TOWN COUNCIL.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 1, 3 November 1869, Page 3

TOWN COUNCIL.

Tho usual fortnightly mooting of thoLawrenco Town Council was hold in tho Council Chambers on Thursday evening last, having liaeri adjoitruud from tho previous evening, in eousoqiumco of Major Richardson's looturq. Present: All tho members, except tho Mayor and Cr! Karrop. C'r. Moars in tho chair. Tiie minutes of the proviouS mooting wero read and uonllriiied. A letter was rcooived from sorrio parties, wishing to mine on the main road, nuar Mr Williams's house. Tho Clerk was instructed to inforul thorn that as thu main road was entirely .Government I •property, the Council havo no power to grant any such leave as that sought: NIHSANCKS. ~ Cr. Keen stated that himself and several others have very properly baeri Huniino'nod for tho nuisanco at tho roar of thoir respective premises at tho top of Pool-3treot. On his premises ho had constructed a capital drain at considerable oxponse ; and somo time since he had paid for the construction of a drain on his neighbours' property, hut it was since filled up with rubbish, and the consequence was that all his neighbors' drainage (lowed over his (Cr. Keen's) laud. The Public Works Committee had decided that the respective owners of property Should bear ratably the expense of a cross drain at the roar of their premises. Had this been done there would have been no occasion for any legal process ; and as he (Cr. Keen) had always. been ready a.al anxious to pay his portion, he intended to defend the action which had boon brought against him. The Chairman- said that, although it might bear hardly on some of those who had been willing to do what was right in the matter, as there were one or two who would not comply, the Nuisance Inspector had no alternative but to proceed against them all to compel every one of them to agree and to do the work. sale of sections. I The Chairman stated that this sale had not j been advertised in a business-like way ; and unI less the advertisement was altered, it would be | a failure. The advertisement did not state that I the sale was to be by auction at all, and he i would be glad if some L'oungillor would move I in the matter. It was resolved, on the motion of Cr. Walker, seconded by Cr. Coyer'hp 1 , that the Clerk be I directed to instruct Mr M. Hay to sell the sec- ] tions, and to advertise in the usual m'auner. LEASES. Cr. Coverlid stated that he know that in | many cases the cost of the leases would deter I persons from baying municipal sections. Some ! were of such small value that parties would not I buy them at all if they had to pay say £fj for the | lease; He would like to know whether a printed | form could not be supplied, so as to make the ! cost a nominal one. Perhaps Cr. Keen could enlighten the Council on the subject. C'r. Keen said he was at a loss to know how I C'r. Coverlid had jumped at £5 as the precise i and exact cost of a lease. Leasts sometimes i cost £lO, £ls, £2o, and even more ; and some- ' times they cost less than £5. It was proposed to obtain a draft from Duni edin and get it printed, several Councillors conI tending that unless the Council did something ! to render the leases very inexpensive, but few sections would be sold, Cr. Keen was asked whether a printed lease would hold good, and he replied that most certainly it would if the proper conditions in such matters were complied with. A printed iustrui incut would be of course quite equal to a written | one ; and as he saw that the Council was deter- | mined to do somsthing in the matter, he would ! move that a draft lease be prepared by Mr W. j H. U'Keay, through' Iris clerk, Mr Mount. The Chairman highly approved of the suggesi tioii ; and it was seconded by Cr. Coverlid, | and carried unanimously. THE CEMBTERY. Cr. Keen said that he and others had heard | a report to the effect that the Town Clerk had, j on his own responsibility, written to the Pro•l vincial Government denying the truth of the i statements contained in the memorial recently j adopted by the' Council relative to the Cemetery j -a memorial which was"adopted by the Couu- ; oil unanimously, after having been most carefully ! gone over several times in order to prevent the transmission- to the Government of anything not . strictly correct. Ho was aware thai in his capacity of Secretary to the Trustees the ToVn Clerk had written to the Government by direction of ; the Trustees ; but he wished to know whether j ba/urc thai he had written, on his own rcsponsi- ] bility. The Town Clerk rose and said that he had so done, and that he had plainly told the Go- ! verivment tint the memorial was " one vile false- | hood.'' The 'Chairman requested the Town' Clerk to leave the room while the matter was under discussion—which he did. The Chairman said that if such conduct as this was to bo put up with, he certainly should not continue a member of the Council. Tho Council had most carefully prepared and considered a memorial on a very important subject —a memorial containing nothing but the most absolute truth from beginning to end, —and now tbey Were iusultcd by their own clerk tolling them they were a parcel of liars : for that was just what it amounted' to. Ho would thank I some gentleman for a motion on the subject. Cr. Walker stigmatised the conduct of the | Town Clerk as disgraceful: he should certainly I resign if it was toleraced. Although perhaps | not 1 quite in order, he would just like to mention i two'facts which hud within'the Last Week come i under his notice. The May or had denied the truthfulness of the assertion that cattle depastured in tho Cemetery. At least half-a-dozen times within a week he (Cr. Walker) had'driven cattle out—cattle' which" were committing all ! sorts of depredations. Again, a carter arrived from Hunedin with a monument and railing for j the grave of a person buried three years siueo. i The whereabouts of the grave no one could toll; and after hours of search and enquiry, the carter said he should just put the stone and railing on to any grave at haphazard, which he accordingly'did! He thought that such'a state of I things being allowed was disgraceful to an unI bearable degree. Crs. CovußLUi and Henry" spoke warmly to I the same effect. Cr. Keen moved, "That the Town Clerk be | directed to'fumish'the Council with a copy of i his letter to the" Government in which he, on his'own responsibility, denied the truthfulness of tho memorial—and to furnish any explanation i which he may have to offer—at the next meeting I of the Council." This was seconded by Cr. Covkrlip, and car- ! ried. The t own Clerk was then sent for, and re- ! turned. A motion by Crs.' Coverlid' and Walker, j relative to the gravelling of certain footpaths, was adopted. | Cr. Henry moved, and- Cr. Coverlid scI conlled, " That the Cemetery Memorial Com- ! mittac bo instructed' to meet on Monday night ! next,'at eight o'clock." i The Council ttien adjourned.