Thames Harbor Board.

Thames Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2958, 8 August 1878, Page 2

Thames Harbor Board.

A meeting of the above Board was held at eleven o'clock to-day. Present—Mr W, Davies (Chairman), the Mayor, Messrs Spencer, Price, Wilson, Gibbons, and Mennie.

The Chairman stated that he had called the meeting to consider the draft leases .between the Harbor Board and the companies occupying sites on the foreshore, lie called upon the Secretary to read the first, which was done, namely, the draft of lease for companies holding battery sites. The Chairman said he had only received the documents last night, and had just looked over them.

Some members considered that the lease was entirely in favor of the companies. They had never known leases to give power to remove property at the end of the term.

(The lease gave power to surrender, remove property, and pay no back rent.) r Mr Gibbons did not think the provisions of removal and surrender so unreasonable, but there were other objectionable provisions.

The Mayor thought some matters might be settled definitively, and relegate the general consideration of the lease to a committee. The leng th of lease and other points might be settled before leaving the matter to a committee or solicitor to the Board.

The Chairman said there was very little time to loss. He thought they should act on Sir George Grey's last telegram, promising to introduce a bill enabling the Board to grant leases. The telegram was read, to the effect that the Government would introduce a bill at once, conveying the foreshore and giving power to the Board to deal with same, subject to rights of Natives under the Treaty of Waitangi, and rights of companies which had occupied. (The Chairman explained the position of the companies which had settled batteries on the foreshore.) Under an understanding with the Superintendent, the Imperial Crown Company had built a battery, on a site two chains by five chains, for which they were*to pay £50 a year. The Secretary mentioned that Sir George Grey would not introduce the Bill until contracts and promises which had been entered into in previous years had been carrird out or ratified.

The Chairman thought a solicitor should be appointed to * assist the com*

mittee in considering the lease submitted, which was a specimen document. Mr Mennie proposed that the Chairman and the Mayor be appointed a committee to go over the lease, and avail themselves of the assistance of a solicitor to'advise with the;u in revising the lease ; to report to the Board as soon as possible.

The motion was carried. A second deed was then read, granting permission to a number of companies to run trucks with mullock on to the foreshore, and to extend the same as occasion may require. A draft grant from Governor to Harbor Board was read. A draft conveyance of a piece of land on the foreshore to F. Whitaker, Thomas j Bussell, and the New Zealand Insurance Company was read, to be in exchange for another portion.... The Chairman said a Bill would be required to complete this matter. It was to square a piece of foreshore acquired by Messrs Bussell and Whitaker from the estate of Mr D. Tookey. The whole of the matters were then relegated to the Committee appointed above, and after some conversation the meeting closed.