TOWN BOARD.

Otago Witness, Issue 657, 2 July 1864, Page 11

TOWN BOARD.

A special meeting of the Town Board was heM in the offices on Thursday after oon, to consider a letter which had been received from the Qovprnment. Mr Basting* occupied the chair, and there were present Messrs. Redmayne, Howard Barnes, Milltr, M'Leod. Turner, Grey, and JJam.

THB GOVERNMENT AND THB BOARD-

The Cibek read the following letter from the ■"Secretary of Public Work" : —

" Public Works Office,

" Dunedin, 29th June, 1864. "Sir— l have the honor to aoknowledge re«eeipt of jour letter of to day's date. I regret that the Board Bhould not have been instructed that the Government considered it absolutely necessary that thß main road through Dunedin should be handed over to them before any further transactions were entered into The almost impassable state of the road, and the necessity of taking action in the matter have comp lied th Government to instruct their own officer to proceed at once with the requisite ' repair and improvements. With reference to your request that the Government will -say distinctly whether -consent will be given for the works in connection with the 185,000 loan being carried out simultaneously with the works • in Princes street South, I have the honor to state that upon receipt of an intimation by the Board that they are prepared 'to comply with' the terms proposed mmy letter of ■the 22nd instant, the question ot the contracts in •connection with the loan will receive the immediate attention of the Government to provide for tfche carrying out of these works. " I have the honor to be, ' •' Sir, " Your obedient servant, «• H. J. Milmb, " Sec. of Public Works." The Board went into committee. '

Mr Redhayhb said the first portions of the letter had reference to the main line of road through the city, and, although at a previous* meeting he had moved a resolution proposing to hand over the main line to the Government ; yet, upon farther consideration, he certainly did feel that the Board should not do so now. They had been placed there to watch over the interests of the citizens, and the main line as welt as other portions of the city had been placed in their bands, and he could not see that they had any more right to give up to the Government the main line than any other portion of the city. If the Government had power to take the main line from the Board then let them do so, for that would be much better than for the Board to give up one ofits Tested right*. At the same time he believed there was not a single member of the Board who would object to the Government making improvement! on the main line, and carrying out the resolutions of th» Provincial Council so

long as they did not interfere with the levels. The second portion of the letter referred to Princes street, north, and the filling up of the Market Reserve. Now, the Board had already offered to do this work, provided the Government sanctioned the unauthorised contracts That was the only condition a»ked by the Board, and it had not been granted. He felt sure that, in any action vhich might be brought against the Board by the contractors the Government would have 'o bear the brant «.f it, although such a preceding mijzht place the Board in a position which it would not recove for years. He was still prepared to fill up the Market Reserve in Princs street south, provided the Government gave their sanction to the other contracts ; but he considered the Board would not be justified in doing; the wo-k until they received a more definite answer about the other contracts. He moved—" That the main line of road through the city of Dunedin being a right vested in the Town Board, they do not feel justified in handing that right over to the Government. That the Board will not put any imps. a ment in the way of the Government: maintaining the main line, but are willinjr to cirry out the suggestions ofthe Secretary of Public Works as contained in his letter of the 22nd inst., nairely, making good the Market Reserve and Princesstreet south, by expending the balance of the £10,000, provided a distinct understanding is arrived pt by the Board from the Government, that thfl ba'ance of the £35,000 upon all contracts entered into, or that may be subsequently entered into, shall be paid by the Government, upon the said contracts, phns, and specifications being submitted to them for approval. Mr I! ret seconded the motion.

Mr Barnes thought it was useless writing to the Government any more. They had stated that unless the Board complied with their wish s thoy would not cemply with the wishes of the Board. That could be easily understood by any reasonab'e man, and he could not see why motion after motion should be made on this subjaot, for if the Brard di'l not comply with the terms of the letter of the Government nothing could be done by them either in forwarding the contracts or in advancing any more money. It was all a losb of time, for the Government were their masters ant! they meant to show it. The Government had got the Board fast ia ther present position, and they meant to keep them there until they gave up the main line and finished 'he M rket Reserve. He had no objection io allow the Government to keep the main line in repair.

