CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2134, 9 March 1870, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

This Day.

The fortnightly meeting of the Council was held this afternoon. Present —His Worship the Mayor, Councillors Fish, Griffon, Carroll, Wilkinson, Walter, Wilson, and Thoneman.

Among the correspondence read was a letter from Mr Willis, the Under-Secretary, enclosing correspondence between the General and Provincial Governments respecting the Princes street reserve. One of the letters was from the Colonial Secretary to Mr Izard, of Wellington, agent for the Native claimants, asking if it was the case that the claimants had abandoned all proceedings in connection with the writ of scire facias, for the purpose of cancelling the crown grant; and one from Mr Izard, replying that no such abandonment had taken place. The correspondence closed with the following letter from the Colonial Secretary : ‘ 1 Colonial Secretary’s Office, Wellington, Feb. 25th, 1870. < ‘ Sir, —I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of the ISth inst., respecting the proceedings under the writ of scire facias for cancelling the grant of the Princes street reserve, and in reply to inform you that a bill has been passed by the Provincial Council of Otago under the powers contained in the Public Deserves Act, 1856, and the Amendment Act of 1862, for vesting the Princes street reserve in the Corporation of Dunedin.

“The Government advise that the Govern nor’s consent should not be given to the Bill so long as the proceedings in the scire facias are pending, provided they be prose, 'anted with due diligence. On enquiring of the Superintendent, the Government were informed that no proceedings were pending ; but in order that there should be no mistake, the Government asked the Superintendent to obtain and furnish a report from the Provincial Solicitor. In the meantime being informed by you that proceedings are pending, they desire to state that should Tt" appear that proceedings are pending, but are not being diligently prosecuted, Government will not consider themselves justified in refusing to advise the Governor’s assent being given to the Bill, unless the Government can be assured that the proceedings are being diligently prosecuted, —lam, &c.,

“ W. Gisborxe.” The Mayor explained that the matter stood thus :—The matter had been settled by the whole of the judges of the Colony ; but Mr Izard, the agent for the Native claimants, still thought that by keeping the case open, the Corporation or the Government would give way. At the last session, the Provincial Government got a Bill passed enabling the City Council to get possession of the prqpcrt}’, and if all due diligence in prosecuting the proceedings under the writ of scire fades were not used, the General Government would ail vise the Governor to sanction the Bill, by which the property would pass into ihe hands of the Corporation. The General Government and the Superintendent were doing everything in their power to place the property in the hands of the Corporation; and the correspondence proved it. There was some further correspondence, which had not yet suffic’ently matured to allow of its being placed before m the Council* The following letter from Mr M‘Glashau was read “It is with regret I have to state that untoward circumstances compel me to resign my seat as Councillor for Leith Ward; and, in doing so, allow me to express my thanks to the Mayor and Councillors in. dividnally for the large amount of courtesy shown to me during my term of office.” On the motion of Councillor Fish, the resignation was accepted, the usual tine remitted, and a fresh election ordered to take place on Friday week ; Mr Blair to be returning officer. A letter was read from Messrs Driver, Maclean, and Co , asking that they might have an interview with the Gas Committee on the subject of Mr Hutchison’s offer to dispose of his interest in the present works. Councillor Walter complained that Messrs Driver, Maclean, and Co. had had sufficient time to do more in the matter than they had done. The delay that had taken place might make a material difference, and he did not know that the contractors were bound by their tenders in conseexueuco of the delay. After some discussion, the letter was referred to 'the Gas Committee. Mr A. K. Smith wrote in regard to the letters of Mr P. Dowling, which had been published here, that the statemens made in them were mendacious, and made with the view of affecting his position in Dunedin. The report of the Public Works Committee, with the exception of one clause, which was referred back for consideration, was adopted. The Council then adjourned until Thursday the 24th.