CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 185, 15 December 1868, Page 3

CHRISTCHURCH CITY COUNCIL.

«> Mondat, Dec. 14. The Council held their ueual weekly meeting last night. Present: His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Duncan, Ruddenklau, Sheppard, Sawtell, Anderson, Calvert, Tombs and Jameson. The minutes of last meeting were read and confirmed. The Clerk reported the receipt of £164 8s lid during the past week, and stated the credit balance at the bank to be £297 18s 6d. Accounts amounting to £48 12s lid were passed and ordered to be paid. An item of £2 10s for a new wheelbarrow was referred back to the Surveyor for planationLj^The )ofot referred to the land allotted by the Government for a cattle market, which he had visited during the week. He said he had been unable to learn whether a simple conveyance to the Council would be sufficient to give them legal possession, or whether it would be necessary to have a special Ordinance passed by the Provincial Council. He had seen Mr Williams, who was too busy to give a complete answer to the ■question at present, but he advised that the Council should, in the meantime, take formal possession of the ground. Mr Williams had promised to look into the matter fully, and if it was necessary for the Provincial Council to do anjthing in the matter, he would bring it forward during next session. Mr Montgomery had tendered similar advice, and he (the Mayor) would suggest the advisability of authorizing the Committee to proceed at once to take over the ground. Some members of the Council thought it would be advisable to have more direct sanction from the Superintendent before proceeding to such measures, but the Mayor said his Honor had given his full sanction to the land being allotted to the Council, and it was then resolved that the Mayor, the Chairman of the Works Committee, aud the Clerk, should proceed to the spot as early as possible, and take possession on behalf of the Council. The Surveyor submitted the following list of works carried out within the city during 1,868, together with a list of the unformed ■treats, bel ls, aud terraces, and reported that the labour gang had been employed during the week in deepening the south drain, clearing drains, collecting loose stones and roofing in the tanks in Cathedral Square. CONTRACTS COMPLETED DUBING THE TEAR, 1868. Stone tank, &c, High street, for supplying steam fire engine ; Manchester street bridge ; river Avon kept clear of water-cress for the 12 months ; supplying the City Council with shingle for repairs, about £482 — mostly used in the S. W. and S. E. quarters of the city ; 654 yards of stone channelling laid down in High street, Cashel street, and Colombo street ; 187 yards of stone channelling laid down in Colombo street and Gloucester street ; Cnb stand pitched, junction of Colombo and High streets ; 2 stone culverts, junction of Colombo street aud Tuam street ; 2 stone culverts, junction of Manchester street and Tuam street ; 1 do, junction of High street and Manchester street ; l do, '.unction of High street and Lichfield atreet ; i do, junction of High street and Tuam atreet ; 1 do, junction of Colombo street and Cathedral square ; stone basts to lamp-posts ; 1 stone base to lamp-post. Market square ; 1 stone base to lump-post, junction of Cashel and High streets ; 2 artesian wells. Cathedral square, for supplying water carts. Broken Metal and Carting same : — The whole of the broken metal, viz., 1000 cubic yards, purchased from the Government, has been carted to Manchester street, from High •treet to the South town belt, and to Colombo ■treet, from Lichfield street to the South town belt (with the exception of a few yards reserved for repairs.) Trenching East town belt, from South belt to Hereford street. Streets shingled: — St Asaph street, from Colombo street to Manchester street ; Tuam •treet, from Madras street to Barbadoes

