MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 854, 10 January 1879, Page 2

MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

A special meeting of the Council was held last evening, when there were present —his Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Humphrey, Gibbs, Headland, Familton, Mainland, and Spence. Mr. M'Leod (Engineer) was in attendance. Mr. John Thomson applied for information as to the permanent levels of Reed-street, opposite section 3, block 43. —The Engineer was requested to furnish the necessary information. A letter was read from Mr. Amos with reference to the state of the drain opposite the Northern Hotel, in Tyne-street. —The matter was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to act. The Mayor said that while in Dunedin he had made inquiries at the Crown Lands Office as to whether the Crown grants for the land granted to the Municipality under the Municipal Corporations Act, 1876, were in course of preparation. He found that in regard to one piece of land only was such the case, and that was for the smallest piece of the number. In the other cases it appeared that accurate surveys of the lands required to be made before the preparation of the grants could be entered upon. There was, he found, some difficulty in getting these surveys made, as there was no representative of the Survey Department in the district, and the gentleman who was usually entrusted with the Government surveying was away at the present time. Seeing that, under these circumstances, the Crown grants would not bo issued for several months unless the surveys were made without delay he had interviewed Mr. Arthur, Chief Survey or, on the subject, and had asked that gentleman if he would be satisfied if the survey was made by a duly authorised private surveyor. Mr. Arthur had replied that he would accept such a survey, but stated that he had no power to authorise the work to be done ill that wav. At the same time he had intimated that if the Council undertook the work he would recommend that it be refunded an amount equivalent to what it wou.ld have cost the department. to make the surveys. After consulting with Mr. Arthur, and submitting the names of lijcai surveyors, he (the Mayor) had spoken to Mi-. Dgnnison, of Messrs. Dennison and Grant, with reference to sur voying t lib endowment at Maerewhenua. That gentleman had expressed his willingness to undertake the work at once, at Is per acx-e, or in round numbers about LOO. This sunt he considered very reasonable, but he had avoided making any definite arrangement; as he would first like to obtain the opinion of the Council upon the matter. At the same time he must say that he thought it would be well to have the endowment surveyed at once, even though the ■ Council had to pay the whole cost, in order that the Crown grant

might be obtained, and the Council enabled to derive a revenue from the land by letting it: After a few remarks by several Councillors, it was reesolved, That ' v Messrs. Dennison and Grant be instructed to make the surveys, per the Crown grant, of the Municipal endowment at Maerewhenua. Some difference of opinion having arisen as to the boundaries of quarry reserve No. 42, block VI., Oamaru Survey District, it was decided that a deputation consisting of the Mayor atid Councillors Gibbs and Mainland, should wait upon the Kakanui Road Board, with reference to the matter. It was resolved to ask Mr. Connell to give a valuation of the area of land required from the Education Commissioners in sections 32 and 33, and that thereafter the Commissioners be requested to agree to a conveyance to the Council of the land in question at the valuation so made. Further, that the Commissioners be requested to grant by deed a right of access to the Council's works through the remainder of section 33 and section 1 of 34, for the purposes of inspection, repairs, maintenance, or otherwise. The Town Clerk (Mr. Roxby) was appointed Returning Officer in connection with the plebescite in reference to further borrowing ; and it was decided that tlje poll should take place on Thursday, 23rd instant. A large number of tenders for the completion of various portions of the waterworks were opened, and the following accepted :—Tunnelling Grant's tunnel, south end, Messrs. Williams and Russell, at L 3 6s per yard ; Grant's tunnel, north-east end, Messrs. Antonio Maranto and Co., L 3 15s per yard ; station tunnel, Messrs. Antonio Maranto and Co., L 3 15s per yard. Masonry in tunnels : Mr. Patrick Ford, t masonry, Is l.}d per cubic foot ; pitching, Is (id. Race-cutting : Landon section, Messrs. Ferris and Page, L 3 16s Id per chain ; William Milson, L 3 19s per chain. Timber work : Awanioko section, Mr. F. Clarke, bridges with hand-rails, 8s 6d per 100 feet, and, without hand-rails, 7s Cd per 100 feet. The Engineer was empowered to call for tenders for the remainder of the racecutting, to be sent in by noon of the 23rd inst. Tenders were also ordered to be called for the supply of sawn timber and posts and rails, to be sent in by the same time.