CITY COUNCIL.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXII, Issue 5153, 28 September 1877, Page 2

CITY COUNCIL.

The Council met at 7.30 p.m. Present : —His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Dixon, Maginity, Allen, Mills, Moss, Macdonald, Allan, George, Logan, and Greenfield. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The Town Clerk read the inward and outward correspondence received since last meeting, the most important of which was the following from the Mayor and Councillor Mills, asking for an explanation from the Town Clerk as to their names having been struck olf the Burgess Roll, and Mr. Hester’s reply thereto. “ Wellington, September 20, 1877. —To W. Hester, Esq., Town Clerk, Wellington. Sir, — We expected that you would at yesterday’s meeting of the Council have made some report or given some reason for ordering the Returning Officer to refuse our votes at the recent municipal election. As you did not do so, we have now to ask for an explanation of your conduct in this matter.—We are, &c., E. W. Mills, William Hutchison.” “Town Clerk’s Office, Wellington, 25th September, 1877.—T0 his Worship the Mayor and members of the City Council. Gentlemen, —ln reply to the letter of Messrs. Mills and Hutchison, stating that I had ordered the Returning Officer to refuse their votes at the recent municipal election, ’ and asking for an explanation of my conduct, I have the honor to state in the first place that I provided the Returning Officer with certified copies of the burgess roll as signed on the 26th April last, simply telling one of the deputy-returning officers who fetched the rolls from my office that he must abide by the rolls as furnished by me, and that there were some alterations which I had initialed. X beg further to hand you—(lst.) Statement as to how the names of Messrs. Hutchison and Mills were placed on the roll, which can be confirmed by Messrs. Ames and Page of my office. 2nd. Letter from Mr. E. T. Gillon, one of the candidates at the election. 3rd. Copy of a letter from myself to the City Solicitor, and his reply thereto, as to what I should do in furnishing attested copies of the roll to the Returning Officer with respect to two names placed on the roll on the 27th April last, the day after the roll was certified to. Acting on the advice contained in the City Solicitor’s letter, I struck out the names of Messrs. Hutchison and Mills before certifying to the rolls handed to the Returning Officer. —I have, &c., Wm. Hester, Town Clerk.” “ I, William Hester, Town Clerk of the city of Wellington, make the following statement as to how the names of Mr. William Hutchison, Mayor of the city, and Mr. E. W. Mills were placed on the burgess roll ;—On the 31st March, 1877, the defaulters’ list and the burgess lists were prepared in terms of the 40th and 41st sections of the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, and the names of Mr. William Hutchison and Mr. E. W. Mills were on the defaulters’ list as not having paid all rates which, on or before 31st December, 1876, they were then liable to pay. On the 26th April following the Council held a sitting in terms of the 45th section of the Municipal Corporations Act, and having heard all objections, the roll was then certified to by Mr. W. Hutchison, Mayor, and Councillors Mills and Moss, pursuant to the 46th section. At that time the above-mentioned names were not on the roll, the gentlemen in question not having paid their rates so as to entitle them to be placed thereon. On the following day (27th April) Mr. W. Hutchison came to the office and stated that he did not think he had paid his rates, and on looking to the rate-book such was found to be the fact. He then paid the amount due (the receipt being dated back to the 26th inst.), stating that ‘ his name must be put on the roll, as he could not afford to be left off.’ This he repeated more than once, and by his instructions his name was then placed on the roll for Te Aro Ward. Mr. J. Ames, the collector, was present at the time, and he made out the receipt, handing the money to Mr. J. E. Page. I then (27th) made further inquiry, and found that Mr. E. W. Mills’ name was not on. Informed the Mayor of the fact, and with his consent I went to Mr. Mills myself and saw him personally. He paid me the amount of his rates, and I caused his name to be put on the rolls for Lambton and Te Aro Wards. Messrs. Ames and Page, of my office, can verify to the correctness of the above statement.— Wm. Hester, Town Clerk. —22nd August, 1877,” Letters were read from Mr. E. Gillon, calling attention to inaccuracies in the roll, and from Mr. Hester to the City Solicitor, who gave the following opinion :— “Wellington, September 12.