CITY COUNCIL.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 619, 17 May 1870, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

Monday, May 16. A special .meeting was held at 7 p.m. for the purpose of approving certain by-laws previously submitted to the Couucil. His Worslup the Mayor presided, and there were also present— Councillors Jameson, Goss, Bishop, Hart, Pratt, Anderson, Sawtell, and Calvert. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. The by-laws as agreed to on the llth of April were signed by his Worship and sealed with the Corporate seal. The ordinary weekly meeting of the Couucil was then held. A letter was read from the Provincial Secretary stating that the Government had much pleasure in consenting to the presentation of £5 to Mr Warder Fergusson for his services in superintending the hard labour gang during the time they wero working for the Council on the banks of the river. The Town Clerk reported per balance sheet that since last meeting he had received from rates £25 5s ; scavenging, £35 10s 9d ; stone kerbing (Messrs Beath and Lane), £5 12s; ref und of expenses connected with the late fire, £1 ; builder's license, 5s ; Marketplace rent, 12s ; total, £67 19s 9d ; and that the overdraft at the bank was £655 18s "d. Several accounts were passed and ordered to be paid. **The Surveyor's Report was read and considered. Mr Taylor had completed his contract for carting the 50.0 yards of broken metal from the Lincoln Road, and the whole of it had been laid on High street from St. Asaph streot to Colombo street, a distance of 33 chains. The extra hands engaged for picking up High street in preparation for the metal had been discharged. The length of stone, channelling ordered for Manchester street had been laid. The labour gmg had been employed during the week in carting side drain rubbish ; picking up and metalling High street ; stone channelling ln Manchester street ; wood kerbing and levelling the Papanui Road ; clearing the side of roadwayß in Manchester, Hereford streets, &c. ; repairing South town belt, Madras street, Hereford street. Ferry Road, and Papanui Road, with shingle ; clearing out the south drain aud stonekerbing in Cashel street. The report was approved. Councillor Jameson, referring to the metalling of High street, said the carting had cost £56, and the picking and spreading £34, making a total expenditure by the Council of £90. Had the Government not given them the metal, however, that amount would have been increased by £187, bringing the gross total up to £277. Ihe work had been carried out remarkably well. In reply to Councillor Hart, his Worship stated that canvassing f.ir subscriptions towards the cost of increased fire prevention plant was not being neglected, but that upwards of £45 had been collected in one street during the past week, and that the total so far obtained, amounted to ab>ut £500. Councillor Anderson also added that no contributions had yet been received from the Banks, which there was good reason to believe would give liberally. He bad conversed with one of the managers, who had written a favourable letter to head quarters respecting the amount he should subscribe, and very probably otber Banks would in a measure be guided by it. A letter was read from the Templeton Road Board conveying their entire concurrence in the opinion of the Council that Government property should be rated in the same manner as private property for river conservation purposes. A letter was also read from residents on an accommodation road leading from Manchester street north to Madras street, requesting the Council to levy a special rate for the purpose of metalling the same. His Worship remarking upon the letter said it was evidently an answer to the resolution passed at last meeting, whereby the residents were required to put the road in complete repair before the Council would consent to take it over. The proposed rate, which could not be made more tban ls in the £, would not, however, realise half what the metalling of the road would cost, and therefore the Couucil could not comply with the letter consistently with their previous resolution. After soAc discussion the Clerk was instructed to inform the requisitionists that as the rate would only amount to about £4 10s, and the metalling would cost £25, subscriptions to make up the difference between these amounts must be guaranteed before the Council could undertake to have anything to do with the road. The rate collector handed in a report of defaulters for the 1869 rate in the N.E. quarter of the city, and- intimated that tbe losses in that part would he very small. Tbe Town Clerk said the total amount outstanding in this locality was a little over £59. Permission was granted to John Walker to

transfer his cab-owner's license to Patrick King. A conversation, introduced by Councillor Hart, took place relative to the desirability of a protective fence or railing being erected around Godley's statue, but the Council having no power over the ground on which it stands, did not think they would be justified in doing any such work, or that they had any right to interfere. His Worship reminded the Council that a special meeting would be held at 1 1 o'clock to-morrow morning (Tuesday), for the purpose of hearing objections against the new assessment for the city. The .Council thea adjourned j