BOROUGH COUNCIL,

Grey River Argus, Volume VII, Issue 505, 10 April 1869, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL,

The usual weekly meeting of the Council was held in the offices, Gressonstreet, on Thursday evening. Present — The Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Kilgour, Rae, Strike, Coates, Ashton, and Moore. A letter was read from the County Chairman enclosing a cheque for L 750, being one-half of the amount voted by the Council as a grant-in-aid ; the balance to be remitted at the close of the present quarter. — Received. The Town Clerk reported that the contract for the supply of piles had been signed. He also laid on the table correspondence with reference to the Corporation advertising and printing" It was resolved to call for tenders for printing and advertising for the next three months. Consideration was resumed of the refusal of Williams and party to remove the dam they had built across High street, so as to enable the tramway proprietors to carry their line through. Mr Wiokes thought there was no difficulty in the matter. High street was equally under the control of the Council as Mawhera Quay. Having given the tramway proprietors permission to go through that street, an obstruction was raised to their progress by unauthorised parties. If the notice given to remove the obstruction was not complied with, the Town Clerk or Town Surveyor should be instructed to report the same to the police. He moved — "That as complaints have been received from the tramway proprietors of an obstruction which prevents them carrying their line through High street, that the Town Clerk inform the police that the parties causing the obstruction have disregarded the Council's instructions to remove the same." Mr Strike seconded tho motion. The Mayor pointed out that the stand-

ing orders would require . to be suspended to pass this resolution. The standing orders were suspended, and the resolution moved, and, after a discussion, carried. A report was read from the Town Surveyor stating that he had examined the town and had consulted Dr Morice as to the best site for a public morgue, and recommended the west side of Boundary street, opposite the Fire Brigade Hall, because that was a thinly populated place, and was under the direct control of the police. The cost would not exceed L2O. The report was received, and the Town Clerk was instructed to endeavor to obtain possession of the old powder magazine, and the Town Surveyor to have, it removed to the best site that could be secured. The Town Clerk read an estimate from the Town Surveyor of the works proposed to be carried out under the loan. He estimated that to properly finish the | protective works would yet cost close on L3OOO, and he proposed to expend the balance, a little over L2OOO, in making Boundary, Ma^fcay, Gresson, Hospital, Albert, and T&inui streets. On the/motion of Mr Wickes, the report w/*3 received. Mr JToore said that in accordance with a resptiition passed on March 4, to be considered in four weeks' time, he would now rrove — " That this Council consider a resolution to negotiate a loan of Lsooofor seven years at 8 per cent, per anmim, in debentures of LSO each, repayable at the Town Clerk's Office; Greymouth, for the purpose of completing the works mentioned in the Town Surveyor's estimate." It was a question whether the resolution would be quite legal if the money could not be got at 8 per cent., as had been stated, and they were to alter the resolution to 10 percent., without going through all the preliminaries again. He thought their solicitor ought to have been present to advise them on this matter, as it was a most important one. With regard to the works proposed to be executed out of the loan, if they got it, he would point out that no improvement had yet been made in the back streets. All the money had hitherto been spent on the protective works in the front street. By obtaining this loan, they would be in a position to put the whole of the township in a fit state to live in. He hoped the motion would be passed, unanimously. The Mayor said the general impression was that they could not alter the rate of per centage, without going through all the machinery again. They could not get over the difficulty by handing over the debentures to the Bank at 2 per cent below par. The Town Surveyor stated that his estimate for Mawhera and Richmond quays was as near as possible £3000, and the amount set down for the other streets was simply the balance of the loan, as when he took out the quantities for the streets, he found that the money available would nothing like fill them up to their proper height and width. It would be a question for the Council to say which streets should be made up to their permanent level and full width, and which should only have footpaths and a metalled track for carts. Mr [Cilgour said thai if the loan was not sufficient to finish the streets off to their proper level they ought to be very cautious in whatthey were doing in entering upon the work at all. II would be a useless expenditure to raise all the back streets one foot above high flood mark at the present time. They ought to be satisfied with having some of the streets made passable for dray traffic and the stagnant water drained off in the meantime. Mr Moore thought they were bound to study the residents in the back streets, at least so far as to enable them to bring a dray to their doors in winter. If the loan were obtained, they should be studied as much as the residents in the front street. Mr Wickes seconded the motion. - Mr Kilgour moved the adjournment of the debate until next meeting. Mr Strike seconded the motion, in order that the opinion of the solicitor might be taken with respect to the per centage question. This was carried. Mr Moore called attention to a petition : which had been presented some time ago, praying for the erection of a set of steps at the end of Arney street. He moved that the steps be erected as requested; the cost not to exceed L3O. „ Mr CoAtes seconded the motion, which was carried. THE NEW OFFICES. The Mayor asked if it was correct that in the title to the room they were then in, which was to be drawn out, the trustees proposed to insert conditions ? Mr Coates : I have asked the solicitor to draw up a conveyance to the Council, as trustees for the burgesses of Greymouth. The Mayor : That is not in accordance with the promise of the trustees to the. Council. Mr Moore: I thoroughly agree with what Mr Coates has done in this matter. I think he has acted very properly. I ask your Worship are you to have the sole right over this building to sell it for a public-house or dancing casino if you think fit? I know that your Worship would not do it, but who can answer that your successor would not ? Mr Coates : Some of the Councillors have stated that they would sell this property whenever it was handed over to them. Mr Kilgour : It is a great pity that public money should have been spent on the building. As the Augvs said, you have got the thin end of the wedgo in. What has the building cost up to the present time 1 . • The Town Surveyor : £75. Mr Kilgour : And now it is to be lined, and more money spent, and we are only to hold it in trust. I cannot see that it should not be handed over as promised, without conditions. I never would have voted to come here — (A voice : You did not.) — unless we were to have a clear title to the building. I oppose any further expenditure of money without a proper deed. Mr Coates : May I ask you if the 1 ullding is handed over to the burgesses of Greymouth in trust, if that is not a proper title. Mr Kixgour : No ; I consider we Bhonld have a clear title. The money spent here has been done under false pretences. Mr Mookb : I ask his Worship's opinion, whether the trustees would be doing their duty in handing over this building to any body, and giving them power at any time to sell or dispose of it for any purpose they like. I think you will acknowledge that we are only doing our duty in right and justice to the public, in keeping that clause in it. The Mayor : The place should be handed over now without any restriction whatever.

