AUCKLAND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. Saturday, Jan. 24, 1852.

New Zealander, Volume 8, Issue 604, 28 January 1852, Page 3

AUCKLAND MUNICIPAL COUNCIL. Saturday, Jan. 24, 1852.

The Council met at three o'clock. Presfnt : — The Worshipful the Mayor; Aldermen Dignan, O'Neill, Powditch, and Mason ; Councillors Abraham, Hay, Newman, Haultaiu, M'Donald, and Taylor. On the Minutes of the last Meeting being read, Mr. Councillor f-faultnin rose to protest against the Report of the Committee on Roads which was laid before the Council at the last meeting. He felt that he must do so, for, although he was chairman of that Committee, the report had been prepared and brought up in his absence— and as he wished to state that he dissented from it, he thought this the proper time to do so before the minutes of the last meeting were confirmed. After some discussion on the point of or«ler, the Mayor, Mr. Abraham, and several other members considering that as the Council had taken no action on the report the proper time had not arrived for Councillor Haultain's objection, the matter wf.s allowed to drop, and the minutes were confirmed. The Acting Town Clerk then read a letter from the Colonial Secretary, in reply to one from the Town Clerk, informing the Mayor that the application of the Council to the Government for all official communications to be addressed to the Town Clerk and not to the Mayor, would be referred to the Lieutenant Governor for His Excellency's consideration. A letter from the Colonial Secretary, enclosing one from the Superintendent of Public Works on the subject of the report of the Roads Committee, was handed in and read. Colonial Secretary's Office, Auckland, 20th January, 1852. Sir, — I have the honour to acknowledge the receip 1 of the Acting Town Clerk's letter of the 14th instant, requesting that all communications upon Corporation matters might be addressed to him, and I beg to inform you that the subject will be submitted for the consideration of His Excellency, immediately on his return to Auckland. I have the honour, &c, Andrew Sinclair, Colonial Secretary. The Worshipful the Mayor. Public Woiks Office, January 22, 1852. Sir,— With rpference to the Report of the Committee of the Corpoiation upon the subject of the Rural Roads as reported in the Neiu Zealander, 1 have the honour to draw your attention to an error into which the Comraittpe has been led. The Committee, in that portion of the report which refers to the Otahuhu road have the following passage — "if, as Mr. Wood states, each mile cost £200" — upon reference to Captain Haultain's letter referred to me for answers to certain written questions therein stated, it will be found that my ivntten reply to his question ''What has been the average cost per mile of the roads, &c. 1" was, " The average cost of the Onehunga road has been £1456 per mile; of the Tamaki road. £1010; and of the Otahuhu road, £200 per mile." I have given no other information than this, and have no where stated the cost of each mile to be £200. My statement is the average cost per mile of this road along its whole line from its commencement at the Epsom road. I think that such an errot as this into which the Committee have fallen, may perhaps mislead in estimating similar expenses for the future, and beg therefore to request that this explanation may be laid before the Worshipful the Mayor. I have, &c, Reader Wood. The Mayor handed the foregoing Letter to Mr. Haultain, stating that he had now grounds for calling on the Committee to reconsidter their leport The Acting Town Clerk read another letter from the Colonial Secretary in reply to an application from the Council on the subject of levels of streets. Alderman O'Neill then brought up the report of the Committee on Town and Suburban lloads and Thoroughfares, which was read as follows :— * Report of the Sub- Committee on Public Roads and Thoroughfares. The Committee commenced its sittings on the 10th <lay of December, 1851, to enquire into and report upon the present state of the roads and thoroughfares within the town and suburban Wards. Within the limits of the Town of Auckland there are streets and lanes to the number of sixty-six, makin^ in the aggregate miles, none of which are foimed or metalled, with the exception of two and one-third miles. A communication from the Superintendent of Roads, states that the expense of construction of the town streets has averaged about £1800 per mile, that the cost of breaking the scoria has been 3s. 4id. per yard, and the only improvement the Government is at preeent engaged in is the construction of a road liom Piinces-ttreet to Official Bay. Your Committee, believing it to be impracticable at present to form and metal all the streets and thoioughiares in the town, respectfully draw the attention of (he Council to those parts which are in most need of being improved. It is essential for the accommodation of the greater part of the tovvr:, that all streets abutting

