AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 567, 20 December 1881, Page 2

AKAROA COUNTY COUNCIL.

A meeting of this Council was held on Saturday last. Present—Messrs Baker (chairman), H. R. Bradley, Fleming, J. Gebbie, Joblin. Manefield, and Pettigrew. MIXDTES. The minutes were read and confirmed, after the word " contested " had" been, added to the record of tlio names of members for districts where polling had taken place. chaikhan's statrment. The following statement waa read :— Since our last meeting a petition has been lodged with the Resident Magistrate Ak roa, against the election of John Beilby Barker as Councillor for the Okainjs Bay Riding, and at Court of Enquiry held for the purpose, the Resident Magistrate declared the election of the said J. B. Barker void. The Clerk haa therefore given the necessary instruction to the Returning officer of the extraordinary vaciency filled. The first business to come before you to-day is the confederation of Mr Armstrong's claim for compensation for land taken for the exteotion of the Balgucrie road. As the Council has taken the land under " The Public Works Act.' , It now rests with the Council either to make him an offer (what they think right,) for the land, or allow the claim to go before an Assessment Court which will beheld for that purpose. The closing of the old Okain's Bay road will not come before you to-day as sufficient data has not been received from the Okains Bay Road Board, but if possible will be brought forward at the next meeting of the Council. CORKESPONDENCE. Letters were read— From the Resident Magistrate, as followq:— " Resident Magistrate's Office, " Akaroa, 13th Dec, 1881. " Sir, —I have the honor to inform you thnt I li'ave this day declared the election of John Beilby Barker as a member of the Akaroa County Council void, and to draw your attention to clause"46 of "The Regulation of- Local Elections Act, 1876.— Yours, etc., "J. Aylmer, , R.M." From the Returning Officer, stating he had taken the necessary steps. ta fill the

caused by Mr Barker's being unMr Armstkong 1 s I otter, the consideration which had. beeri\ deferred from Jast wns then reiH. Masefield said- tiro road at present quite useless ;i unless carnVd through the oM road. It was by .far tho most rond to a large district, if finished. I He was in favor of the £10 pe* acre being I ' paid, but did not .think Armstrong I should have the money for theY fencing I till it had been erected. Ha moved — I 4I That Mr Armstrong's offer of giving the I land Jfor £10 per acre be accepted, but I that the fencing should not be paid foi till I «rected." I Mr J. Gebbie pointed out that the I Council had offered to take the land at I £10 per acre and so they were bound to give it, They also had promised to give H| 30s per chain for the fencing, and when E; it waa done.they Would have to pay that ■ sum whether the fencing cost 53 or 30s I per chain. ■ Mr. W. Barnett hoped the Council were ■ -.; not going to proceed with the fencing of I the road at <snce, as it was not wise to I fence till the road had been formed, and I It would be hrad if Mr Armstrong I came to the Council and asked them to I ■* pay a largo sum for useless fencing. I The correspondence and minutes regard; I ing the matter were read, and Mr MaseI field then altered his rasolution as follows: I :—" That Mr G. Armstrong be written to I offering him the sum of £30, being at the P"- —rate of £10 per acre for the land taken for [..-.' the road, and that he be informed that the Council will pay for tho ; fencing of the said land when the fence is erected as per agreement of date of 29th May, I860."Seconded by the Rev. R. R, Bradley and carried. The following letter from the Selwyn County Council was read:— "Office of the Selwyn County Council, . ' " Christchurch, 10th Dec, 1881. v Sir, —I have the honor, by direction of the Chairman of the Selwyn County Council, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the 26th ult., enclosing copy of a letter received from the Government in reference to letting out Lake Ellesinere, and to state that the matter will be brought before the Council •at its next meeting, 27th inst. lam to point out that the Council has ndt yet leceived any reply to .its enquiry atf«to the probable annual cost of the works proposed.—Youis, etc., " W. Jameson, Clerk." It was pointed out that the matter had beep. arranged, as the Government had undertaken the work of seeing the railway uninjured. Mr Joblin said that he asked for a discussion of the question of draining Lake Ellesmere. He announced his intention of giving notice of motion, so that the matter could be considered at next meet - i.npr- . . From Aknroa and Wainui Road Board, informing the Council that th-y proposed calling .for tenders for the formation of Boßsu road through Rhodes' Flat. The Chairman said he was glad to see this vexed matter settled, and it wad reBolved n copy of tho letter should be sent to Mr Knight. ' From same, asking Council to certify that part of the OkLDuvauchelle's Bay ronl lind bnen stopped as by law required. Mr Gebbie moved, and Mr Pettigrew seconded— ''That tho Clerk be authorised to forward Hie necessary papers connected with the closing of the Duvauchelle's and Lo Bon's Bay roads to the Council's solicitors, and, if correct, ask them to forward the necessary certificates for the Chairman's signature." (Carried.) ■ From Mr Walmaiey, resigning the . post of Registrar of dogs for the Wainui Ridiiig. . . . ■ The resignation wns accepted Mr Gebbie said he thought they shouid endeavor to get ay much of the dog tax in as possible before ihe close of the year, and should like to ccc the police furnished with lists of all thY dogs that had been registered nt the various offices, so tliat they might be able to detect defaulters. The police were energetic in tne matter. Constable Smart, at Little River, had lately caught several persons with unregistered animals, and the police from Lyttelton and Lincoln had also been on the lookout. No less than ten unregistered dogs had been found by them in the valley next to that where he (Mr Gebbie) lived. Mr Barnett snid it was only fair that k every one should pay the tax. It wa» unjust to those who had paid to let the others escape. The Clerk said he thought the registrars would object to make out the lists spoken •of without further remuneration. Mr Joblin said all the police had to do was to go and look at the registrar's books. It was true a fee of 6d had to be paid for inspection, but this might be arranged, Mr Gebbie said that he thought the - police should insist upon the receipt for v the registration of the dogs being produced when asked for. The collars were only a partial check, for a dog might lose his collar, and a man might find it and put it on his own unregistered dog. It was for cases like this that the police wanted the fullest information, and ho begged to V move—"That the registrars of doga in the county be asked to furnish the police with a list of all. dogs registered during the year, viz., Tai Tapn registrar - to Lincoln police, Governor's Bay do to Lyttelton, the rest of the county to Akaroa police." The police were trying to do their best, and the Council should help them." Mr Masefield seconded the resolution which was carried. THE NEW FENCING ACT, Mr Masefield said he wished to call the Council's attention to this Act. # He had read it, and thought it a very suitable one foi this county, He did not know whether or not the new Act had to be specially adopted by the Council, but if so thought it should be done. Mr Joblin thought the new act would be in force unless they specially agreed to the old one being still adhered to. \ Mr Gebbie thought Mr Masefield should \ give notice of motion on the subject; as *! K few members had etudied the new act. .a The Chairman referred the speaker to clause 40 of the act, -which states that if the Council of any County shall by resolution request the Governor to suspend the operation of this Act he shall suspend it accordingly. riv , • wV'l t\\prnfnrr> c ep thnt the act • \.\ :-. .. '"• -1 n.

ACCOUNTS. Accounts amounting to £52 0s 9d were passed for payment. NOTICE OP MOTION. a Mr G. U. Joblin gave notice of his intention to bring before the Council at their next meeting a motion, having for its object the preservation of that part of the Akaroa Eailway that passes through the Lake Ellesmere Reserve, and for the immediate utilisation of the said Lake Ellesmere Reserve. The meeting then adjourned till Satur-

day, January 28.