City Council.

The City Council held tfa ordinary meeting last night ; present — His Worship the Mayor, and Councillors Vincent, Hosking, Manning, Tait, Crooks, Prudhoe, Kiver, Gray, Louisson, Grinsted, Andrews' and Bowman. FINANCE. The debijgbalance at the bank was £1376 2a lOd. Since the previous meeting the receipts had been : — On general account, £1709 4s 2d; suspense account, £86 103; cemetery account, £16 15s ; drainage rate account, £115 9s 6d. The expenditure had been — On general account, £727 Os 2d ; loan account, £46 16s 6d ; suspense account, £14 ; cemetery account, £10 8s 6d. sttrveyor's report. The following was read : — " 1. An application has been sent in to erect a verandah to Mr Hill's premises in Colombo street. The building to which the verandah is to be erected is a timber one, not high enough I to allow of the verandah stipulated for the inner area to be erected ; it will therefore be necessary for the Council to authorise that this place be treated in an exceptional manner. 2. The contractor for working the tramway has applied to have rails and points and crossings laid into the shed, which he has erected on the Ten-acre 3. Permission to form two rights-of-way has been applied for. One is from Messrs Garrick and Co., for a right-of-way off Chancery lane, and the other is from Messrs M'lntyre and Lewis, on behalf of Mr Marley, for a right-of-way off Hereford street. The necessary plans have been sent in, and there appears to be no objection to the applications being f ranted on the usual terms. 4. Tenders aye been invited for ironwork for a crane, and the tender of Mr Jarvett has been accepted, subject to tbo approval of the Council. Tenders have been invited for a tramcar shed in th# yard, and the tender of Mr Barrett has been accepted, subject to the approval of the Council. 5. The well in the Whately road has been completed. It is down 188 feet, into the fourth waterbearing stratum, and gives a flow of 70 gallons per minute; but I believe this flow will increase with time, as there is .still sand blowing up with the water. The cost has been as follows : — Cost of sinking, £122 5 pipes, £48 ; tools and appliances, £20; total, £190." The report was considered clause by clause. With regard to Clause 1, permission was given as suggested. Clause 2 was referred to the Works Committee, with power to act. Clause 3 was similarly dealt with. Clauses 4 and 5 were approved. RESERVES COMMITTEE. The following was read :— " Toiir Committee has received a letter (attached), asking the lowest price for the Lichfield street station site. Tour Committee recommends that tenders be invited for leasing the site for a term of years under the Glasgow lease system. Your Committee has considered the circular letter of the New Zealand Land League, referred to it by the Council, and has no recommendation to make thereon." The report was received and adopied. The lease for the Market Reserve site, as laid upon the table, was approved. The report on the leasing of Beserve No. 107 was adopted. FINANCE COMMITTEE. The following was read: — « Tour Committee begs to report on the

application of the Salvation Armyforexempf tion of rates on account that the building now being erected isto be used exclusively | for religions worship, that the rates are for the land only, and at the time it was rated no building existed or was in course of erection. Under 'The Bating Act, ,1876,' hinds occupied by churches and chapels are exempt. As in this case the land was not occupied by either the one or the other, your Committee can find no authority in the Acts under which it can recommend the Council tto recognise the exemption claimed." The report was adopted. FIRE BRIGADE COMMITTEE. The following was read : — "Your Committee has considered the balance of their report, which waa before the Committee of the whole Council June 10, and referred back to your Committee for reconsideration, and begs to report : — Clause 10 of report: Eules — Tour Committee has no further recommendation to make. Salaries— Your Committee recommends that they remain as in the report except that for engineer ' .£125 and house,' ' £80 and houße ' be substituted ; that JBSO be paid to a competent person to take charge of the fire alarm system. Clauaes 11 to 15 of the report both inclusive — Your Committee has no further recommendation to add. A letter has been received from the St Albans Council, that it would not require the services of the steam fire engine any longer." The report as to the "rules" was approved. With reference to " salaries." Councillor Gray moved — " That the Engineer's salary be .£100." Councillor Grinsted seconded this. Some discussion took place, in the course of which several Councillors severely animadverted upon the disgraceful accommodation proposed fo be given to Mr Fuller, with his wife and ninu children, in a fourroomed house. On the other hand, some Councillors pointed out that they had recommended the appointment of a single man, but had been overruled by those who now censured the poor accommodation. Eventually the .£IOO waa agreed to. The recommendation to pay .£SO to the caretaker of the fire alarm [system provoked considerable discussion, several Councillors suggesting that an arrangement might be made with the Telegraph Department, as is done at Dunedin. The recommendation was ultimately adopted. The rest of the report was adopted, and the report as amended was adopted. After dealing with several formal matters of contracts, licenses, &c, the Council adjourned at 9.10 pm,