BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 76, 11 August 1868, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

CIHUSTCHUUCH.

Monday, Auoust 10. The Council met at the usual hour. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Duncan, Iluddenkl .in, Calvert, ahoppird, Jameson, Tomb*, and Anderson. The minute*} of last meeting were read and confirmed, Tlio overdraft existing after payment of accounts pasted at last meeting, was seated to hare been -fc'393 Os 3d; but .ftidlSs-id having been received from various sources ■luring Jthe week, the debit balance was reduced to £341 164 lld. Councillor Duncan said thero *ould be no funds to cover tbo overdraft until tbe end of tho month. Account* amounting to £173 ls Id were passed and ordered to ho paid. TliQ notice in tbe Gazette appointing hU • Worship tbo Mayor a Justice of Peace, was ' laid on the cable and read. The Surveyor reported that tho metalling ' of Peterborough and Kilmore street.*, having been sanctioned somo time ago, il was intended to invito tender* for the work ; but be recoinmendod that 15 cubic yards of metal to the chain should be used instead of 10, as originally ordered ; the contractor for Manchester sirc«t bridge being delayed by non- • arrival of timber for tbe girders, tbo work was not progressing very satisfactorily, and the extension of timo will expire on tha Mth instant. Mr Blunt, contractor for the' ."•tone channelling, bad placed a length of tho simUcr description in front of Cobb iwd Saw toll's ofllee, but it was recommended tliat as little of tbe samo kind as possible should . be nud except in out.>id:' streets. The planting of the Kast belt having been completed, • -everything was in readiness for removal of the oomni'nnor.itlou tree?, and a rubble foundation was recommended for tbe railings in order to prevent them sinking as before. Tho labour gang hsd during tho week been era» ployed In removing the plantations on the North town belt; fixing wire to tbe fencing on the Kast town belt, putting In pipes at tbo approach to the Manchester strett bridge clearing out side drains in Barbadoei and Gloucester streets, and Oxford terrace; raking in ruts in Colombo and Manchester streets, and repairing other streets with shingle The report was discussed seriatim. Consideration of tho first nnd second clauses was deferred. Tho Surveyor was directed to discontinue the use of tho smaller description of -channel- : ling until further orders. The removal of the commemoration trees i was referred to tho Planting committee. s<The Miyor called attention to tbo dilapidated state of the wooden horse trough in front of the Harp Tavern, It bal bsea lyL)gJiroken,i'or upwards of six weeks. /Councillor Jameson said tlio Publio Works Committee luul been fully awaro of the nuisance, but had deferred improvement in the hope that residents In lite vicinity would come forward nnd subscribe funds towards some substantial improvement being effected. Nothing of tliis kind having been done, tiio committee had now decided to temporarily repair tho trough with woodand instructions had been given to that effect] Tlio following correspondence was read:— • Letter from 11. ltced on behalf of tho cab proprietor* and drivers in tbe city, requesting an interview for a deputation to Uy beforo the Council certain grievances In connection with the granting oi one day's licences, and tlio working of the City By-laws and Stage Carriage Ordinance. f A brief discussion ensued, and the deputation, consisting of three members of tho body, was then admitted. Mr Heed acting ns spokesman, explained the llrst complaint. lie said tho cabmen paid a heavy sum for licences, nnd were compiled to ply in the city every d »y wet or flne, often sea-eely earning anything, and yet when a chance of a busy day, such as at tbo races appeared, peoplo obtained Hefners for ."is each, by which they were enable 1 to carry any number of passengers tbey liked to the evident loss of regular drivers, In this tho cabmen considered they ought to h&ve somo protection, aud hoped. the Council would endeavour to introduco somo measure into the Provincial Council for obviating tho grievance. The Mayor agree.! tbat tbe complaint wai a just ona. The inconsistency of the two ( irdinances rendered it necessary tbat somo-* thing nhould bo done, and bo had no doubt but the manner in which they Washed with each other being exposed, lhe Provincial Council would tako action in khe matter. He himself would do what ho [could iv effecting thi*. lie pointed out how* ever that tho cabmen had some remedy in their own bunds, by being able to summon ( persons taking out licences on race days, for "driving vehicles not properly painted with their name, &c., as required by clause 10 of tho Stngo Carrlago Ordinance. Mr Heed next pointed out that the omnibusses plying to and from tiie Railway w*ra also under the 5* licence, whilst cabmen bad to pay £i, and if taken ill, bad to obtain a driver's licence beforo they could employ a substitute. The cabmen thought the omnibus drivers ought nt least to bo placed under tlio name laws and penalties as themselves. Tho Mayor said the Council had not at present nny jurisdiction in the matter, but they would havo when the new by-lawa were brought into force, ar.d the earliest opportunity would be taken to place each class of vehicles under the same laws and penal tiss. Tho deputation expressed satisfaction at the answers tbey bad receive*], and, thanking tho Council for tbo interview afforded them, retired. Utter ftom Capt. Wilson intimating tbe re-organisation of the Fire Brigade. Letter from tho lion. Secretary of the Kiro Police, enclosing resolutions passed at a meeting of that body held on Saturday evening last Councillor Buddcnklau, fn speaking to Uie

