HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 890, 7 March 1878, Page 2

HAMILTON BOROUGH COUNCIL.

A meeting of the Councilwas held on Monday evening, ab half past seven o'clock m the Court House, Hamilton. Present : The Mayor, I. R, Vialou, Esqr., and Ors. Potter, Gardiner, Gwynne, Gaudin, Dawson, Beale, Hume, Cox and Coates. The minutes of the preceding meeting were read and coufirmed after some little discussion as to the wording of certain motions. CORRESPONDENCE. A letter was read from Mr C. C. Wood, claiming 1 damages to the extent of £110 for injury done to his property iv Victoria street by the late Hamilton West Town Board. ! Also, a copy of a letter from the j Mayor to the Commissioner •>* ' Waste Lands, Auckland, asking that the applications made for several town acres by private individuals might not be considered until the grant of 100 acres witliiu the Borough had been male. The application made by Mt Cassidy for >* lioense lor i si ugh mnouse within the rtoroigh w.,: ordered to «tand o-er, as mi .\ct ■ 1 1877 appeared to revoke the ptnv> i giv^u m the M.unicip»tl G» |MwtMn : ;iet, 1876, to the Bn-jugh tv to lioe.iso saught^ruouses with us iuS limUs. A siatemtnt of the present fui.d if the li r.fugu, laid on ihe tub.' by iho Mayor, siiowdd tiiat tiu Borough's assets am >unc to a suiu of iS4O 3.5. accrued cilice the formation ot me Boroug , as follows : £ a. d. Mr dimming' s deposit at Mayoralty election .. .. 10 0 0 Mr Pearce's extension of license 3 0 0 Williams, tine and<joßtain RM. Court — furious driving . . 13 0 Potter, punt rent ... 26 0 0 Total ... ... 40 3 o' Cr. i> a.o had a matter winch he wished to brin^ under the notice oi Oonncil, A letter signed " A Ratepayer" had appeared m the vVaikato Times, of the 26th alt. reflecting on the council proceedings m a uio.*t unjustifiable - manu^r, accusing ihe Council of unnecessary delay and with talking less 'lusiues;- - t( an nonsense. He shoul I live the Council to take sooia action m the matter. He believed cousidering that none of the public were present at the meeting, and that cue letter bore date the 00th February, previous to the publication m full of Council's business, that the letter was written by the Editor himself ■r by one of the Council. He .did not, however believe that any of the Council had written it. He would call upon, the Editor of the paper then present to make some state, inant to the Council on the matter. The Mayor : -We have nothing to do with the remarKS of the Press, unless of a libellous character, and then we have our remidy. The Council were fairly open as a public institution to criticism either by thf Press itself, or by correspondents using its columns. If the Council took notice of and entered intOjdi-iCUvS-sion on Qvevy thing that appeared m the papers reflecting upon them, they would have enough to do. It would be far wiser to let such mairers alone, and attend to the work before them. Seveial other members expressed similar opinions. Cr, Beale again suggested that the representative of" the Press ljei:iopresent, should be asked to make a statement. The represent «tive of the Pr s-> suggested that he »■ ould fir I. h • it-rested by the S-rg-unt at Ann, and then be brought Njnimliy bef»re the "bar " of ttie Council. A general ti.ter r.»n ihr.uigh th Council and the jifjbliu jn the gallery, *ud Cr. B ale collapsed Cr. Potter tlien pro.osed the following motion, vvliich was secon■U'd by Cr. Gardiner, That tenders be invited for plans and dpeci£Wions, working drawings, and such general information as wiJJ enable contrators to tender for the proposed traffic bridge over the Waikato at Hamilton. In moving th« above resolution, Cr Potter s;iid \v> did no!? believe hey should nsk th^ ratepayers to approve t.he borrowing of money find " pledging the rates for the erection of ' a 'brl fge without, having something taagiiil-.- to lay before them. Plans and spi c n'cu ions must be first prejiarcd, t.» hhow thf ratepayers what it was they wexv a.->ke.d to tax themselves for. Cv. Gaudin thought it waste of time tcT britig forward at the ne^ct meeting a motiou lost at the previous one, as had jus-; been done. T|je Mayor said it had been deci'dftd t/^-'^/ait for the plans and Specification of if pr'i.djge prepared m the Government offices sometime ago, which Sir George Grey had promised should be ibruarcled to them on application. These plans had been applied for by the Councii, but sufficient time had not elapsed '

