CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1727, 2 September 1879, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The regular weekly meeting of the City Council was held last evening, there being present the Mayor, Ors. Gapes, Jenkins, Ayers, Lezard, Binetead, Wilson, and Cass. The receipts for the past week were repotted as £4BB 3s 3d. Dr. balance general account, £3713 4s. Bills to the amount of £321 7a 8d were passed for payment. The Secretary, in answer to a question, said the cost of calling for tenders for designs for the municipal buildings had amounted fo about £l2O. Cr. Jenkins asked Or, Cass, chairman of the water works committee, if the experiments at the Waimakariri were completed, Cr. Cass said, so far as they intended to proceed, the experiments were completed, and he had extreme satisfaction in saying that its success was beyond the most .sanguine expectations. The cylinder _ alone was capable of supplying that which it was anticipated nine would be required to do, viz., a million gallons in the twenty-four hours. Their report would be ready this day week. Or. Jenkins did not think it fair that the report should be delayed. He inquired what had been the cost of the experiments up to the present time ? Or. Cass said the amount was £SOB, and that was all they intended spending, but it was their intention to recommend their successors to have a complete test for the satisfaction of the Council. The Sydenham Borough Council had the subject of aiding the experiments under consideration. The length of piping required would depend upon the depth they sank. The excess of money spent on that voted was £l5O. A letter was read from the SurveyorGeneral as to the removing or destroying of survey pegs by contractors and others, and requesting that a warning should be issued respecting the same. On the motion of Or. Cass the matter was referred to the surveyor with power to act, and a notice issued by the Minister of Lands on the subject was ordered to be posted in a prominent place. Cr. Wilson moved—“ That the central link to the Mayoral chain having been presented by the first Mayor of the city of Christchurch to the municipality, it would be judicious that the Council should provide a pendant, to be suspended from the central link lately presented by Cr. Wilson, and shall bear the arms of the city, and that such pendant shall be selected by his Worship the Mayor, with the advice of Cra. Cass, Ayers, and Lezard, and that the choice made shall be of such an ornamental and valuable character as shall bo worthy of the name of the city of Christchurch.” Ho thought the motion was only carrying out an expressed wish of the Council.

Or. Gapes objected to the resolution, as the Council was nob in a position at present to make such an expenditure. Such an article would be very costly. Cr. Lezard supported the resolution, as such an appendage was necessary. They should do everything to enhance the dignity of the Mayor’s position. Or. Oass was sorry to be led by his judgment to oppose the resolution. He moved as an amendment —“ That designs for a Corporation pendant for the Mayoral chain be called for ; the same to be sent in by one month from this date.” Or. Ayers seconded the amendment on the ground of economy. Or. Binstead also opposed the motion. The amendment was put and lost. Or. Gapes moved as a further amendment —“ That consideration of the Mayoral chain be deferred at present.”

This was seconded by Or. Binstead and carried. Cr. Cass wished to make a remark about an outcome of some words he had spoken at the last Council meeting. In support of a resolution he made what had been regarded by some people as objectionable remarks, and they had been taken so badly by gentlemen of the various football clubs, including visitors from Wellington, if not from Dunedin also, that they felt themselves called upon to take what he regarded as a most objectionable and illegal action. A mob of 150 men land youths after having dined at an hotel in town, and as he was reliably informed smashed ‘a quantity of and glass, ha) then marched to his house, preceded by three or four cabs and accompanied by a policeman, who took no action |to control them. They assembled in front of his house and brought an effigy, which they could not burn through the straw being damp. They hooted, yelled, and cursed, making the place a pandemoniun. They so alarmed his wife that she went into hysterics, and had been subjected to them ever since. That he was sure would be regretted by everyone of them, and he hoped such an occurrence should never be allowed to take place again. [Hear, hear.] He thought some statement of disapprobation on the subject should bo recorded on the minute book. So long as he had a seat in the Council he would always feel at liberty to make any just and reasonable remarks. Ho might perhaps, commit himself, as ho had done on one or two occasions, but he would speak most emphatically of anything ho felt inclined to express himself upon, and would not bo restrained from doing so by any mob. If it was thought he was to be cowed by such a cowardly and disgraceful action as that taken on Thursday night, they did not understand the man they were dealing with. Cr. Gapes entirely concurred in the remarks which had fallen from the last speaker. It was a most disgraceful affair, and he thought soma complaint should be forwarded to the police authorities on the subject. He blamed the police more than ho did the rowdy halfdrunken fellows who created the disturbance. If a Councillor made a ridiculous remark it did not justify such conduct as that which had been perpetrated. Cr. Ayers stigmatised the affair as most reprehensible, but from what ho had heard he did not think the constable was to blame. The other Councillors also condemned the conduct which had been indulged in. Cr. Wilson moved—“ That this Council is of opinion that the action taken by the low' mob who assembled round the house of Or. Cass on Thursday night, was a deep disgrace to those who joined in such an unseemly breach of the law, and disturbed and alarmed the whole neighborhood, such conduct being intended to restrict the free discussion of public subjects in the City Council.” The Mayor sympathised with Mrs Cass more than he did with Cr. Cass, who may have made a grave mistake, but he really thought that more was being made of this affair than was necessary. It was an after dinner frolic by a number of young men who had come from other parts of ths colony to enjoy themselves. Or. Cass wished to point out that the thing was premeditated, as the footballers gave three groans before his shop going to and coming from the football match. The Mayor regretted that such a resolution as this should be placed on the books of the Council. The petition for the holiday was signed by 101 of the leading merchants in the city, and as his action had been brought into question he wished the Council to understand that he would always consider it his prerogative to exercise his own judgment when a petition of this kind was presented to him, whether it pleased or offended them. The motion was put, and carried unanimously. A petition was received re watering the streets and certain parts of the city, and it was resolved that a special rate be struck in the places mentioned and the request acceded to. The business manager of the Juvenile Troubadours wrote, asking tho Council to bestow its patronage on a benefit performance to be given by them. Cr. Cass and others spoke against tho request being granted, and on being put to the meeting, it was resolved that it be not acceded to. The report of the committee, which recommended that the offer of the Gas Company should not be accepted, was adopted. The report of the committee of the municipal buildings designs was brought up. The Mayor suggested that the matter, being of such great importance, should be deferred for the new Council to take into consideration. After some discussion, this course was approved of. The surveyor’s report was as follows : No. 1. The water supply committee on Thursday last visited the Waimakariri, in order to test the quantity of water obtainable from the cylinder. Four hundred gallons was pumped out of the cylinder in fifty seconds, which lowered the water 4ft 2in in the cylinder, leaving still a depth of 18ft of water. The hose was then removed from the pump, which increased the flow of the pump to about 500 gallons per minute, and this rate of pumping was continued for half an hour, which only lowered the water six inches more. If a very much stronger pnmp were used, the water, perhaps, might be lowered a couple of feet more, but there is no pumping power in Christchurch capable of doing more than that. No. 2. I find I have in stock abont 200 super yards of paving stones. The cab stand by Matheson’s ordered to be paved will take sixty super yards. I should, therefore, like to know which of the other stands the Council would like paved with the remainder of the stone. The report was adopted, the latter clause being reserved for consideration. Three drivers’ licenses were granted, and at ten o’clock the Council went into committee.