CITY COUNCIL.

Wellington Independent, Volume XXVI, Issue 3313, 7 October 1871, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The Council met yesterday. Present — the Mayor, (Mr Dransfield), and Councillors Mills, Buckley, Bannatyne, Moss, Borlase, Bainie, Millor, and Krull. WELLINGTON CITY RESERVES. The Mayor drew attention to the Wellington City Keserves Bill now before tho Assembly, and referred to three clauses of the bill as clauses feo which, he thought, the Council should object. He intimated that, so as to have an opinion expressed by the Council on the subject, he had arranged that the second reading should not immediately be proceeded with. At present the town bolt brought into the Corporation a revenue of £500 or £600 a year, which was used for the general requirements of the city. The throe clauses referred to would entirely alter this. It was proposed to appoint a board to hare charge of these reserves, and one of the clauses was to the effect that the baard should consist of two ex offido, three nominated, and four elected commissioners, Tho ex offioio members were to be the Superintendent and Mayor; those nominated were to be appointed by the Governor ; and those elected were to be elected by the ratepayers ; each of the two latter classes holding office for three years. These clauses took the matter almost entirely out of the hands of the Council. Mr Miller : And the funds too— that is the worst. The Mayor said what ho had to suggest was that tho only board who should deal with the reserves was the City Corporation, and, if the members agreed with him, he hoped his Honor the Superintendent would do so also. It would bo wrong of them to allow such a sum of money, or tho right of managing the reserves, to pass out of their hands entirely. The difficulty was that the Wesleyan reserve was included. The members of Assembly might object to that being in tho hands of tho Corporation, and no doubt; a portion of the money derivable from the town belt should be expended iv improving it and other reserves. Ho hoped tho Council would take some steps in the matter by appointing a committee to confer with the Superintendent, and to watch the progress of this bill. Mr Buckley thought that, if the faofes were as described by the Mayor, they should not only watch the bill, but oppose it. There appoared to be no necossity for the bill uuless it was with tho object of taking the property out of tho hands of the Corporation. If an act were in this way brought in to deprive the Corporation of annual receipts to the amount of £600, they might bring in another bill to sell the property altogether. Ho understood that it was town property. Mr Borlase : No j as a matter of fact, it is not. I Mr Buckley : Tho Supnrintendent is trustee for it, and there is nothing to prevent us loasing it. Mr BORLABE agroed with tho Mayor that such a committee should bo appointed. The history of tho matter was this. Some years ago the Superintendent and others wished that this land should be loased, and it was leased, and when a Corporation was established, these leases wero assigned to the Corporation. They had these leases now. The Superintendent, Dr Featherston, to him personally had said " Whenever you are prepared to accept the care of these lands, I am prepared to assent to it." Mr Buckley: But he is only a trustee, after all. Mr Boelasb : He had the power to convoy his interest in the property. The reason why thoao different parcels of land were not assigned was that we could not afford to pay for the thing being done. We took an assignment of tho leases, so that we could deal with the property, and wo thought wo could get a conveyance, as tho Superintendent had beon ready to convey the property in fee simple. That was the Btate of the case, It now appears that there is a con*

fiiction of acts, and it appears desirable to explain all that, and to do away -with all doubts there should be power given, as I say, to the Corporation, but, as they say to a Board of Commissioners. The City Solicitor has drafted this bill, and no doubt, as regards these three clauses, he has made a mistake. If these clauses had been submitted to this Council, I am quite certain they would have been altered. Mr Buckley : Who authorised the solicitor to do this ? Mr Boblase : The authority is contained in a resolution of the Town Board, but the bill should have been laid before us. We did not appoint Mr Travers to make luwa for us ; and hero is a thing that he is attempting to bring on which I am certain no member of this Council will agree to. To create an indepondent corporation to take away the manage* meut of our own reserves ! Is that what we wanted? It ought to have been brought before us. I never would, and never will, agree to the taking away from any corporation the power of managing its own i-e3orves. It is necessary to see that we be represented in this matter. We are taken by surprise. I am certain we shall not agree to it, and I think we should appoint a committee to watch a bill which we believe to be contrary to the principles by which we ought to be guided. The Mayor, in reply to some remarks from Mr Buckley, explained that the bill had only been shown to him on the previous day byjti»e-. Provincial Solicitor, and ho understood thftjir the second reading had been postponed unFil some day next week. The Provinotal Government requested the opinions of the Council on the bill, and would endeavor to have these carried out. All that required to be done was to wait upon the Superintendent, and arrange in what shape the bill should be put. Mr Buckley : What necessity is there for the bill ? The Mayor further explained that when it was decided to lease the Te Aro reserve, the Council was told that their title was a bad one, and the same occurred when they desired to lease a portion of the Town Belt. Mr Buckley thought the plea that the title was bad was of small consideration. The leases were taken on such conditions as they chose to impose. At any time the lessee was asked to give up his lease, he was bound to do so. As to the bill itself, he thought that copies should have been furnished to the Council, and the matters with which it dealt brought under their consideration sooner. Mr Miller: 3Tirafc of all the Provincial Council comes and wheedles you into buying the reclaimed land, and now they want to take the reserves from you. Mr Moss proposed that a committee, con* sisting of the Mayor, Mr Bannatyne, and Mr Borlaso, be appointed to confer with the Superintendent ; and this was agreed to, the name of the mover being added to the committoe. Mr Boblase gave notice of a motion to the effect that the Solicitor, before undertaking to proceed with any bill, should submit the same to the Council. MISCELLANEOUS. Mr Moss postponed a motion of which ha had given notice with regard to contracts for printing and advertising. Mr Bainie proposed a diversion of the Tinakori Road culvert, the advantages of which he explained. His motion was that the work should be undertaken when sufficient funds are available. Mr Moss proposed that the matter should be referred to the Surveyor, to be made the subject of report as to the probable cost ; and that was agreed to. Mr Buckley postponed 'a motion of tvlrioh he had given notice, on the subject of bathe* On the proposition of Mr Bainie, it was made an instruction to the surveyor that certain work should be done in Mulgrave street, and to the breastwork there. On the motion of Mr Moss, it was agreed to erect a lamp on the Terrace, opposite the steps. Mr BorjCASe, on the subject of watering the streets, gave it as his opinion that they could not pas 3 a special rate for the purpose ; and the Mayoe suggested that they should ascertain from the inhabitants what they would do themselves, and then give a subsidy. The Surveyor read a draft estimate of the cost of special and general works for the year, a complete estimate of whioh will be given at next meeting. A number of accounts having been passed, the meeting was adjourned.