CITY COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume XXIV, Issue 2426, 14 January 1882, Page 4

CITY COUNCIL.

An informal meeting of the City Connoil was held at 5 p.m. yesterday, to consider a letter from Messrs Joubert and Twopeny re proposed Exhibition site. Present—His Worship tho Mayor, Ors. Hulbert, Cuff, Bowman, Bishop, Vincent, Louisson, Thomson, and Lambert.

The City Solicitor (Mr W. P. Oowlishaw) ■was present, as also wore Messrs Twopeny and W. B. Mitchell.

The letter sent to the Mayor was as follows :

“ Sir, —We have the honor to request that -we may be allowed the nse of Cranmer equare for tho purpose of erecting a building for the shortly to be held in this city. If your Worship will bo kind enough to allow our Mr Twopeny to attend the council meeting at whioh this application is to be brought ■up before tho City Council, he will be able to explain the reasons whioh urge him to think that this will be the most favorable site «like in the promoters’ and citizens’ interest. “ We have, &■)., “Joubbbt and Twopeny.”

Tho Mayor said he had convened this meeting in consequence o£ having received a letter 'from Messrs Joubert and Twopeny, asking them to give the promoters the use of Creamer square for the purpooes of the Exhibition. As Mr Twopeny wished to get the matter of "the site settled as soon as passible, he had •deemed it necsssary to summon the members of the Council to consider the application. Mr Twopeny was hero, and would state to the Council the reasons which had induced them to apply for the site. Mr Xwopeny said on arrival here he had looked at the various sites offered, and found that they were so far from the city as to be greatly against the convenience of the citizens desiring to visit the Exhibition. Xhus it became necessary to sea whether any more central site could be obtained, and they had ■therefore looked at both Oranmor and Latimer squares. The latter had had quite recently some £2OO spent upon it. but this objection did not exist in Cranmer square. Xhey were quite willing to enter into any bond which might be necessary to secure the restoration of the square to its normal condition. He might say that in Adelaida and in Perth some legal difficulty was presumed to exist as to whether the Council could be prevented from letting to any one the public squares. In neither Adelaide nor Perth was there any objection made by any ratepayers. He might also point out that the Sydney Exhibition was erected on a public reserve. Of course, if it should turn out that action wore to be taken against the Council or themselves, they would bind themselves in a bond to bear the costs of the same. Xho common sense view of the matter was this—'that if the sanction of a large number of the ratepayers was obtained no one would attempt to dispute the right to charge for admission. On the other hand, of course, if the sanction •of only a bare majority of citizens were obtained, it would hardly be prudent on their part to take a site, the title of which, if he •might be permitted to use the word, was not a good one. He did not wish to disguise the loot that the project of the exhibition on the part of their firm was a purely commercial one ; but, on the other hand, he desired to point out that great advantage would be -derived from the spending of the money of visitors in the city. Again, there was another point, and it was this, that the selection of •Christchurch for the site of this exhibition would, no doubt, in future years induce others who might project a similar enterprise to hold - at there. Xhera was also this to be considered, that by having the exhibition in a. central wpot, tho convenience of the citizens who might desire to visit the exhibition would be consulted.

Cr. Halbert desired to ask Mr Twopeny whether Latimer square would not be as well suited, or better, for the exhibition than Oranmer square ? Mr Twopony said thot they would be only too glad to take whichever square the Council chose to giro them. He might say this, that they would be perfectly willing to replace Latimer square in the same state as it was xow. At the same time, he thought, perhaps, they coukl not replace it, however willing they might be.

The Mayor wished to ask Mr Twopeny whether, in the ease of their obtaining Oranraer square, and thus necessarily limiting their building somewhat, whether Canterbury exhibitors would bo at all limited in tho amount of space allotted to them, Mr Twopeny said that arrangements would bo made whereby all the Canterbury exhibitors would be enabled to procure the full amount of space they might desire. Ha would undertake to say this—that no Canterbury exhibitor would bo abut out on account of tho alteration in size of tho building. Or. Bowman eaid that he thought that there would bo very much greater opposition raised to the occupancy by the exhibition of Latimer square than there would be to Cranmer square, and he was of opinion that Cranmer square was quite as central as Latimer square. Cr. Louisson desired further to point out that there was a large amount of traffic across Latimer square which was not tho case with regard to Cranmer square. Besides, though Messrs Joubert and Twopeny would no doubt bo willing to replace Latimer square in its present condition, it would be a matter of time rather than of expense. Mr Twopeny said he desired to elate that they intended to offer a prize of £SO to the exhibit or who was proved by his exhibits to have done the moat towards developing the local industries of tho colony. He might say that he intended to make this announcement at the meeting of the committee this evening. dome further questions having been asked and answered, Mr Twopeny expressed his acknowledgments for the courtesy shown to him by the Council, and then retired. The Council then went into committee to consider the matter, and subsequently arrived at the following resolution;—“That the following members of this meeting, being also members of the Council, hereby recommend the City Council to grant tho use of Cranmer square to the projectors of the Exhibition, subject to conditions to be hereafter drawn up by the city solicitor.” It was also resolved—“ That the Mayor and works committee draw up the conditions after conference with the solicitor, and submit them at next meeting of the Council.” The meeting then adjourned.