GREY COUNTY COUNCIL.

Kumara Times, Issue 2693, 9 May 1885, Page 2

GREY COUNTY COUNCIL.

The Council met afc ten o'clock on Wednesday morning, when the following business relating to the southern part of the county was dealt with : GREENSTONE CEMETERY. Letter from Wm, Whitten, secretary of Greenstone Cemetery Committee, asking that the Greenstone Cemetery be gazetted. Cr. Foley moved that Government be written to to have the cemetery referred to gazetted. Agreed to. Cr. Foley asked the Council to grant £ls towards improving the cemetery. The Chairman thought they had better postpone that question until they had the cemetery gazetted. Postponed until the Road Overseer's report came up.

quealey's residence area.

The # Road Overseer's report was read.

The report recommended that the application made by Mr Queally be agreed to, and that he be given .£lO compensation for taking the road through his residence area at Greenstone, and that he give up his right to the residence area to the Council. This was agreed to. BLACKWATER TRACKS. The Chairman moved that the Road Overseer be instructed to repair about half a mile of track at the'Blackwater. The expenditure would be very trifling. Agreed to. Cr. Foley moved that a piece of trackbe widenedat a cost of about £4, where Mr Angus met with a fatal accident a few days ago. Carried. SKINNER AND PARTY'S APPLICATION FOR REWARD. Cr. Warren moved—"Timlin order to reconsider the resolution arrived at at last ordinary meeting of the Council re application by Skinner and party for a j

prospecting award, the provisions of the Council's resolution of January 11 1882, offering rewards for the discovery of new goldfields, bs pro tem. rescinded; and farther, that the resolution of 24th March on the same subject be also rescinded, and the claims again brought under consideration." In Bupport°of his motion he quoted the report of the committee appointed to visit the terrace and inquire into the nature of the claim made by Skinner and paitv. He was perfectly satisfied as to the "justice of the claim, because of his personal knowledge of the locality, the men, and the circumstances of the, case. Or. Guinness seconded the motion. Cv. M'Kechnie (one of the committee) said there was no doubt that the men had been the means of establishing a good rush that yielded the required quantity of gold.- Unfortunately for themselvps they had not complied with the conditions required by the Council. Cr. Parfitt opposed the resolution. Or. Taylor also opposed the motion. The Council had nothing whatever to reproach itself with in the matter. Cr. Ryall said if the men had made their application in time the county would have taken steps to secure the gold duty that was their due, and that mainly went to Westland. Cr. Guinness supported the motion. He held that although Wessels had uot complied with all the conditions yet he was granted a reward. He took blame to himself for having advised the men not to press their claim at the time they first spoke to him on the matter. He knew the men throughly, and did not believe for a moment that they would make a claim of the kind if they did not feel that they were thoroughly entitled to the reward. The Chairman must oppose the application on principle. If the Council passed this resolution they would be open to all sorts of applications of a similar kind. There were dozens of men who had been the means of opening much better diggings in various parts of the district, and who would be just as much entitled to apply for rewards as Skinner and party. Cr. Ryall could not conscientiously support the claim. Cr. Foley expressed regret at the course the Council seemed bent upon pursuing. He thought an attempt might be made to get the Westlaud and Grey Counties between them to do something for the men who opened Cape Terrace. The motion was pnt and rejected by 5 to i.