BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume IX, Issue 701, 16 July 1870, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

'. The usual fortnightly meeting of the Council was held in the Town Hall, last evening. " Present— J. JEtilgour, Esq.,; Mayor in the. chair ; Councillors Kennedy/ Wickes, Nichbl, Moore, Ooates, and Purcell. ....,;" '

The Mayor stated.that lie had received a telegram from the Town Clerk of Hokitika asking his co-operation in forwarding a petition to both Houses of Assembly, condemning the financial scheme of the General Government. He had replied that he could not give an answer until tne meeting of the Council. . „ , : - Mr Moore said he hoped they would be unanimous in supporting the people of Hokitika in what they had done. He was' strongly opposed to the changes in the tariff, • as . they, pressed unfairly; ''upon' mining population. He moved—^^That this; Council .fully endorses the actibn'of the Mayor and Councillors of Hokitika, in condemning the alterations in the tariffj. as they believe the burden will be borne by the mining population, now very heavily taxed;" •'■■ ■ ■"••' :: :• ■-. Mr P. Purcell seconded the motion; * which was put, and carried unanimously. A letter was read, calling attention to the unprotected state of the steps, on the wharf opposite Hunt's Hotel. jOH tile motion of Mr Wickes, the lieMier' w,as received/ andthe Public Works f Committee empowered to put up a hand-VaiJ : t6 prevent accidents.. ..,. - ;. .. Messrs Rae'and Wickrs wrote requesting the insertion of a new clause in their lease of a chain of the .was agreed to. ■..-... -.-•.; j Mr G. Martin applied' for permission to erect -a landing-stage opposite the Cove *of Cork Hotel, Richmond Quay.— Permission granted, subject to the approval of the Town Surveyor." ' Mr Sampson wrote calling attention to three'dangerotis chimneys near ; a cottage he was erecting in Mackay street. -—SS^ ceived, and the applicant to , be< informed that he should make hircomplaint td. the police. ..; ; \ . • r '■■■■' Several applications for mining f leases upon the Municipal Reserves w%rerreferred to the Mining Committee, v ",..'.! The Mayor stated thai, as the County, Council had not kept faith with the, Municipal. Council in : the -negotiation respecting -the reserves, the present applications should not be received, and when they could be finally settled, that they should be entertained 'according to priority of application. This view was agreed to by the .Council. ■•. ■ ■ . A. 'letter -was received from Stepheu Roff, asking that his claim should be entertained, .-on the condition 'that*,* the i piles driven by him should be tested against those driven under the superintendence of %he Town Surveyor. . r ; . A number of accounts were presented, among which was one from Messrs Macgregor and Campbell . for £236 10s, for repairs to the Custoirs ' ' Wharf,' and after a discussion' they were all referred to the. Finance. Committee to report. „' '. The report of ,J;he Public Works Cora- - mittee waspreseuted, and excited a stormy discussion. * . • - •■ .jits consideration, on the motion of Mr ParkhtsoN, wa3 deferred until the opening of the tenders for the advertised works, when it' was clearly shown tha't^'lby | t iking the gravel from a section offered for the purpose by Messrs Kilgour and Perotti, an actual saving of money could be effected. ..' ■■ '* The Mator stated that as some of the > Councillors had insinuated that he . was actuated by interested. motives in bffertiig" the gravel at, a very reasonable rate,; he might tell them that he- was not at all anxiouß.for them to take any more, andthat he was both surprised and vtxed at the illiberal tone adopted by some of the members of the Council. He further stated that he was only actuated by motives of ecpnomy in the expenditure of the 3oro,ugh funds, as he^knewihat the gravel could'jbe obtained at £ cheaper rate from the immediate vicinity' of the works ; than* at the other places proposed,' and the result of the tenders jiistihedhia belief. > ' The tenders wh,en bpetted [were for the gravelling . of Taihui 'street) contractori Martin Keunedy/ carter ; gravel from Kilgour i.attA, Perotti r s, ! L 25 ,14s ; from Preston road, L2B. 8,3 9d. ; Fuilarton, from, the ■■> first-named place, . L 25, and; from the last named L3O. . t . The report of the sub-committee was, after a discussipu unanimously adopted. • An application for the payment of Lls, being the balance due on ■the; wharf erected opposite the Brian Bbru Hotel was also ordered to be : , paid. Another l applicatiorx from the owners of : the Kate. Conley. .respecting the loss of ballast through the defective state of the wharf was also received. . ■' . . , ■''■'• : ,-Mr Kennedy asked that the sum of be allowed by the Council tor the erection of a bridge across the. Tidal' ; Greek, Tainui street, tJii^, as he stated, being one-lhird .of th& estimated cost of the erection of the same, the/ balance; being • defrayed 1 by private subscription. After a few remarks by the membeM^tfie matter was rofeiTed to the Finance Committee. ■ .' ' .' "'... ■• :"i Th(3 Qpunfiil 10.30 p.m,. - v