CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 3753, 4 March 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

There was a full meeting of the Council last night, when the following business was transacted:— On the motion of Cr. Walter, the following was carried unanimously “ That this Council desires to express its sincere regret at the loss that his Honor the Superintendent, James Macandrew, Esquire, has sustained in the death- of his wife. And that a copy of the resolution be forwarded to his Honor.” The Under-Secretary wrote, informing the Council that the Superintendent had recommended the Government to appoint his Worship the Mayor as a member of the Board of Health. A good deal of miscellaneous business was disposed. It was resolved not to employ counsel m the case of the Police v. Barker f to lefer to the lighting committee with power to act Mr Haukey’s offer to light the City for three months, at LII 10s per lamp: to open the southern weighbridge at 5 p.m.; and to to retain the small engine offered to the Milton hire Brigade. Messrs Smith and Anderson forwarded an opinion to the effect that Mr Grant and other tenants of the Wharves and tiuajs Reserves were not entitled to valuation for bmkhngs erected by them. Inspector Ni mon wrote that he had accompanied Dr Cole -o certain houses, in one of which, for sanitary reasons he burned “nearly all that was in the house. The Finance Committee recommended the lelusal of applications for compensation from residents in York place. The Town Clerk had eon instructed to take proceedings against all i P neXUt'® e i mo w hsinarreiir as regards payment of then- ke. Bmp account. The committee had under consideration the statement of cost vJ untee . r . F “'® Bri o ade the last three \eais. The net total was L9lO, but L2OO had ■) vi ko come from the Insurance Companies. A letter from the Bank of New Zealand was received, referring to the Corporation account and it was resolved that the Works Committee no instructed to make recommendations to pro vide reductions in the weekly expenditure, particularly with regard to the day labor sheet, the committee recommended that the Council take no proceedings with regard to the Resident Magistrates decision in the matter «f crossings. On the report °f the Municipal Acts Comimttee, to which had been referred a motion affirming the desirability of two Councillors foi each ward retiring annually in future, and in ’viewVf H hlCh t l le 1 c ? I , . amittec reported that ' l i the P robat) ihty of a new Act to 1 '!: ll 1 ™ coilsoll,latethe Dunedin Municipal haws being in operation prior to the second next annual election for Councillors, it was not advisable to obtain any further amendments of an Ordinance which will then be over-ridden or repealed entirely. Cr Carroll expressed the ui eie should always be a majority to °ot 1 101S ’ aS £ lk took about six months 0 kie transacting the business and that Councillors should retire alternately—uddll r f “r^ year ’ k \ VO the second, and so on ; Hu l 'min l - , ROSSEU flight that the business of } °f C ? pi ? d “ore time and was not Letter conducted than when the number of councillors wa.s smaller than at present. lu-f.i;?. i^ uti , l , ry repotted that the Medical Health Officer having reported that a case of typhus fever existed at a house in Stafford street occupied by Mr Daniels, the necessaiy steps wore taken to prevent the spread of he disease, A bad case of fever was also re-

ported from Howe street, and although not typhus, it was deemed expedient to take pracao.uonary measures in this cose also. The committee had written to the Provincial Government asking that the Governor may be requested to take any necessary steps to provide that the Mayor of Dunedin shall be ex o.{hao a member of the Central Board of Health Recommended that the Central Board of Health be communicated with, with a view to the erection of a separate fever ward at the Hospital. The Reserves Committee reported that thev had instructed the Town Clerk to reply to the 1 rovincial Secretary’s letter, asking why certain City reserves were not being applied to their proper purposes—that the spirit of the Vl ai l ce had not been departed from, and that no recreation reserves had been leased. On the Public Works Committee recommending the granting during the Council’s pleasure of the applications of Anderson, and ulouat and others to lay down a horse tramway on a siding m Princes street, the memorialists to bear the expense of all maintenance of the streets affected by the horse tramway, and the rails to be only laid down under the City Surveyor s supervision. Crs. Carroll and Fish urged the advisability of postponing for a week the consideration of the matter. Crs, Reeves and Prosser strongly supported the committee’s recommendation, contending that a great saving m expenditure on metal would result to the Corporation through the establishment of tramways. Consideration of the clause was postponed accordingly. xt." 1 ? 6 ate , r Su PP l y Committee recommended that as the Inspector (Mr Davys) had hitherto had house rent free at the Stuart street premises now about to be vacated, his salary be raised to L2OO per annum, to covar house rent, whrch was agreed to. The Mayor reported that the Water Company contended that L 206 »s 4d, cost of relaying watermains consequent on the alterations in the levels of York place and adjacent streets, was fairly debited to capital account, but his Worship and the Town Clerk considered that these charges should be paid out of the Company’s current revenue So soon as the matter of the L 206 9s 4d, and the question of the municipal rates for 1874 due by the Company, have been arranged, an account could be brought up showing the exact purchase money. Cr. Fishs motion—“ That the resolution armed at re valuation to certain tenants on the Wharves .and Quays Reserve be rescinded and struck out; or, that the resolution arrived at re valuation to certain tenants on the Wharves a ? ( J l Qu? y ’ 8 Reserve, passed at the last meeting ot the Council, be rescinded ’’—was met by an amendment proposed by Cr. Walter to grant half-valuation to those tenants prepared to accept it. The original motion was carried, only Crs. Reeves and Mercer voting for the amendment. There was a very personal discussion, in the course of which Cr, Fish characterised Or. Giant’s action in the matter as base. P r - Fish moved—“ That in the opinion of this Council it is desirable Mr Grant should resign as a member of the Reserves Committee.” They might have a lawsuit over the tenancy question of the Wharves and Quays Reserve, and therefore a member of the Council interested should withdraw from the Reserves Committee, The case might involve hundreds of pounds. It was stated that Cr. Grant, as a tenant, had instructed his solicitors to take legal proceedings against the Council, but he subsequently denied having authorised the letter which his solicitors had forwarded to the Council. The motion was ultimately withf.i’aivn, and notice given for next meeting that Gi. Mercer s name should be added to the committee.