LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume XVIII, Issue 1123, 28 February 1885, Page 3

LAWRENCE BOROUGH COUNCIL.

[Held over from last issue.]

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the above body was held „ in the Council Chambers on Monday evening. Present - — His Worship the Mayor (J. Thompson, Esq.) and Crs Fraer, Johnston, Taylor, Morrison, Craig, Chalmers, Miller, and M'Kinlay. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed, and the outward correspondence approved. At the conclusion of the reading of the outward correspondence, the Mayor mentioned that he had received word from the Defence Minister, in reply to their application, stating that another constable was to be sent to Lawrence as soon as possible. INWAKD CORRESPONDENCE. The inward correspondence, which was read, consisted of Letter from the Inspector of Nuisances (Mr D. Cochraue), tendering his resignation as Inspector. — On the motion of Cr Fraer, seconded by Cr Craig; the resignation was accepted. — Or Morrison moved : " That applications be Invited for the office of Inspector of Nuisances, the salary to be £20 per annum."— Cr Taylor seconded.— Carried. , From Herbert and Co., stating that they had accepted a tender for asphalting the pavement in front of their premises in Boss Place, and requesting the Council to get the kerbing done as soon as possible ; also suggesting that the Council make the kerbing of concrete. — On the motion of Cr Taylor, seconded by Or Craig, the letter was referred to the Works Committee to report at next meeting.— Cr Chalmers thought that wooden kerbing would be quite good enough, as decided^ at a previous meeting ; in fact he did not think the Council ought to make the kerbing at all.— Cr Johnston thought as Herbert and Co. were going to tbe expense of asphalting the pavement, the Council ought to do the kerbing ; and if any other parties wished to asphalt the pavement in front of their premises that they should be treated in the same way. —It was generally thought that as the pavement in its present state was a nuisance, and also dangerous, the sooner the asphalting was finished the better. From Mr Docherty (accompanied by colored plan), as follows : — I have to acknowledge receipt of letter from the Town Clerk re exchange of land in Ross Place and Derwent-street. I regret that there should have been any misunderstanding in the matter, as I fully understood that when I agreed to take 15ft in front and give 33ft at the back that the line was to be drawn, a3 shown on the plan, from Ato B ; but lam quite agreeable to take other sft in front, making in all 20ft, as shown from D to E, and will then give the land, as shown on plan from Ato 0, continuing the line to D. This you will see gives you a considerably larger area of land than you give me, and which, for the purposes required by the Council, '8 of quite as much value to them as the smaller area is to me. It was the Council that first proposed the exchange of land to me, so as to get a better site for the bridge.— Cr Fraer said it was necessary that the Council should obtain the land as shown on the plan. — Cr Taylor moved : " That the Council agree to exchange the land colored pink with Mr Docherty for the piece colored green, as shown in tha plan submitted by him to the Council."— Cr Fraer seconded. — Cr Morrison was strongly opposed to the Council departing from the terms of their original agreement with Mr Docherty — viz., that he was to give 33ft at the back of hia section fronting Derwent-street in exchange for 10ft frontage to Ros3 Place. When this agreement was entered into, the Councillors — or at least the majority of them — were satisfied with the exchange ; and therefore he did not see why an additional sft of frontage to Boss Place should be conceded to Mr Docherty. He moved to the effect that the terms of the original agreement with Mr Docherty re exchange of land in Derwent-street be adhered to. — Cr Chalmers seconded. In terms of the original agreement entered into with Mr Docherty he was to receive 15ft frontage for the same area of ground he was now seeking 20ft of frontage for. There was no telling how far Mr Docherty would go if the Council did not adhere to the original agreement.— Cr Fraer pointed out that there was no original agreement. —The Mayor said the Council failed in the first instance to have a proper understanding with Mr Docherty re the exchange of land. — Cr Miller was averse to giving Mr Docherty an inch more land than he was entitled to, but, at the same time, it must be admitted that Mr Docherty had them by the " wool," thus perforce compelling them to accede to his terms. He (Cr Miller) considered, after taking everything into consideration, it would he better to give Mr Docherty what he- wanted, and get the matter settled, so as to have the footpath made as soon as | possible.^-Cr Taylor said that the ground might be of some value to Mr Docherty, but would be of no value to the Council, so the Council was not losing anything. —The Mayor said that Mr Docherty might build on the ground, and they would benefit by the rates, &c. The land at present was of no use to them. He then put the amendment to the meeting, but only the mover and seconder voted for it, and it was therefore lost. The motion was next put to the meeting, and declared carried altqoat unanimously. $ w^as resolved,' on the motion of Cr Fraer, seconded. by Cr Johnston: "That the, dost of survey and transfer of the land be 'borne equally by the Council and Mr Docherty.?

PUBLIC WORKS CQMIfiTTEII's BEPOET.

The Public Works Committee reported that since last meeting of the Council the surfacemen had been engaged, along with the assistance of a mason, constructing- a culvert in "Derwent-street, opposite the Colonial Bank. Improvements had also been effected to the road beyon,d the footbridge in Derwen,t-street. It was intended, that the next work to be taken in hand by the surfacemen was the laying of pipes from Mr Moore's property to the drainage channel. — The report was adopted. ,

ACCOUNTS. >

The following accounts were referred to the Public Works', Finance, and Cemetery Committees for payment if found correct :r-W. , Watson, £9 9s ; and J. White, £3.: " NOTICE OF MOTION.

Cr Taylor gave notice of motion : "That tenders be called for 200yda of bluestone metal to be laid in fioss Place and Whitehaven-atreet."

At the suggestion of Cr Miller, the Town Clerk was requested to lay on the : table at next meeting a statement of receipts, and Expenditure. .' ■ , - !' The Council then adjourned*.

Ladies find fault with postcards because ,there t isn't room enough on them for a i postscripts