I Here are nine gentlemen vtho represent the whole town ; are they not in a better position to deal with the building than two trustees ? Mr Rae : This building has been pressed upon us. £120 of the public money has been spent upon us, in order that we might sit here a few evenings ; and still the trustees claim it as belonging to the public. It was understood, when the building was forced upon us, that it was to be a gift. The Mayor : It was stated several times that the building was to be handed, over without any conditions. Mr Wickes, as one of the trustees of the building, thought the Council must have been aware that they would not be able to hand over more than the trust they held from the public. They must reserve the right to the public to prevent any body of men coming in and selling the building, and erect another somewhere else. This restriction must be mt> A " in the deed. The Mayor : We sho-^ not have been told that it was *<• ye ' unconditional, and - a t the sani" * ime > without one being consulWj na -ve a deed made out containing conditions! Mr Wickes : It had been stated in the Council and privately that whenever certain members were got rid cf the building woiild be sold — (Name !) I consider that Mr Coates has acted in his trusteeship as a man ought to do. Mr Coates : I understand that your Worship said to-day that as soon as the building was in your own hands, you would remove to another place. Mr Strike : The trustees have acted properly. The building is to be handed over for the use of the Council, and no building better adapted for the purpose can be had. The Mayor : As far as I am concerned, the report is not true. Mr Coates ought to say who he heard it from. I have certainly heard jokes passed on the subject. Mr Coates : If the Council will not accept the deed as ordered there will be no deed at all, for two of the trustees are about to proceed to Africa. Mr Kilgottr : I will give notice of a resolution to rescind the vote of LSO for lining this building, since the trustees have refused to hand it over ou the conditions proposed. Mr Moore: On the face of it, the motion is an untruth. Mr Ashton : I move that the standing orders be suspended, in order to put the motion at once. The Mayor : That cannot be done. Mr Moore : I ask for the suspension of the standing orders for the purpose of moving — "That a solicitor be employed to draw up a deed in accordance with Mr Coates' proposition." The Mayor : One voice will negative that. Mr Moore : We are aware of that, your Worship. The motion that permission be granted was put, and as no -voice was heard in the negative it was refused. The matter then dropped, and the Council adjourned for a week.