1 against Queen-streot on the west side should be connected with the said street, by means of Bridges, and formed an»l metalled as far as Ilobson-strpot, partieulaily \\>->t Queen-street, Wyndham-slreet, and Dur-ham-sheet, and that Victoria-street (which the haidlabour men are at present excavating) be formed and installed as far as Fieeman's li<i\, so as to enable the numerous families who reside in that extent ive neisjhbouihood to have easy access to the commeici.il part of the town, us well as to the several places of worship, police court, market-house, and post office. It is very desirable that Ilobson -street be improved as soon as funds are available, by.erecting a small jetty ; also, it ought to be foimed and metalled, which could I c done comparatively for a small amount of money, that it would thus open up a passable way not only to the principal streets in the town, but also give access to the metal quarry, the null, the Manukau ranges, tho Waho, and the Kaipaia. That Chancery street be produced tlnough Allotments .'39—40 of Section 4 to Queen-street, and that High-street be produced through Allotment No, S C 2, Sec. 4, to Victona street, an improvement which, if effected, would add greatly to the comfort, health, and convenience of a considerable part of the town, by ndmitting a free current of air through those confined localities, affording facility to diamage, and a more diiect line of street to the We^leyan and Independent Chapels the Mechanics' Institute, Custom House, Post Oilice, and Police Barrack. That in Giey street the Bridge and its approaches be repaired and metalled, and that Bank-street to excavated. Your Committee regrets not having received sufficient infoimation from the Superintendent of Roads, but on refemng to official documents and to other souiccs, (he following information has been "leaned, which it is hoped may be relied on as correct: —

Thus constructing- roads in the town 31 ft. 8 inch, in width would give the average expense at £3V6b pei mile, though Mr. Reader Wood, in his official answer to queries, states the average expense to be £1800 per mill. In the above estimate, Shortland-street has been omitted, because it is obvious that XJ2SO,X J 250, the amount mentioned for that street in the Official Return, is not a correct estimate of the expense of cutting and forming the whole of that road. The expense of the wooden curb in Princes-street has been iBB 10s. 7d., and allowing each sidp path to be filteen feet wide, makes thirty feet, which is exacily one half the width of the street; and as it was formed and metalled by the same sort of labour, the expense of course would be one half of £022, or £311, thus giving as the expense of the side paths £399 10s. 7d., and for Princes-street altogether the enormous sum of £1,021 10s. 7d. for 850 links, oi £9,609 per mile, and that during the months of October, November, and December in 1848, and January, February and March, in 1849, there was paid to the military for the trifling work which they did in the streets and suburban roads, the sum of £548 19s. lOd. The west town ward has been culpably neglected by the Government ; the allotments which have been sold in this ward, brought into the Colonial Treasury about ,£34,000, and out of this prodigious amount of money, the Government has spent rnly about £50 in improvements j one half of the inhabitants of Auckland reside in this ward, and in consequence of the proposed line of streets being out up in every direction by drays, they have to pay considerably more for firewood and building materials than the burgesses of the other wards of the town; that in this ward the Romnn Catholic Chapel has been built of scoiia at an uaily period of the Colony, and at a great expense, and though frequented by a large number of the Colonists, yet there has not been an approach to it formed or metalled during the past eleven yeais, thus leaving not a tew of the settlers winter after winter to waile through the mud in the best way tbev can to their place of worship. The probable amount of money requiied for ex-ecuting-the really necessary works in Auckland would be, according to the lowest (not averaged) official estimated expense for the construction of town streets — To construct four bridges over the creek in Queen Street " Form and metal Hobson Street as far °" Ponsonby Road 1000 " Form and metal West Queen Street . . . 200 " do. do. Wynd ham Street 250 c< do. do. Durham Street 250 " do. do. Victoria & Drake Sts., as far as Freeman's Bay , „ 500 " Repair bridge and approaches to the same in Grey Street 100 £2,700 Within the boundaries of the suburban waids there arc about twenty-four miles of projected roads, none of which have been improved, unless the dnectlineof road from Mechanic's Bay to Hobson's Bridge, and a part of the Kyber-pass-road, in all {about two miles ; your Committee are aware of the utter impossibility of the Town Council being in a position to construct all the projected lines of roads, which would require a sum (according to Mr. Reader Wood's estimate of the Epsom Roafl) of not less than £ J 32,000, laid out in the first instance, together with an annual amount of j£2,640, for keeping them in repair. Your Committee, after collating all the information relating to the immediate wants of the suburban wards, have come to the conclusion that the following roads and improvements ought to receive your prompt attention. j Your Committee considers that the road from the quarry to the south end of Hobson-street should be formed and metalled as soon as possible, which, when completed, will enable tha Corporation to carry on all the pu blic woiks in the town at a considerably less expense than if such road was not constructed. Your Committee would draw the attention of the Town Council to the necessity of constructing a bridge over the creek at Freeman's Bay, near Con way's brickyard, and to form and metal about one-fourth of a mile of road as an approach to the same on the south aide. By making 1 the bridge and piece of road in question, you will connect Victoria-street with all the western suburbs, and thus enable the long neglected proprietors of land in that direction of the country to draw manure and fencing materials fiom Auckland for agicultural purposes, and give an impetus to farming opeiations by affording a direct and very near line of road to town. In this, buburb theie are about 1800 acres of land, ICOO acres of winch have been sold for the sum of £6063, and out of this amount of money the Government have not expended a single shilling in the ward, tue effect of which has been to retard improvements to a very grut extent, and oblige many to abandon the cultivating of their lands ; the truth of this has been deposed to by several respectable witnesses. Your Committee would suggest to the Council the proprinty of securing for the use of the borough, that large field of scoria, about 100 acres, situated in the suburban webt ward, and bounded by the Kaipara road, the scoria creek, the Waitemata, and the new mill stream ; this scoria can bo approached by boats of considerable tonnage, and so soon as the Kiapaia road is opened up, it will be accessible to caits. Amount of money required for the repair of stieets and roads, and the construction of new ones within the town and suburban wards. To constructing bridges and streets within the town wards, as before stated £2700 Keeping in repair 2 1-3 miles of town streets already constructed, at j£l2o per mile .... 280 To constructing roads from quarry to the south end of Ilob^on street 2184 To constiuct a bridge and -\- mile of road in Freeman's Biiy '. 650 To keep in repair the road fiom Mechanics' Bay to Hobson's Bridge 2 10 Total £6051' Alderman Mason moved that Mr. F. W, Merriman be appointed Tcwn Clerk, at a salary of £100 a year, at the same time handing in a memorandum, drawn up by the Committee, defining the duties of the Town Clerk.

