BOROUGH COUNCIL.

Globe, Volume III, Issue 269, 22 April 1875, Page 4

BOROUGH COUNCIL.

LYTTELTON.

The usual meeting of the Council was held on Monday night. A number of letters were read. One from the aid-de-camp to his Excellency, stating that the Governor would receive the address of the Borough Council as suggested ; from Mr Higginson, C.E., returning Mr Donkin s plans, and suggesting modifications, and more complete specifications ; from Mr JohntStinson, asking the Council to give him the frontage of his section No 302 ; from the inspector of nuisances re the slaughter yards, which he stated were in a most unsatisfactory state; from the Rev J. D. Fergusson and others, calling attention to the dirty state of the bathing shed ; from Messrs J. 8. Willcox, and James Reston, Junr., auditors, in reference to a report from them, certifying to the accounts of the late clerk, and calling attention of the Council to the large expenditure that had formerly taken place, which report had been characterised by the Council as audacious, impudent, and impertinent, and begging to state that they called notice to the fact of the past expenditure to show that the proper officers were willing to perform their duty when called upon, and that there was no necessity for a large outlay for calling in extraneous assistance; and that in reference to the offensive terms applied to them, they would remind the Council that they were officers of the borough entirely independent of the Council, and not their servants, and that they had a perfect right to comment upon matters within their department, and intended to do so unfettered by any forcible language the Council might choose to indulge in, as it was harmless to them, but derogating to the Council. From Messrs J. S. Willcox and J. Carder, auditors of the Council for 1874, stating that they had seen from the public prints that it had been stated at a Council meeting that they had not done their duty, and that their incompetency was the cause of the mess the Council were in at that time; thpt the Council must recollect that they were studiously prevented by the Council from performing their duties, and no intimation was given them of the mess the Council reports were in, until the audit ac the end of the financial year, and that the Council must remember they remonstrated with the Council for their not availing themselves of their services; that they therefore gave an unqualified denial to the statements made respecting them at the Council meeting, more especially those made by a member who was then Mayor, who himself, either through incompetency or culpable negligence, was the real cause of the accounts being in a mess. From Mr J. S. Willcox, that he had reduced the value of Mr Pope’s property from £22 to £l6. His Worship stated that he had seen the Superintendent with reference to the Governor’s visit. His Excellency would land at the Gladstone Pier, and be brought to the station in a carriage, and would receive the presentation opposite the large exit gates. At the railway station arrangements would be made for ladies, and the Borough school children and the Oddfellows and Foresters would be in attendance ; and Colonel Packe had arranged for the presence of some of the Volunteers.

After some discussion re arrangements, Cr Grange moved that £lO be placed at the disposal of the reception committee. The motion was seconded and carried.

A deputation, consisting of the Rev J. D. Fergusson and Mr Boddington, waited on the Council regarding the disgraceful state of the bathing shed. The matter was remitted to the bathing committee.

Mr Higginson’s letter re water supply was ordered to be forwarded to Mr Donkin. Mr Cotton waited on the Council re the drain in front of the Union Bank; the stench from which was intolerable ; and a resolution carried that the drain be trapped forthwith. In reply to a deputation from the Odd fellows and Foresters, the Mayor stated that Wednesday would be a holiday. With reference to Mr Stinson’s letter, it was resolved that the boundary of his sec* tion on the Bridle path be defined. Some discussion followed re Messrs Carder’s and Willcox’s letter, and also that from Messrs Willcox and Heston.

Cr Chalmers said that he could not pass the communication over without comment, it was a jumble of facts and fiction calculated to create an entirely wrong impression. They had proved themselves incompetent by passing as correct a balance-sheet, which was afterwards proved to be incorrect, £9 being deficient. As to thirty guineas having been expended for auditing the accounts, at least twenty guiueas might be put down as having been paid for good hard work in doing up the books. The Council would bear him out in saying how hard he had tried to make them have the accounts looked into and how long it was before they would consent to allow it to be done. He had thought it right to make this explanation that the truth might be vindicated, as it would not be right to allow the assertions made to go forth uncontradicted, The letter from Messrs Willcox and Jas. Seston, of a similar tenor, was then considered. Cr Chalmers was sorry that Mr Heston was mixed up in the affair, Cr Grange said the best thing that could be done would be to consign the letters to the waste paper basket.

Some discussion then took place with reference to pigs being allowed to remain within the boundaries of the city, but the subject dropped without any resolution being pressed. Accounts were passed for payment amounting to £73 18s lOd. The Mayor stated the overdraft was £293 14s.

