CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1372, 9 July 1878, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

An adjourned meeting of the City Council was held last night. Present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs. Ruddenklau, Jameson, Pratt, Toomer, and Radcliffe. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. Excuses for non-attendance wore made on behalf of Crs. Briggs and Ick. VALIDATION ORDER. The Mayor suid that a telegram from Dr. Foster's agent in Wellington had been received, stating that the validation order for the burgess roll would be published in the "Gazette" on Thursday next. He (the Mayor) had ordered the roll to be printed. BATE COLLECTOR. An offer from Mr Leach to collect the rates on commission was postponed for consideration in committee. BUILDING BY-LAW. A letter from Mr Haig was read, complaining of the loss he was sustaining through the building by-law, the application of which to his case he had not been aware of. His building (two cottages) had been contracted for on the 16th April, and the by-law came into operation on the 25th April. The Surveyor said he believed the cottages had not been commenced till after the by-law came into force. The Mayor said he could not see how the Council could interfere. The Surveyor said that he could not note all the new buildings unless he rode through every street of tho city every day, buildings were being run up so rapidly. Ho would satisfy himself as to the date when the building in question was commenced. After further discuss ; on the Council resolved -" That the building by-law be upheld." MISCELLANEOUS. Permission (temporary) was given to Samuel Cooper to place an astronomical telescope in Cathedral square on fine nights. Cr. Toomer called the surveyor's attention to the stump of a verandah post left in Cashel street after the late fire. A woman had tripped over it with a child in her arms, and the child had been severely injured by the fall. "corners" by law. The Mayor reported that Dr. Foster had been refused a rehearing of the eases re " corners." He then read a letter from Dr. Foster, in which tho proceedings in Court were detailed. The letter, while expressing no doubt as to the validity of the by-law, recommended its re-consideration on the ground that its unpopularity showed that there was room for doubt as to its reasonableness. It suggested a modification confining the operation of the by-law solely to corners. The Mayor 6aid there could be no doubt that the position of the Council in the R.M. Court was unique. In other places the onus of proving the by-law to be bad lay upon the other side, and not upmi the Council. It was rather absurd that the Council should be bullied into passing a by-law and then bullied out of it. Cr. Jameson thought the position taken up by the police should be reported to the Government. He moved a resolution to that effect. Cr. Pratt seconded the motion. He thought it extraordinary that the Resident Magistrate should refuse a re-hearing. Cr. Ruddenklau thought the by law a very good one, but the manner in which the police had carried it out had made it obnoxious. They should only interfere in extreme cases. Some days no policeman was on the look out, on other days a policeman took down the name of everyone going at more than a walking pace. The Mayor considered that the by-law was most required at the intersection of streets. The slight delay would be no hardship. From the Post office to the railway station a trap would have to be pulled up only three times, and this would involve a delay of only one minute. People in the colonies would not be controlled. The remarks he had made on a previous occasion as to people who were riding or driving supposing themselves masters of the road had been illustrated sinco by an incident which had come under his own notice. A person riding at the rate of fifteen or sixteen miles an hour had nearly run over a lad, and had immediately let tly a volley of oaths perfectly appalling. The following resolution was agreed to : " That the relations between the City Council and police in carrying out the by-laws be laid before the Minister of Justice, and that the latter part of Dr. Foster's letter be left in abeyance till the Minister's reply has been received." A letter from Messrs West and Catchpole, applying for an extension of time till the 10th in st., was read, and the application complied with. SINKING fund. A letter from Mr Craig, commissioner, was read, acknowledging the receipt of £457 2s 2d for the sinking fund of City Council drainage loan. TRAMWAY COMPANY. Dr. Foster produced the agreement between tho Council and the Tramway Company, advised the Council that the cost of the agreement should ho paid by the company, and asked for instructions not to surrender the deed until all fees were paid. The Mayor thought that, as all tho advantages wero on the side of the company, it was only reasonable that they should pay costs. The Mayor was empowered to pign and affix the seal of the Corporation to tho deed of consent to the Order in Council applied for by the Tramway Company. It was resolved that the Council should be held free of all expense in the matter, and the deed was signed and sealed in presence of the meeting. ACCOUNTS. A. number of accounts, to the amount of £897 4s Bd, were passed for payment. licensks. Several cab licenses were granted, also a license for selling kerosene. APPOINTMENT OF DELEGATE. Or. Jameson called attention to the necessity for appointing a delegate to the Municipal Conference, and suggested that the matter be taken into consideration next Monday night. He had intended to propose that night the Mayor as delegate, but thought it better to wait for a larger attendance of Councillors. SUGGESTIONS FOR CONFERENCE. The Mayor referred to the list of amendments in the Municipal Corporations Act, which had been recommended to the conference of last year, but had not been carried into effect. These were considered, and it was decided to again recommend them. In the 4th clause of section 61, the word "twenty" it was proposed should bo replaced by "seven," assimilating the disqualification of a councillor to that of a member of Parliament. It was also resolved that the Council would recommend that the Mayor should be, ex officio, a member of every committee. BUILDING BY-LAW. At this stage of the proceedings, Mr Haig waited upon the Council, and pleaded ignorance of the by-law. The foundations, he said, of his building had been laid before the 25th April. The matter was left to the surveyor to be reported upon. The Council then considered proposed amendments in the Rating Act, for recommendation to the Conference, and adjourned at 10 o'clock,