NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume III, Issue 109, 9 May 1868, Page 2

NELSON BOARD OF WORKS.

The usuul fortnightly meeting of the Board took place yesterday evening at the office. Present, Mr R. Barn, M.P.C. in the chair, Messrs D. Burns, J. Hooper, Field and Webb. The minutes of the last meeting were read and confirmed. The following tenders were opened for cutting and forming a road in Brontistreet : Patterson and Townsend, £67 17s. 6d. ; Macdonald and Woodward, £76 16s. 6d. ; Dry nnn and Co., £71 ss. ; R. K. Turner aud Son, £77 35.; Dickson and party, £80 ; J. Percival £93 7s. 6d.; Cockram and Dunlop, £99. It was resolved that the tend sr of Messrs Patterson' and Townsend, being the lowest, should be accepted, on condition thafc certain contributions promised hy parties residing in Bronti-street, be forthcoming. . 'l'he Finance Committee reported that they had examined the accounts aud books of the Board, and had found them to bo correct. The Pubiic Works Committee deferred making their' report upon the slate of Trafalgar-street South and the Waimea road, until the next meeting of the Board. The construction of a ford at the Hardystreet Bridge over the Maitai having como under the consideration of the Board at their last meetiug, and having been deferred in order to allow of obtaining further information on the subject, the Board decided that this project could not be enterfcainod, viewing the injury which it would probably cause to private property on the banks of the river, in time of flood, and they were supported in this view of the question by the opinion of the Government. The Secretary brought under the notice of the Board the state of some ditches at the top of Collingwood Street, in the immediate vicinity of Mr Wilkie's residence, which was referred to the Public Works Committee. A letter was read from Mr Handyside, referring to the impassable condition of the upper part of Vanguard-street, and to the state of the ditches in that street. The Secretary received instructions to have the ditches cleared out and the material placed on the road. A letter from Mr John Spencer, the contractor for lighting the city lamps, was read, stating. that within the last fortnight several of the lamps had been broken maliciously, and requesting the Board to protect his interests. The Secretary was instructed to insert an advertisement in ' the local papers, offering a reward of £5 for the detection of persons so offending, and to confer with Mr Inspector Sliallcrass on the subject. Mr Field haviDg applied for permission to extend a hatchway 18 inches on the pathway in Trafalgar-street,, on the pre. mises now erecting for him, Mr Webb moved that the request be not acceded to, similar applications having been already refused, and the motion was carried. A letter was read from Mr Burford, calling the attention of the Board to the present state of the tramway between the Government Wharf and Mr Strachan's ground on the opposite side of the road, and the Secretary was instructed to see to the matter. A petition from inhabitants of Nilestreet West, praying the Board to cause a pathway to be formed and a drain cleaned out in front of thoir property in that street, was referred to the Pubiic Works Committee. Several accounts were passed and the Board adjourned until Friday the 22nd inst.

The Nelson competitors in the late colonial tournament at Wellington returned yesterday by the Gothenburg, and express themselves much gratified by the reception which they met with in the Empire City. The dinner given by the Wellington Militia and Volunteers to the various competitors in the Champion Prize firing at the Empire Hotel on the 29th ultimo, was a sumptuous affair, and seems to havebeen done in first-rate style. The 'menu,' itself a very delicate specimen of fancy typography, is before us, and shows that no trouble or expense was spared to do honor to the occasion, for it comprises literally every procurable delicacy, the titles of which are very cunningly veiled under that strange mongrel semi-French, semi-English phraseology, so dear to the orthodox gourmet, and so unintelligible to the uninitiated iv such mysteries. The programme of toasts and appropriate music given on the occasion must surely have been arranged by some one who possesses a keen sense of the satirical. What could be more delicately suggestive than the toast of 'The Ministers,' followed by ' Just before the Battle, Mother, &c.,' tbe health of the champion competitors being, of course, succeeded by ' See the Conquering Hero comes.' We learn with much gratification that Col. Header, the officer commanding the Wellington district, has expressed himself much pleased with the commendable manner in which the Nelson Cadets conducted themselves, as well as with their general appearance and the soldierly manner with which they bore themselves on the shooting ground, which must csrtniuiy be held to reflect great credit oc< their Adjutant, Captain Lockett. ■The Slate trials afc Hokitika will commence on tho 1 Hh insfc. The first annual meeting of the Nelson Volunteer Artillery Company will take ' plp.ee on Mouday evening next, and it is particularly desired that there may ' be a full muster of the members on the occasion. - We understand that a number of the mer.chr.nt3 aud commercial men of this city having determined on presenting Captain llough with some testimonial of their regard and esteem, on his approaching departnre for Auckland, a meeting will be held at 4 o'clock this afternoon at the Athenaeum Club-room, for the purpose of saying 'good bye' to him and of presenting him with the testimonial alluded to. In the Otago Provincial Council on Thursday last, a special vote of thanks was given to the Volunteer representatives of the province at the Government prize firing at Wellington, and a public demonstration will welcome them on their return to Dunedin. Our Catholic readers will thank us for informing them that the Rev. Father Hickie will preach to-morrow at St Mary's both at the 11 o'clock Mass and at Vespers. The Hokitika Evening Star of the sth inst. notices the awfully sudden death, from disease of the heart, of one of the warders ofthe Gaol, named Wheelan, who, whilst dressing to goon duty that morning, suddenly fell dead. The deceased had served with distinction under Lord Gough, in India, for which he obtained honors, and had received severe wounds on more that one occasion. A fourth bank is about to be established in Hokitika, the Bank of Australasia having purchased the business premises of Messrs Isaacs and Co., Revellstreet. 4 The Wellington Journal describes the telegram of Mr Stafford's meeting in Nelson, sent to that journal and to the Independent, as being, excepting the English telegrams, the longest telegram that has as yet appeared in any New Zealand newspaper. It contained 753 words, and the telegraphing occupied exactly one hour and 50 minutes. The Evening Post says that the Provincial Government Survey Oflice at Wellington had a narrow escape on Monday afternoon from destruction by fire. About 8 o'clock fche offices became suddenly filled with smoke, and on runninsr out to ascertain the cause, the roof was discovered to be on fire. Fortunately there were* more than the usual number of surveyors plotting their work, and many hands soon succeeded in stripping the roof, pulling down the chimney, and extinguishing the fire — plenty of water being available in the adjoining stream. As the fire evidently originated from a defective construction of the chimney, tenders were called for for taking the remaining chimneys

down, and properly rebuilding them. A few hours later and, instead of being able to congratulate the province on the fortunate escape which the valuable deposits in the Survey Office have experienced, we should have had to chronicle a loss which would have been irreparable. The building is insured in the Liverpool and London. Our readers, remarks the Hobart Town Mercury, will be glad to learn that Capt. Gilmore proceeds again to England by the first overland mail, taking with him the ratified deeds under which the cable is to be laid across Bass's Straits, duly executed by the company and the Government. Meanwhile a telegram has been forwarded to England via Galle, announcing the completion of the negotiations, and it is expected that the cable will be ready for shipment onthe arrival of Captain Gilmore iv Englaud. It will then be shipped under his immediate supervision,