Or Grange, in reference to the lighting of the town, said that the lamps had been seen to and the faulty ones sent to be repaired. The lamps would be lighted as soon as the moon was a few days past the fall. Or Graham asked if the lighting was to be done by contract or not. Or Grange said that he thought it would be better to let it by contract. They would do it for the first week on their own account, and after that have proper arrangements made. The Oouncil then adjourned. KAIAPOI. Tuesday, April 20, The ordinary meeting of this Council was held on Tuesday evening. Present—The Mayor, Crs Milsom, Punston, Wearing, Beharrell, Blackwell, and McDonald. A letter was read from Mr H, R. Scarvell, sheep inspector for the Northern district, instructing the Council that on February sob* of Bofeemity’f lotbty pheep were

yarded in the pound, therefore the pound would have to be disinfected, and no sheep admitted for three months. Cr Funston, chairman of the sanitary committee, brought under the notice of the Council that it was daily becoming apparent that the time was fast approaching when sanitary measures of a more efficient and extensive character than had hitherto been adopted in the borough would have to be brought into operation. There were several places where the householders had not sufficient accommodation for disposing of refuse and liquid sewage. The sanitary committee recommended that such places ought to have proper dust bins, and that the liquid sewage should be got rid of by pipes draining into main pipes laid under the side channels, to have gratings with proper traps at the comers of the streets, which would allow of these drains being flushed by storm water. The present practice of draining into open side channels was decidedly objectionable, and would have to be provided against. The committee suggested the desirableness of deciding upon a plan for draining the town of waste water, and procuring a reserve for depositing rubbish and night soil. He pointed out that the time had come when closet pans would have to be brought into use, and complete arrangements made to remove rubbish, thus preventing nuisances. Ors Wearing and Milsom and the Mayor advocated the adoption of such a system as that alluded to in the report. Or Blackwell moved, (Jr Wearing seconded —“That the Council approve of the recommendations contained in the report of the sanitary committee, and the committee be requested to submit a further report suggesting a scheme to meet the case; to report as soon as possible,” Agreed to. The statement shewed receipts for the fortnight to be—interest, £7 10s; rates, £1 13s; rents, £3 6s, and the balance in hand to be £204 10s 4d.

Or Milsom moved, Cr Beharrell seconded, That the accounts —viz, foreman, £4 10s; labor, £9 16s 6d; timber, £7 5s 4d; carting, £2 4s; sundries, £1 Os 6d; total, £24 5s 4d, be passed for payment,” Carried. Tenders were opened, and lowest accepted, for metalling Akaroa street footpath. Or Wearing moved, Cr McDonald seconded —“ That the clerk write to the Rangiora and Mandeville Road Board, asking it to make 2 chains of footpath on the north side of Beach road, at the junction with the north road.”

It was pointed out that the high crown of the Beach road rendered it dangerous at the place in question, and the motion was agreed to. Cr Milsom drew attention of the works committee to the state of side channel near Middleton’s Hotel. The Council then adjourned.

The title of Mr Hobert Browning’s new poem, which is now in the press, is stated to be “ Aristophanes’ Apology,” including a transcript from Euripides, being “ The Last Adventures of Balaustion." The Queen, on the recommendation of the Prime Minister, has granted a pension of £SO a year to the widow ol Giovanni Battista Falcieri, the faithful servant of Lord, Byron, celebrated in the writings of the poet as well as in those of Moore, Rogers, and Shelley, by the name of “Tita.” The Birmingham Morning Items says that the committee of a Birmingham musical society recently asked Mr Sims Reeves to sing gratuitously at a concert given in aid of an institution, and that the reply of the vocalist was that he would do so. provided each member of the committee of the society would present to the institution the sum of £IOO, the amount of his terms for singing. St Petersburg, it is said, is about to adopt the pneumatic or Liernur system of sewerage, at a coat of about £4,000 000. The chief engineer of that city has reported in its favour, after examining into its working in Holland. As a man was about to be married in the Church of Knockamukley, a few miles from Lurgan, the bridegroom put on his hat and left the church. When the minister made his appearance the bridegroom could not be found, and some of the family having gone in search of him, they found him hiding, and apparently anxious to get away. He was, however, brought back, and the ceremony was duly performed. A letter from Metz in the Magdeburg Gazette states that the forest officials in Lorraine have been busily engaged since the beginning of the winter in clearing the woods of wild animals, Although in 1872 no less than 44 wolves, 38 polecats, 404 wild boars, and in 1873, 76 wolves, 27 polecats, and 791 wild boars were killed, it is estimated that there are still 250 wolves, 200 polecats, and 2000 wild boars, and it cannot be hoped that they will be speedily exterminated.