SPECIAL MEETING.

Akaroa Mail and Banks Peninsula Advertiser, Volume VI, Issue 568, 23 December 1881, Page 2

SPECIAL MEETING.

A special meeting of this Council was held on Wednesday evening. Present— His Worship the Mayor, Crs Black, Cullen,. Bruce, nnd McGregor.

The Mayor said their first business was to hear the report of the Works Committee. WORKS COMMITTEE REPORT. Cr Cullen then read the following report : —" Your committee have to report that in compliance with resolution of the Council they inspected the works on the Balguerie street contract, in company with the engineer, and pointed out several parts that were deficient in the quantity of metal. These defects the engineer engaged to see rectified and report when completed. This report is to hand. With regard to the extras in the account of Mr Burns, the contractor, your committee endors-e the opinion of the engineer, that the charge for extra metalling to foot paths, extra culvert, etc., is reasonable. With reference to Mr letter received at a meeting of the Council held on 7th inst., your committee see no reason to alter the resolution of the Council passed at the meeting of 23rd ultimo. Cr McGregor moved the adoption of tho report. This was seconded by Cr Black and carried. The Mayor read the engineer's certificate, stating that Mr Burns had finished his contract. It was agreed that the balance of £66 10s due to Mr Burns should be passed, less the £9 due to Mr John Dixon as clerk of works* v The clerk of works account was then passed. n ARBOR BOARD DUES. The following letter was read :— ' " Marine Department, Wellington, . "Bth Dec, 1881, •i Sir, —I have tbe honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the Ist ultimo, forwarding copy of proposed regulations and wharfage dues for the Akaroa wharf, and stating that the Borough pencil would prefer to make the regulations and fix the dues by bye- law under section 215 of 'The Harbors Act, 1878,' instead of having it done by order in Council, and in reply to state that as only Harbor Boards cap proceed under the Bection quoted, the wishes of the Council in this respect cannot be complied with. I.should also point out that some of the proposed regulations are contained in the General Haibor Regulations, and are therefore already in force. With regard to those not included therein, and which weuld be purely local in their operation, it will be necessary to furnish good reasons to show that they are really required before they could be put into force. As it is obviously desirable that persons interested -hould have an opportunity of seeing the proposed scale; of dues before thoy become operative, it would be advisable that the Council should have them published, in some newspaper circulating in the district, with an announcement that it is intended to apply to the Government to have them fixed. After this has been done, and any objections which may be _nade>*to them have been duly considered, the schedule of dues as finally decided dn should be sent to this department so that they may be fixed by order in Council in pursuance of the authority given by the 4th sectidtt of 'The Harbors Apt Amendment- Act, 1879.'—Yours, etc., •" William Seed."

Cr McGregor said that he did not agree with the letter, as he was sure Jhisy had legal grounds for proceeding in tha way they had proposed. At the same tiroe' he thought they should take the advice of a grandmotherly Government, and had no doubt if the matter were relegated to the Wharf Committee they would see it carried out. *

After discussion «jt was incTed by Cr Cullen " That tho matter be left in the hand's of the Wharf Committee with power to act. y Seconded by Cr Black and carried.