BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 666, 15 November 1878, Page 2

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

The usual fortnightly meeting of the Borough Council was held at the Town Hall last evening. Present : the Mayor (in the chair), Councillors Brown, Campbell, Blake, Confoot, Hannan * O’Hara, Dungan, and Pollock,

The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed;

The Mayor pointed out to the Council that at a previous meeting an application by a person named Morris to mine in Seddon street had been granted, and, at a subsequent meeting at which he (the Mayor), was not present, a resolution had been passed that Morris and party fecieve notice to discontinue, working. This was exactly opposed to the first resolution authorising this application and should ■ not hare been passed. The proper course to hate adopted Would have been for the Council to rescind the first resolution.

-Or. Campbell explained that the Town Clerk had given the members to understand at the last meeting that these persons had received no authority from the Council, or else the motion would not have been broughtforward.

After a few words from Cn Blake the matter under dismission was dropped.

The outward Correspondence was read and approved of* and the inward read and received.

The Mayor, moved, and Or. Blake seconded, “That the resignation of Or. Ancher be accepted, with regret • and that a vote of thanks be recorded on the minutes to Or. Ancher for his past services in the Council.”

The motion was carried unanimously. A letter from Mr Home, stating “ that as the Council had taken no steps in regard to the matter of Mr Hanna's house, he (Mr Horne) would be reluctantly compelled to take proceedings to have the objection complained of attended to,” was taken inter consideration.-

Or. O’Hara asked for a report of the Public Works Committee to whom this matter was referred.

The Town Clerk informed Councillor O’Hara that the Public Works Committee bad made no report, but had referred the matter back to the Council

The Mayor said it Was no good mincing matters, and he thought one ratepayer should be treated by the Council as another. The whole question had arisen in this m inner the Warden

came here and ordered a survey to be made, which he (the Warden) had no more right to do thail he (the speaker), as the land belonged to the Board of Education. In : the Meantime people took up sites, thinking it belonged to tliO goldfields The Board of Education then met, and had another- new survey made, and they gaVe thOah persons who had Arst taken up the ground. the pre-eniptive right, Mr HaUna’fl house had been erected on the old sui* vey line made by the Warden’s.,authOHty, and there it had stood since; Had the gold-field not gone ahead, the house would probably never have been interfered with y but as this #as now & borough, with, a settled community, they would have to deal with the maU ter. He thought that in the first instance it should have been dealtwith by the Road Board, but now the Board had no authority, nor the County Council either, and so the Borough Council must undertake the matter* and the question was, in what manner 1 He would not like to see Mr. Hanna injured, but as a public body they must deal with the question. No dpubt it was a very unpleasant task, and -that was.the reason the Public Works Committee had sent it back to the Council, and shirked the responsibility. He would move “That the matter be left to a committee, consisting of Cr. Diingan and himself to deal with, and that the Council authorise the Committee to deal with the question, at a cost not to exceed <£3o. 5 ’ The committee would have the assistance of the To#n Engineer, and they might probably .call in some other expert; and he thoilght this was the most judicious manner .of setr tling the Question. If they went by the strict letter of the la#, the Council would not be compelled to beme thd cost; but he considered they sat as. ari equitable body, and should act as such;

Cr. O’Hara seconded the motion; Or. Duncan said that if the strict letter of the law was carried out the parties would be competed td move the house complained of, and without entering into details any jjefson could see that the hoiise alluded to wris highly objectionable, arid interferred with the line of street. Referring to the actiori of the Public Works Committee he (the speaker) thought that if they had seen any way td meet the difficultyj they would have done it, and- he- considered the Mayors suggestion a very good one; He Could not, howeverj agree that any action of this kind should act as a precedent on a future occasion. He should support the Chairman’s motion.