tr.r the receipt of them froaiWeVlington Immediately on Sir %co. Greys arrival m Wellington lately he had telegraphed to the Mayor stating that he, the Premier,' had given orders that the papers should be forwarded to Hamilton. If these plans caroe within the reach of the Council, it would be absurd to waste money m calling for competitive drawings. But very little time would be lost oy waVinT, and much expense saved if the plans w*»re suitable. Of this the Council might be sure, they would „be such as 'he Government would itself approve. What they ought rathei to hurry m was the going through the preliminary work of authorising a loan, which would necessarily occupy some tw.o or three mouths. He believed it would be desirable to ask for a loan of £7,000— not that it would be necessary t, raise the whole amount if ■ not requires, but it would be well to be m a position to do so, without coining on the market for a second loan afterwards. All competent persons with whom he had spoken m Auckland expressed an opinion that the bridge wouid cost more than estimated (£7,000), none thoughtless ihe£9,ooo,some more than £1 0,000. It would therefore be better to authorise the raising of a sum sufficient to briug the Government grant up to £10,000 m case it were needed, and moved as an amendment : That this Council defer calling for competitive drawings until -we receive' the drawings, etc., promised by the Premier —waiting one fortnight. ihe amendment was seconded by (Jr. Gaudm and carriedOr. Gaudin ihuu moved and Or. (Joates seconded. That notice, m accordance with clause 140, of the " iiiunicipal Corporations Act, i6/o, ' ( be published of the intention of bina (Joumui to erect a bridge aoro^s the vVaikato, at Hamilton, and of borrowing i'/UuO xur that purpose. (Jr. i/uoun- upp.iteJ doing an, .iiing ma. t jia..s ana spec.fi auons ot one urug« werts bijiore tiißiu and .i.ov,.u That, this. Council take no steps m regard. U| raising funds for any public work, ouppuruiii by piaiid aud speoirica"Wi»i etc., iv reference ho aie name. ±..e arußiidUi .ub naa oouiuUid >>\ Or. Gardiuer. Or. H me thought that muou tune would be saved uy at one',: laking the preliminary steps for authorising a loan. Tue mouej must be had before uhe biidge could be . built, aud oeitain bu^s * ere necessary to be taken befbn i^ne mouf-y could be raised. The M.jyor : It will take four iuouths to do it. li, did not follow' ajat thoa^li they goD authority to raise £7,000, deuentures to the mil aniuionno should be issued, if -he whole of the money was not wanted. It would ue a mistake to borrow too iitie aud have to go to vie ratepayers again. Cr. Potter's aine udmeut was then put and lost. JjW the .wnendmeiu : Urs. Po. ter and Gardiner ; u^ainsu : Ova. Dcivvson, Cox, Gwywiie, Gaudiu, Benin, Coatee, Hume and the Mayor. The Mayor suggested th.n, <,& as they had no rules whateva for oueir conduct ot business, and a..-, oiie committee ap ( omted to uraw up by-laws had not yet had opportunity to do so, they . sauuld for uheir present guidance adopt Uitj (Suanding Orders of the Auckland Uity (Jouuoil. Councillors generally expressing a desire to have an opportunity oi considering these standing orders, oefors committing the Uouucii lv chem the, matter was on the motion of (Jr. Potter, secouded by Cr. Cox postp/tnied till the next inee.iu^. A resolution proposed by Ci-. Beuleand seconded by Or Hume waa passed that the meetings ot the Council should be heid. weekly insieai of toithnightly. Cr. Beaie stating thare was a general feeling ..hat tilts (Jouuoil might do more than it had done. Tue Council then adjourned till 7 p.m. on xVlonduy next. notices op motion fok next MEETING. By Cr. Potter :— That any proceeding: taken by this Council, for the purpose of raising special loans for public work 3, shall specify and embrace " Loan for Bridge,' ' and *' Loan for tramway," to connect the main trunk line with the public square, East side the .Borough, or as near as the Councd deem fit. B Cr. Be.tle:— T!-at, at the expiration of the present lease of the Hamilton ferry, this Council resolves to abolish punt dues on telegraphic messages forwarded m bnsiness hours to persons resident on the East side the river.