MAYORAL INSTALLATIONS.

of the Council would have to be to keep the city healthy. and clean, and to make the burden on the ratepayers as light as possible. (Applause.) The general cry at present was for retrenchment, and he was in favour of it himself, but considered that indiscriminate retrenchment might be as bad as extravagance. This matter was before the, Finance Committee, and therefore he would say no more upon it, except to say that he believed he wa3 speaking the naincls of the Council when he said the officers were fully worth their present salaries, and that any reduction could be justified only on the plea of urgent necessity. He againthanked thelate Mayor for his kind remarks, and promised to act al ways without fear or favour. He trusted that at the end o£ the year he would be able to retire from office with the assurance that he had endeavoured to do his duty and that he had earned the good opinion of the citizens. (Applause.) The Council then adjourned till Jan. 9.

City. The installation of Mr Charles Louisson, as Mayor of Christchurch, took place at noon to-day in the Municipal Chambers. Ttere was a full attendance of the Councillors, and the chair was occupied by the Past Mayor, Mr Aaron Ayers. A number of Past Mayors and Councillors, and of friends of the new Mayor also were present. The Mayor explained that it was a special meeting held under tb.B provisions of the Municipal Corporation Act. He called upon Mr Louis3on to make the , necessary declaration.

Mr Louisson read the required formula, to which he appended his signature. He was then invested with the collar of gold by the outgoing Mayor, who expressed hiss pleasure at handing it and the keys of office over to one so ■worthy of the trust. Mr Louisson's experience was a guarantee of the due fulfilment of the requirements of the office. He wished him a successful reign, and he hoped Christchurch under his rule would rapidly recover the prosperity she formerly enjoyed. (Applause.) Mr Louisson took the Mayoral chair, and thanked Mr Ayers for hia good wishes. He trusted he would be able to carry out the expectations which the kindly feeling of Mr-.Vyers had prompted, rather than his real i^.Oiof. (Mr Ayers: "No, no.") He (Mr J-o'Msson) considered the office of Mayor th<! highest in the city, and one which carried with it the graveßt responsibilities. (i-fear.) He regretted the apathy of leading citizens ia this regard, but could not forget that some of the most illustriotis men in New Zealand had filled the office in Christchurch. That alone was sufficient to justify the ambition of anyone to occupy the chair. (Hear.) The Councillors at present were gentlemen whose ability and devotion to work he well knew, and who were entitled to his esteem. Their assistance would make biß labours lighter than they otherwise would be. He believed that the decorum of the Council meetings would compare favourably with the conduct in other public bodies not only in New Zealand, but even in the whole of Australia. He had never witnessed anything that might bo called a " scene," and however earnest Councillors were in urging their views they never indulged in personalities. He could not hope that hia year of office would be signalised by any great work, or that his name, like the names of his predecessors, would be carved in stone. (question.) The finances of the City would not allow of any public works, though he would, didthetimeswarranfcit.beprepared to come down with a proposal for a loan of half a million to be expended on reproductivo works. (Applause). The chief aim