The motion was seconded by Alderman Dignan ; and, after some obseivations from Mr. Newman, suggesting the propriety of the delay of this appointment, Mr. Meniman begged the Council to understand, that unless he weie regularly appointed at once to the office, he should most positively decline to act any longer as Town Clerk. He wished to have the question of appointment settled either one way or other—the salary was a secondary consideration with him. The motion was then cartied. Mr. Abraham then brought forward his motion on the subject of the Lunatic Asylum, for the Council to take such steps as would ur<re the delay of the Avorks, and their removal to some other site. 'I he motion was seconded by Alderman Powditch. Alderman O'Neill moved an amendment, that the consideration of the motion should be defened till that day six months. The amendment was seconded by Mr. Newman, and canied. Mr. Abraham renewed his notice of motion that, in the absence of full and distinct information from the Government as to the existence of any charges upon the fund to be raised by the sale of Crown Lands within the Borough, there exist good reasons for believing that, the same is not at present clear or available for purposes of endowment, and that the Council ought to be caieful not to base operations on the same, as constituting a certain source of revenue. The Council then adjourned.

Programme of Music to be performed by tha band of the 58th Regiment on To-morrow, Thursday, 29th January, at Britomart Barracks, commencing at 2 o'clock. Overtuie — 0p. . . Ie Lindi di Cliaraounis". . . Donizetti Melange — 0p. . . " L' Rtoile de Seville" .... Balfe Aria — 0p..." Stradella" Flowtow Selection — Op. .."Lucia di Lammermoor" Donizetti Waltz—" Sorgenbrecher" Strauss Quatlulle — " Les Sept Montagnes" Jjoheiuan Polka—" The Row" Jullien Galop—" Ibe Steam March" Bisle

T3 O 'A T3 rt O ° § ■^ s T !> o I 3^ 5 Name of Street. o "5 Ol rO. CO O O - links. feet. ft.! V £ £ Walcpfield and Sy-mouds-streets . . 5000 75 1800 1? Queen-street .... 3405 60 18 2000 Princes-stieet .... 850 90 60 W 622* 6000 * Exclusive ot the cuib.