LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume VI, Issue 120, 23 May 1871, Page 2

LAST NIGHT'S COUNCIL.

A message was received from the Superintendent enclosing the Supplementary Estimates. Several petitions, and reports of Select Committees having been presented, the Provincial Solicitor moved, " That in the opinion of this Council, it is expedient that steps should be immediately taken for lighting the City of Nelson with gas, and for extending the Waterworks ; and that his Honor the Superintendent be requested to endeavor to procure a Bill to be passed in tbe next session of the General 'Assembly, authorising the borrowing of! a sum of money, not exceeding £30,000, for carrying out these works ; the amount so borrowed to be secured upon the water and other rates levied within the city.!' He bad deferred bringiug forward this resolution until the ratepayers had had an opportunity of expressing an opinion upon it, and as that opinion hud been so clearly expressed at the meeting on Friday evening he had now no hesitation in moving in the matter. With regard to the water supply, the fact of the income derived from that service having increased although a large reduction had been made in the rates, together with the numerous applications that had already been received for its extension, proved uumistakeably that the interest and sinking fund on the. new loan would be amply met by the additional rates that would be received.' As to the gas, he was not prepared to apeak so positively on that question as the necessary data had not yet beeu furnished, but he wished it to be understood that U*i was not the intention of the Government to raise the loan until it had first been shoton that the scheme was likely to pay fojr itself. All that they wanted was the: power to obtain the money if it was required, and this there was an opportunity of doing at the next session of the Assembly if our representatives were backed up by a resolution of the Council. This was nofc-A provincial matter but one that afj^Cted the town solely, and the iuteresta^f the Province at large were iv nojply concerned in it. The PRoviNCiAigrS'ECRETARY seconded the resolution. Yai-V. Luckie had expected a little mor^-nnformation from the Provincial Solicitor, and .would have liked to hear something more definite with respect to tbe cost of the gas. He should like to see some limits placed to the powers of the Government to boyrow. Mr. Gibbs thought no case had been made out for the necessity of borrovijing the money, aud as, from what he could ascertain outside, the ratepayers were by po means unanimous iv their desire for thefloan, notwithstanding the result of Friday^ meeting, he should feel bound to oppose it. Mr. Donne would support the resolution, as the provincial revenue was not likely to be affected in any way. He thought that both the gasworks . and the extension of the water supply were bound to pay. As this was more the affair of the ratepayers tlian of the Council, and as they had been almost unanimous the other evening, he could see no reason whatever for the Council's withholding their consent. Mr. O' Conor could not agree with the resolution. He had no abjection to the money being borrowed for the town, but could not endorse the expression that it was "expedient that steps should be immediately taken for lighting the City of Nelson with gas. " * His own opinion was .that the town could^not support gasworks, as kerosine would be found to be much cheaper. If the contrary were the case, figures should have fceen produced to prove it. He thought it was a luxury for which the town could not afford to pay, and that it should riot be forced upon it by the Council. Holding these opinions he should decline to vote, but 'would throw the whole onus upon the City 'members. Mr. Collins said that after Friday's meeting no other conclusion could be arrived at than , that the ratepayers were almost unanimous in their desire that the loan should be contracted, as if the majority of them thought otherwise it was their duty to have said so at the: time. It was promised by the Government that the necessary calculations should be fully entered into before borrowing the money, and he would suggest that when all the available information, had been procured, another meeting should be called in order to afford the ratepayers an additional opportunity of expressing an opinion when they had all the figures before thena. . He.sbould support the resolution upon the understandings that the Government would first obtain the most reliable information as to the wlmlo of the cost likely to be incurred aud the probable receipts. The Provin? cial Secretary stated that the Government distinctly niadei such a promise. With reference tp the water supply, it had been clearly shown that the proposed e.xfteiii^n ; , wbol'd; Jmore '*. than/ 1 coyeri the expenses, and with regard . to the gas he could ; not' but remark -that the principal epeake i r.,ag£iinat it at the meeting was one of th'6_e -who were originally interested ia

getting up a company in which they were doubtless influenced by the expectation that it would yield a handsome profit, but now that the Government proposed to carry it out he came forward and opposed it on the ground that it would not pay. Mr. F. Selling supported the resolution. The Provincial Solicitor, in reply, wished to repeat that the Government had no intention of raising the whole of the money at once, nor indeed any of that required for the gasworks until it bad been shown that it was likely to pay. All they wished for was to take advantage of the opportunity that offered itself" at the coming session of the Assembly to obtain the power to raise the money if necessary. The resolution was then put and carried, here being but oue dissentient voice.