—Sir, —I am of opinion that it is your duty to supply to the returning officers attested copies of the Burgess Roll for each ward, for the purposes of the coming elections; and that such copies must he true copies of the roll as certified by the Mayor and Councillors, on the 26th of April last, and ought not therefore contain the names added on the 27th. The word ‘list’ had better be altered to roll in the copies to be supplied.” Councillor Mills said he presumed this must be taken as the only explanation likely to be offered ; but whether it was all true or not he could not say. When called upon to sign the Burgess Roll he was not aware that his rates had not been paid. He had been ten or twelve years in the Council, and had devoted a good deal of time to its business, and he had always been in the habit of paying his rates to the officer when called upon. He thought the Councillors were entitled to the privilege of having the officer call upon them, rather than their having to run to the office to pay. On the 26th April he was indebted to the Council £49, and the Council was indebted to bim £137, three times what he owed, and which was not paid until July, and this, he submitted, was some little justification. It had been the custom for persons when paying rates to deduct the amount from what the Council might owe them, and vice versa. He certainly was not aware that he was a defaulter when he signed the roll, otherwise he should not have signed it. He considered that the Town Clerk, when he put the book into his (Councillor Mills’) hand to sign, should have called his attention to the fact that the rates were not paid, and he would go so far as to say the Town Clerk might have paid these rates himself. He should not take bis seat again at the Council table until the matter was satisfactorily settled. The Mayor said the question was not likely to be satisfactorily settled that night ; but it was a question in which the Council would have to take action and pronounce a decided opinion. He considered Councillor Mills required no justification; and for himself, he was prepared to stand by the burgess roll of the city of Wellington, certified to by himself, before any Court whatever. Councillor Greenfield asked if the Mayor and Councillor Mills bad not voted (after the 26th April) when the poll was taken on the question of the Te Aro foreshore reclamation. The Mayor said, Yes ; they voted, and they had votes until the Town Clerk had chosen to take them away. Councillor Greenfield said ho thought that after the names had been put on the roll the Town Clerk had no business to take them off again, and he considered the Town Clerk was responsible. Councillor Allan said this was a most important matter, and he would move that it be referred to a committee, either of the whole Council or part of it. Councillor Moss moved that it be referred to a committee of the whole Council. Councillor Allan seconded the motion, which was carried, the Mayor observing that of course bo and Councillor Mills would be excepted. This was agreed to.

Councillor Mills said until the question was settled he should not sit at the Council table, and left the room. APPLICATIONS, ETC. An application from W. Harris, for the appointment of a night watchman, was referred to the Public Works Committee. A petition from the residents on upper Eeatherston-terrace, relative to the formation of that thoroughfare, was referred to the Public Works Committee, to which tribunal was referred also an application from Mr. R. Port, asking to be allowed to surrender a lease of section 44, Town Belt. An application from Messrs. McColl and Co., contractors, for a drain in Murphy-street, to make a deviation from the original plan - also application from residents in Daniel-street, relative to repairs, were received. An application relative to the drainage of North-street and Barker-street was read ; and it was agreed that the work was a necessary one, and that tenders be called. tramway. It was agreed that the Corporation should not make any alteration to Vivian-street in respect to the tramway. Councillor Macdonald observed that the gradients were too steep for the engines proposed to be used, and he did not know whether the company had the power to alter the level. The Mayor said he apprehended the Council would offer no objection to the Tramway Company making the necessary alterations at their own cost. He (the Mayor), however, was of opinion that the Council should consent to bear the expense, amounting to £l3O, of a deviation of the tramway, so that it should run along the side of Cambridge-terraoe, and not down the centre. This was agreed to. EXEMPTION FROM RATES. With regard to the cxempiion of schools from rates, the Mayor said he feared the Council had no power to remit rates except on the ground of poverty, but the Council might let the rates stand over. Land occupied by churches and chapels was exempt, but not schools. The Council, however, need not press for the rates. This was agreed to. TE ARO RECLAMATION. The following report was laid before the Council : “ The committee appointed to inquire into and report upon the Te Aro reclamation, beg to state that they have gone as carefully as the time at their disposal would permit into the subject, and recommend for adoption the plan of reclamation appended hereto, embracing an area of 50 acres, more or less, and extending into a depth of 12ft. at low water. “ It may be observed that this recommendation considerably modifies the original plan, and will leave unreclaimed 20 acres of the Crown-granted foreshore, it being considered unadvisable to carry the reclamation to the full extent, inasmuch as so doing might possibly hamper the harbor accommodation, a result which the Council would always be most anxious to guard against. “The proposed reclamation, after making allowance for an open sea frontage of 100 ft. in width all round, and the same width of street at the boundary with Te Aro, gives a width of 66ft. for the streets intersecting the entire block, and leaves a frontage of 10,725 ft. for sale or lease. “ Taking the leasehold value of this frontage at the low estimate of £1 per foot for twentyone years, there is an income of £10,725 per annum. “The estimated cost of the reclamation, with