CHRISTCHURCH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 149, 3 November 1868, Page 2

CHRISTCHURCH BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Monhat, Nov. 2. The Council met ai the usual hour ; present, His ■". oraiiip the Ma} or, and Councillors Duncan, Tombs, Shep an], Rutldenklau, Angus, Anderson, and Culvert. The minutes of last meeting were read aud confirmed. The receipts for the week were stated to have been £123 ss, and the existing overdraft at the Bulk w.is reported to be £260 18s. Accounts amounting to £143 15a 8d were passed and ordered to be paid. The Surveyor's report for the past week was submitted. The pr>son labour gang had been emp'oyed during the week in moving a sliingle spit near the Government buildings, turting the river banks and other works connected therewith. '! he number of men had averaged eight daily, nnd the value of their work was estimated at £40. The contractor h«d thoroughly cleaned out the artesian wells in Cathedral square during the week and 'he flow had by that means been augmented about one g'lllon per minute The tanks at the same spot had bei;n placed in position, and immediately on the second cart being finished the watering of the streets could be commenced. The Works committee had decided to have the. stone channelling in front of Mr Strange's premises, in High street, taken up and re-laid, and it would be completed in about a week. Messrs Tacon and Banks had completed their contract for forming Gloucester street, from Madras street to Barbidoe* street. Mr stQuentin had completed there-paintingof the Postof fice. Mr Blunt had commenced thestoneculvert at Hobbs' corner, and will complete it in a few days. The labour gang had been employed in clearing out the lower portion of the south drain ; clearing out the side drni.is iv Gloucester, Montreal, and Kilmore streets, Pnpanui Koad, and JCast and Nonh town belts ; cutting down the gorre in several «if the streets, and putting in pipe culverts in Barhadncs and Gloucester streets. The first clause was deemed most satisfactory. In connection with the second, Counci lor Jameson said the cart, would be completed within a week. After a brief discussion the third clause was approved and the remainder were cmsideied satisfactory. A letter was read from the Provincial Solicitor which state i that the opinion of the Attorney-General confirmed his view of the position of the reservei in Christchurch and Ly teltun. The Atiorney-General thought there was some difficulty with regurd to the legislation affecting these reserves, but under the amended net of 1862, the Provincial Solicitor thought, that the Superintendent and l'rovin. ial Council had full power to legislate. He therefore suggested that the Borough Councils of eauti of the Corp>ialions should request the Mayor of Christchurch, being a iiv m»er of the Provincial Council, to take the matter up in conjunction with the other members of the Council for the d iff ere it places requiring this alteration to be made with regard to the various reserves. After a slrn-t conversation the advisability of acting in conformity with the Provincial Solicitor's su<;ge*tio; i was acknowledged, and it was resolved on the motion of Mr Jameson, that the Mayor, as member of the Provincial '. 'ouncil, should bring the question of the Heserves before the Government with a view to setting the ti:le now held at rest, and conveying the Reserves absolutely to the Municipal Councils for such uses and purposes a? they might be required. Letter from the Heathcote Road Board conveying the sanction of the Hon. John Mull to the proposed drainage near the Gas Works Councillor Jameson moved that the Works committee be authorised to proceed with the work. The tutHl cost was estimated nt £110, out of which the Council would rect.ire £G0 for pipe*, and only h-ivo to do £30 worth of work. The motion was agreed to. Letter from the Sprtydon Koad Bo:trd in answer to a communication from the Council respecting the proposed half-holiday. The writer stated that enquiries had been made amongst fanners r» siding in the district, and endowed a list of signatures showing that 13 were in favour of the market being held on Thursday, and 10 in favour of Saturday. Letter from the Lincoln Koad Board also in reference to the li-»lf-holiday, an/1 stttin? that the chairman had cilled a meeting for Thursday next, to ascertain the opinions of the farmers. It was decided to enter into no discussion upon these letters until the whole of the replies are before the Council. Letter from Messrs Deacon aud Vincent requesting permission to lay down a six-inch drain pipe from the cellar of the Garriuk Hotel, Colombo street, to the river Avon, or if the Council preferred, they would bear half the expenses of laying down a nine inch pipe to replace the old wooden culvert Grousing the terrace from the front of their house to the rivtr, the same to be placed so as to drain thnir premises. The Works committee were empowered to alYord such aid as would provide a drain fmni the orner of the Garrick to the river. -^ from Mr R. P. Crosbie, enclosng draft copy of the rules for conducting the swimming class connected with the Railway •{owing Club. Councillor Sawtell said a gentleman residing in the vicinity of the proposed bathing

