CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 313, 19 September 1874, Page 2

CITY CO UN CIL.

Friday, September 18. The Council met this afternoon. Present, all the members. The Mayor said that, acting under instructions from the Surveyor, Mr Akersten had prepared a plan and sent in a tender for repairing the sea wall at Mary Ann street for £74. Cr Haddow thought tbe Surveyor should have prepared the plan and specifications, and that tenders should have been advertised for. He would propose that that course be pursued now, as it might bo said that the Council was open to jobbery. The Mayor said that Mr Akersten's tender was very low, and it was necessary that the work should be done at once as a heavy gale might at any time very largely increase thedaraige. Cr Burns said they had taken the Surveyor's estimate, compared with which Mr Akersten's tender was very low. Cr Fell did not care two straws what was thought of the actions of the Council eo long as he was satisfied in his own mind that they were right. Cr Haddow' s resolution was then put with the following result : — Ayes, Councillors Haddow, Stringer, Hooper, and Burn. Noes, Councillors Fell, Wright, Burns, and Thompson. The Mayor gave his casting vote with the Noes. Cn the motion of Cr Fell it was resolved, " That Mr Akersten's tender be accepted." The Mayor said that the Public Works Committee had examined aod passed Blecher's drainage question. With reference to the tramway crossings, Cr Burn moved, " That Mr Crewdson be informed tbat the crossing in Waimea-street is dangerous, and be requested to remedy the same under the supervision of the Surveyor. The Mayor said that he had always found Mr Crewdson meat willing to attend to any suggestions made by the Council. The resolution was carried. On behalf of the Finance Committee, Cr. Burn reported that they had gone

-SllT-U^JWJcaD^ttvattd aUhoagh owing to the illness of the Secretary they had : not been formally made up to date, they W*Ff).foand tobo correct. They felt compelled to caff the attention of the Council to the fact that there waa an ov<efdra_V at tbe Bank of £712, to added #2oo for which cheques would be signed that day. ; This was in excess of what was i *&*&& b^liw; Tlie l_rgenes_of the overdraft was accounted for by the £ xt _f W? M*p*g? works that had been ; •W?-^^ Tt -would be necessary ; to reduce the overdraft j which waafeeth expensive and illegal. 1 \ Letters were, read from fhe Pro- ; vincial Secret^, one -^suggesting that the street lamps bhould be lighted with I gas, as itlw^bnly additional expense i would be the cost of Vthe co^l wbich i would not exceed "£4O. Another! refused the app|ica^on for the prison! gang to be employed at Mary Ann! street on the groand that it was too far I from the gaoh The third oontained I proposals for placing the gaa and water | works under the control of the Cor- | .IKfefflh $*'?£ Optpber,; all Jthel •flwffrTOo j^ita.-.-pwd "to a separate \ rftWepn^and be withdrawn only with | the consent the Superintendent, j AU existiag liabilities to officers to be \ Corporation. Interest \ «B-tbe-ioan-to-be * first charge on the ! receipt^ :jod this: .Superintendent to have power to resume the control if -the^uneil failed to : carry it ;put satjsiA.Sl F e l* B ave an Mpoont of an iatera^rM&fl W taken' place that day ; between a deputation from the Conncil I and the Provincial Government. He ! would propose the following resolution, [ " Tl r?^ijf e Mayor bo requested to write i to the Provincial Government, accept- : ing the terms offered by the Govern- ■ ment for the transfer to the. Corpora- ; iion-pf.tjie entire management and control of the gas and waterworks at the price agreed to between the Go- , verriment and the Council, and that a •-deputation' consisting of the Mayor, Cr. Born, and the mover, be appointed ,tQ^attend to the completion of the •transfer." l^^^Hf 3dow seconded the resolution, j'^nich wps carried unanimously. On the motion of Cr Wright it was *¥_*divedj "That Mr Younger be apXpspecjlor of Cabs." ' -. On the question, of the appointment Imi ,a solicitor to the Council being introduced, - '*'•-' - ! Gr-HJjb3tow proposed that Messrs -^^a^J^ingdpn, be appointed. Cr Bubn seconded the resolution. ovtCrjFFii; proposed as an amendment that Mr H, Adams be appointed. He, •Wther' by himself, or in conjunction -S !s Ufaffi 1 *! ■ Dad acted in th^t capacity ever since the institution of the Board of Works, and to appoint some one else io his place now would be tantamount to passing a most undeserved vote of 'censure upon him. Had Mr H. Adams failed to give satisfaction let them say So { at pijca, Jjut he was not aware ,that 'Btrcu was' the 1 case, and he felt sure that _Mi;. E^ Adapiß : y?aa_ far more able to give a sound legal opinion, and one that was entitled to carry weight with, than tbe younger solicitor it was prooposed to .stifesiitu'fe'for him. People did not change their solicitors as they did their grocers, and the fact of a client leaving -hit!9|Srofea_ioDiAl adviser was equal to asserting that he oo longer had con. 1 fideooe in Wm. He thoughi that if-the ••re-dluifotiwaß carried, MrH. Adams -3HP%iJ&y. • }**$! consider himself aggrieved. Cr Weight seconded the -amendment, and considered tbat by carrying the resolution they: would be acting most unfairly to Mr H.Adams, who *^*M?f ft Jft:,ftcted aa solioitor to the; L-BowdjiSof.; Workß, and since to She i<Coui*.l; 'A ■ ?» ISKfIfPP 0 * c6nld n °t ■*» why a ; person holding an office for yearpt should be always entitlecLto it. Any respect- ■ able firm ijad ag equal claim upon their l^oppoi^rj and be did not see /that Mr Fell's private opinions as to the respective merits of the two had anything to do with the matter. Cr Fell thought it was a subject on which each Councillor had a right to !ftntsi;iflin and express an opinion of hie I own. ™ =® r Bukn had no idea of passing a j joie of censure oa Mr H. Adams, and -if-he thought such was the effeot of the wfWljJ-JWs he would not have seconded lfc Jr^* 00 - P riefer t0 take the opinion H r Adams npon his own pr{-•vli-W ajair^to that of any solicitor in but for a public body he thought it betterjohave a younger and more active man, CrFsxx: Then you consider that the man who dees your private business well is i'Mfr to be regarded as being equally capable of amending to the business of a publio body. Cr Fell's amendment was then put with the following result : — Ayes, Councillors Feli, Burns, TbpmpsoD, and Wright. Noes: Councillors Haddow, Hooper, Stringer, and Burn The Mayor gave his casting vote in favor of Meisrs Adams and Kingdon. After a long discussion it was ■ HftQj«ed.rih*t the Council should; ad-vertwft-foralown Clerk aad Coiiector, at a salary of £300 a year, he being respoawbteifor the collection of the •rate* .:- ■ =Eia«u» and Public Works Com- .' mittee* l were appointed, the former consisting of- the Mgyor and Crs Fell and B. Burn, and tl(e latter of the remupfaimtofytoiyivyj - .?ns^ao£Bttoc^ -p»/ eeeei_^ % from the Seeretiry of the Radical Reform Leag&fP*(li-g t_e attention of the s OitmcU to -tl^uie 37 df the Municipal

Corporations Act in connection with the letting of officer to the Council by Cr Fell. After some conversation the Town Clerk was directed to reply to the letter, informing the Secretary that the clause had not been transgressed. In reply to a letter from Mr Cockram, asking for a lease of the eattle market reserve for five years, to be used as a pottery, it was resolved that every en- , couragement should be given to him, I and that the Public Works Committee should see bim and talk tbe matter over. Other business of an unimportant! nature having been disposed of, the Council adjourned.