LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

Tuapeka Times, Volume III, Issue 125, 30 June 1870, Page 5

LAWRENCE TOWN COUNCIL.

The usual meeting of the Council was held in the Council Chambers on Monday evening. Present — the Mayor and Crs. Harrop, Mears, Coverlid, Walker, Herbert, Barnctt, and Town Clerk. The minutes of the previous meeting were confirmed. CORRESPONDENCE. The consideration of a letter from the Cromwell Town Council was deferred for discussion till some other business was gone throush. An application from All Yong and Ah Yehung, for an acre of ground for mining purposes, was referred to the Public Works Committee, with power to deal with the application. An application from Joseph Williams, for permission to construct a water-race, commencing immediately below the rocky point, Kilmarnock-street, and emptying itself behind his house, was also referred to- the Public Works Committee. ACCOUNTS. R. Nichol, repairing footpath in Colon-say-street, £1 ; H. Miller, gravelling and making culvert in Kilmarnock-street, £40 3s 4d. Both accounts were' referred to Public Works and Finance Committees. Finance Report No. 12, £21 153 5d was received and adopted. Public Works Report No. 7 was read. It had reference to the excessive drainage at the back of the premises on the east side of Peel-street. The Committee recommended the Council to compel the owners oir occupiers o£ property from the corner of Colonsay-street down to Mr. Harrop's inclusive, to drain their premises into, one. common drain, the main drain to be continued down to the Municipal section facing Ross Place, and to be continued from thence at the expense of the Council by a box drain under tho, footpath into the channel, Ross Place. , ' Cr. Herbert moved that the Town Clerk write circulars to the owners of property, informing them of tho decision of the Council with reference to this drain. - Cr. Tlarrop seconded. Cr. Mears could not see the necessity for any such course being adopted. It was clearly the business of the Nuisance Inspector to see that the orders of. the

Council in these matters were carried outIf the Town Clerk has to do the Nuisance Inspector's work, then we can do without one altogether. He would move the following amendment : — " That the Nuisance Inspector be instructed to take immediate action in tho matter, in accordance with the report of the Public Works Committee. Cr. Walker seconded. A division was taken with the following result : — For the amendment, 3 ; against it, 2. The amendment wa3, thcrfore, declared carried. The Mayor stated that he had appointed the Town Clerk for tho time being as rate collector ; and, so far as had been ascertained, there was a deficiency in the rates to the extent of £80 lv's 3d. TENDERS. The following tenders were received for forming the footpath in Whitohavenstreet: — R. Nichol, at £1 per chain ; J. Downie, at 18s per chain. The lowest was accepted. Cr. Mears moved the motion standing in his name, " That the east side of Peel-street should be included in the West Ward." His object in making tho motion was to get a fairer division of the West Ward. At present the number of ratepayers in that ward was only some twelve or fourteen ; whereas the East and Middle Wards had live times that number. Both as regards the value of property, and regards tho population, he considered the West Ward was not a fair division. He was afraid that the action he had taken would not be in time to get the boundaries altered this year. The Mayor thought there Avas time if he went about it at once. Cr. Walker, in seconding Cr. Mears motion, fully agreed with him on the necessity for a redivision of the Ward. Cr. Herbert would support the motion if the mover would show the most equal division, and what relative effect it wotild have on the Middle Ward. Cr. Mearß took more into consideration the value of the property than the number of ratepayers, and he was of opinion that, by placing part of the Middle Ward in the West Ward, a more equitable devision would exist. lie would withdraw his motion in favour of another, viz., ' ' That the redivision oi the Wards be referred to a committee consisting of the Mayor, Cr. Coverlid, and the mover, and report at next meeting of Council." Carried. As mining on the township had become so general, Cr. Mears thought it advisable that a fortnight's notice should be given by each applicant, so that other parties would know of it, and that no unfairness be allowed. . lie moved the following resolution :—": — " That all persons wishing to mine within the town boundary be required to give notice in writing to the Town Clerk, fourteen days previous to the application being determined by the Council." Cr. Coverlid seconded. Carried. NOTICE OF MOTION. Cr. Herbert gave notice that at next meeting of the Council, he would *move, "That the Public Works Committee be requested to call for tenders for the formation of the footpaths in Campbeltownstreet; also the extension of the footpath on the south side of Colonsay-street as far as the parsonage." The letter from the Cromwell Corporation was then considered. The object of the letter was to ask the co-operation of the Lawrence Council in the carrying out of the following resolution passed by the Cromwell Corporation :—": — " That a memorial be forwarded to the Legislative Assembly, praying that their Honourable House will grant a sufficient sum of money for the purpose of supplying the Otago goldfields with water." The importance of the subject was felt by the Council, and they unanimously passed the following resolution :—": — " That this Council, being the representatives of a large and important portion of the Otago gold fields, most cordially co-oper-ate with tlje Municipal Council of Cromwell in petitioning the General Government to allocate a sufficient sum of money, or borrow, if necessnry, for the purpose of supplying tho Otago goldfields with water for mining purposes on a larger scale, and at a cheaper rate than hitherto ; and that the Mayor, Cr. Herbert, and the mfiver, be appointed a committee to draw up a petition in accordance with this resolution." The appointment of assessor was next ccimderec 1 .. The following were the applications : — Thomas Arthur, G. B. King, L. C. Holmes, M. Hay, and J. L. S. Keen. On the motion of Cr. Mears, the election of an assessor was made by ballot, and resulted as follows : — J. L. S. Keen, 5 ; M. Hay, 1. Mr. Keen was therefore declared assessor. The Council decided to fix tho rates for the forthcoming year at their next meetr ing. The Council then adjourned for fourteen days.