DUNEDIN TOWN BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 316, 19 December 1857, Page 5

DUNEDIN TOWN BOARD.

A meeting of tne Town Board took place on Monday last. Present — Messrs. Robertson, Ren • me, Cutten, Day, Young, Smith, and G. Duncan. Mr. Cutten in the chair. The Cleric read the following reply to the resolutions passed at the last meeting, and which had been transmitted to his Honor :—: — " Superintendent's Office, "Dunedin, 9th Dec. 1857. " Sir, — I am directed by the Superintendent to acknowledge your letter of Bth instant, enclosing Resolutions of the Town Board, dated the 7th inst. " His Honor can only repeat, that on an assurance from the Board that the money referred to will be exclusively laid out in making and metalling the main line of George-street and Princesstreet, as laid down on the map, and in use for the general heavy traffic, as stated by the Board they are now doing, the £1000 will be placed at its dis- j posal. Also that he has sent a copy of this correspondence to the General Road Board, and on ascertaining the views and claims of the adjacent country districts in the matter, that he will act accordingly, whatever those 1 may be, having no view or intention whatever to interfere with either the Town Board or any other public body, further than to see that what may prove to be the just claims of all parties have due consideration. " His Honor has too much respect for the Town Board, and every member of it, than to suppose for a moment that matters private or personal should have any influence in the discharge of public duty, and considers that any such allusion would be in bad taste, ■ and a mere distraction from the proprieties of public business. " I have the honour to be, &c, "John Logan, " Clerk to Superintendent. " Mr. M. Graham, Clerk to Town Board." The Clerk stated that he had communicated to his Honor that the available funds for the improvements in Princes-street having been expended, the work must be stopped unless the Board were put in possession of the money voted, to which he had received the following rCply :—: — -W . " Superintendent's Office, \ ■ " Dunedin, 11th Dec, 1857. 11 S]jfcj' — 1 am directed by the Superintendent to acknowledge the receipt of your letters of 9th and iJtii instant, and respectfully to refer you to his Honor's comunication as per my letter to you of the 9th instant. " I have the honour to be, &c, "John Logan, " Clerk to Superintendent "Mr. M. Graham, Clerk to Town Board." Mr. Smith wished to know if his Honor had any power to interfere with the Board ? Mr. Cutten thought* the best plan would be to state the purpose to which the Board intended to apply the money, and if that was not forthcoming, the works must be stopped.

Mr. Langlands said a main line of road had been agreed to by the Town and General Road Boards, which ought to be adhered to. Mr. Young thought a principle was involved, for if the Board submitted their operations to the approval of the Superintendent', they might as well at once be dissolved. After some discussion, the following resolution was moved by Mr. Langlands, seconded by Mr. Young, and unanimously agreed to :—: — " The Town Board having before it, and under full consideration, the whole of the late correspondence of the Board with the Superintendent, pronounces the interference of his Honor to be an unwarrantable attempt to intermeddle with and direct the operations of the Board. Any assumption of a future proceeding of the General Road Board, contrary to, or subversive of, their previously expressed views as to the " permanent and most eligible line" southward, is uncalled for, and would, were it realised, only exhibit an amount of vacillation which, being found in any body, would render reliance upon it for carrying out a work in concert with fixity and unity of purpose impossible. If then the General Road Board should reverse their previously expressed views as per minute formerly referred to, which the Town Board cannot suppose possible, the breach of faith and agreement would rest with them, and not with the Town Board. The Board, therefore, again respectfully requests his Honor to fulfil last Sessions Appropriation Bill in this matter, to the letter thereof; denies his right to attach his own opinions, conditions, and interpretations thereto ; and again requests immediately to be furnished with means from the vote of the Provincial Council, wherewith to carry on the works on the main lines within the Town ; protests against the present stoppage of the works in Princes street and George street, and rests all blame for delay and loss of time upon this arbitrary interference of the Superintendent. The Board not understanding what the allusion to personal interest may mean, cannot think his Honor could intend any insinuation thereby on the one hand against the members of the Board, or on the other, think the Board could possibly attribute any such motive to his Honor or any other honorable gentleman. As to the adoption of the line of road in question, it was based, as is notorious, upon the best existing survey amthorities, as to gradients and working ; and the proceedings of the Board generally have been stamped with public approval, as shewn by the result of the late election. In short, as to the matter in hand, by a steady adherence to a past sound determination of the Board, concordant with the General Road Board, the object of the Town Board is to open that line with all possible dispatch, so as to afford every possible iaeility of access to the country settlers ; it remaining for the General Road Board to fulfil their part of the undertaking. That point being sett ! ed, it is further resolved, that his Honor may rest assured the utmost resistance will be made against any attempt to interfere with the legitimate operations of the Board, and the Board do therefore again respectfully request the Superintendent to reconsider his position, and bring the whole matter under review of his Executive Council. Instruct the clerk to communicate copy thereof, and also ccpy to the Road Board, as an addenda to the copy of correspondence intimated as furnished to that body by the Superintendent." It was agreed to apply to the Government for funds to complete the fencing, &c, of the new Cemetery ; and also to request the Superintendent to reserve from sale certain sections upon the Northeast Valley line. The Board then adjourned to Monday next. RESIDENT MAGISTRATE'S COURT. Monday, Dec. 14, 1857. (Before John Gillies, Esq., R.M.) Gillies v. Johnston. John Johnston, of East Taieri, settler, was charged on the information of Mr. T. B. Gillies, as agent for the Wardens of the East Taieri Hundred, with unlawfully removing cattle belonging to other persons than himself farther than the nearest accessible stockyard, and of having neglected to return them to the place whence they were at first removed by him, contrary to the byelaws of the East Taieri Hundred. Defendant admitted having removed the cattle as libelled, but stated that he had taken them to a very inconsiderable distance — indeed, not farther than they were in the habit of depasturing ; that he returned them part of the distance, and that he followed the usual custom in doing so as he did. The complainant admitted the practice to be as stated. The case had been instituted to put an end to the practice. Defendant fined 10s. and £3 18s. of costs. Shepherd v. Pui die. William Purdie, of Dunedin, doctor of medicine, was charged on the information of John Shepherd, chief constable, with permitting three horses, his property, to wander at large in Dunedin, on Sunday the 15th November last. The defendant did not admit the offence. The complainant, who knew nothing of the facts of the case, called Samuel Shaw, the real informant, who stated that about three weeks ago, on a Sunday, the day of the month he did not remember, he saw four horses, three of which belonged to defendant, wandering at large in Dunedin. On a cross-examination witness stated that he gave the information as to this case soon after Edward Hudson was fined by the Bench for a similar offence, and that this was the circumstance which prompted him to give the information in this case. Defendant was fined 1 5s. Shepherd v. Matthews. Mr. T. B. Gillies appeared on behalf of the defendant. This was a case similar- to the preceding, originating on the information of Mr. Shaw, the facts of the case being, that on the day libelled the ■witness found the defendant's cow on his premises, and turned her out upon the street. The case was dismissed. Shepherd v. Thomson. This was a similar case, the facts being, that two horses, the defendant's property, were proved to have been herded the whole day by defendant, (the charge being, that they were " wandering at large.") The case was dismissed.