, Day street, and Bcrnicia street, as follows :—That they be cleared of stumps and timber, and levelled ; the natural or original gradient to b« adhered to. At present we do not recommend any formation, only a little cutting at tho joining of the streets.

Your Committee woulcl also beg to recommend that Mary street be I'ronght to the permanent [level. They would rtcotnniend tbat not more than 12 or IS feet bo taken from the upper side and lcvellod to tho lower, the natnral gradient being adhered to, and that at tho present time, not moro than 15 feet be metalled This woulcl answt r tho purpose of footpath and roadway. Your Committee would also bog to recommend that seven feet be taken front tho crown of A jax road, abreast of tho Police Station, and pnt into the adjoining valley ; also, that six feet be taken off at Mr Elmer's corner, and put into the valley. Your Committeo would also begsto recommend, that at least 10 feet bo tak-n off tho crown of Constitution Btreet, and put into tho lower end joining. Curry street. Thia work haa hitherto been neglected, and now that it is dry it cannot be dono too soon. Your Committee looks on this work as a reproductive one, becauso it will open up stone for metalling purposes much cheaper than cnld possibly be got Irom any other place at the present timo. Thro is also a portion of Grey stroot requiring to be metalled, and this should bo att-nded to at onco.

The dayman is still kept busy with tho various streets, water courses, kc.

Tho Mayor said that all tho workß were highly necessary ; he would like to keep the recommendations in view. At present tho Council was not in funds to carry out tho works. Thoro were, howevor, some minor works of necessity that might be undertaken. No heavy works could be gone into undor present prospects. Mr Fernie said that tho works recommended were of too great magnitude to bo gone on with, considering the stato of tho finances of tho Council. Ho brought up a motion somo time back that Daly street should bo cleared of stumps, but withheld pressing the same until tho present report waa brought up. He thought there was a necessity for clearing cross streets, which Bhould be dono.

Mr Dkncu said that Ajax road had been quite neglected. Many of the inhabitants in that locality had paid rates for seven years, and had a difficulty in gottim; to their houses. He, however, thought tho recommendations of tlie Public Works Committee were of too expensive a character to bo considered at present. Mr Miller said that ho would recommend that Constitution street be cut down, Ajax Road attended to next, and then the streets in South Ward.

Mr Dench thought it would be better for the report to stand over. Tho Mayor said again that all tho work was highly necessary, more especially lhe metalling of tbat part of Grey sireet in front cf tho school.

Mr Dkncu proposed, and Mr Innes seconded, the adoption of the report. Mr Fernie proposed, as an amendment, that the matter be postponed till after the New Ye r, which was seconded by Air Dodson, and carried. MUNICIPAL SECTIONS. In reference to Mr Warren's letter, Mr Fernie thought that it would be better to draw for the section, which he, considered fair. Mr Innes said it was ho who had proposed the letting of the section in question to Mr Peacock, and tho Council should havo objected to it then. Ho would move that the letter be not received. Mr Dencii said that it was no uso undoing what had been done, or the Coun«il would Ims liable for damages. Mr Dodson said that both parties should be written to so as to let them tender again. Tlie Mayor thought it would bo better to carry on the business in a quiet and amicable way. . " - ;. Mr Fernie gave notice of motion that the minute referring to the letting of the section in question be rescinded. Mr Innes said that the people of tho Port bad put them there, and if tho Council were to undo what was already 'done, what would the public think ? He would press his motion. ■- Mr Fernie then tabled his notice of motion, and the discussion ended. .. CKMETBRY. In reference to the Sexton's letter, Mr Dench thought that the Provincial Council should insert a clause in the Cemetery Ordinance prohibiting burying on Sundays.

The Mayor said there was no Cemetery Ordinance. There were rules, and as for the insertion of the clause, referred to, a clause that no one is to die on a Friday might as well be inserted. Mr Denoh, however, tbonght that aa there was nothing stated in the rulea for

Sunday burials, tho sexton migbt refuse, and tho Council would then have to look for a man to bo in attendance on Sundays. The Council had tho power over the cemetery, and should see that the Ordinance was t-arried out properly. Tho Mayor replied that there was no Ordinance.

Sir Fbrnik said it was absurd to think that a rule should bo made prohibiting Sunday funerals. If parties were dying of virulent or infectious disease, it"was necessary for the health of others that they should be buried at once.

A discussion, in which Mr Miller and Mr Dodson took part, ensued, and it was finally arranged that tho Sexton should have sufficient notice. kerbing*. Tho letter of tho Collector of Customs was then taken into consideration, and thought very unsatisfactory. The Council were of opinion that tho necessary work should bo done, and a bill of tho cost thereof sent to the General Government. LAND OF HOI'B. Permission waa granted to tho Band of Hope to erect a marquee on Flagstaff HiU. TENDERS kor sections. The following tenders wero opened :— James Olsen, for section 129, offered L 3 l()s per annum ; David Whytock, offered L 2 10s per annum, and William Saddler, L 3 per annum, for soction 181. After a long discussion, tho two first were refused, and that of William Saddler accepted. ACCOUNTS. Tlio following accounts wore ordered for payment:—Town Clerk, quarter's salary, Ll2 10s ; dayman, month's salary, LU; Stumbles, Ll 15s fid, and Mrs Dick, quarter's salary for cleaning Hall, L 2 10s. Several minor accounts were ordered to stand over. MKTALI.INO. On the motion of Mr Randall it was resolved that tenders bo called for <>4 yards of 2- inch metal, to be laid on Grey street, close to tho school house. ThoClcrk was instructed to write to tho owners of sections 2, 3, and 5, requesting them to kerb in front of their premises. This concluded tho business of the meeting, and the Council was adjourned until Monday evening, tho SOth inst.