BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume X, Issue 776, 7 January 1871, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The adjourned annual meeting of the Council was held in the Town Hall last nigHfc. Present— E. Wickea, Esq., Mayor, presiding ; Councillors Moore, Coates, Pnrcell, and Woolcock. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The Town Clerk laid on the table the annual accounts, which had been printed, and had been open for the inspection of the public, duly audited, as required by the Corporations Act. It was resolved that the accounts, as laid on the table, be approved of, and certified to by the Mayor, on behalf, of the burgesses of the borough. The annual meeting waa then adjourned until the third Wednesday in December, and the business of the ordinary meeting proceeded with. A letter was read from the County Treasurer, enclosing a cheque for Ll4O 9a lid, on account of land sales within the borough. A. Constantine applied for permission to work a portion of the beach near the lagoon,- and to work the same by steam machinery on the old site of M'Sherry and party's abandoned claim. He intended to expend L7OO on machinery, and to employ twenty men when in full working order. — The Town Surveyor was instructed to accompany the applicant to the ground, and to report to the Public Worxs Committee, with power to act. The Harbor-Master called the Council's attention to a snag in the liver opposite the powder magazine, and recommended its removal, because it was likely to form i a shingle-bank, and this was a very shallow portion of the river. — The matter waa referred to the Mayor and Town Surveyor, with $ower to act. Messrs D. Maclean and Co. notified to the Council that they had relinquished the lease of their coal wharf. — Received. Mr Batty applied for a lease of the portion of the wharf abandoned by D. Maclean and Co., and he requested that as so much coal was stolen from that locality, he should be allowed a sum out of the rent to fen:se in the wharf. — The lease was granted, but not the allowance for the fence. The following letter was read with regard to the importation of cattle : — Greymouth, Dec. 18, 1870. The Mayor and Councillors of the Borough • of Greymouth, . Gentlemen— We beg to submit for your favorable consideration the policy of modifying the present wharfage rate on cattle. Indeed, seeing that they are invariably landed on the open bank of the river, and that no outlay for the purpose has been imurrred by the Council, or is necessary, the justice of charging any rate at all may be fairly questioned. But even admitting that it would be fair that some rate should be charged, the existing oue, it is submitted, is excessive in relation to the rates imposed on other things. The result is that the importers of cattle are now making arrangements for landing them on the Nelson side of the river for the purpose of relieving themselves from what they believe to be an oppressive tax, and at the same time escapiug from another, equally oppressive, levied liy the County Government, under tbe fictitious plea of inspection. We would therefore respectfully suggest the expediency of reducing the rate to one shilling per head, in order to retain the cattle trade and its collateral advantages within the limits of the Borough. We are, Gentlemen, Your most obedient servants, D. Maclean and Co, Stock Salesmen. Hildebrand and Weber. The Mayor said that the tariff was 2s 6d a head, . and the. sum of 2s 6d p-sr head was charged by the County Council for an inspection which never took place. He suggested that they should recommend the County Chairman to remit this charge, and he thought that would meet the views of the applicants in the meantime: — -A ; roaolution in accordance- with . this suggestion was adopted, and the letter held over for further consideration. The Town Surveyor .reported that Boundary street could be filled up for Is 6d a yard, 3226 cubic yards, or a total 0fL241. Mr Purcell moved that the report be received and adopted, on the understanding that the work was not carried out until the Council was in funds, or a guarantee given by the residents to raise the cash and take the Council's bills for the amount. The Town Surveyor ' repDrted that during the year a sconr of from one to three feet had taken place in front of the protective works. — Received. The Mayor, by permission, moved— "That the Council petition the County Council to send ten or twelve prisoners to Greymouth, in order that they may be employed in blasting the limestone hill at the head of the town, and constructing a breakwater; and that J\fessre Guinness and Lahman be requested to use their influence to give effect to this resolution." Mr Woolcock seconded the motion, which was carried. The Town Clerk was instructed to draw up a statement of the moneys required for the year 1871, with a view to striking a general rate, Tenders were opened for the formation of a piece of road at the head of the town. The lowest tender was that of G. H. Winneck for L 23, which was accepted. * Mr Moorb asked the suspension of . the Standing Orders, in order to enable him to move a motion putting a stop to the Sighting of bush fires within the borough, but this was refused, as the police had already taken action in the matter under the Act ; and the Mayor volunteered to inform the public, by means of advertisements, that they required to obtain permission from the local authority before lighting fires within the Borough. The Town Surveyor was instructed to repair the steps on Richmond Quay, and erect two handrails for tho protection of life. The Council adjourned for a fortnight.