CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2056, 7 December 1869, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The special meeting of the Council convened yesterday was attended by the Mayor and all the Councillors. ' On the cas committee’s report, which was published in last evening’s issue, being read, The Mayojj, stated that be had taken on himself the responsibility of addressing the following letter to the lessee of the gas works : “Corporation Offices, 6th December, iB6O. “J. W. Hutchison, Esq., Cas Lessee. “Will you be so good as to furnish me as Mayor of this city, with answas to the following queries. “Ist. On the conclusion of your present contract for lighting public lamps, at what reduction arc you prepared to light them for the following three years. “2nd. What reduction are yon prepared to make to the general public for gas supply for some period.

“ I -would feel much obliged for an early answer to the above queries, (Signed) “ Thomas Birch, Mayor.” Mr Fish at once rose and condemne I the action of the Mayor, in writing the letter without first consulting the Council, as in-di-cret, not to say impolitic. The letter on "lit not to have been indited, unless on boh af of the Council. He thought that in a a matter of such vast importance the council should have been first consulted. He did not wish to be invidious, but when he saw such things going on, he could not help coining to the conclusion that there was some one working, or some wire pulling behind the scenes, of which the members of the Council were not cognisant. The Mayor : I must rise and call Mr Fish to order. I think such remarks as Mr Fish has made, are to say the least, indiscreet, and do not reflect credit on the gentleman we find using them. Mr Al'Clasiian regrett-d the tone the discussion was about to assume Motives had been impute 1 in this case, as Mr Fish had done on many previous occasions, and it was bad taste to do so.

Air Wilkinson asked when the Alayor sent the letter to Mr Hutchison. Mr Fish submitted that he had said nothing that he should bo culled to order for. The ! Mayor contended that he had by imputing motives. Ho (ihe Mayor) had not the slightest fear of auy discussion that might take place. If Air Fish did not take his seat, he should certainly take other means to have him put down. Mr Fish replied that his Worship might take whatever means he pleased. He (Mr Fish) had not as yet imputed motives to any councillor. But he repeated when he found such things taking place behind their hacks under the direction of the chief executive officer of the Corporation, he felt he was justified in believing that it was caused by pressure from outside. He thought the step the Alayor had taken was ill-advised, wrongly conceived, and exceedingly badly executed. Air Dons also condemned the action of the Alayor. Mr Fish moved that Air Hutchison’s letter he not re d. He considered that before the Council should entertain any letter from Air Hutchison, it should be preceded by an ample apology for the insult he had previously offered to the Council. He thought that any letter from Air Hutchison should come at the express wish of the Gas Committee, and the Alayor in placing himself in communication with that gentleman had exceeded his duty. Air Thoneman seconded, and Messrs Dons and Walter supported the motion, _ the latter urging that the letter, if received, would be the most public insult offered to any committee of the Corporation ; that it was a hold piece of manoniveriug ; and that it came too late.

