BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume VIII, Issue 1054, 13 November 1877, Page 3

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

SYDENHAM. ' The ordinary fortnightly meeting oi' this Council was held last evening, in the Colombo road schoolroom. Present—The Mayor, and Crs. Whitelaw, Langdown, Buxton, Vennall, Hall, Jones, Scott, Charters, and Brown. COBBESPONDENCE. A letter "was read from the school committee in reply, offering to allow the Council to use a room in the sc'iool in which to hold meetings of the Council, on payment of 2s 6d each evening, provided that such meeting does not interfere with school hours. It was decided to accept the offer. A letter was read from the manager of the Bank of New Zealand, acknowledging intimation of that bank being appointed the official bank of the Council. Cr. Brown, as chairman of the finance committee, reported that he and the Mayor had waited on Mr Coster, and that gentleman had offered to give the Council every assistance. He (Cr. Brown) had stated that the Council would be in a better position to know their requirements after the next meeting, and an official communication would then be forwarded. On the motion of Cr. "Whitelaw the finance committee were authorised to treat with the bank regarding terms for an overdraft not exceeding £3OO. The chairmen of the finance and works committees were authorised to sign cheques. EEI'OETS. A report was read from the works committee, stating that men had been put on in accordance with the resolution of Council, to attend to matters throughout the borough; also referring to others that required atten • tion, and suggesting that the Board of Health and railway authorities should be communicated with. The report was adopted. The Mayor said that Dr. Frankish had called upon him that day to complain of the state of a road leading to Sandridge, where his horse, trap, himself, and groom had fallen over an eight-foot embankment while visiting a patient about midnight on last Sunday. The horse had been rendered nearly uselos? for the future, and the doctor badly shaken. He (the Mayor) believed it was Dr Frankish'e intention to send in a claim for damages. It was stated by councillors that this road was ? private one, and not under the jurisdiction of the Council. The report of the by-law connnitiee waf brought up, recommending among other matters the mode of transacting the business of the Council's meetings.

Xko report was approred, with the excep*

tion of one clause, which was allowed to stand over for further consideration.

APPOINTMENT OF SOLICITOR. Cr. Charters withdrew the motion on thi> subject, notice of which he had given at last meeting. On the motion of Cr. Hall, seconded bj Cr. Langdown, Mr Wynn Williams was ap pointed solicitor to the Council.

LOCAL HEALTH AMENDMENT BILL. Cr. Whitelaw read clause 3 of the abov< Bill, by which it was intended to givo thf Board of Health power to raise 2d in the £ within the district, and clause 5, making eacl Councillor liable to a penalty of £SO in the event of the Council refusing or neglecting to pay over such rate. He thought some steps should be taken by that Council to protest against sush sweeping powers being permitted to the Board of Health. He did not quite agree with the arguments that had been used at many of the public meetings held to consider this subject, and felt that the Drainage Board and Local Board of Health being merged into one body was a most injudicious proceeding for the ratepayers, as all matters requiring the attention of the Board of Health would be caused in most cases by the shortcomings of the former body, who could condone these when brought before them by their Inspector. He would move—" That while this Council has no objection to the principle of the Local Board of Health having jurisdiction over Christchurch, Sydenham, and suburban Road Boards it considers that among other objections the rating powers proposed by the Public Health Act Amendment Act, 1877, to be excessively large, and that it ought not to become law until local bodies, to be made responsible for for the collection of the rates, shall have an opportunity of becoming acquainted with the Act, and that a copy of this resolution be transmitted to the Hon. the Colonial Secretary and members representing the Borough in the General Assembly." Cr. Charters seconded the motion. Cr. Scott moved an amendment, omitting all the words referring to the collection of rates, which, on being put, was lost and the motion was declared to be carried. HOARDINGS. On the motion of Cr. Hall, the chairman of the works committee was authorised to give permission for the erection of hoardings, &c, until the next meeting of the Council. TOWN CLERK AND FOREMAN OF WORKS. The Council went into committee to consider a large number of applications for the above appointments, and, on resuming, adjourned for a fortnight.