DEPUTATIONS.

Evening Star, Issue 3448, 11 March 1874, Page 2

DEPUTATIONS.

The Mayor, Councillors Walter, Earners, Wooodland, and Burt, with the Town Clerk, waited on the Superintendent this forenoon, relative to City matters. The first subject discussed was a

FIRE BRIGADE SITE, in lieu of the one now occupied by the Brigade, which is to be vacated > hortly. The deputation asked that the Government might find a site on the railway reserve in High street, close to the new station buildings • and bis Honor replied that he thought there

would be very little difficulty in arranging \\ Corporation to have the site desired. The Government had eight acres of laud there] tie did not see why sufficient could not be spared for a lire engine shed. Besides, he looked upon i: to be m the interests of the railway itself to have the engines at hand. He would give an answer on Monday or Tuesday.

corporation baths. Cr. Walter mentioned that the efforts of the Corporation to negotiate wi;h the Wat-.-r Company for the supply of water for the Corporation, had come to nothing. The Council hoped that his Honor’s Executive would now grant a site.

Hia Honor mentioned that the matter had been before the Executive; but as the Corporation did not mention the particular site they had in view, Air Willis was asked to communicate with the down Clerk on the subject.

Or. Burt : The site would haye to be nxed so as not to interfere with any future harbor scheme. That is one reason why the Council had not fixed a site. His Honor supposed that near the outer edge of the training wall, and between Ra> tray anl fetuart street jetties, would be a good site. The only thing was that there was no access to that part by land. Cr. Barnes was understood to say that it was intended to build a platform on the top

of the training wall. His Honor would have to ascertain how his Crown grant over the harbor extended. He presumed it extended to the training wall. THE OLD BOTANICAL GARDENS. Cr. --Arnes referred to the reclamation of tu© old Botanical Gardens, The reclame-

tion now going on by the Corporation, which consisted of taking stuff out of the quarry, and what had been already done, would be of no use if a wall was not erected. He was informed that prison labor coud be got immediately : if so, the sooner the work was started the better. The arrangement was that the Government would give prison labor if the Corporation supplied timber. His Honor remarked that there was no doubt that the prisoners could be sent tomorrow, bub at the expense of other works that were equally pressing. How long would it take the prisoners ? Or. Barnes thought the work requiring to be done would occupy twenty men for six months. The prisoners had left the work off at a point which gave the stream a regular 9W' ep j )f the wall were carried two chains further, that would be prevented. The last flood did t 200 worth of damage. His Honor, so far as he was concerned, was disposed to assist by free labor. He confessed ho did not see much chauco of getting a prison gang for six months. The Council should consider the propriety of doing the work by free labor. Cr. Barnes asked if the Government would assist to the extent of one half. His Honor: It would depend upon tho cost.

FORMATION OP CASTLE STREET. Cr. Woodland called attention to the necessity for lifting the rails in portions of Castle street, in order that the street might be properly formed before winter set in, and complaint was made of the slowness with which the work was being prosecuted.

THE NORMAL SCHOOL SITE. His Honor, as the deputation was leaving, asked if it could not be arranged to have the school in the Octagon. The correspondence had ceased, but he would be very glad to re-open it if there was any chance of coming to terms. The Corporation asked tho Government to give them absolutely what was a very valuable property in exchange for a lease of a piece of land of less value. Cr. Walter : It is substantially the same.

tiia Honor : Why not nuke both the same : give each absolutely. The Mayor was of the same opinion. His Honor ; Let us have the Octag;.n, and we will start the Normal School at once. The Corporation should it is of importance to have a Normal >• chool in Dunedin. i'omc members of the deputation said the Corporation had agreed to grant twenty-one years lease of the Octagon, the lease at the end of the term to be renewable for another twenty-one years, with valuation at the end of the teira.

His Honor : I did not gather that from your offer, why make any distinction ? -the Letter way is to give it over absolutely Cannot you do so at once ? It is better not to leave anything open to dispute. The deputation having expressed themsdvis in favor of the matter being reopened, his Honor said he would again communicate with the Council.

Mr B. Oliver, MP.C, presented to his Honor the lollowing petition of miners and others on the Mount Ida goldfield • your petitioners are all, directly or indirectly, interested in the mining interest and have lately heard that a petition has been circulated in the said district, asking that land, supposed to be payably auriferous, may be declared open for sale. (2.) That your petitioners beg respectfully to point out to your Honor that until the head-race and sludge-channel, now m course of construction in this district, are completed, it is diibcult to ascertain. the quantity and situation of the land that such i’o C i e^ U(1 cliaunel render payably workable, (d.) That your petitioners believe that the opening of laud for sale, either on deferred payments or otherwise, within a radius of four (4) miles from Naseby, or five (5) miles on eachside of the course of the sludge-channel, will prevent such ground being fairly tested, whether payably auriferous or no, as the compensation payable would deter many miners devoid of capital from, prospecting. (5.) In conclusion, your petitioners would ask that no laud within the above limits be opened for sale on any system until a thoroughly practical test has decided that such land cannot, with the aid of the Head Kace and Sludge Channel, be profitably mined upon for gold. And your petitioners, &c. tfhe following letter from Mr de Lautour, M.P.C., accompanied the memorial :

T , ... ’ , Naseby, March 6. i have the honor to forward you the enclosed memorial from Hamilton which is a bona fide additional expression of public opinion heartily gathered in that district upon the memorial already forwarded to you from Naseby, for the opening of land for settlement upon the Maniototo Plain.—l am; &c.,’ 0. A de Lautour.