CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXIII, Issue 2170, 8 February 1881, Page 3

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of the Council took place last evening. Present—Hie Worship the Mayor, Crs. Ayers, England, Thomson, Hulbert, Cuff, Treleavon, Lambert, Taylor, Oberrill, Vincent. The debit balance at the Bank was reported to be £IOB6 8s 4d.

The Mayor intimated that he had received an application for a licence to hold a sacred concert on Sunday, which had been refused, in compliance with the decision of tbe Council, and he reiterated the reasons. Or. Thomson recorded his opinion that the license might have been granted, and did this lest it should go abroad that tbe Council were unanimous in regard to the treatment of the special application in question. The Mayor then asked for an expression of opinion as to his conduct. Or. Ayers then moved that the action of His Worship the Mayor be approved. Though the application was made for a sacred concert, it was simply a trade matter after all. Cr. Lambert seconded the motion.

Or. Hulbert would be averse to any action calulated to disturb the day of rest, but he could not approve of the action of his Worship in refusing permission for a sacred concert, which must be acknowledged to be of an elevating character. Or. Taylor favored the act of the Mayor. Ha would not open the Theatre on Sunday to any purpose other than that of religion. Ors. England, Cuff, Vincent, Oherrill, and Troleaven expressed concurrence with the Mayor’s view. Or. Hulbert said, with respect to Or. Taylor’s remarks, that he had witnessed gatherings in the Theatre Royal, supposed to be under the auspices of religious people, which had very little indeed of religion in them.

The motion of Or. Ayers to approve of the Mayor’s action was then carried. The usual statement of accounts presented the following results: —Receipts for week ending February sth, 1881, £579 19s Id ; bills to be paid, £355 15s lOd, and £135 Os lid ; Drainage Board, £57 Os 3d. The accounts were duly passed. The correspondence was then read. A letter from Mr Beard, lessee of the public baths, was received, asking for a reduction of the rent of the same. The matter was referred to the works committee with power to act. Mr Holmes, solicitor, wrote under instructions from two cab-drivers, asking for an explanation as to why licenses had been refused to them. It was resolved that the Oouncil could not give the information asked for. From the Government was received a copy of a Treasury voucher for amount due to the Board by subsidy, less the cost of maintenance of Hospital and Charitable Aid, being £455 6s Id. The Oouncil decided to write to the Government asking for further particulars of the above account.

The report of the city surveyor was read as follows 1. A letter has been sent in requesting permission to erect canvas verandahs in front of the stalls on the market place. As this is not in accordance with the by-law, and I cannot grant anything which does not fulfil the conditions of tho by-law, the letter will he laid before the Council to be dealt with. 2. The new street leading out of Montreal street South has been channelled and formed, and the contract for shingling it has been given to Mr Miller. 3. Mr Smart has received instructions to do the general repairs to the asphalt, and he will commence doing so at once. 4. Mr Sherer has applied for permission to erect a boat-shed on the river over his platform, between Manchester and Colombo bridges. Tho application is annexed hereto. 5. The following building licenses were granted during the month of January last:— Mr T. H. Green, Manchester street, ten shops ; Mr F. Hobbs, High street; Mrs Crosbie, Kilmore street ; Mr C. Abell, Walker street ; Mr A. W. Money, Kilmore street ; Mr Q. Wiseman, Madras street ; Mr Sinclair, Gloucester street ; Mr Wagstaff, Victoria street; Mr W. Jones, Antigua street ; Mr W. Bates, junior. Lower High street ; Mr C. Effey, Lower High street ; Mr G. Simpson, Queen street North ; Mr A. Foster, Queen street North ; Mr W. Stoning, Queen street North ; Mr Thomas Hamilton, Montreal street, five houses ; Mr William Reynolds, Antigua street ; Mr J. Bastrioks, Colombo street ; Messrs Cooke and Crocker, Cashel street ; Mr H. Barrett, Willow street ; Mr W. Gilpin, York street ; Mr John Wood, Barbadoes street ; Mr W. H. Basking, Peterborough street. 6. I have examined and reported on the Theatre Royal and tho Music Hall. I have also inspected the two Oddfellows’ Halls, but I have not reported on them, as I understood Mr Clephane to say that the trustees would communicate with the Council before my doing so. The Council resolved to decline the application referred to in clause 1.

With regard to clause 6, a letter was read from Mr Olephano, advancing reasons why the lodge should not be required to expend a large amount in alterations to the means of egress at present, especially in view of a prospective alteration to the building by way of increasing the general accommodation. The Council decided to withhold the license nriHl the necessary alterations are carried out to the satisfaction of the city surveyor.

The report of the surveyor wee then approved. Or. Ohertill made a verbal report on behalf of the chairman of the by-law committee, as to the progress of the business of that committee in reference to the street tramway. They had received the new deed of concession and the new Order in Council, and they had been considered ; but inasmuch as there were certain discrepancies contained in these documents, the committee asked permission to send tt cm back to the solicitor, and attention drawn to the defects referred to.

Or. Hulbert said questions had been asked outside as to who was to blame for the delay in carrying the tram down High street, and the Council had been blamed for the delay in making the concession. If, as he suspected, the Tram Company were to blame, he should like to see the blame cast on the right shoulders.

Cr. Oherrill replied that the by-law committee bod given instructions to the solicitors, but, on behalf of the committee, he must say that it appeared to be very hard on them to be expected to go over those deeds and discover defects which never ought to have been permitted to creep into them. He cast the blame on the solicitors.

It was agreed that the committee be authorised to refer back the deed to the solicitors for correction. Or. Hulbert said ho had received the medals for good service, to bo presented to members of the fire brigade, one of them being for presentation to a fireman who had served nineteen years in the brigade. A conversational discussion took place as to the manner in which the medals should be presented, and the matter was eventually referred to the fire brigade committee. It was agreed, on the suggestion of Or, Oherrill, that the water supply committee be requested to consider and bring up a report on a modified scheme of water supply. After some routine business, and the consideration of applications for licenses, the Council adjourned.