CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2664, 31 August 1871, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The fortnightly meeting of the Council was held last evening. The alteration of the hour of meeting had the effect of drawing a large attendance of the ratepayers who appeared to take considerable interest in the proceedings. . . , Amongst the correspondence read was a letter from Messrs Knight and Co., complaining that the report of the City Surveyor on the durability of their asphalted work, was calculated to injure them in their business ; and expressing their willingness to' enter into an agreement with tire Corporation to keep in thorough repair all the footpaths laid by them for 3d per yard, per annum, for a period of years. Councillors Barnes and Mercer bore testimony to the superior, character of the asphalting laid clown by Knight and Co.',

and after some was referred to the Public Wofks -A letter from the Diihedin Atb’etic Club, who applied foy fit) iform a: running path on the North ' Dunedin Recreation Ground,; was rleferrdd to the Works Committee. A petition from residents in 1 ork Ph-ice, praying.; that tlig footpaths in that part of the city might be kerbed, with a view to their being asphalted, and a counter one protesting against the same, were referred ,to the- Works Committee. The report of several committees were' read. The Public Worka Committee reported with reference to the memorial of ratepayers at, the head of Stafford street, that the Surveyor had been instructed to complete the necessary surveys for a road from Stafford street through the Town Belt, as soon os his other duties permitted him to do 30. The Markets Committee made the following recommendations : —That, during the pleasure of the Council, the Southern Market he open free of charge on Wednesday and Friday of each week, for the silo of horse* and farm pro luce ; and on Tuesday and Saturday in each week, free of charge, for the sale of vegetables, <fee., fte. The Surveyor has been instructed to expend L 5 in preparing the Southern Market Reserve for horse sales. 2nd. That the Octagon Market hei opened free of charge on Tuesday and ~Thursday of each week, for the sale of. Vegetables and garden produce only; on the* other days of the week the charges at the Octagon Market to remain as hitherto. The miseellaneeus matters dealt with included that of lighting ; and in connection therewith Councillor Reale suggested a lamp should be placed *u each side oi , the Octagon, and Mr '..Barnes suggested ( the dial of the University clo-.'k should bo lit up. In connection with the latter suggestion, the Mayor said if effect could be~ given to it by an expenditure of about LlO, he should bo glad to see it carried out. In answer to Councillor Neale, the Mayor said he did net think it was intended to lay down permanent dressings leading from Princes Street to the Octagon, but it, >vas a matter which should be considered. In connection with a report by the lighting committee, the Mayor remarked that it was a noteworthy fact that in Wellington where gas works had been only re :ently established, and where th -re was not so much gas consumed as in Dunedin, it had been supplied at 20s per 10Q0 ; and recently a resolution had been passed to reduce the price to lsa for cash payments. Here, however, people were called upon to pay 20s without any rebate. THE NORTHERN CEMETERY. The Mayor mentioned that he bad received the following tclegiajp frjm .the Superior tendent “ Committee has decided that the Cemeteries Bill is private Bill, and as noces : sary notices havenot been given, must be drop pod for this session. Possibly a declaration signed by all owners and occupiers of property in neighborhood of ccmetry expressive of then non-objection might get over the difficulty. General feeling here is that Provincial Council has power to deal ■ .with the matter. J. liacancirew.’-’ It had been proved that the Provincial Council had no pewer- to deal with the matter. He regarded it as strange that the House of Representatives should throw obstacles in the way of the passage of a Bill that would confer a b-mefifc ou the citizens. Something ought really to bo done to get the Bill passed. If the Parliament would not pass the Bill he did not see what the Council could do other than openly defy the Legislature. It was very evident that the citizens must have kbm place wherein to bury their dead. Mr Cargill said he must take exception to some of the remarks made by the Mayor. He should bo sorry to see the Council act in open defiance, as the Mayor had suggested, to the Legislature : in fact, if such _ were done, the Council would be immediately brought into collision with the Supreme Court. Under such circumstances, it would be competent for anyone to apply to the ' Supremo Court to restrain' the Council from | proceeding in the matter. He sincerely hoped the Mayor would not think of advising the Council to break the law : that would never do. He would suggest the advisability of their endeavoring to giro effect to'the suggestion of the kiviporintoudent to obtain the ; signatures of owners and occupiers of pro- ( petty in the neighborhood of the cemetery, showing that they did not ehject to the contemplated action of the Council. There , were not many property holders in the neigh horhood, and he thought that most ,p£ them Would give their consent. In fact, tho Coun- 1 cil might manage to buy off the opposition by doing something in connection with the road about which there had been soma talk. At .my rate, there should be no delay in acting upon the suggestion of the Superintendent. The Match, in reply to some of the re- ! marks made by Mr Cargill, explained, that wheu he spoke of the Council acting in de fiance of the Legislature, he did not moan that they were to do so in a fighting sense. What he wished to shew was this That from sheer necessity they would be driven to take some defihite stop ilr the event of the citizens requiring some place wherein to bury their dead. Mr Barnes assured the Council that he was not going to be bought off in the manner which Mr Cargill seemed to think. He objected to the Iprinciplc that if the Council wanted to get a particular piece of ground in which to bury the dead, Tom, Dick, and Harry should be offered Lo each to induce them to give their consent. Persons might, with equal propriety, give L 5 to other per-' sons to rote for them. —(Hear, hear.) It was decided, on tbs motion of Mr Livingston, that stops should be immediately taken to get tho consent of those persons residing in the neighborhood of the cemetery.