TOWN BOARD.

Southland Times, Volume III, Issue 27, 8 January 1864, Page 3

TOWN BOARD.

»fEDXE?DA.T, 6th January, 1864. - IbJP"' 1 mcl a^ h'alf-pasti/three.- o'clock. Jptftthe Chiiirman, Messrs Jaggers, Mjxt, Calder, M^yor, Livesey, Scandrctt, Jj, and Giller/S* V. . r -.-,. - -; : W ELECTION OF CHAIRMAN. Evions to the confirmation of the minutes W e former meeting, the first business »th& election of a Chairman of^ the 1 for the ensuing year, Mr Clarice left - Jfleaven proposed that Mr Clarke be M^ed A3 Chairman for the ensuing year. Kgirso, he complimented Mr Clarke for tjt'assiduity in fulfilling the. duties of ..ftoian. ;. t . £» Giller, in seconding the proposition, Eht i fc rer y undesirable that frequent Kgs in the office of Chairman should take K MrClarke, during.the few months he ■filled imposition of Chairman, had made Keif acquainted with the duties of the; wL t and he believed the office could not Ijtjettei hands. : ; K e Clerk of the Board having put the. Bon, it was unanimously assented to, an ■Clarke resumed the chair.lfr Garth waite took his seat at the Board.} j APPOINTMENT OF ENGINEER. ".';.', Kie minutes of the previous weekly meet- : ■ and of the special meeting on Monday ■for the appointment of Engineer, were *| Calder, referring to that portion of the lutes appointing Mr Keinpson _as the *ineer, moved that they be not confirmed. ■■believed that in making su-h an appoint-' Ipt, the Board had been too hasty. Fibm ■ large number of testimonials they had to fcider, it was literally impossible for any war of individuals to arrive at a mature ■eolation in the matter. They knew the Wf important nature of the office to be m& t and how the interests of the town had; pered materially from the neglect —he did Kknow Avhether incapacity was the cause — U the carelessness of the former Engineer ■the Board. He would therefore move that; L minutes be not confirmed, and that the ■plications be taken into considera ion Jain, with the view of making another ■pointment. ■Mr M'lvor seconded the motion. Ijlr Jaggers asked why the Board had not * Estponed making the appointment on Monday night. Mr M'lvor was at that time Eainst postponing the matter, and now he ■rued round and wanted the testiuiDnials to mgone into again. There was something try inconsistent in that. I j£ r jl'lvor said that although a person competed an error, ib was not right he should ' fesevere in it. IMr Gaithwaite believea that Mr M'lvo^ ■cconded the motion because on the last occaRon his man had not been elected. If parties Eft the Board, it was the duty of those reMiiuning to go on with the work. ■ Ur Giller was not present on the occasion ■f the ekction of the Engineer, and agreed ■nth Mr Calder as to the importance of ■oaturelY considering the applications before Eecidin?. m Mr jaggers proposed the confirmation of ■he minutes as read. ,B~Mr Gaithwaite seconded. I Mr Livesey, since the appointment of Mr feempson, had been privately informed that Ke was xm%. an engineer, and had only teen ' employed %3 an inspector of works. i'l After some further discussion, Mr Jaggers ■ lirithdrew h^^mendrnent, and the motion for ?ithe non-cufflr'niation of the minutes was ■carried. I. (Mr Reynolds took his seat at the Board.) I SUBSIDISING THE VOLUNTEER FIRE BRIGADE. I; A deputation from the Volunteer Fire Brigade, consisting of Messrs Macfirlane, ■BKingsland, Mitchell, and Hatch, waited on ■the Board for the purpose of soliciting the laid of the Beard in the purchase of an ■engine, the erection, of an engine-house, fireifcsll, and the construction of watertanks. Prhe apparatus for a "hook and ladder" ItompaMhad already, they stated, been purIchasediu Melbourne, and would sLoitly arrive Iliere. ¥ A conversation ensued between the deputation and some of the members of the Board, ■ the latter desiring to have more informaItion as to the "system adopted in Mcl- j ■ bourne, and its applicability to this place j lOn that subject the deputation informed the i I Board that the system adopted in Melbourne I could not be adopted here, inasmuch as the I water pressure from the Van Yean there obviated the use of an engine, which would have to be got for this place, no mattsr what system was adopted. In answer to their enquiries, the deputation was informed that the £500 granted by the Provincial Council to subsidise a Volunteer Fire Brigade, was not under the control of the Board. As there were various othermatters of detail which the Board considered they should be informed on, the deputation were informed that the Board '■ would take their request into consideration, ' and give an answer in a few days. The general feeling of "the Board was to assist in every possible way the efforts of the Fire Brigade in", carrying out their object. The deputation then, withdrew. DETENTION OP BOOKS BY THE LATE ENGINEER. Mr Weston (the Solicitor to the Board) informed the Board of the unsuccessful result of the action he had that day taken in the Police Court against the late Engineer (a report of the ease, will- be found in another portion of this day's issue). After regretting the inconveninece which would probably arise from the want of the books detained by Mr Marchant, the Board, in order to prevent a recurrence of the evilj passed the following resolution :—" That the whole of the books and accounts appertaining to the Town Board works, be, as far as practicable, placed within the office on the day of the first meeting in each month, for reference thereto, if necessary." THE SALARY OF THE LATE ENGINEER. The Chairman submitted a letter from the late Engineer, requesting payment of his salary for the month of December, amounting to £33 6s Bd. ';-..■ In answer to Mr Calder, Mr Weston gave a general legal opinion, as to Mr Marchant's claim for salary, to the effect, that the Board would be bound to pay the same where the applicant was engaged for a certain term, and had fulfilled his duties, during the term ; but if it could be shown that an employ e had neglected to carry out the instructions of his emrjloyers, or refused to perform certain work oraered by them to be done, they could dismiss him before the expiration of his term of agreement, and refuse to pay his: salary. The proof of that, however, would rest with a jury, and if the Board decided to resist Mr" Marchant's claim, he (Mr Weston), would be liappy to undertake the matter. A sagalutiontpthe effect that MrJJarchant's claim be -not paid was carried unanimously. : APPOINTMENT OP ANOTHER ENGINEER. ; ;In accordance with the morion,' previously assented to, ,the testimonials of a number of the for the appointment of Engineer were re-considered. Long and desultory discussions on the merits and demerits of each applicant 'ensued. The choice of the Board appeared to be .undecided between Messrs Irving^ Cameron, and Richard--Bon (the late temporary engineer), as they considered it wduld be a greater advantage to appoint a mari who was on the spot — all those three being at presentrhere-^-than-.to^ppoint a competent man, at a'distance^ by- which course they .might .possibly : suffer great . inconvenience and delay before he.' could commence his duties, and as Wp delay at this portion of the season i^o]ald.- be very' disadvaritageous to the interests of the. town. It was ultimately

decided to put the three above-named candi- j dates to 'the vote^ which was done in the i following order*—- First, Messrs llichardson" and .'Trying; -wheini there appeared six -ivories for the/ former, and- four ?or the latter. Messrs llichardson and Cameron's names were then submitted, -when there were six - for 'the former,' and four far the latter. Messrs Jaggers, Reynolds, Scandrett, Giller, Livcsey and Garthwaite voted for the successful candidate, Messrs' Calder, 1 Beaven, M'lvor and ( Loclchart for the others,. • > --After. some unimportant business had been transacted— -several of the members having left at the termination of the previous business —the sitting was adjourned.