BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1046, 2 December 1871, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Friday, December 1,

Present : The Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Kennedy, Smith, Dupre, Moore, Purcell, M'Gregor, and Coates. The minutes of the previous meeting having been read and confirmed, r , The Town Clerk read the rather voluminous correspondence entered into relative jto the withdrawal of lands, f com the Borough. Letters were read'frdiri Mr Harry Kenrick, forwarding a cheque for L6 l> -i, being a portion of the fines imposed for breaches of the Municipal Act. — From G. G. Fitzgerald, Esq., Chief Commissioner of the Westland Waste Lands Board, stating that Board had no power to cause an office to be opened for the sale of lands in Greymonth. Letter received. — From the County Chairman, stating that moneys, although due to the Borough, could not be paid, except by v,ote of Couuty Council. Received. The following letter, was then read from the County Chairman, in reference to a respectful request from the Borough Council : — " County Chairman's Office, Hokitika, 21st November, 1871. " The Worshipful the Mayor, Greymouth. "Sir — I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of yoiir letters, the one. on the subject of the road from Greymoutn to the Coal . fyliues, and the .other on .the subject* pf the^ crossing at the New River. In the former' letter you refer, to certain resolutions of the County Council, which you infer relate to the construction of a road from Greymouth to the Coal Mines. This supposition is erroneous, as the resolutions referred to have been superseded by resolutions of the County Council of a later date. " I have always been led to consider that the duties of a Borough Council are confined to municipal matters within such borough, and until convinced to the contrary I cannot •■ recognise any right of interference in questions such as form the subjects of the letters' alluded' to, and I must deprecate any attempt to exceed what must be recognised as the properlimit of the functions of such a body. • " I have the honor to be, Sir, Your obedient servant, H. H. Lahman, - County Chairman." Councillor Moore thought that the least they could expect was a little more courteous reply in answer to the letter sent from the Council. La the. interests of humanity some attention might have been paid with regard to the request relative to the New River. With regard to the subject of the road from Greymouth to the. Coal Mines, the Borough. Council had a perfect right to draw the attention of their representative to it, and ask for information respecting it. The original resolution passed by the County Council was that the road should be made from the town of Greymouth to the Coal Mines; but now it was endeavored to be shown that the road was to be made from the Omotumotu Creek to the Coal Mines.. .At the last sitting of the County Council, Mr Guinness, one of the representatives, for the Borough, drew the attention of the County Council to the matter, when, it was stated that the Council had no funds, and it was resolved that tenders should be called for the construction of a road from the Omotumotu Creek. The letter was sent to Mr Lahnian not in the capacity of County Chairman, but as their representative. Councillor Smith considered that the letter of Mr Lahnian 's was a most impertinent one. He was like a man who had got to the top of the ladder, and then wanted to kick it down again. He qnite forgot that he might want something at another time from those who returned him. The Mayor took t!io same view as Councillor Moore. Tiie letter was written to Mr Lahman in hia capacity as representative for the Borough. It was the duty of the Borough Council to draw the attention of its representative to matters matters such as these.. Councillor Kennedy moved— "That the Borough Council consider that, although within the letter of the Municipal Act, the question may not come within the functions of the Council ; but as there is no other public body in this district to call attention to such important questions, the Council always will, in the interest of the district and the cause of humanity, do so." He considered that tho letter of Mr Lahman was quite uncalled for, and it was unnecessary. The letter addressed by the Borough Council to Mr Lahman was courteous and respectful, and was addressed to him, not in his capacity of County Chairman, but as the representative of the Borough. Mr Lahman, althoughhewasCounty Chairman, had never resigned his functions as their representative, and for Mm to say that the Borough. Council should not interfere was ridiculous. He appeared to be under an idea that Ihe-Borough Council was interfering with his functions as County Chairman, but in this he was mistaken. Councillor Smith seconded the resolution which was carried unanimously. A letter was read from the Chief Commissioner of Crown Lands, stating that the last communication from the Borough Council regarding the sale of lands in the Borough arrived too late, and would be considered at the next meeting, to be held on the sth inst. Telegrams between the Council, Mr Fitzgerald, and Mr Gisborne on the same subject were also read. Messrs Woolfe, Austin and Co. applied for a lease of the land on Preston road, on which their slaughter yards are erected.