MEETINGS OF TOWN COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume I, Issue 40, 14 November 1868, Page 3

MEETINGS OF TOWN COUNCIL.

AMUSING* SCEITE. A special meeting of Town Council was held.bn Saturday evening. There was a fall attendance. The Mayor said that this special meeting 4tad been called iv order to 'consider ' the^rescinding of a motion arrived at by a former meeting !iri reference to a Town Hall. The ISJayor further said that the resolution for the rescinding that agreei , ment' as proposed- >>y Oouncilldr Mears practically .embodied another resolution. It would be more satisfactory to have nothing connected with the expenditure of bo large a sum of money conducted in an informal manner. Councillor Mears said that "a similar course had been followed on a former occasion. The Mayor said there was no necessity for moving anything more than the rescinding of the motion . Anything further he ruled- out of order. Councillor Mears finally agreed to this course. Keen said the motion, if any ■4ftL. v < of it were struck out, could not be entertained at that meeting. *\ The Mayor said he would not take any strict or technical objection. 4' As he understood it, the object of the motion was to move the suspension of a standing order. '■ Or • • Councillor Keen : Not at all, that was another dodge they had tried on. The Mayor said he hoped Councillor Keen would not again use such language. He had mistaken one motion for another, the one before the meeting being for the rescinding of a resolution arrived at within this municipal year. Councillor Meara then moved that the resolution of the 2nd September te suspended. Councillor Hay seconded. Councillor Keen said he had done •verything in his power to upset this Town Hall scheme. Personally, he did not care a rap for the whole affair, but he considered it a waste of public money. In fact, he believed certain councillors had made up their minds to ignore public interests, and throw money in the gutter for the sake of their pet schemes. Councillor Mears : Order. Councillor Keen : The cap seems to fit. The Mayor called Councillor Keen to order. The matter was to be argued in a gentlemanly manner, and decided on its merits. Councillor Keen said if any gentleman took offence at what he' said, and the cap seemed to" fit, he was quite welcome to wear it, as he would not retract Anything he had said.. He proposed an appeal to the ratepayers, and alleged that the majority of the Council dared not face euch an appeal. There were more pressing calls for their surplus money, and better means of laying it out. (A Voice: Baying the debentures back.) Yes, he •aid, cancefllhg the debentures ; though he doubted -whether the members of. that Council had gumption enough to follow ■uch a course. He did not believe that any of them had ever been where gentlemen were reared. {Order.) Councillor Walker said he believed the ratepayers were opposed to the erection of a Town Hall, and moved the rejection of Councillor Mears motion. . Councillor Keen seconded. On a division, the motion was carried by i majority of one. For the motion — Councillors Mears, Hay, and Myers -3. Against—Councillors Walker and Keen — 2. Councillor Henderson declined to vote. Councillor Keen, entered hfe triost vehement protest against the decision of the Council, which was duly recorded in the minutes. , *' t • There being no other business, the meeting dispersed. ~ ! The usual meeting- of the Town Council took place on Wednesday evening, when there was a full attendance. Minutes of former meetings having been read andapproved,The Mayor read a letter from the Superintendent stating thai Government did " n«|Krtend to .make any alteration in the %|^Hbn ot\th.e Gabriels Road. The ,^i^^^ras received. A communication from the Inspector of Nuisances in,r,eferenoe to stagnant water at the corner of Whitehaven-street and Boss Place, was referred to the Public Works' Committee. Various accounts werertjiettjjiseferredft} the, Finance; Committee. Some cpuYplaints were made as to the^emiflsneßS o|^tlje .Government _in answering and"a^^^wte|lging correspon 7 dence ; and on the motion of Cr. Keen, the Tp;#a, Clerk was directed to keep on writjnguntUhfigQtrepJi^ A, report of

the Finance Committee;! passing several accounts, was then adopted. -„ Cr. Hay moved that tenders for tho formation of footpath, kerbing and channelling of a portion of the north side of Ross Place, be called for. 1 , 0r 5 l£een seconded^ and the mo#on was carried yiim. con. \ . i ' Cr. Walker moved that tenders be called for the formation and gravelling of Stranraer-street, three chains more or less. He said it was a very necessary work, and should be complete before winter set in. Two accidents had already happened, and people sending their teams for coal wete continually running a risk of having their horses injured and their waggons broken. Cr. Hendertou seconded ;- and the motion was put and carried. Cr. Mears moved that tenders be called for the formation of footpath from Rossplace to the Gabriel's Road Bridge. ; Cr. Keen seconded, and the motion was adopted. '••;*' . • >•''-. -. i An admirably executed plan of the proposed new reservoir was laid on the table hy Cr. Means ;; and on the ;motion of Cr. Keen, this matter was referred to the Public Works Committee, with instructions to call -for tenders- before next meeting. ' ' ' ■ Cr. Hay suggested the advisability of having the bad portion of the Wetherstone's road, opposite the schoolhouse, repaired. Cr. Mears gave notice that he would move at next meeting that, tenders be called for a chain of kerbing and channelling at the corner of Whitehaven-street. Cr. Mears gave notice of motion, that L.lO be offered for the best design of municipal chambers, town-clerk's office, and state-room, with all necessary fittings, the cost not to. exceed L. 500. Cr. Mears asked if '-anything had been done in reference to the lease between the Phoenix Water Company and the Corporation. • The Town Clerk said. he : had written a letter to Mr. Maddock ; but Cr. Keen had requested him not to forward it for reasons he would lay before the Council., - Cr. Keen said that to have an'agreement drawn up in terms of ,the letter would simply be to throw money into the gutters. The Corporation were bound to everything, and the Phoenix Company to nothing. He" moved that the matter be referred to'the Legislative' Committee. Cr. Mears said he would oppose any more money being expended on the reservoir until some definite agreement had been come to with the Phoenix Company. Cr. Hay said that he believed the Phoenix Company -were willing to enter into an' agreement. 1 "He did not consider any councillor justified in preventing the transmission of a letter authorized by the Town Council. If the Town Clerk had any doubts about the matter, he should have gone to the head' of the Corporation for advice. Councillor Keen, said he had only suggested the advisability of letting the mat-" ter stand over. After % some further conversation, the matter was referred to the Legislative Committee. Some- conversation on the rates due followed, and the Town Clerk was directed to call on ratepayers, and if it were inconvenient to pay just then, to get them to appoint a day when- they would be able to pay. Cr. Mears moved that the attention of the Inspector of Nuisances be called to Bye-law No. 8, which refers to verandahs, <fee., encroaching on the side walk. The motion was duly seconded, put, and carried. . ■> '■ t -,_';' There being no other business, the Council adjourned. „