Mr M'Leod said the Government had by their letter mide the giving up of the main line of road a sinr, qua non. That main line was vested in the Hoard, and they had no power to delegate it to otbeis, for it waa impossible for them to part with their vested rights. The Government had reiterated their demand in a petty childish manner. They did not say they would comply with the Board's request, but they were graciously pleased to inform the Board that if the} handed over the main line of road and tpent the LIO,OOO on the Market Reserve, the Government would then take the matter into their consideration, and meantime the contractors tnu*t whistle for their money for four or five months. Supposing all the contracts on hand came to L4OOO, th?y cmld easily expend that amount in paying oft the contactors rather than in filling up the Market Reserve, and wait until they saw if they were not in a position to force from the Government th^ balance of the L 35,030 loan. He thought th Board ought not, on any condition to submit to the imposition of the Government, and he would therefore move as an amendment : —

•'That the Clerk inform the Provincial Government, in answer to their letter of the 29th inst., that the Beard have.no power to hand over the main line to the Government, as it would be an interference with rights vested in them by law and consequently ultra vires. But tha Board will place no impediment in the way of the Government, maintaining the main line, provided that the levels be not altered without the sanction of the Board, a id the main line be understood to be Princes street, Fiederick street and Great King street, as at present, Th-. Board are, however. Willing to spend the balance of the LIO.OOO on Princes-street South and the Market Reserve, provided the Government sanction the remaining contracts under the I 35,000 loan, and the expenditure of the balance of said loan " He was totally adverse to any more knuckling down to the Government, and also to parting with vested rights. M e^trner seconded the amendment. Mrllj.; Millvr saw no oVjsction to hand over tha rnffin line to the Government, provided they were bound by the levels laid down by the Board.

The Town Clerk here said that the amount of the unauthorised contracts was L9OOO.

Mr Turner: But the work done amounts pnly to L 3500, which the contractors would be very pl<wl to take Mr Howard, as one of the deputation who hid waited upon the Government, felt bound to abide by what they had then stated to the Government. The deputation agreed distinctly to hand over the main line. They were authorised to do so.

Mr M'Lbod : You were not.

Mr Gbey said that, so far as the deputation were concerned, they said they had no objection to hand ever the main line.

Mr Bastings: But that did not bind the Board,

Mr Barnes said he found from hia calculations that it would cost £20,000 to finish the maia line through the city and put it in a proper condition. The Board would not be in a position to expend this money on it for twenty years to come, and if the Government were willing to do so he would not object. Mr 'f pbhbe approved of the amendment. . He objected to any part of the main line being handed over to the Government without the consent of the citizens being first obtained. He also objected to the Board expending about L4.00U on the Market Reserve, unless the Government agreed to allow the Board to carry on the works under the balance of the loan simultaneously with those at the Market Reserve. Mr Rkdhaynb was of opinion that neither the Government, the members of the Provincial Council, nor the public generally thoroughly understood the question in all its bearings. It the Government did not now consent to the proposition made by the Board, he thought that a public meeting of the ratepayers should be called, at whioh the members of the Board should explain the whole matter from the beginning, and show the exact position in which they were placed by the. Government Were this done he felt certain that such a strong feeling of indignation would be raised in the public mind against the Govem-

ment as would compel them to meet the wishes of the Board.

Mr. Bastings, as chairman of the deputation that had waited on the Government, wished to explain that the Government then said to the deputation, that if the Town Board would expend the balance of , the LIO.IOO on the Market Reserve and Princes street south, it would then stand unconditionally in ihe same relative poßition to the Government which it had previously occupied. He regretted that the Government did not now take up a very hiuh moral tone in ite wiitinga to the Hoard, considering its previous promise, and he felt paioed at the tone whirh the Government had adopted towards the Board Had they ncte<l in thssame manner and with the same Puirit as the Board had, the whole matter would have been amicably arranged long ere now. The amendment was then put, and carried. The Board resumed. The motion passed in Committee was reported to the Board and adopted . The Boaid adjourned to Tuesday, at two o'clock.