SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1501, 7 December 1878, Page 3

SELWYN COUNTY COUNCIL.

Friday, December 6. A meeting of the Council of the County of Solwyn was held at 10 30 a.m. Present—The Hon. John Hall, Messrs E. J. Lee, J. L. Wilson, McMillan, Peryman, Mathias, and Dr. Turnbull. chairman's statement. The Chairman said with your wish, I have endeavored to obtain for your information and guidance, a statement of the proportion in which the county revenue for the current half-year has been derived from the different parts of the county. With regard to the county’s share of the land fund, this information is completed; but with respect to the subsidies receivable from the Colonial Treasury in proportion to rates collected, the information is not yet available, for the reason that, although nearly six months of the financial year have elapsed, no payment on this account has yet been made by the Government, Upon application to the Treasury for an explanation of the delay, I was informed that it is owing to the deductions which have to be made for hospital and charitable aid purposes not having yet been fixed by the Government. You, perhaps, will hardly consider this explanation satisfactory. The amount payable to this county as subsidies for this year should be £8076. Allowing, therefore, the most liberal estimate of the sum chargeable against the county for the purposes above mentioned, a large balance could have been safely paid. There really appears no sufficient ground for the delay, and I would suggest that a representation should be made to the Government on the subject. As it will bo difficult for you without information to arrive at a fair decision as to the claims which the several districts of the county have upon the funds at your disposal, it may perhaps be better to postpone dealing with this subject until the information is supplied. For the above reasons, as well as many others, it is desirable that the intentions of the Government with regard to the maintenance of hospitals and charitable institutions should bo made known as soon as possible. At present no communication on the subject has reached me. I have prepared for your consideration a draft of the conditions for the letting of the Rakaia Gorge ferry. If you will decide upon them at your present sitting, tenders will be invited forthwith. A letter on the subject of the route for the West Coast Railway has been forwarded to the Chairman of the County, requesting your concurrence in a petition to the Government on this subject. In compliance with your wish, I have obtained from the legal adviser of the Council an opinion as to your power to make advances to the North Rakaia Conservancy Board. The inquiry thus raised is so large and important a question that Mr Joynt advises that the opinion of the Attorney-General should be taken on the subject. I think it very desirable that the point raised should be determined, and trust, therefore, you will approve of this suggestion being acted upon. Your authority is requested for the payment of accounts to the amount of £9 14s. ALLOCATION OF SUBSIDIES. Dr. Turnbull thought it would be as well if the Council passed a resolution to the effect that the distribution of the funds at the disposal of the Council be postponed for the present until the information referred to by the chairman was before them. He would move —“ That the general consideration of the disposal of the funds of the Council be postponed until the further necessary information is in the hands of the Council.” Mr J. L. Wilson seconded the motion, which was agreed to. EETUENS. Mr Mathias asked whether it was probable that they could have a return showing the percentage received from land fund by each district as fully as possible, so as to include the return of percentage for past two years. The chairman undertook to have the return prepared. The following returns were laid on the table:— Return showing the value of land sold in the several Road Districts in the County of Selwyn, from July Ist to Nov. 30th, 1878. District. Acreage. Yalue. Percentage dS to whole. Avon 371 742 I*olo Riccarton Templeton ... 39 78 *lO6 Heathcotc 1,090 2,180 2*967 Spreydon 426 852 IT6O Halswell 841 1,682 2*239 Lincoln Springs 2,314 4,628 6*299 Courtenay.,, ... 2,798 5,596 7*616 Ellesmere... ... 3,459 6,918 9.416 Malvern ... ... 433 866 1*179 Do. South ... 400 800 I*oßß Do. East ... 25 50 *O6B Rakaia 18,084 36,168 49*226 Lake Coleridge ... 5,157 10,314 14 038 UpperWaimakanri 1,300 2,CQO 3*533 36,737 £73,474 100 Statement of Revenue received by the Selwyn County Council, Ist July to 4th December, 1878 £ s. a. Subsidies nil. Land revenue 8508 17 2 Other sources 572 9 2 £9OBI 6 4 Memo, of Amounts at Credit of the several Accounts, 4th December, 1878 : £ s. d. General account 1,019 14 1 Malvern waterworks account ... 6,563 15 2 Domains account ... 3,386 13 4 Cemeteries account 840 13 5 Deposit account 200 0 0 £21,187 16 0 RAKAIA GORGE FEEEY. The Chairman read the conditions under which the Rakaia Gorge Ferry should be leased. On the motion of Mr Lee, seconded by Dr. Turnbull, the conditions were adopted. WEST COAST EAILWAY. A letter was read from Mr Jnbson, asking the Council to sign the petition for the carrying of the West Coast line via Sheffield and Taipo Puss, 'i he matter dropped, after some slight discussion. DOG REGISTRATION. The following letter, addressed to the Superintendent of Police, was read : November 30th, 1878. Sip,—Referring to your letter of the 25th

May last on the subject of the registration of dogs, in which yon stated that the police would continue to enforce the Act as far as seeing that dogs were duly registered, ind summoning the owners of unregistered dogs, I am requested to inform yon that the Selwyn County Council has reason to believe that the members of the police force in country districts ore less diligent than they should be in laying informations against persons who neglect to register their dogs. The Council'has directed me to draw your attention to the subject, and to request you to be good enough to give such instructions as will ensure greater vigilance in this matter on the part of police constables in country districts. I have tbe honor to be, sir, Your obedient servant, John Hall, Chairman of the County of Selwyn. advances to bakaia board of conservators. The Council went into committee on this subject, to consider an opinion received from the solicitor to the Council as to the legality of the Council making advances to the Rakaia Board of Conservators, On resuming, fhe Council resolved to consult the Attorney-General on the subject. ACCOUNTS. Accounts to the amount of £9 14s were passed and ordered to be paid. NORTH RAKAIA CONSERVANCY. Mr Lee moved—“ That the position of the North Rakaia Board of Conservators be taken into consideration, with the view of affording such assistance to their funds, in the shape of grant or otherwise, as may bo decided upon.” A lengthened discussion ensued, and ultimately Dr. Turnbull moved —“ That the opinion of the legal adviser of the Council be taken as to the power of the Council to make advances to the Rakaia Board of Conservators for liabilities already incurred in carrying out the protective works ; that the treasurer be authorised, in case the opinion be favorable, to pay over to the Board the sum of £IOOO, such advance to be considered in any general distribution of funds as regards the Ellesmere Riding.” Mr Mathias seconded the motion, which was agreed to. SHEFFIELD RAILWAY STATION. Mr M'Millan moved —“ That the chairman be requested to write to the Commissioner for Railways, calling his attention to tho great want of yards for loading and unloading stock at the Sheffield Railway Station, and also pointing out inconvenience caused by there being no public crossing over the railway in the township.” Mr Mathias seconded the motion, which was agreed to. ( NOTICE OF MOTION. Dr. Turnbull to move—“ That the chairman, Mr Peryman, and the mover be named a committee to correspond with or wait upon the Lyttelton Harbor Board, relative to the condition of Sumner as a port, and tho nonexpenditure of any of the funds of the Lyttelton Harbor Trust in Sumner harbour.” The Council then adjourned until 27th December, at 10 30 a.m.