MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. Saturday, Dec, 20, 1851.

New Zealander, Volume 7, Issue 594, 24 December 1851, Page 3

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. Saturday, Dec, 20, 1851.

The Council met, at three o'clock. Present: — The Worshipful 1 lie Mayor; Aldermen Dignan, O'Neill, Powditch, and Mason ; Councillors Davy, Merriman (Acting- Town Clerk), Abraham, Newman, Haultain, M'Donald, and Taylor. The Minutes of the last meeting were read amended and confirmed. On the Acting Town Clerk reading the first notice of motion on the order of the day, Mr. Abraham wished to remark, before going to the orders of the day, that the present mode of proceeding in giving and announcing notices of motion, was not adapted to assist the progress of business in the Council. He thought it would be a better plan if the Town Clerk were to read over, at the close of each day's business, the notices of motion as they stood in order for the next day's consideration and then members would know what was coming on. In the House of Commons approacTiing motions were brought to the attention of the House every day ; it would be well for the Council to follow a good example; the present method was attended with inconvenience, for members were apt to forget what was coming before them. He would instance the notice of motion given by Alderman Powditch on the last day of meeting for the second sitting in January. Now nothing was more probable than that the day for that motion would be forgotten by members unless some such steps as he had mentioned were taken. He thought -too that the circulars sent to members should state the notices more explicitly, — not merely their substance — but the terms of each at full length. Members often gave their notices very imperfectly and loosely, and unless other members were put into possession of them, so as to be able to examine their purport minutely, how were they to prepare to give them support or otherwise. He believed it was the usual practice elsewhere (No, No, from Mr. Merriman) ; Mr. Abraham begged that he might not be interrupted; when he had finished, Mr. Merriman could reply. At any rate there was no doubt but that it should be so, for how could members digest the notices that were given when they were left only such general information of their meaning. Be could not see that the Town Clerk would have much more difficulty in doing the thing properly. Mr. Merriman thought the discussion entirely irregulai*, but as it had been allowed to commence, he would reply by denying that such a practice as had been alluded to was the usual one. He had had as much and he believed more experience in these matters than any other member in the Council, for he had been several years in a Town Clerk's office in England, and it had never been the custom there to send the notices in full. If the .Town Clerk were required to copy the notices fourteen times over, his time would be more than fully occupied in this duty alone — for sometimes the notices might be very lengthy — for instance, if those that were put in by Mr. Abraham himself the other day had to be copied out to be forwarded to every member of the Council, the Town Clerk would require three or four extra clerks to assist him to do it. He had taken care to have the notices copied into the Minute Book, which was always open for members to refer to ; the Mayor and he had consulted on the course he had taken; and if Mr. Abraham had any suggestion to make on the subject, it would have saved time to have mentioned it to him privately. The Mayor thought that tho discussion should drop at present j and if it were thought that the mode of proceeding in this matter could be improved, notice might be given, and the subject brought forward in a regular way. Mr. Abraham remarked that his notice of motion for the deferring of taxation did not appear on the circular ; however, as it had been left to his own option when he should bring it forward, he would defer it until next meeting. He would beg leave to withdraw altogether his notice of motion for the addition of certain names to the By-Laws Committee. Mr. Kaultaik moved that an application be forward to the Government for plans of the Borough, divided into hundreds, with the roads marked, so as to show how far they wer-e completed. Alderman Mason seconded the motion ; he found that in the enquiries of the lload Committee these plans were much needed — and if the Surveyor General would furnish them as soon as possible, the labours of the committee would be greatly facilitated. — ' Mr. llaultain rose to move that an application be made to the Government to hand over the amount of the land fund awarded to the Corporation, for the purpose of erecting a Town Hall, lie did not think that any one would deny that such a Hall was needed — although some thought that they should wait a little longer for it. But what was the Council to do when it would be put to shift for itself as might happen at any time, for they were aware that the room in which they now met was only at their service for a few hours on one day of the week, and when they wanted accommodation for Committee meetings, they were obliged to go about soliciting for the use of rooms. The Council would soon require offices for the Town Clerk and Treasurer, and as the records would be accumulating there should be a place for their safe keeping and preservation. He thought that as a Corporation they should have a known habitation —a permanent place of business, which would give_ them the feature of respectability. A public building of the kind he recommended was much needed in the Borough for other as well as Corporation purposes. News and Assembly Rooms, and a place for the transaction of public business of general interest would be of such great ad\antagc, that he knew of private individuals who had ofldred already to contribute to assist in the erection of a suitable building for such de.'

jjirablo purposes. In addition to the reasons he had urged for setting about the building at once lie would mention another, which was, that as materials were now about 50 per cent, below their average price, there would never perhaps be a better opportunity of putting up a Hall at so little expense. lie therefore moved the resolution. After a pause, tliere appeared to be no one to second the motion, when Mr. Newman rose to object to the appropi'iation of the Borough funds at this time to any tuch purpose, when he was informed by the Mayor that his remarks were not in order, the motion not having been secouded. Mr. Mereiman then tendered the resignation of his seat as member for the East Suburban Ward. On the motion of Alderman Mason that the resignation be accepted, A question arose as to the mode of communicating the circumstance to the authorities, when Mr. Merriman remarked that, according to the Charter, the resignation of a member shoxild be communicated to the " Returning Officer," but as the Governor might appoint whom he pleased to that office, the Council could not tell who might hold it now — and a letter addressed by them on the subject might go from Dan to Beersheba before it would alight on the Returning Officer. He therefore thought it would be better to communicate the resignation to the Governor at once. The resignation was accepted, and it was agreed that the Mayor should inform the LieutenantGovernor of the vacancy. Alderman Mason gave notice that he would move, at the next sitting, That a Financial Committee be appointed to inquire into and report at their earliest convenience, the probable net income per annum the Corporation would derive from its Endowments. Mr. Abraham gave notice that he would move That the Finance Committee (when appointed) be requested to furnish the Council with an Estimate of the probable cost of a survey of the real and personal property within the Borough, In case an assessment should be determined on. Alderman O'_Nmi,T, gave notice that he would lay on the table a draft of a memorial to the Commons House of Parliament relative to the New Zealand Company's Claim, and move that it be adopted. The Council adjourned.