CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1431, 17 September 1878, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary fortnightly meeting of the City Council was held at 7 o'clock last evening, thero being present—His Worship the Mayor, and Crs. Ick, Gapes, Ayers, and Wilson. THE NEW MEMBEES. Crs. Gapes, Wilson, and Ayers signed the usual declaration. THE LATE BESIGNATIONS. The Mayor proceeded to read the following correspondence, the letters being read in in the order in which they had been received : September 12. I herewith resign my scat as a member of the Christchurch City Council. I am, yours most respectfully, J. G. RUDDENKLAU. September 13. I beg to resign my seat as a member of the City Council of Christchurch. Your obsdient servant, William Radcliffe. I beg to tender herewith my resignation of my seat in the City Council of Christchurch. I have the honor to remain, Youra obediently, William Peatt. September 13th, 1878. Dear Mr Mayor,—The result of yesterday's election convinces me of the scant consideration the members of the City Council receive at the hands of the ratepayers. In the exercise of their right, they select their representatives, and it is presumed those gentlemen in whom they have most confidence are placed in office. I had hoped to have aided in the early accomplishment of several important measures, such as securing a good water supply, the erection of suitable Municipal offices, and the utilisation of the city reserves; but I do not suppose that the electors have any desire that the late Council should undertake these useful works, and I hereby resign my seat in the Council. Remaining yours truly, J. P. Jameson. September 13th, 1878. I hereby resign my position as city councillor. I am, sir, yours, &c, A. W. Bickerton. His Worship stated that he had that morning received a letter from Cr. Radcliffe, which he would now read to them, and which ran as follows: — Eadcliffe's Hotel, 16th September, 1878. Dear Sir, —In consequence of a wrong impression circulated through the city that I resigned my scat in the Council in consequence of Mr Wilson's election, I beg to withdraw : t, and will take my seat as usual at tho Board. My only reason was ill-health, and unless I improve I certainly will resign, and so enable one stronger to attend to the interests of the city. William Radcliffe. To the Worshipful the Mayor of Christchurch.

The Mayor said that he was exceedingly sorry to hare to make the statement which he was about to do, but it was only right that the truth should be known. Within half an hour of the poll being declared, Cr. Eadcliffe had informed him that he intended to resign, in consequence of the election of a certain gentleman. Two other Councillors had also heard him make the same remark. What had been the motive of Cr. Eadcliffe changing his mind, as was shown by the letter just read he (the speaker) could not of course say. He was very sorry that Cr. Eadcliffe should have written that letter, in which he ascribed his resignation to his bad health, which was certainly not in accordance with the truth. He should have kept this matter to himself had it not been for the statement that had gone forth to the public, and which he considered made it imperative on him to speak out. An idea seemed to prevail that a councillor could withdraw his resignation, but this was not so, for as soon as such resignation came into his (the Mayor's hands) the writer had ceased to be a member of the Council. The very moment such a letter reached him, it was his duty to take certain steps with a view to a fresh election. His first duty was to communicate with the Eeturning Officer, who in his turn took steps for a fresh election in accordance with the Act. Cr. Wilson did not see how it could be said that the resignations had occurred through his election, when it was a fact that two of them had taken place on the 12th, a day before the election. [lt was explained to Cr. Wilson that tho date of the polling was the 12th.] He would very much like to know on what tho assumption was founded that these resignations had taken place through his (tho speaker's) election. It was quite clear from Cr. Eadcliffe's letter that that gentleman had resigned from a wholly different cause, and eyen after resigning he had withdrawn that_ resignation, which withdrawal, he considered, ought to have been accepted. He maintained that neither Cr. Eadcliffe nor Euddenklau had resigned through his election, and he felt quite at loss to understand why such a reason had been assigned. He considered, In soli'-