street; St Asaph street, from the lerry Road to Barbadoes street; South town belt, from Madras street to the Gas Works road; Barbadoes street, from Worcester street to the Ferry Road ; Durham street, from Tuam street to the South town belt; Selwyn street, from the Lincoln road to the South town belt ; Manchester street, from Salisbury street to the North town belt; Madras street, from Salisbury street northward, about 12 chains ; Barbadoes street, from Worcester street to Kilmore street ; Montreal street, from the Papanui road to the North town belt ; North town belt, from Colombo street to the Papanui road. V Streets Formed.— St Asaph street, from the Ferry Road to Barbadoes street; Barbadoes street, from the Ferry Road to Worcester street; East town belief rom the Ferry Road to Worcester street; faotpath in Worcester street, from Latimer square to the East town belt; Barbadoes street, from Worcester street to Armagh street; Barbadoes street, from Chester street to Kilmore street; Gloucester street, from Barbadoes street to the East town belt; East town belt, from Worcester street to Gloucester street; East town belt, from Gloucester street to Armagh street i Gloucester street, from Madras street to Barbadoes street; Montreal street, from the Papanui road to the North town belt; Kilmore street,' from Montreal street to Antigua street; Peterborough street, from Montreal street to Antigua* street; Salisbury street, from Colombo street to Durham stre'etj; The following Drain Pipe Culverts have been laid down during 1868 by hired labour : South town belt ; Antigua street and South town belt ; Oxford terrace and Montreal street ; Montreal street near Tuam street ; junction of Durham street with South drain; junction of Worcester street and Cathedral square ; junction of Montreal street and Papanui Road ; junction of Chester street and Antigua street ; junction of Montreal street and Peterborough street ; junction of Salisbury street and Durham street ; Manchester street and South drain (double row of 15 inch) ; East town belt and Ferry Road ; junction of St. Asaph street and East town belt ; Madras street and South drain ; junction of Worcester street and Cathedral square; junction of Worcester street and East town belt; junction of Gloucester street and Manchester street ; Manchester street and Free's Creek (double row of 18 inch) ; junction of Armagh street and East town belt ; junction of Manchester street and Oxford terrace ;' Oxford terrace near Manchester street bridge ; Gloucester street and Barbadoes street (north side) ; Barbadoes street and Gloucester street (south side) ; junction of Manchester street md Cambridge terrace. In addition to the above there have been several wooden culverts laid down on the East town belt, junction of Barbadoes street and Lichfield street, &c. The following works have been done by hired labour in the way of forming, fencing, and planting, &c, in addition to ordinary works: — Footpath formed and shingled on the South town belt, from Antigua street to Colombo street; South town belt, formed from Madras street to the Gas Works road : roadway, twelve feet in width, formed on the North town belt, from the East town belt to Colombo street; deepening South drain, from Durham street to head of drain ; fencing and planting the East town belt from the South town belt to Hereford street; fencing in the North town belt from the Springfield road to Montreal street ; deepening South drain from East town belt to Gas Works road. The work done by prison labour is as follows : — Forming the North town belt, from the Papanui road to the Springfield road ; straightening and improving the bank of the river Avon, between the Gloucester street and Colombo bridges, and turfing the same. The report was approved. The following correspondence was read and considered. Letter from the Timaru Borough Council, acknowledging receipt of a copy of the Municipal Reserves Bill 1868. Letter from the Lyttelton Borough Council on the same subject, but pointing out certain alterations requiredjn the Ordinance. The Mayor remarked that the bill having passed the Provincial Council, nothing beyond acknowledging the letters could be done. Letter from Mr Samuel Jacktnan, calling attention to the bad state and insufficient width of the Salisbury street drain. He expressed his willingness to widen it to 4 feet, clean it out, and keep it in order from the North Town Belt, Madras street, to the river in Salisbury street, for the sura of .£ls per annum. The CoMsncil declined to entertain the proposal. Letter from Mr Quin, secretary to the Christchurch Club, asking permission to drain the premises into the side channel in Worcester street. Referred to the Works committee, with a view to remedying the grievance. Letter from Mr J. Ollivier pointing out a mistake in connection with the assessment of Mr Bronton'B premises in Colombo street. A cottage at the back of the shop had been put down at £40 instead of being included with the shop. It was decided that the Council could not entertain the question. Letter from the cab proprietors, requesting a reduction in the scale of fees for licences. A brief discussion ensued, the tenor of which was favourable to the wishes of those signing the letter, and it was ultimately resolved that when the new by-laws about to be passed are under consideration the reduction of fees should receive due consideration. Letter from the licensed carriers, complaining of owners of unlicensed vehicles carrying parcels. They also stated that the present stand accommodation is inadequate for the requirements of the large number of vehicles now licensed. During a brief discussion on the letter, Councillor Shoppard noticed the overloading frequently indulged in by carters in the city. He thought the Council should adopt some

measures for protecting animals in the same manner as had been done in England. A discussion ensued, but there was nothing decided upon, and the letter was ultimately referred to a sub-committee, with a request .to report thereon. • from Mr G. Oram, stating that he ha*d obtained promises for the whole of the money required by the Council towards anew cart bridge in continuation of Worcester streei. 'xnd asking for the work to be put in hand ii.s early as possible. He enclosed £70 with the letter, and 1.0. U.s from himself end Mr Osborne, for the balance of £20j w4iich was half the estimated cost of the work.; It was resolved without discussion ttmt the resolution of the Council in reference to the bridge having been complied with, the Surveyor be instructed to prepare the necessary plans and specifications, and submit them for approval at the next meeting of the Council. Letter from Dr Foster giving his opinion on drainage by outlying districts into the city drains. He said Road Boards had no right whatever to use the latter, and he was of opinion that the Council might lawfully cut off all communication with them. The Mayor said he had seen a member of the Heathcote Board, and given notice in the name of the Council, for discontinuance of the Heathcote drainage into the city. He had promised to submit it at the next meeting of the Board, and also to communicate with the Spreydon Board on the same matter. A brief discussion ensued during which it appeared there were some natural difficulties in the way of stopping the drainage, and the letter was eventually deferred for further consideration until next meeting of the Council. The Nuisance Inspector reported that a notice served on Mra Ashwin for the abatement of a nuisance on her premises, had been complied with; that Mr Paterson, Cashel street, had been fined 20a in the Magistrate's Court for non- ompliance with a similar one; and that P. King hnd been summmed'for obstructing a thoroughfare by washing his vehicle in a public street, but was dismissed with a caution. The report was approved. Councillor Sawtell's notice of motion for considering the replies of the Road Boards respecting a change in the market day was deferred until something definite is known about the new cattle ground. Councillor Sawtell moved that tenders should be invited for the formation of Peterborough street, from Manchester street to Madras street ; but Councillor Jameson stating that the Works committee intended submitting a comprehensive report on the whole of the unformed streets, the matter was postponed until such be brought up. The Council then adjourned.