Cr. Cornfoot conld riot day hewris iri favor of the resolution, as he did-not see why they should be saddled with the expense, as the Eddcatiori Board had committed the mistake, arid they should bear the, cost. : The Education Board had derived a large revenue front the Reserve, and he could not see why the ratepayers should bear the expensed in the matter. He should s therefore oppose the motion; ■ Cr. Blake coincided with dr. Odrrifoot, and he could riot see who Mr Home coiild claim damages from.; Mr Hanna bad the ground before, the foad was made, arid those who took >the ground to. make the street - should pa f for it. .If the Education Board did riofi pay all the expense, they at least oughtto meet it half way. If ;the objector could claim damages for the house projecting in the street, then the Council, Education Board, or Mr Hanna would ‘ have' to pay them.- . .• Cr. Brown, as an old resident Of the town, thoright that as Mr Hanna’had bililt bis bouse according tothe pegs of the first survey, those who put the pegs in the wrong place, Ought now to put the house iri the right one.' The Mayor in reply said that If the survey Ordered by the'Warden waist right, and Mr Hanna’s house was in the right place, then all the otheri houses were in the wrong one. If it was taken to a Court of law there was no one who could tell -where. Seddon street was. He had taken the advice of three legal gentleman on the question, and their opinion was that the' matter was so intricate that it had better be settled if possible by the Council.

Cr. Hannan here took his seat, and on the chairman explaining the business before the Council,- Cr. Hannan moved as<kn amendment, “ That the matter be left to the Town Surveyor to report at next meeting as. to what other properties would be affected by the shifting of Mr Hanna’s house/’ Cr, DOnganj- iri speaking to the amendment* said he was always open to correction, and he thought the suggestion a gOod one, as it wotfld give" more information on the matter, and they would then know how to act.

The Towii Clerk on being asked by the Mayor to afford the Council any information he could on the - subject* stated that from memory he was unable" to say the exact number of placed attested or their relative situation's one

Mill Another iii regard to tllo amount df projection on the sti'eet. The Mayor trusted they Wbuld di'al With the matter at onbe as there was a lull CoMcil present, Add at the u’ekt meeting there might not be a quorurti, let theta settle the question' At isaitte, And not shirk their responsibilities. On the amendment bteing pAt, it wAS ‘carried on the Voices, And ft division Wfts called for by the Mayor, which Was ns follows :—Ayes, s*. Crs. GOrnfoot, O’Rara, Dungab, Pollock, and Rannan. v Noea, 4: Cm BrOwn, Campbell, Blake, And Sfeddon. Cr. BrOwn then taOVed as another Amendment) tx That the Council have nothing to do with the matter f Which Cr. BlakO seconded pro forma. The Mayor wished to add home ■words to dr. Brownes amendment, by leave of the Council, but this was negatived pn the Voices, as

Cr. Pollock thought if ft counOiller bould not bring a motion forward withbnt requiring alteration by the Mayor, be was not fit to sit in the Council.

Cr. Brown’s motion was then put and lost, and

The Mayor taoVed as a further Amendment, “ T'liafc the Coulicil decline tO interfere with the encroachment of Mr Hannft’s house on Seddon street Which was Also lOst. " , . The amendment of Cr. Rarmatt was then put ftS the original. raotioil, and tarried.

Cr. BAngaA, by leave of the Council, presented a letter from the contractors in Main street complaining that ft difference had arisen, between them and the Town SArveyor relating to some Work they had performed) and asking ■that the m'fttter be referred' to arbitration ; in the event of their being in the. Wrong .the expense to be borne by them; if otherwise, by the Council. On the motion of the MayOr, Seconded by Cr. Blake, the letter Was referred to the Public Works Comhiittee, With power to act in the question at issuer

. The Mayor and Cr. Rungan herd left the Coiindil, and. Cr. Cornfoot Was Voted to the bhair.

•*' Accounts for expenses incurred by the deputation re the cancellation Of tile Education Reserve wOre passed for JJaymOut, as followsMr Seddon, ; Mr Diingan, £8 ; and Mr Holmes, for procliring signatures to petition, '£2; The meeting then terminated: