CITY COUNCIL.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume IX, Issue 297, 16 December 1874, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The annual meeting was held at noon to] day. Present, all the members but Mr Fell. B-X.A*SC£ SHE!..T. Tho balance sheet ;from July, li 1873, to October 31, 1874, having ben read, Cr Weight moved its adoption. Cr Haddow moved th.t tbe consideration of the accounts beadjjurned ti.l next meeting, which, after some discussion, was negatived, and the Njptt adopted.

Abstract ot the Receipts and Expeuditobe of the Nelson Boabd op Wobks and City Council, commencing July 11, 1873, and ending October 3», 1874. _ Db. £ s. d, To caßh from 13th Year's Rate 6 2 2 » »- 14th „ 7 14 9 » „ 15th „ 38 1 6 lo cash from one year's rate under tho Towns Improvement Act, 1872 481 13 4 To cash from 2nd year ... 1613 18 7 To cash from Bridge-street (Special Rate) 27 5 0 To cash from Provincial Govt , including Dog Tickets ... 618 0 3 To ca-h from Morrison, Sclanders, and Others 11 2 3 To cash from sundries, including Transfer of Account of Board of Works to City Council .. 537 11 2 AmountoverdrawnOct,3l,3B74 1324 7 0 JE4665 15 11 Memo —£200 of debentures held hy Nath. Edwards, Esq. a x *, Cr « * «• d - Amount overdrawn on July 11, 81873 ... • 665 6 0 iSy cash paid for contracts ... 1022 6 6 y cash paid for wages (day laborers) n 66 8 5 By cash paid for cartage ... 68 1 1 0 By cash for horses' expenses ... 156 610 » Stones, brick, lime 90 1 4 0 „ Ironwork, Tools, &c 92 12 9 „ Timber, &c., ... 78 7 0 By cash for advertising, &c, 88 4 8 „ Salaries ... .. 468 15 0 By cash for sundries, including Transfer of Account ... 673 6 5 By cash paid for interest on Debeotures 24 0 0 By cash paid for interest on Overdraft ... 70 17 4 £4665 16 11 Thomas Yotjngbb, City Surveyor. Memorandum of Rates Levied and received for the first year under "The Towns Improvement Act, 1872," viz., 1872 and 1873. Cb. m £«.</. To amount of rate levied ... 1862 19 9 Cb. By amount collected 1723 3 10 In arrear 139 15 11 £1862 19 9 Memorandum of Rates Levied and received for the Second Year 1873 and 1874. Dr. £ s. d. To amount of Rate levied ... 1827 9 6 Ca. By amount collected 1658 1 1 ,• in arrear 169 8 5 £1827 9 6 Memorandum of Rates Levied under "Municipal Corporations Act, 1867,'* for the years 187_-75. Db. To amount of rate levied at One Shilling in the pound ' on the estimated annual value on £42,220 $2111 0 o Note.— None of the above rate yet collected. Thomas Younger, City Surveyor. To the Town Clerk, Nelson. j Sir— ln accordance with a resolution of the j Town Council, I have the honor to slate that I have examined the baoks submitted to me, 1 and find the balance to agree with the balance as shoicn in the Bank book, viz., £1,324 7s. The accounts appear to me to have been well and correctly kept, and well checked. I think an improvement instating the accounts would be to show how the arrears are balanced off each year, thus— Amount of arrears Cash collected ■ Still due Bad debts I bave, &c. H. Goulstone. .Nelson, Nov. 26, 1874. E__*ctio--*t oj? Matoh. Cr Burn had much pleasure in moving that Mr J. B. Dodson be re-elected Mayor for the ensuing year. He was certain that there was no one in the Council better able to carry out the functions of that office. Of course alLmen were liable to fall into errors, but it was the duty of the Council to overlook any little mistakes that might be made by one who was new to the office, and to assist him in carrying out his duties. If Mr Do 'son had erred at all, it had been unwittingly, while he had always faithfully performed his duties as a citizen and as Mayor. Cr Wright eeconded the nomination. He believed that Mr Dodson had done his duty faithfully and conscientiously, and he felt that the Council should rather assist him than endeavor to throw obstacles in his way. Mr Dodson had filled the chair with honor and dignity to himself, and to the satisfaction of the ratepayers generally. Cb. Haddow could not endorse the sentiments expressed by the two former speakers. He should be glad to give a loyal and iaithiul support to the Mayor if he acted rightly, but he considered that he had more than once displayed great partiality both to the members of the Couucil and their servants, and further had gone beyond his powers in some instances, On one cccasion he had sent a letter that ho should not have done, and when taken to task for it had endeavoured to intimidate the Council by saying that he would resign if they did not endorse his action, but even his most ardent supporters and faithful worshippers decided that the letter waa inoperative, and I conseqnently that he had no right to send it, but si ill he did not resign If the Mayor carried out his duties faithfully he would support him, but if not he should not hesitate to condemn him. There was one matter in which he felt sure that the Mayor had acted j improperly, namely, iv retaining in his posEes*)iou a document Bent to the Council. Cr Burn looked upon all these petty i charges as mere carpines aad bickerings, and was surprised that Cr HadJow should resort to such a course. The Matoh, in reply to Cr Hiddow, said that if similar documents to tbat referred to were sent to him for the future he should always act in a similar manner. The document, which was the report of Messrs Goulstone and Scaife, was addressed to hitn as Mayor, aud ne considered that it was left to his discretion to keep it and to show it to Councitlers before their meeting if he thought fit. He did not consider himself the servant of the Council but their head, to carry out their instructi'.-R--, he admitted. Under no cm umsianceß would bo consent to act merely as 'hei** tool. Cr. Stringer : But you showed tlie document to Mr Younger. The Mayor : Certainly I did, for he is one of our body. Cr. Stringer: Oh, is he? Councillor Younger, I congratulate you on your pro- j motioD. ' * The election was then proceeded with, and on the resolution being put, " That Mr DodBon be re-elected Mayor," the Couocil divideJ Ayes, 4—Crs Wright, Burn, Thompson, and Burns. Noes, 3-Crs Haddow, Stringer, and Hooper.

The Mayor then declared Mr Do-lson duly elected. He thanked the Council for reelecting him, and would do all in his power to advance the welfare of the City. He asked the indulgence of the Council for aay shortcomings, and would always be glad to receive suggestions from them. He was sorry to find that he did not posaess the goodwill of all the Councillors, andhadbetn much pained by tbe remarks that had been made about him since the infusion of new blood into the Council, for he felt conscious of having worked hard, and having aqted to the beat of his ability. [Owing to the noise made by the rain that was falling heavily on the roof, the Mayor's remarks here became inaudible.] On the motion of Cr. Thompson a vote of thanks to the Ma-, or for the able maimer iv which he had fulfilled bis duties was carried by four to three, the division list being the same aa on the election. The Couucil then adjourned