CITY COUNCIL.

Evening Star, Issue 4023, 18 January 1876, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The meeting of this body was held in the Council Chambers this afternoon; present—His Worship the Mayor, Crs. Browu, Chapman, Grant, Gibson, Roberts, Woodland, Leary, Reeves, Isaac, Quick, and Mollison. This was the first meeting since the Christmas holidays.

A quantity of correspondence was read. The Under-Secretaiy wrote in reply to the Council’s wish that the vote of LI,OOO in aid of improvements to the railway and the Rittray street wharves should be now handed over, that LSOO would be paid at once, and the remainder on vouchers as the works proceed; from the South Dunedin Town Council, requesting that a nuisance arising from the Manure Depot be removed at once (referred to the Works Committee); from Royse, Stead, nnd Co., asking what arrangements the Council intended making as to the conveyance of water for the City supply from the Water of Leith, as better at rangemeats could be made now than here-

after. Messrs Smith aad Anderson stated that they were investigating titles. Matter postponed till the Water Committee considered the communication. Permission was granted to Messrs H©worth and Mason, cabmen, to ply from Manse street to St. Kilda. Mr Vincent Pyke wrote requesting pe; mission for himself and partner to lay down a tramway from the south to the north end of the city, promising that if the concession was granted to carry ib to Kensington on the one side and to the NorthEast Valley on the other (referred to the Works Committee); the proprietors of the ‘Evening News’and of the ‘Tablet’ requested a share ot the Council’s advertisements. (Referred to the Works Committee.

On a letter being read complaining of s decision gives in a bye-law cise heard ac the Police Court, Cr. Isaac took the opportunity of object, ing to the manner in which the bye-laws were interpreted by the Magisterial Bench. This evoked some strong remarks from the Mayor, who expressed his surprise that any member of the Council should question the conduct or deeisions given in a C ourt of Jnatice. If the sitting J usticss should fail in their duty it was not for the ( Council to make public statements. On a previous occasion, some years ago, when an officer of the Corporation sent in a report questioning a decision given, he (the Mayor) objected moat strongly to its being received. It was very unwise for any member of the Corporation to stand up and criticise a j idgment. Or, Isaac explained that he did not refer to any particular decision, iut he thought it would be better if a stipendiary magistrate was appointed, who would determine all charges of breaches of the bye-laws. '1 he sanitary state of the town would be benefited by such a course.—The matter then dropped. cr Woodland presented a numerously signed memorial from residents in Athol place, calling the Council’s attention to a nuisance on sections 33 and 34, Corporation property. It was stated that there was a large deposit of fil hy matter on the ground, and, not being covered up at times, the stench arising therefrom was quite unbearable. The Works Committee recommended that the t roseut asphalte and cartage contracts should be renewed for six months at former rates : that Harbor Terrace be formed from the Water of faith to Eden street, at an estimated cost of 136'); that orders bad been given L v the construction of crSssinrs m George street at its intersections with Hanover street Frederick street, and Moray place, and for tire metalling of Stuart street from the Wesleyan Church io Stuart st ert; that the following tenders had been accepted.Appro aches to ra'lway_ station, Ac, Joseph Hindi?, with additional metal, 1.2,000; ponnauciit crossings, John Thomas, as per acliedulo ; supplying four dustcarts for the Harris, at 12* Gd per day each ; carting metal, &c. Bigger and Hon, Is 8d per yard ; supply of timber and nails—Findlay and Co., as per schedule; ironmongery and store. —Briscoe and Co., s per schedule; blacksmiths’ work —0. Nunn, as jer schedule. As only one tender (Hayes and Crawshaw, L 270) was for clearing and ditching at north west angle of the Town Belt, the gardener was instructed to incur an expenditure of i ,80 upon the work. The reserves Committee rcccmmended that the Corpo alien tenants north of Police street be asked to state in a lump sum the lowest amount they will take to remove forthwith back 33ft from the j;resent building line of Princes street. he Sanitary Committee recommended that the employment of sp-eid constables for quarantine purpose be left to the Mayor and Health • dficer; that applications ba invited £. r a married couple to take charge of the fov.r hospital, joint salary to be at the rate of Ll2O a * yew, and engagement to be

at the Council’s pleasure; that the Central Board of Her fhj had been requested to take steps to postpone the opening of the pvtblic schools for a short time in consequence of the scarlet fever epidemic ;jthat Mr Graves’s applicition for payment of veitain accounts incurred by him while in quarantine had teen granted so far as they related to supplies of provisions, but his claim for medical attendance and loss of time had been declined ; Mr Waldie’s claim for loss through his house being quarantined was also declined. The Fire Biigade com »ittee recommended the payment of LI 5 as an honorarium to Mr Johnson, late captain of the Brigade, to recoup him for costs he had incurred in that capacity. The Water Supply committee recommended that Mr Morrison's offer to sell 30® acres of land for water supply extension purposes be declined.

The Gas Committee reported that Mr Marriott had been engaged as inspector at L 5 a week; that the engineer had been instructed to report generally on the works; that the time had been extended from the 15th to the 20th of the month for allowance of discount on gas accounts—none to be allowed after that date; that bonds for 1.43,500 had been handed to "the Bank of New Zealand on the account of tue Corperation and Mr Honkey pending the final completion of the bonds, and that the Harbor Board had been asked for permission to lay down a siding over their land. Ihe notices of motion on the Order Paper Lad not been reached at 2 p.m.