CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 2130, 21 December 1880, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the City Council ■was held at 7 o'clook yesterday evening. Present—His Worship the Mayor (Mr Gapes), and Ors. Vincent, Cuff, Oherrill, England, Ayers, Hulbert, Taylor, Lambert, Bishop, King, Thomson. The Mayor reported a debit balance at the Bank of £47019s Bd. The statement of acoounta presented for the week ending the 18th inst. showed —Receipts on general aocount, £l4l 14s 6d ; drainage rate, £5 Os 8d ; Drainage Board rate, ITo. 2, £l7 12s 4d. Bills to be paid, £lB6 19i4d. The Mayor remarked that three weeks had elapsed since last meeting, but the order paper was not heavy, and he hoped_ the Council would be able to get their business over in good time. He'mentioned, also, that the appoinfcmsnt of collector would have to be made that nigbt. A petition of residents on Oxford terrace was read complaining of the state of the road opposite tke cemetery, and praying that the Council would take stops to abate the nuisance. The petition wao referred to the works committee. A letter was read from Mr Tribe, touohwg certain statements made by Mr Cuff in the Council, and questioning the fairness_ of the dismissal of two officers of tho Council. The letter was referred to the departmental committee. A letter from Mr Beard was received, complaining of the practice of bathing on the banks of the river Avon at all hours. It was resolved to oommunioate with the Domain Board and the polioe authorities on the subjeot. A letter was read from Mr J. Clover, asking, on behalf of Primitive Methodists, for permission to hold an open air servioe in Cranmer square. A letter from B. Cass, in reference to something not clearly defined, was held over till nest meeting. A letter from Messrs Izard and Loughnan was read in reference to the licensing fee for building purposes which the Council had charged Mr Taylor, the latter objeoting_ to paying extra fees for more than one build-

wg. - •' Besolved that a letter be written, stating that the surveyor had been instructed to issue a license on Mr Taylor paying the usual fees. A letter was read from cabmen, asking for an interview with the Oounoil to discuss the question of fees. Or. Thomson suggested that it was unfair both to the Council and to the deputation to bring these matters on suddenly without due notice being given. He knew nothing about the circumstances of the present case. He did rot oppoao them being heard, however, seeing that the time for issuing new licenses was drawing so near. After some discussion it was resolved to hear the deputation. The deputation of four cab proprietors was then introduced, and stated their views. The date was approaohlng when licenses would have to ba returned and renewals obtained by those who required them. Their objeot, therefore, was to ascertain whether the Council would be disposed to reduoo the fees, whioh they might say were higher than anywhere in the Australasian colonies. They understood a difficulty presented itself in the -way of the by-law, which could not now be altered to meet the oase, but the deputation -would suggest that the Council might surmount this difficulty by taking the fee in full, and remitting the amount they might be disposed to take off the license. The deputation also drew attention to the neglected state of the public roads, whioh, they said, were not maintained by the Tramway Company according to the terms of their agreement, and the oabmen continually suffered therefrom. Having been assured that their representations would receive early consideration, the deputation thanked the Council and withdrew. The surveyor's report was as follows : 1. Three cases of breach of the building Bylaw were decided in the Resident Magistrate's Court this morning in favor of the Council, and in a fourth case the defendant was allowed one month to erect brick walla. 2. A petition was earns weeks ago sent in to the Council praying that Harry street and Stewart street should in future be known as one street, to be called Stewart street. The Council did not at that time deal with the subject, owing to no plan having been deposited defining the boundaries of the street. The Deceasary plan has now been sent in, it therefore only remains for the Council to fix the name of the street. 3. An application has been made to me for permission to make an entrance to a cellar in the footpath in Tnam street West. As this is the first time such an application has been made to me I should like to have the Council'n direction in the matter. 4.1 have sent an estimate into the Gas Company for forming and asphalting the right-of-way running from Armagh street to Cathedral Square. 5. lam having the floors of all the bridges tarred, to preserve them against the dry weather, and also the ironwork painted. The following building licenses were granted during the month of November last :—Mr Griffin, Moa Place ; Mrs Hobbs, Armagh street; Mr Hatchard, South bait; Mr Biley, 32. M. Court ; Mr Adams, Salisbury street; Mr Ibbott, South belt; Mr Cresswell, Chester street; Mr Patterson, Gloucester street. Clauses 2 and 3 were referred to the works committee. Tho report was approved. The reports of committees were then considered. The sanitary committee reported:— Tour committee have considered the solicitor's opinion on the question of accepting the delegation of the powers of the Local Board of Health but seeing that it does not give the powers required by the Council to deal with work done under the scavengering contract, it cannot recommend the Council to accept the delegation. The committee also recommend that when Mr Brightling's contract ends, the scavengering work of the city be handed over to the Local Board of Efailth, unless powers ore obtained fram Parliament before that time to give the Council authority to satisfactorily perform the duties. It was resolved, on the motion of Or. Taylor, to consider the report in committee. The departmental oommittee reported that they had considered Mr Oliver's letter, and were of opinion, with regard to that part of it referring to the matter of rates, that they are satisfied with the explanation given, as reported verbally to the Council; and as the remainder of the letter was merely the opinion of Mr Oliver and some ratepayers, whose names did not appear, the oommittee did not deem it necessary to remark upon it, as the Council was in a better position to form a correct estimate thereon than those gentlemen. The report was approved. Mr Hoskins, by permission of the Council, then road the following letter from Messrs Joynt and Peroeval, re the letter in question : 2nd December, 1880. F. T. Haskins, Esq., Christchurch. Dear Sir,—We have read Mr Oliver's letter to the Council, dated 29th November ult., and we beg to advise you that in our opinion it is grossly libellous in its character, and ihat a criminal information would lie against the writer. We think, however, on the question of the expediency of instituting such proceedings, that you ought to submit the whole matter to the Council for its consideration, and to act as it may consider best. Such a course will not only lie more in accordance with the position you hold as officer of the Council, but will also have the effect of preventing:-invidious statements as to your motives in taking proceedings. Yours truly, Jotnt and Perceval.