defence, he was bound to make this statement. The Mayor considered Cr. Wilson was out of order. The mere reading of the letters of resignation did not call for a discussion. The matter then dropped, and the Council proceeded to business. FINANCE. The Town Clerk reported the receipts during the week as follows:—Week ending August 31st, £582 Is 7d ; Drainago Board rate, £2ll 15s lid; weekending September 7th, £550 143 lOd; Drainage Board rate, £126 12s 6id; balance Dr., £4182 lis 7d ; two weeks' receipts, £1132 16s 5d ; drainage rate account balance, £370 15s 2d ; bills paid, £269 12s 6d ; bills to be paid, £177 12s Id. SURVEYOR'S RErORT. No. 1. Two pieces of channelling in Colombo street, between Lichfield and Cashel stroets, have been Lid by direction of the works committee. No. 2. Messrs Scott Brothers have commenced to-day to fix the iron railing round the Godley Btatue. No. 3. The works committee desired mo to report on the subject of a lottcr written by Mr R. D. Thomas, claiming compensation for an accident which occurred to a horse on Oxford terrace. The cause of the accident was the sinking of the road, in consequence of the rats having excavated a tunnel across the road and alongside a culvert about three feet from the surface of the road. A similar accident occurred at the same placo from the same cause about two years ago. A brick culvert or large pipes well laid in place of the wooden culvert might prevent a recurrence of the accident. Annexed hereto is a list of building licenses granted since the 27th of last month. C. Walkden, City Surveyor. The report was adopted. MAYOBAL STATEMENT.

His Worship said the Council would remember that they had made application for a reserve of 1500 acres of land, and that a certain adjoining borough had raised an objection to their getting it, on the ground that the Borough of Sydenham and others had an equal interest in the land in question. He (the speaker) had an interview with the Minister of Lands upon the subject, who was convinced that the claim of the Sydenham Borough was not a just one, and that the reserve could not be used by them for the purposes intended. He was glad, therefore, to inform them that a reserve of 800 acres would be handed over to the city of Christchurch, and a Bill would be introduced into Parliament giving them full power to deal with it. In the course of the meeting a petition, signed by some sixty residents of the Springfield and Caledonian roads and the vicinity, would be read to them, asking the Council to annex that portion of the district to the Borough. He would like to correct an erroneous impression that was abroad in certain quarters, and that was that the city rates were 5s 4d in the £. They could easily imagine why such a statement had been made and with what object. He would take that opportunity of contradicting it most flatly. Their rates were Is 3d, viz., Is for the ordinary rate, and 3d the special rate, and for this special rate they had their drainage, &c. As a matter of fact the ratepayers would gain by being joined on to the city. There were several notices of motion to come before them, some of which would probably be dropped, as the originators of them were not now in the Council. With regard, however, to a motion given notice of by Cr. Briggs in reference to the revision of the rules, he thought it very necessary that it should be carried out, and he therefore hoped one of the present councillors would move it. NEW BULES. Cr. Ick then moved the resolution standing in Cr. Briggs' name. He thought if the present members had gone through the rules they would find that everything had been provided for. They had, too, been approved by the city solicitor, and if carried, the Council could not but feel the benefit of it. The motion was seconded by Cr. Ayers. Cr. Wilson thought the rules should not be passed hastily. It would be better to allow the motion to be postponed, to give members time to make themselves acquainted with them. After some discussion, Cr. Wilson moved as an amendment—" That the motion be not passed until the next meeting of the Council." The amendment was not seconded. The resolution of Cr. Ick was then put and carried, the only dissentient being Cr. Wilson. METAL. On the motion of Cr. Ick, it was resolved to accept the offer of Mr J. L. Wilson for the supply of 900 yards of broken metal at 9s a yard. accounts. On the motion of Cr. Grapes, the Mayor and councillors were authorised to examine the accounts previous to payment. THE GAS. A letter was read from the Gas Company referring to the complaints which had been made as to the inferior quality of the gas supplied to the city lamps, and enclosing a list of bi-weekly tests made by the photometer from June Ist to August 26th. The letter stated that the average of twenty-six tests gave an illuminating power equal to 18192 candles, or 13£ above the London standard. Cr. Ick took the opportunity of stating it was an oversight on the part of the works committee not having consulted Cr. Wilson in the matter of moving the lamp near Cobb's, seeing that it was erected during Cr. Wilson's mayoralty. Cr. Wilson said he was quite satisfied with the explanation. Or. Gapes did not think the explanation was at all necessary. The works committee had a perfect right to remove any public lamp if they thought proper to do so. The Mayor also was rather Borry the matter had been brought up before the Councilat all. Cr. Wilson said as a matter of fact the lamp in question had cost him £25. THE BATHS. A letter was read from Mr William Garrard offering to lease the Corporation baths for £1 a week, from October Ist to March 31st next. It was resolved to call for tenders for the renting of the baths for the period referred to. NEWSPAPER STALLS. A petition was read from Messrs Pope, Lavender, White, Atkinson, Lake, Wood, Crerar, and Bradwell, booksellers, asking the Council, to withdraw the permission given to various persons to erect stalls for the sale of newspapers. The Mayor said permission had been given to two persons to erect such stalls for the sale of newspapers. Cr. Gapes thought it would bo as well to let this matter stand over till they had a full Council. He moved a resolution to this effect. The motion waß seconded by Cr. Ick, and agreed to. THE BAILWAY. A letter was read from Mr J. W. Treadwell on the subject of the Council favorably taking into consideration his scheme of bringing the railway into the city. It was decided that the matter was outside the jurisdiction of the Council. THE SINKING PUND. In reply to a letter from ihe Sinking Fund Commissioners as to the investment of the sinking fund now accrued in the Bank of New Zealand, the Council resolved to request the Commissioners to invest the same (£960) in good freehold security. THE SYDENHAM COUNCIL. A letter was read from the Sydenham Borough Council, asking under what part of section 188 the City Council base their claim for payment by Sydenham of £6O for keeping clean the side channels on tho " rural " side of the South Town Belt, also asking which side of the South Belt tho City Council considered to be rural—north or south. The Mayor said if the Sydenham Borough Council thought the city was going to light and keep clean the belt without any payment, the sooner they were disabused of that idea tho better. Ho thought tho best thing that Council could do was to take possession of both sides of tho belt. The Heathcote Board had come to an arrangement as to keeping the channels and the road clean. It was hardly necessary to enter into a correspondence as to which waa the " rural " side of the belt. It was decided to take no action in tho matter. HEATHCOTE BOAD BOARD. A letter from the Heathcote Road Board was read, asking that tho present arrangement for attending to the side channels on the East Town belt should continue. The city surveyor waa instructed to take

