MUNICIPAL MEETINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 4268, 31 October 1876, Page 2

MUNICIPAL MEETINGS.

At the ordinary meeting last night of the South Duuedin Council, on a letter from the Caversham Boad Board re some observations by the Mayor being read, his Worship stated that he had been misinformed on the matter, and he learned there was no foundation for his remarks.—Mr Maloney was induced to withdraw his resignation as Mayor. —The Clerk was instructed to' write to the St. Kilda Council and Caversham Boad Board, suggesting a conference on the subject of establishing tramways through the main roads of their districts.— The Council (Cr. Thomson dissenting) decided to invite tenders for a loan of L 4.000.

The ratepayers of St. Kilda held a meeting last night to consider the advisability of borrowing for municipal improvements; the Mayor presided. - A statement read <>y tne clerk showed that since the establishment of the municipality its revenue had been L 998 and its expenditure L 87 5; and in reply to a question, the Mayor said the estimated revenue from rates for the current year would be about L 350. Mr Moore's motion fiat the Council be authorised to raise n loan of LI.OOO was met by an amendment moved by Mr Paxtonto raise L-2,000, and on a vote the larger a-nount was carried by eighteen against Ave.

CITY COUNCIL.

There was a full attendance at the adjourned meeting this afternoon to consider the undisposed business.

The following tenders were accepted :—Mitchell and Ryley, filling-in ditching' in front of gaswork?, Ll<9; H. Speais, Moray Place sower, 1i477; F. B issett, Forth street formation. LSI 4s; drains at Southern Cemetery, L 125 lis. There was considerable discussion over the tenders for forming Canongate street (the lowest being L 1,670) and for constructing the Frederick street drain (the lowest being L 2.701), motions to accept which wcro proposed and lost, it being decided to postpone the further consideration of those works for a week. An unmarked cheque having been sent with Proctor's tender (the lowest for tho Frederick street sower), it was contended by some Councillors that it was iuform.d, but that vi»w was M>t endorsed by the majority cf the Council. Iu asking leave to withdraw his resolution re the Harbor Board, Cr. Fish condemned severely the action of the Mayor iu giving his casting vote in favor of Mr Turubull's motion, adopted by tho Board at its last meeting; and Raid ho had been crerlihly infowned thnt Messrs Beid and Burns, M.H.K.'s, at the instigation of some members of the Board and its Secretary, had induced tho Assombly t-> pay the City Council the compliment of saying riiat it was not fit to le represented on the Board by any of its own members. This was a direct and thiunefal insult to tie Council, which he

hoped that body would reseat by deolininf to nomi« nate any to the Board until the clause mi a'tered by the Assembly. He also commented on the absence oftihjJQifcr members from tr:-ii plaoee to the City Fishßhould refill hia.obaervatloWftbi reference to the Mayor, inasmuch%s Mr Beevesatcted at the Harbor Board independently of bis' position aa Mayor.—His Wo Ksmtp did not think anything of what Cr. Fish might Ray. The charges made by the latter against the Harbor Board were fallacious. and aa far as his experience of that body went they were as ill-founded as the* ooald possibly J*. In giving his casting vote for Mr Turnbull's motion he (the Mayor) did so irrespective of his dvlO position; and he considered fib'iras tifled in doing so. If the woposltion was given effect to, and the oititwtti thought the dignity of the City would be conse.'ved by one of the weight, dignity, and respectability of Cr, J?isb, they would, no doubt elect him to* the Board.—Or. Fish re* marking that he merely deprecated Mxßeevea*a action, in the interests of the City, withdrew his resolution.

Cr. Fish, in replying to some |of the speeches made upon his resolution to discontinue the admission 'into "the Fever' Hospital of'-patients from suburban districts, said most of the admissions were of children whose parents l el nged to friendly societies ; and he depneated in strong terms the practice of medical men be'on?ing to those institutions sending cases to the Hospiial and' making them a bu¥3eh"'on'tha"X!rly^tunas" r " : wHle they drew from society funds in respect to those cast 8. He also objected to Councillors talk* ing a lot of "tot" about humanity; the Conncirs duty was to make streets.—The Matoe pointed that part of the Council's dnty, imposed upon it by law, was to .look, after the health of the citizens. The resolntbn was negatived by eight votes against three.

POBT CHALMfcBS.

The fortnightly meeting btfttie above' Council last evening was attended by the Mayor, .Grs. MXinlay. M'Gregor, Asher, Reid. Graham, and Midler. Messrs Allen and Bystreet and the Assistant District Engineer wrote in reference to the fencing of the embankment on the Dnnedin and Port Chalmers road, intimating that the necessary steps would be taken without delay. Mr W. Best intimated that one of his children had suffered serious injury through falling over an embankment in Constitution street 20ft in height) which was unprotected, audi informed the Council that he would hold them liable. In the course of the djj. cussion that followed Crs. Millar and' M'Kinlay informed the Council that the embankment bad been properly protected at the expense of the Corporation, atthoueh of late some portion had been pulled down by parties unknown. "'" Dr Drysdale wrote as follows? " A few days ago I was asked by the Town Clerk when I intended to pay my rates. I have no fault to find with Mr Laing on this account; on the contrary, I feel bound to admit that he acted in a perfectly polite manner, and donbtless in the strict exercise of Ids official duty.. But, gentlemen, Ido take exception to the gioss inconsistency evinced by a corporate body, the majority of whose members are, I am informed on excellent authority, in a similar position, if not worse, than myself and other ratepayers in this respect, in giving their officer instructions to dun people for rates which they themselves refused to pay. I am perfectly aware, gentlemen, that in the event of my being proceeded against : according to law this wonld constitute no defence, but! should in that case, at all events, have the .satisfaction of expressing in Court what I consider is nothing less than a public scandal. Having given this reason for, and explanation of, my past action, I now beg to enoloße a cheque for Lll 4s 6d, being according to memo, of Town Clerk, amount in full, of rates due by me, and in doing so veutare to hope that my example may be the means of recalling certain members Of the Corporation to a sense of their duty as ratepayers—a Avtj', to my mind, rendered doubly imperative by the honorable position Vhich they hold.** The letter was ordered to be received and acknowledged. An application from a number of settlers at Purakanui, asking the Council to sign a petition to the District Engineer in reference to the alteration of the railway station in that district, was received, and the Mayor requested to sign the same on behalf of the Council. The Finance Committee advised the Council to make application to the General Government for the refunding of all penalties recovered in the dis* trict under the Licensing Ordinance. They expressed satisfaction with tbe manner in which, the rates were being collected; and advised immediate steps being taken to recover all outstanding debts due for kerbing. .. *■...■ The Works Committee recommended that the application of Mr Johnson for a level crossing in Beach street be granted; that Mr Taylor's crossing in George street being sufficient, his deposit should be returned, and that a lease be,, granted of the quarry to Mr G.Jones on the same terms «s Mr Perkins. The first clause of the report was curled; the second was referred back to the cominitteKand the Council decided that Mr Perkins's lease celled, he having failed to comply with the usual conditions. .\V< On the motion of Cr. Gbabax it was decided that .Mr J. C. Harris's claim for compensation be paid; the motion being carried after a very warm discus* sion. ; >•■

Cr. Ashsb called the Council's attention to the dangerous state of Flagstaff Hill, and moved that the Government be called upon to repair the same without delay, which was agreed to.