CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXX, Issue 4355, 5 March 1875, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The ordinary meeting' of the City Council was, held 'yesterday. i—.Councillors Dransfield (in the chair), l^amie,'■ Greenfield, Mills, Gillou, and George. *; The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. ~V- ■'■, ,'?\'>"/. ■. \SA '>'■' COURTENAY-PLACE GRAVEL PIT.' Councillor DRANSFiELb,.'in : the^absence of the Mayor, stated that he had'made arrangements with Mr.'Levin'to remit the rates on the section opposite the Albion Hotel, in satisfaction of the claim for removal of "gravel. ,'.'. ~■ •.' RESERVii,SECTIONS. \ ..." ">,. "Councillor I)raXSITELD,' stated & that,, in- ac- .... cordance with instructions'from'.the.Mayor, he had purchased several sections at Te Ato for"" the purpose of/carrying out the futilre'extension of Taranald-street. More'land*'than was ■ absolutely required for .'the' 'formation 'of- the street had'been-purchased, but--the land 'in excess of that actually required would render the whole more valuable, y •; ' "■' The purchase was approved. 1 -■-■ - - ■ - JI.VRTIN-STREEr.- - Councillor DRANSFIELD?said he call attention-to the request for <the formation of Martin-street, because an irhpressionjjhad- ' got abroad that the Council had taken ail exceptional course in this lease. ,;This incorrect. The deviation-was on'the part of the petitioners,; ;who had made no offer to .pay any jiortion of the outlay. . .' / ' Councillor Gtllon endorsed the statement as to there being hd offer. : ''-'■" ; ' Councillor Greenfield that _ the foi-mer resolution be rescinded. 1 ; '" i* ' .".'. '.' . George objected to-the resolution being rescinded, as [ Martin-street was not a street at all ; it was only a blind alley.' ' Councillor Mills agreed with theso views. ''" Councillor Dransmeld suggested that Councillor Greenfield! should give notice of his motion for next meeting. ' ' This course was agreed to. ROAD METAL. The tenders for road metal were opened, the tenderers being Reeves and McCarthy, J. Saunders, S. Brown, and Wilkie. The scale of prices having been gone; through, the tender of J. Saunders was accepted. CUBA-STREET. A petition, asking for the extension of a drain on the west side of Cuba-street from Garratt-street to Dixon-street, "was read. The Surveyor Baid that the work would not be expensive, and the request of the petitioners was ordered to be complied with. BOTANICAL GARDENS. A letter was received from the Botanical,. '■ Garden Board, claiming portion of the town \ , ' belt rents due to them. >Vi -* The Clerk was instructed to hand over any portion of the rents to which the Board were entitled. RINTOUL-STREET. A letter from Mr. W. Hart, complaining of the condition of Rintoul-street, and applying to have a culvert laid down in his neighborhood. On the motion of Councillor Greenfield, the Surveyor was instructed to put in the culvert. BY-LAWS FOR NAPIER. A request from the Mayor of Napier for copy of by-laws, &c, was ordered to be complied with.

WHAUF LEASE. „,..'" A letter was received from the City Solicitor forwarding copy .of .a. letter received from Mr Son, the Utter pointing out that he would bHrepared to sign the' lease of the wharf as the Council, nwl.e more clear the list of goods free fron*iriasHpment fees. Councillor DraXSlTikld said he for one would not consent 'to.'allow Mr. Jackson to dictate conditions to the Council. - h ;._.ComioiUor'"GßQliQE moved that the Clerk be instructed to call upon Mr. Jackson at once to ;-?ign the lease and comply with its terms, and failing : that,, proper steps'he at once taken to ensure compliance. "'•: Councillor GILLON said it was only proper, in the interests of the Council, as well as of Mr , Jackson, that any ambiguity in the lease should at once be cleared away. He would suggest that the, opinion of the City Solicitor be taken upon the matter. The Clerk read n letter from Mr. James Smith, stating-that as it had come to his knowledge that Mr. Jackson had not complied with the conditions of sale, he claimed to be declared the purchaser of the lease, as the next highest bidder to Mr. Jackson. The Council decided that Mr. Jackson should be called upon to sign the lease at once, and that in the event of his failing to do so before three o'clock next day, the Council be immediately called together to deal with the matter.

PLAN OK IHE CITY. The Librarian of the General Assembly requested the Council to furnish him with a plan of the city. The Surveyor was instructed to furnish the Librarian with any map the Surveyor might have in his possession.