the necessary steps for carrying out the wishes of the applicants. CAB STANDS. A letter was read from the city solicitor, enclosing a table of cab stands, which he suggested the Council should adopt. The Council then rescinded the table of stands as agreed to on a former occasion, and adopted the tables enclosed by Dr. Foster, which will be advertised forthwith. PETITION. The petition referred to by his Worship the Mayor at an earlier stage of the meeting was now read. Or. Ick would be in favor of all the municipalities around the city being annexed, so as to make one powerful municipality. Still, he would move—" That the consideration of the petition be deferred until there was a full meeting of the Council, and that in the meantime members should make themselves acquainted with the locality in question." The motion was agreed to unanimously. A CLAIM. A letter was read from Mr R. D. Thomas, demanding £36 8s 6d, amount of damage sustained by Mrs Henry Parker, of St. Albans, owing to the very defective state of the culvert at the corner of Hereford street and Oxford terrace. It was resolved to let the matter stand over till a fuller meeting. inspbctob'S befobt. The report was read and adopted. Several cab licenses were granted. NOTICE OP MOTION. Cr. Wilson gave notice to move at the next meeting-—" That the surveyor be instructed to make an estimate of the probable cost of erecting a bridge for wheeled and passenger traffic over the Avon, to the cemetery and populous neighborhood adjoining Barbadoes street." THE MABKBT EESEBVE. Or. Ick moved—" That the plan of the market reserve attached to the Bill be altered in accordance with the reserve as it stands now, showing the roads through it—viz., Oxford terrace and Victoria street."

The motion was seconded by Cr. Wilson. After a good deal of discussion, the motion was carried. The Council adjourned at a quarter past ten o'clock.