resolutions, denied that tho sub-committee of tho Council had, in any way, interfered with tho Flro Police, at complained of. All that tlio committee had dono was to suggest that the Hook and Ladder apparatus should bohandod ovor to the Force; and iv tills thoy had been prompted by tho expressed willingness of that body to form a Salvage Corps, It must bo evident lhat, lo save property, loels would |jo required; and tlio c.iiiimitreo thought thoy ■wore merely supplying theno, in handing over tho Hook and Ladder apparatus, lie could not hut oxpress his nfitonidmtont and dissatisfaction at tho to:ie adopted by the Flro Polieo, nud considered lhat it was a great insult to tho Council. Lait week tho committee hnd called upon Mr Mitchell, the Hon, floorclary of the Force, and nlicwn him the advertisement which was eonfllontcd to, and at oneo forwarded to the papers. Willi reference to Mr Graham's remarks, ho could only repeat that the subcommittee had not in any way interfered with the rcgulalloun of tho Force, nor had they tho slightest doslru to do no. (Itouncillo'r Jameson endorsed tho ronmrka of Councillor Nuddenklnu, The nullcommlttdo of tho Counoil waited iipou the committee of the Firo Police, and explained to theni their desire to work togothcr harmoniously, and also that thu Council had nppolntcd thorn for the purponn of learning tho wlnlios of the force, Tho advertisement, as It appeared In tho papi'i's, wns submitted and passed by the Fire Police Committee thoniflolven. It wnn decided that it fllmuld bo nlgncd by the Town Clerk, In order to give It logallly, aiul in the event of It not being responded to its numerously as ex peeled, the Firo Politic Committee agreed to canvass for thu remaining niomliers. Tbo commtttco admitted lhat iho mein» horn now on tlio roll never attondod, and Agreed that now onos ought to bo obtained, Counoillor BiidtUnWnii said Mr Mllohi-ll bad told him that the report of his remarks nt thu meeting wan quito onnirnry to what ho net uaily made uno of. Councillor Duncan said bo wnn present nt tho mooting of tho Flro Police, and could positively assert jhai tbo puUlnhvd report was not near ho violent n» tho language ol the flnoalcerfl. Ignorance, and oilier mora ofl'onnivo expressions were mmlc use of by iiomo in referring to the Council, He wns sorry to see tbo position taken up by tho Fire Polieo, and was glad lo f.e« Iholr expressions rebutted hy tlio eommltieo of iho Council. Councillor Shoppard expressed bis strong disapproval of tho conduct of tbo '.Flro Police, Tho Mayor said until he had seen the report in the Lyllellun Time* ho had no Idea of any mlmindei'stauding existing between tho Council and the Firo Pollen. Willi roforonco to tho remarks mado al, iho mod Ing ho considered that those of Mr Mlt-h.-ll were rather oondomnalary of the force than of the Council, whilst thoso of Mr Bishop, who was characterised by a large amount of oddity, would lm boltor overlooked on lhat account, Councillors Culvert and Anderson both expressed their nurprluc at Iho position taken up by tho Mro Police, but hoped the mailer would liv flotllud nmicably. Somo further (llhcuhrloii, condemnatory of tbo conduct of tho Fire Polieo ensued, after which the following resolutions wore, on the motion of Counoillor Culvert, seconded by Councillor Anderson, unanimously pissed— " The Borough Council do not find (hut the nnlweommltluo appointed to con for with tbo committee of the Fire Police havo contemplated nny Interference with tho working regulations of that body," " That Iho object of tho conference wait to facilitate the removal of any obstacle* to having the force organised on an cnl irged bad*, as suggested by tho present members." "That the Borough Counoil dculrca to maintain the f idlest mutual confidence witli the Fire Police, nnd will gladly accept iholr lorvicos to record tho forco for tho ensuing year," The Clerk wan dlroeted to forward a copy of the resolutions, In answer lo lhe letter from the lion, sec, of the Flro Police from Mr . l. Bailey, complaining of tho overflow from an iirtOHlnn well flooding hl/i pronibiCH on tbo Hast side of Lichfield fliteot. 1 Jlof erred to Inspector of Nuisances, with Instructions to remove the cause of complaint with tho leant poimlblo dofiigj Tho report of tho Finance Couimltteo wan read, Tlio rato lists of 1806-07 had boen examined, Several amounts had boon ordered to he sued for at enee, and In others, whoro distress existed, lonhmey had bron exorcised, tho Collector Im'ng authorised to receive the amounts In small Instalments, It was recommended that hi consequence of a recent decision of Mr Justice Creation, tho niton dun from Insolvent estates should bo struck oil! the list. The rate list of 1800 might, with tho exception of about £20, be consldcrwl closed j but about £Qj;o wnn recoverable on the list for 1807. Jt w*a« recommended that tha norvieoit or Mr Ifiiflkfns, iho assistant collector, should he dispensed wiih at lhe close of iho month, iih both lists ought, then to bn cltmod, It wus also recommended that In future the collector should only call twice, i.e. nnoo with ihe application, and oneo within a month after, for rates, after which prompt nttps ahould bo taken for recovery, In conclusion It was stated that tho Collector lmd huon muoh ton lenient lv bin duller 'J ho report was discussed seriatim. Fa"h clniino wns adopted without alteration, excepting one referring to insolvent estates, In this Instance tlio Clerk was ordered to obtain legal advice u« to tho power of the Counoil io recover. The report of the Inspector of Nuisances wan read, A nuisance hnd been found to emanate from a pool of stagnant water, on a rlfsht-of-wny lending Into Kllmoro street. It was recommended that it thould bo formed and drained, tho immediato residents having ngrcud to boar a portion oil tho coat, A notice had boon nerved for tho abatement of a nuisance arlalng from stagnant water on Mr Blakiflton'a property, in IC'.moro Btreet,

Tho miggosllona contained in tho first elaiißO- wero approved, and ordered to be oarrlod out under tho direction of the Surveyor. The second cluuso was approvod. The contract with tho Gas Company wai laid on tho table, nnd ordered lo bo signed by Iho Mayor, and scaled with iho corporate seal. A hackney cnrrlngo lloonoo wns granted lo Jhihob Davis, and tho Counoil adjourned.