— Referred to the Public Works Committee, to report at next meeting. An account from Mr Hall for services, rendered as wharfinger was referred to the Finance Committee for settlement. , The following report was received and adopted from the Public Works.Committee : — ; "Your Committee have to report that they met and considered the letter and plans submitted for protecting the River bank, which the Council received from Mr Blackett, and have to state that the plan recommended by Mr Blackett will cost about the sum of L 125 per chain, which, in the present financial condition of the Council will not admit of being attempted. - Also that they have instructed the Town Surveyor, to complete two approaches from the Quay to the wharf, opposite Albert and near Tainui street, under the advice of the Town .Surveyor, upon a cheaper principle than recommended by Mr Blackett, by placiug rough logs in front of th j back piles, to hold the rock in its place. •'Your Committee instructed the Town 1 Clerk tv take the Town Solicitor's opinion ; upon Messrs Itijgoui* and Perottis' letter, requesting permission to erect a stream water* [wheel; also to state, for the information of the Council, that Murray street and Alex* ander street culvert have been completed in ;

accordance, with the specification, to the satisfaction of the Town Surveyor, and that Mount, Werita, and Mackay streets are completed, as per contract, to the satisfaction of the Town Surveyor ; also that Boundaiy, Chapel, and Hospital streets, are being proceeded with, and will be completed within a few weeks; alsp that the .work of pile^driving is completed along Richmond Quay; and that< Mr Kennedy, contractor for Hospital street, is entitled to receive pro* gress as per Town Sarveyor's certificate^' . - - - - THE GREYMOUTH AND MARSDEN ROAD. . ' Mr Kennedy moved, "That the construction of the main road from Marsden to Greymouth is a work calculated to influence very materially, either'beneficially or otherwise. This Council, therefore, is of opinion that the Limestone and Sawyer's Creek route should be adopted, being in comparison with the Omottrmotu route a level road, and generally more level country, is four miles shorter, and would bring the entire traffic of the road through the town, to the advantage of the business people and the ratepayers generally, and would also enable Greymouth to command the trade of the Greenstone and New River ; and the saving effected in the adoption of this route in the cost of construction would in all probability pay for the extension of the road to the Arnold. That a copy of the above be sent to the member for Grey Valley and the Minister for Public Wdrks." ■■ < ■•• ' "•>•-■ - s • ■• ■' - [Mr Kennedy moved this resolution in a very long and able speech, and a debate ensued which lasted until a late hour last night. We are therefore very' reluctantly compelled to reserve . a full report of the arguments used on both sides until our next.] Mr Moore moved as an amendment, "That in order to arrive at a fair and reasonable division on this question, it is advisable that the opinion of the ratepayers be taken by ballot." The amendment" "was" lost, and the resolution carried by a majority of one. Mr Moore then obtained leave to move his amendment as a resolution. _ „;. Mr Coates seconded the motion^ A Mr Kennedy moved as an amendment, " That this Council at its rising adjourn until Wednesday next, and that the question be postponed to that day, in- order to give the ratepayers an opportunity of considering the action taken by the .Council with regard to the two routes." . Mr Pu^celx. seconded the amendment, which was carried. Mr Kennedy moved that the meetings of the Council be held on the first and third Fridays of each month, commencing in January next.— Carried. On the motion of Mr Macgregor, the Gas Company is to be requested to lay gas on in the Town Hall, and the question of providing the fittings was referred to the Public Works Committee. Mr Moore read a report from a committee detailing the steps which had^been taken to prevent the receat sales of town lands as suburban. The committee asked power to take further steps in communicating with the General Government on the subject. The report was adopted, and the power asked granted. •• ; r The Council then adjourned.