concrete front wall (which the committee recommend in preference to timber, the cost of both being very much the same), will he £126,700.” BANK account. Councillor Macdonald suggested that at every meeting the bank account should be read. The Mayor said in future this would be done. WAGES. Councillor Maginity pointed out the large amount of the labor account, which had been at the rate of £ISOO for the past month, which seemed to him exorbitant. He thought if the work was done by contract a saving would be effected, instead of the Council employing its own day labor. Councillor Dixon thought that a working overseer for each ward should be appointed. The Mayor suggested that some motion on the subject should bej brought forward at next meeting. The matter then dropped. MOTIONS. The Mayor moved,—That the motion for submitting all plans and specifications to the Drainage Engineer for his approval shall be rescinded. Councillor Dixon seconded the motion. Councillor Allen moved that the original motion be agreed to, with the addition that all the drainage works be under Mr. Climie’s charge, and that he supply the necessary plans. The Mayor said he would accept the amendment, which was agreed to. The Mayor moved, —That the resolution of the Council, of adopting a recommendation of a special committee on the re-organisation of official departments, to the effect that all Corporation business shall emanate from the Town Clerk’s office, be and is hereby rescinded, as derogatory to the dignity of the Council and prejudicial to the proper conduct of municipal business. The mover observed that he was not pleading personally for himself, but that the office might descend to his successor with all the rights and privileges with which he received 't. Councillor Dixon seconded the motion. Councillor George proposed as an amendment to substitute the words “ pass through” for “ emanate from” in the original motion, the intention of which was to make the Town Clerk a kind of under-secretary to the Mayor. Councillor Allen seconded the amendment. Councillor Logan supported the amendment. Councillor Macdonald considered it highly important that a record of all business should be kept in the Town Clerk’s office. He would move that all the words in the original motion after “ Town Clerk’s office” should be omitted. Councillor Maginity thought this motion should have been brought forward at an earlier period, and not have been loft to the newlyelected Council. He supported Councillor George’s amendment. The Mayor said he looked upon the original resolution and the amendment now proposed as alike a vote of censure upon himself, which he did not deserve; but of course the Council could deal with it as they pleased. It would have been no use to bring it before the old Council, as they had decided upon it ; but he thought it his duty to bring it before the new Council. Personally to himself, it was a matter of indifference, but he desired that the office should be handed down to his successor as he got it. Councillor George’s amendment was put and carried. Councillor Macdonald suggested that a committee of four should be appointed to enquire into the matter. The Mayor said this could not be done, as the amendment was carried. The Mayor moved, —That the Council take into consideration the rates paid for storage upon kerosene in the Corporation Store, with a view to their reduction to the following rates : —Receiving and delivering, per case, I Jd.; storage, per week per case, Id.; less discount of 10 per cent, on over 1000 cases. If these rates are agreed to, those previously in force shall cease and determine. Councillor George seconded the motion, which was carried. The Mayor laid before the Council a copy of the Harbor Board Bill The Mayor said Mr. Turnbull desired the Council to sanction his appointing a clerk of works. This was assented to. The laying the foundation stone of the Town Hall was left to the Public Works Committee. THE INDIAN FAMINE.—TELEGRAM FROM THE LOUD MAYOR OF LONDON. “London, 22nd September, 1877.—Mayor of Wellington, N.Z.—lndian famine most intense. £200,000 raised here. Colonial sympathy would be heartily welcome. Can you do anything in this matter 2—Lord Mayor of London.”

The Matob said all he could do was to lay the telegram before the Council, and to say that he should be very happy to receive subscriptions. NOTICES. Councillor Magility gave notice to move at next meeting for a reduction in the labor and engineering staff, and for a return of the cost of asphalting Woodward street,_ and the amount of contributions by the inhabitants. Councillor Logan desired to bring forward a motion for the appointment of a committee to inquire into the organisation of the Town Clerk’s office.—This was agreed to. Councillor Dixon moved for the introduction of a by-law to protect asphalt water channels. This was agreed to. An amendment by Councillor George that it be negatived being lost. Councillor George gave notice for next meeting that the Waterworks Engineer be instructed to report on the practicability of obtaining, an additional supply of water by impounding it from other streams j and also, that £50,000 be borrowed for making unformed streets in the borough. DRAINAGE SCHEME. The Council then went into committee on Mr. Climie’s drainage scheme, and passed a resolution that Mr. Bell, the consulting engineer, should be at once sent for to come up to Wellington and report on the feasibility of Mr. Climie’s drainage scheme. The Council then rose.