Lawrence town council.

Tuapeka Times, Volume VI, Issue 300, 30 October 1873, Page 5

Lawrence town council.

A special meeting of the Council was held ia the Council Chambers on Thurgdd,yl<w>t. Or. ftle.irs was the onlyabsentiie. The Mayor stated that it would be in the recollection of Councillors that it was proposed the last plans received be adopted. Although the Council said they would adopt th«se plans, they had no intention of spending a larger sum than £3000 on the building. Councillors uould also roruunioer that ho (the Mayor) while in favour of curtailing the plans saw no difiiculty in erecting a commodious building for even a less sum than that mentioned. Cr. Walker was of a_ similar opinion, after the conclusion of the previous meeting he (the Mayor) took the best advice he could get, and after consulting the Councillors it was considered advisable to send for Mr. Law&ou. That gentleman could not come when sent for as he was acting on a jury, but he had intimated that he could come on Saturday dr Monday. He (Lhe Mayor) would suggest that Mr. Lawson be asked to come on Monday. Saturday would not suit him (the Mayor) as he would be absent from Lawrence. In rbf«rence to some of the letters in connection with the Town Hall he found they had commenced to negotiate about it as early as June 20th, and his object in calling the Councillors together was to push forward the work without any further delay. After a long and desultory discussion as to whether Mr. Lawson should be sent for on Saturday or Monday, it was ultimately decided to send for him on Monday. This closed the proceedings. The usual meeting of the Council took place in the Council Chambers on Monday last. Present : The Mayor (in the chair), and Crs. Mears, Hill, Hayes, Armstrong, Hay, and Walker. . The minutes of last special and ordinary, meetings were read by the Town Clerk. Or. Hay said that he would move the confirmation of the minutes excepting the clause referring to the new Town Hall. Cr. Mears replied that the minutes jnst read were a record of what had transpired at the meetings referred to, and being so, could not be altered. Cr. Hay said that it was the confirmation of the minutes which stamped them as regular, and they were not supposed to be correct until they were confirmed. Cr. Hill said that Cr. Hay was anticipating the discussion that would take place on that evening on the subject of the proposed Town Hall. There was more discussion, in which moat of the Councillors joined. Ultimately Cr. Hill moved and Cr. Mears seconded, " That the minutes of the last special and ordinary meetings •be confirmed." The motion was earned. The Mayor read a letter from James Docherty, asking for a lease of a portion of one of the Corporation reserves. No objection was offered to the application by any Councillor ; and «.>n the motion of Cr. Haj r es, seconded by Cr. Armstrong, the request was ordered to be complied with. The Mayor read an offer from Richard Nichols for thejgravelling of Whitehavenstreec from the culvert to the hospital, Cr. Hay moved, "That the application of Richard Nichols be allowed to lie on the table." Or. Hayes moved and Cr. Hill seconded, ' ' That the application of Richard Nichols as to the gravelling of Whitehaven-street be referred to the Public Works Committee." Carried. *■ The report flf the Committee appointed to consider the exchange, of the Market Reserve'recommended that the Council do negotiate with the Lawrence School Committee the exchange of the said reserve. The following is the I'eport : — '"Gentlemen, — Your Reserves Committee having conferred u^on the in\tler proposed ia Hr, Jamison's letter, of date 13th October, ia

reforence to granting the present Market Reserve as a site for the new school buildings, would recommend your Council to accede to the request oontained therein, provided that the Government gi\e in exchange a suitable area of land to be approved of by the Town Council, such land to be used for the same purpose as intended for that of the land proposed to be exchanged." . .The report was ordered to be received. Cr Mears volunceered an explanation. He said that he and the Town Clerk constituted themselves a deputation. They waited on the Government and asked that the Market Reserve should be handed over to the School Committee for a school site, the Council receiving in lieu another Market Reserve. Cr. Mears moved and Cr. Haye3 seconded the adoption of the report on the Market Resei*ve. The motion was carried. The Town Clerk read the report from the Public Works Committee. It having been ascertained that Cr. Hay, who was a member of the Public Wprks Committee, had not signed the report just read, Cr. Armstong asked Cr. Hay to state his objections to his signing the report. Cr. Hay said he did not sign the report, because the Public Works Committee who drew it up had performed contracts without submitting them to public tender. Footpaths had. been constructed in the middle of winter for sums above £5 without tenders having been called. for. A very animated, debate ensued, which led the Mayor to ask the Council to support him in maintaining the debates free from the attribution of personal motives. They were all here for the public good, and not supposed to be influenced by any motive other than the public good. Cr. Hay said that his remarks were quite disinterested. - In order not to be misunderstood, he wished to explain that he did not object to certain works: What he objected to was the method of their performance. They could have been tlojie for one-third the coat. Cr. Mears said that the Committee, of , which he was a member, had dona their \ best. He did not under- value Mr. Hay's opinion. The Committee, on the occasion of need, had sought Mr. Day's services in relation to the works referred fo ; bnt then Cr. Hay could not be found. He (Cr. Mears) considered that the piece of work referred to by the Cr. Hay was the cheapest piece of work ever done for the Council. Cr. 'Hay wished to know why contracts exceeding £5 were not, as they should have been, submitted to the Council. Cr. Hayes could not see of what utility would "be a Public Works Committee if they bad, in advance, to consult the Council in every such question. Cr. Hill agreed with the principle incl'.ulerl in f'r. Hay 7 ? demand. Cr. Mear.4 could not approve of the delays which would be inevitably entailed if such works were invariably submitted by the Committee to the whole Council. He thought that the Public Works Committee could and would be quite competent to do their duty in "such matters. With regard to an account presented by Cr. Moars in his non-omcial capacity, Cr. Mill .remarked that he did not see why Cr. Mears could not have presented the accovmt in hi 3 own person. Cr. Mears objected to Cr. Hill dragging his name unnecessarily before the Council. The Mayor informed Cr. Hill that if a Councillor, in his capacity as such, presented an account, it would not be passed. Cr. Hay moved and Cr. Hill seconded, " That the water hole in Ardmssan-street be filled up, and that tenders be called for the work." The motion was carried and referred to to the Public Works Committee. The Council resolved itself into a Committee of the Hall to consider plans for the building of the proposed Lawrence Town Hall, when our reporter withdrew.