BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Grey River Argus, Volume XII, Issue 1372, 21 December 1872, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting of; the Borough? Council was held in the Town Halt ' last night. Present—Councillors Masters, ; Woolcock, Wickes, Dupre, Reid, Moore, [ Glenn, and M'Gregor. Mr Masters said that he had resigned \ the chair, but with;'a proviso attached, and in the meantime; it would be better 1 for the Council to appoint a chairman. i Mr Wickes' was then moved to the chair. " ' - ■— -- \ The minutes of ;the.annual meeting ; were read and confirmed. The Town Olprk. stated that .he. had . received a letter from Mr Masters^ resigii- > ing tho position of Mayor, provided a ; fresh election took place at once. He f had also received a letter from Mr Wool- • cock, resigning any claim he might have > to the Mayoralty, arising out of an informality in the voting at the annual ■ meeting. Mr Woolcock moved " That in conse--1 queuce of the. resignation of Mr Masters, ' we now proceed to elect a Mayor for the , ensuing year." ; --■>. [ Mr M'Gregor,seconded the motion," . which was caaried. k Mr' Masters thought it; necessary to . explain his reasons for resigning the I position to which he had beeiv elected st ! the last meeting. An irregularity had > occurred in the voting, and although he ' considered he was entitled to hold the ; office legally, he did not care to do so when his .election might be questioned, . and therefore he had come to the decision , to resign. He quoted the 138 th clause of [ the Act to show.that it was within the t ppwer of the Council to. appoint a Mnyor :at that meeting. > Mr Woolcock then proposed the rei election of Mr Edward Masters as Mayor of Greymouth for the ensuing year, and i in doing so eulogised that gentleman's ; conduct both as a public man and as a ■ private citizen. He thought that Mr I Masters had the strongest possible claims " to the honor of being elected, to,the ; chair, and he (Mr Woolcock) felt it a pleasure to have the honor to: propose • him for the seat. He held that Mr Masters L was previously elected to the Mayoralty, and he thought it would be unseemly, ungenerous, and unmanly if he (Mr Wool- ; cock) now contested the seat. He felt 1 great pleasure in having the opportunity , of assisting Mr Masters into the honor- [ able position of Mayor of Greymouth. Mr Moore seconded the motion, which i was carried unanimously. • Mr Masters then took the chair, and • thanked.the Council for the honor whic had again been conferred upon him. No one regretted more than he did that through an irregularity they had got into a difficulty, but he hoped the course they had now taken would prove to be the right one. : ■■■ • A letter was read from a number of residents requesting, that the Town, Surveyor shonld give an estimate fbr the formation of a portion of Alexander street. If the work was proceeded with they were prepared to pay L 75 cash, and take the Council's bill for the balance at twelve months.—Referred to the Public Works Committee. ;. A memorial was read from the residents on the east side of Boundary street, asking that the curbing and footpath should be repaired.—Referred to the Public Works Committee. The Town Surveyor reported that he could not get the stone-work in the new Sefton Bridge done at his estimate, and he asked leave to modify his plans, so as. to substitute for the stone breastwork a sod dyke.—The Surveyor was authorised to modify his plans, as proposed, and to submit the same to the Public Works Committee, who received power to call for tenders for the work, The Town Surveyor laid before the Council three designs for building approaches to the wharf from Tainui to Johnston streets—They were received, and ordered to lie on the;table for six days; and in the meantime the Town Clerk to J communicate with those residents who had offered to take up? the Council's bills for the carrying out of this work ; to report at next meeting.