place had complained of ihe indecent imnner in which bathing had been carried on by members of the club, and thought it inadvisable to sanction the establishment of a swimming c'as3, unless n covered building wa» provided forthe practice. CA very animated discussion ensued, and on the motion of Councillor Jameson, it was ultimately resolved that permission to bathe in the river within the boundaries of the city Bhould_not be granted except under such conditions^ «*£ Councillor Duncan brought up the report of the Finance committee on the collection of rates It expressed the astonishment of the committee at many persons well able to pay their rales, having failed to do so, and they considered the excuses given by many extremely frivolous. The collector had been instructed to call first on all residents in the triangle, and inform them ha had received positive instructions to sue after the end of the week for all rates then unpaJLJIT? Ihe committee did not consider a seconoTcollector necessary. The applications, and in nearly all cases a second call had been made, and the collet-tor is now leaving the final notices. He has a'so been desired to carry out the same steps throughout the city as early as possible. The report was received, and its adoption was moved. Councillor Calvert opposed if, and denied that a second application had been made on residents in the Triangle. He declaimed against that part of the City being speciallj selected for proceeding against in the summary mauner stated in the report. No block should be selected because the residents were able to pay, but operations should be carried on simultaneously all over the city. Councillors Ruddenklnu, Anderson, Jameson, and the Mayor, spoke in a. similar strain. Councillars t-heppard, Sawtell, and iJuncan, deFended the report, the latter saying the committee had no intention of proceeding specially against the Triangle, but took it merely ns being the most central locality, and comprising only commercial men. All quarters of the city tiad so far paid about an equal amount of the new rate. Up to the present time only £1100 out of £4300 had been collected. After a very protracted discussion, the Collector was called in, and in answer to questions, he stated that he had called the requisite number of times in the Triangle, ami that the delivery of final notices had not been confined to that block, but hid been extended to other parts of the city also. The second clause was ultimately struck out, nnd an amendment inserted to the effect that in nil casc-s after the- second application a printed notice should be left stating that nil rates not paid within the succeeding week would he sued for. Mr Wynn Williams here attended, and explained to the Council that he did not dt-sire it to be understood from his letter that the Government were neglect ing the question of the Municipal reserves, for, on the contrary, they intended to introduce a bill baring upon them. He had written the letter hurriedly, and without explanation his suggestion referring to the Mayor taking action in co-oiscration wiih others might lead to an opinion that the Government were themselves shirking thf matter. The resolution passed by the Council was rpad to Mr Williams, and the Mayor thanked him for his explanation. The Nuisance Inspe> tor reported that lie would commence collecting the scavenging account* for the past qu »rter during the prosent week, and that he had called upon persons residing in Antigua and Montreal streets, with a view to getting them to combine for effecting systematic drainage in their locality. The first clause was ordered to be promptly carried out, and the second was approved. On the motion of Councillor Sawtell it was decided to form Peterborough, street, from Manchester street to Madras street, as soon as funds will, permit. On the motion of Councillor Sawtell, the Nuisance Inspector was ordered to report upon v nuisance existing in the mir of the buildings on the south side of Cashel street ne»r the Triangle. Monday next b. ing a general holiday, and the Agricultural dinner occurring on Tueslay evening, the Council adjourned until Wednesday, the 11th instant.