RECLAIMED LAND. Messrs. Tumbull and Co. forwarded a communication to the Council in re an exchange of sites on the reclaimed land. On the motion of Councillor Gillon the matter was referred to a committee of the whole, to be called together before the next ordinary meeting. NIGHT-SOIL CHARGES. A letter from Mr. J. E. Evans, complaining of excessive charges for removal of night-soil, was referred to the Sanitary Committee. TIME-STREET. A letter from Mr. Wilkinson complained of damage done to his property through the formation of Pirie-street. The Surveyor said that to carry out the alterations suggested in Mr. Wilkinson's letter would cost about £6OO. , The subject was left in the hands of the Surveyor, to confer with Mr. Wilkinson, and carry out necessary alterations, upon Mr. Wilkinson agreeing to pay half the cost. BROCGHAM-STItEET. A letter from Mr. Wilkinson as to the overgrowth of gorse in Brougham-street, was referred to the Surveyor. WHABF WATER. The Clerk was instructed to advertise the right to sell the water on the wharf for the ensuing year, Mr. Vennell to be the auctioneer. BErOETS. Reports were presented from the Sanitary Inspector and City Surveyor. The latter report was adopted, and the Surveyor authorised to act upon the suggestions it contained. WATERWORKS CO3IAIITTEE. The following report of the proceedings of the Waterworks Committee was read :—■ " On the question of issuing £50,000 debentures for the purpose of paying off mortgages of the .Wellington Trust Loan and Investment Company, amounting to £25,000, and for further carrying on the works, it was resolved —That debentures for £50,000 be issued under authority of the Wellington Waterworks Act, 1871, and Wellington Waterworks Loan Act, 1871, payable in ten years, and bearing interest at 6 per cent, per annum, and that the same be negotiated through the Bank of New Zealand in London ; and that the Mayor, or, in his absence, Councillors Dransfield and George, interview the Trust and Loan Company with the view of arranging for an extension of time for the payment of the £25,000 of mortgages on the waterworks, to enable the above debentures to, be sold, the Bank Of Ivew Zealand to act as agents between the Trust and Loan Company and the Corporation, the proceeds of the first sales, to the amount of £25,000, to be placed to the credit of the Trust. and Loan Company. The minimum price of the debentures is fixed at —.

"The Councillors appointed in the above report recommend to the Council that an Act should be passed through the Provincial Council, in April, bringing the Municipal Corporations Waterworks Act, 1872, into operation in AYelh'ngton, so as to allow the interest and principal of the debentures to be paid in London."

Cr. Dransfield, in explanation of- the matter, said that he and Councillor George ■waited upon the Managing Director of the Wellington Trust and Loan Company,,, who had expressed every willingness to meet .the Council in a Überal"spirit by granting an extension of time for the payment of the £25,000. The Manager of the Bank of New Zealand also stated that there would, .be no .difficulty inraisingthe£so,ooo,upon debentures, provided the interest and principal were made payable in London. This couldße dbneby bringing into. . force the Municipal' Corporations Waterworks ■ Act of 1872, which would' have to be done by - passing a short Provincial Ordinance.,. A motion" sanctioning these arrangements, and requesting the City Solicitor to draw u]> an Ordinance for presentation to.the Provincial Council", was carried upon the motion of Councillor George., ; , " -'l THORXDON ■ RECLAMATION. At a special meeting.of the Council held on the 2nd- inst., for' the purpose of considering the atrreement between the Provincial Government and the Corporatioiil regarding the Thorndon reclamation, the following resolution •was passed .(—"That: the : committee recommend the.'Council, to...afnx the seal to the agreement/as it appears* to be in accordance wltb._tlia.tena3L.of ..the _original.draft; butthat.as the members of the Council were of opinion - that "the "unreclaimed land r included in' tlie , Crown. Grant from.. Sir'George Grey outside the present reclaimed land and proposed re-clamation-was included "in~the purchase, _ representation' to this effect be made 1 to the' Provincial Government by deputation, or-■ in such'"; other' manner as may'be ' tletermined on." ■'».-•• - - DOUBLING THE RATES.- - " ~ _ Councillor: George's motion,-touching this.' subject, i;was again postponed f to the next. speciaLmeeting.'" - ' THE. FINANCIAL POSITION. The Mayor's motion regarding the finances of the Corporation, was also postponed. .'" " ;..DEPUTATIONS. '",','.".'.'■". It was decided that in future no tionß should be entertainel from deputations who shall'not previously to the meeting of the Council forward s, precis of the matters they desire to ; bring forward. AUDITORS' HONORARIUM. On the motion of Councillor George, an additional sum of ten guineas was voted to the auditors, and the annual fee fixed at twentyfive guineas. . WORKS COMMITTEE. Councillor Gillon moved,-—" That a Works Committee bo-appointed, and -that it be the duty of such" committee to report on the necessity for/ and probable cost of, all works applied for or proposed to be undertaken ; th« progress of -workw already: authorised; the number of laborers employed weekly, and how employed ; and on other matters-connected with public works which it may deem desirable ; that this « coroti)ittee meet at least weekly, and that the other officers of the Corporation fef tafrncted to supply if with all necessary information." ~ ; • ■ The motion was earned, the committee to consist >*■ . CounciUora Dransfield, George, Itainie, and Gillon., . ... WATER lUTES. , - Coimoillor'G3i,l.ON moved,--" That there bo laid on tho table a return of, the estimated amount of the water rate for the current year, ■ men return' to show the amount which each separate class of rateable property ia estimated to yield: also a return of the estimated amount required for interest, and the cost of the waterworks, and all other expenses in connection with the water supply of tho city. : He moved this motion because there was a

general impression abroad that the rates which the waterworks were likely to yield' would be a sum far in excess of anything that was likely to be required. The motion would do a great deal of good in supplying the public.with some very necessary information. The motion was seconded by Councillor Mills, and carried. . Some notices of motion were given, and the Council adjourned.