The motion was carried by 5 to 3, the minority being Messrs jSJ ‘Glashan, Caroll, 3,nd Wilkinson. Mr M ‘Glashan said that seeing the turn the discussion had taken he should be obliged to embody in a resolution certain queries, which he himself had intended to submit to the lessee of the gas works. He therefore moved as an amendment —“ Before proceeding further with the new gas works that a committee of four members of Council, and the Mayor, meet and correspond with the various parties interested, the teims (according to queries) on the understanding that should such terms not prove favorable to the city, the Council will proceed in endeavoring to erect new gas works. That the following queries be made to the various parlies interested :—l. On what terms will the lessees of the present gas works sell their right to the Corporation? 2. On what terms will the shareholders dispose of their interest ? 3. On what terms will the debenture holders dispose of the debentures ? 4. On what terms will the lessees of the land on which the gas works are erected sell their interest ? He though terms might be arranged whereby the present lessee of the works, the debenture holders, and shareholders would consent to give up their interests. But if the debentures holders—being men of capital —saw that another gas works was to be started, it was not likely that they would allow their interests to be sacrificed without making a squeak for it. ft would probably be as well, therefore, for the Council to pause a little and consider if terms could not be come to with the lessee and shareholders, and not destroy an interest such as they possessed. Mr Dims contended that Mr M‘Glashan in taking the action he had was treating the members of the Gas (’ommittee, of which he was himself a member, with contempt. If Mr M'Glashan thought the Committee were not capable of dealing with the question he should have resigned. As to Mr M‘Glashan’s supposition that the debenture holders would contest with the Corpora'ion, in the event of their starting gas works, that argument was a perfect bugbear. He maintained that no gas company could carry on successfully heie without the public lighting. _ The sum of L 4,000 a year was an item in itself sufficient to enable a company to carry on successfully. Mr Fish said that, however desirable the amendment of Mr M‘Glashan might be—and he was not prepared to say but that at some other time ho might support it—yet he submitted that the present was the most inopportune time at which it could be brought forward, as if it were carried, and nothing came of the queries proposed to be submitted to the various parties mentioned, then some six weeks would be lost, and they might ultimately have to do that which they proproposed to do now. He contended the motion should pass, and that during the interim or calling for tenders, plenty of time would be afforded to go into questions of this kind. As to Mr M'Glashan’s remark that it was desirable to obtain the opinion of another gas engineer as to the correctness of Mr A. K, Smith’s plans and specifications, he submitted that such a course would be absurd. They had appointed Mr Smith ag theij: engineer, having every confidence ill hie skill and ability, and that being so, they wore bound to believe his plans, &c., to be correct, or otherwise the whole of their proceedings thus far were worse than a farce. Mr M‘Glashan said the Corporation, in the event of erecting gas works, would have to compete with capitalists-probably the bondholders; but be (Mr Fish) did not attach much importance to this, as no persons having money to lose would throw their money awav if there was no chance of a profitable return ; and he contended that no person or company could successfully compete with the Corporation without the public lighting. Ho went in for the pr nciple that gas works should be under the control of the Corporation ; it did not matter to him what interest suffered on carrying that principle out. If the principle he had enunciated was a correct

one-—and the Council had affirmed that it was—then ho said the Corporation were bound to carry that principle into effect. Nothing that he has yet heard had proved to him that the principle was unsound, and therefore he was bound, for the sake of consistency a’one, to carry out what the Council had affirmed to be the correct thing. It had been stated that Air Hutchison would be prepared to supply the private consumers at a reduced rate, for a series of years, but supposing that he did make such an arrangement, what guarantee had they that Mr Hutchison, as soon as the present agitation had subsided, would not transfer the works to some one else, and that that party would repudiate any former arrangement, and the public would thus be left to the tender mercies of another monopolist. It was to crush this monopoly that he had brought forward this question, and he would maintain it to its legitimate end. Air Carroll thought additional information should be laid before the Council. Mr Thoneman thought further discussion useless. Air Walter was perfectly astonished at the change that had come over the spirit of Councillor M'Glashan’s dream. He recollected when that gentleman was before the electors, he promised to use his vote and influence towards the establishment of Corporation gas works. The Town Clerk then read the following letter from Mr Hutchison ; “ Gas and Coke Offices, “Dunedin, Dec. 6th, 1860. “To his Worship the Mayor, “and City Council of Dunedin. “Gentlemen, —It has suggested to me by several of the movt influential citizens, that, without being requested, I should intimate to the Council what I should be willing to do with reference to the future lighting of the City, and as I have no other desire than to meet the views of the Council to the fullest extent in my power, I beg to state: — “ Ist. That I shall be prepared to undertake the public lighting for a term of years at a very reduced rate. ‘ ‘ 2nd. That the private lighting shall he reduced from time to time to time, according to increase of consumption. “3rd. That such additions shall he made to the mains, as will insure in the low levels under all circumstances an abundant supply of gas. “ 4. That if the Council desire it I shall be prepared to dispose of my interest in the lease of the works on fair terms. “So many instances are on record where a disposition has been shown to meet the views of the Council in matters of public lighting, that I cannot but hope and conclude that some bnsinesslikearrangement will be entered into between us to the advantageof the citizens. ‘ 1 I am, Gentlemen, “ Your obedient servant, “J. W. Hutchison, “Lessee Dunedin Gas Works.” It was moved by Mr Fish, that the letter be not received, and on being put, there voted —Ayes, 4 ; noes, 4 ; the Mayor voted with the noes.

Mr M'Glashan’s amendment was negatived, and the original motion for the adoption of the Committee’s report carried.