In reply to Or. King, The City Surveyor explained the circumstances arising out of a recent Court 'case, in which the position of the oabstand at the South town belt was brought in question. He found, on inquiry, that he had assisted in setting out the stand, but he could not attribute to himself the slightest responsibility for the discrepancy between the actual position of the stand and the description in the by-law, since he had received no instructions to act in accordance with any bylaw.

After some little discussion, the matter was referred to the departmental committee. Or. England moved—" That a letter be written to the police authorities calling attention to the large amount of Sunday drinking carried on in many of the hotels and publiohouses in the city." Seconded by Or. Ayers. Or. Hulbert remarked en passant that tho Government bad already been addressed on the subject by tbe Go-d Templars. The motion was carried. The building by-law proposals were brought up by Or. Bishop and passed. Tbe consideration of certain applications for licenses having been taken,

The Council went into committee on the sanitary committee's report and to oonsider applications for the office of collector, and on resuming adjourned.

When you see an old, white-haired man drop a five-dollar note into a church plate, you never imagine that in the misty paßt he cut his initials on tho piano and hammered nails into the cranium of his sister's doll.

Dbtohshibb Cbeam.—lf a person has had no practical experience, the proper way of scalding milk so as to produce " clotted " or "Devonshire cream " is not an easy one to discover. Unless tho dairy is badly Bituated and the milk likely to suffer from heat, it (tho milk) should always stand twenty-four hours before putting near the fire. The pans should never be put over a flame, nor, if it could be helped, over an open fire at all, but on the top of a closed range or stove. It is difficult to give an exaot idea of the time tbat it should take ; that must depend on the temperature of the range; but the pans should not be kept on too long, or in the summer time the milk will become sour during the process. When first put on they should be kept well back from the fire for about twenty minutes, so as to heat gradually, than be drawn nearer by degrees. When the surface of the milk is covered with a yellow skin, and tiny air bubbles begin to rise all over it, it is sufficiently heated, and should be taken away to cool before being put again into the dairy. An hour and a half ought to be sufficient time to allow on a well-heated range.