BOROUGH COUNCILS.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1597, 2 April 1879, Page 4

BOROUGH COUNCILS.

—♦ LYTTELTON. The Council held an ordinary meeting on Monday night. Present —The Mayor, Ore. Maepherson, McClatchie, Parsons, Wood, Weyburn, Chalmers. The clerk read the minutes of the previous meeting, and they were confirmed. The receipts during the fortnight were announced, being £47 12s. Correspondence us follows was road; From toe Secretary of the Harbor Board, informing Council that the Board contemplated ha'ing a tramway constructed from Peacock’s Wharf to Naval Point, and asking if the Council was disposed to agree with the Board with reference to such portions of the work as were above high water mark. The Board also intended applying to the Government for permission to employ the hard labor gang on the work. From the Mayor of Christchurch re holding the next session of Parliament in Christchurch. From Mrs Warne, Oxford street, asking permission to erect a verandah in front of her promises. A resolution was passed on the motion of Crs. Mucpiierson and Wood, that (/he Harbor Board he requested to furnish the Council with a (.racing of the tramway proposed to be constructed, and that the works committee report thereon after the tracing was received. The clause with reference to the hard labor gang was loft in abeyance. Council then considered the letter re holding the next session of Parliament at Christchurch. The Mayor thought the session, if held there, would be much more convenient for members, Middle Island members in particular, many of whom could return to their homes during the session by rail. Cr. McClatchie didn’t think the Otago people would readily concede the honor to Canterbury. Or. Chalmers said ho was in favor of co-operating with the Christchurch people in their request. Parliament, by its resolution at its last session, had obligated itself to hold the coming session at Christchurch, and, as a matter of propriety, the session should be held there. He would, therefore, move—“ That the Council reply to the communication, co-operating with the object in view.” Or. Parsons seconded it. Cr. Maepherson did not express his opinion as opposing the motion, but, on principle, he was averse to a peripatetic system of holding Parliament, The expense attending the removal from place to place of Government officials was great and unnecessary. He did not feel strong enough, however, on the question to offer any positive objection to the motion, more particularly as Parliament had seen fit to impose the change upon itself at its last session. The Mayor said a majority of the House were unquestionably in favor of the change, or the resolution could not have passed. Or. Chalmers agreed with Cr. Maepherson as to the impropriety of a peripatetic Parliament. He thought the House was in a flighty mood when it passed the resolution, nor was its passage any credit to it. The motion prevailed. Mrs Warne, in Oxford street, was granted permission to have a verandah built in front of her premises. Messrs Garforth and Lee and Mr Parkinson waited on the Council in person, and were admitted to state their objections to the Council’s notice to remove the slaughter house in their occupation. Mr Parkinson explained to the Council that after very great effort he and bis confreres Messrs Garforth and Leo had been unsuccessful in securing a suitable site to which to move the slaughter-house, and urged upon the Council reasons for allowing the premises to remain in its present location. Several sites were suggested by Councillors present, and were as promptly shown by Mr Parkinson to bo unsuited to the business. The Mayor informed Mr Parkinson that the Council would consider the matter, the result to bo made known to him in an official form. The gentlemen then withdrew. Council subsequently decided that the members of the works committee take an opportunity to visit the slaughter-yards aud report. An application from ratepayers for improvements to be made on the west side of Canterbury street was left with the works committee with power to act. The Mayor said the work referred to would have been performed long ago had not legal proceedings against the Council been threatened by one or two residents in Canterbury street. Leave of absence was granted to Or. Hawkins. A report from Mr Kent at the pumping station with recommendations was read, and on the motion of Crs. M'Olatchio and Woyburn, he was empowered to proceed with the contemplated work. The foreman’s report was read and received, and the several clauses adopted. Accounts amounting iu the aggregate to £lOl 12s 3d were passed for payment. An account, amount £2 2s, sent in by the Returning Officer for election services at Mr Murray-Aynsley’s (flection to the Harbor Board was left with the Mayor, it being considered that the claim should be paid by the Harbor Board. Cr. Maepherson said he desired to call the attention of councillors to the unsatisfactory state of the drains throughout the Borough. Council had an abundance of water at command, so much so that it some time ago contemplated letting Christchurch have a supply. Why should not some of this water be used in flushing the drains ? Diphtheria had recently made its appearance here, and one fatal case had occurred. Whether the noxious exhalation* from the sewers had or had not engendered the disease, perhaps could not be affirmed positively, but more than one person had spoken to him of Mrs Garforth’s death, attributing it partly to this cause. Other Councillors expressed a similar opinion as to the advisability of persistently flushing the sewers, and on the motion of Or. Maepherson, it was carried—“ That the foreman of worts, after the [first heavy rainfall, have the drains flashed regularly twice each week.” Cr. Chalmers moved, “ That a test case having been brought at Wellington by the Council of that city, to determine the right of consumers to use the city water for other than domestic purposes, a letter be addressed to the town clerk at Wellington, asking the result of the case ; and for a copy of the Water Works By-laws.” Carried. Or. Maopheraon asked if Springfield coal was well adapted for use at the pumping station ? The Mayor replied in the affirmative. Or. McClatchie said he had used the same coal for steam purposes, and was perfectly satisfied with it. The Council then adjourned.