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MUNICIPAL COUNCIL.

MONDÂT, 15TH JULY, 1801.

Tho Municipal Corporation mot this after-

noon at the usual-hour.

There were présent the li ight Worshipful the Mayor, and Messrs. Aldermen Crisp, Pearce, Murdoch,Scabrook.Kcunerlcy.BtitlenuidLcwis

Tho minutes of the last meeting having been road and confirmed tho following business was gone through.

Mli. LAIDLAW.

.A memorandum for signaluro by tho Alder- men, Uiv. Jooumoub aut-lniing tUnb Mr. Laidlaw had never mentioned to either of them the price at which gas could bo made, and lind only expressed his opinion, after Mr. Alderman Stewart had mado his motion, that it would bo.nioro advantageous to the Company should they determine lo reduce tho price of gas, was read and laid upon the table for the signaluro of such of tho Aldormen as concur therein.

COlîllliSPONDDNClî.

Loiter from Mr. Salier as to an alleged en- croachment by linn, read and time given to Public Works Committee to bring up a report.

WATiai wortics.

The Water Works Cominitlco recommended that the following tenders bo acccptod :-James Burgess, for construction of reservoir, £205 , John Anderson & Co., for mason's work, £1,222 Mr. Hodgson, for troughing, £2,093; Mr, Crosby for supply of other nrticlos for £200. Tho Committee also recommended that the load required betaken under tenders sent in by Mr. Massoy, JJ r. Huxlablo and another ut prices vorving from £18 to £20 per toil.

The rc'coiitmondftlious of the comnvtleo. wore vtiooivod and Ike tenders tthpvQ mentioned np proved,,

' The tondew of Mr. Gillon for tho stone woik of a reoeiving reservoir for £204 ¡ and for car- penters work for tho samo, £30, and for tho construction of a valve houso at £53, wore also recommended and accepted.

The letter of Mr. Cawthray and another re- specting compensation wus again brought up, with Mr. Gale's report thereon, and further

considered.

Report of tho Public yfqéka Oom,milteo thereon read and agreed to.

UISCULLAXKOUS.

After a short discussion it »vas resolved that

a dog-catcher bo appointed to look after tlie unlicensed dogs of the city, the appointment lo continuo for throe months, tho remuneration being fixed nt 303. a-weck, Mr. Alderman Sea- brook suggesting that a list of those parties who have pnid their licenso should be forwarded to the police for their information and report thereon, Mr. Aldcrninu Kennorlcy suggesting that tho City Inspector should look iiltpv the dogs as well a3 tho gouts.

THE! MURDER OF THE CHILD SHARP.

Mr Alderman Murdoch, bofore tho Orders of tho Day wero called on, wished lo call tho attention of tho Corporation to tho late dia- bolical murder of tho poor child- Sharp, committed on Saturday night, roforring to the received report that the poor girl had not only been murdered, but had been used other- wise in a manner too dreadful to mention, as he thought that this Council, as tho guar- dians ol tho lives, of the citizens, were bound tq tilka immodialo stops to bring tho mur-

derer to detection, no found that no reward had yoi beou ofl'crod for tho apprcheusiou of tho fiend who had committed tho horrible deed, and if the Government did not do so, and if it was found that tlio Corporal ion had no power to offer a sum for tlio capturo of the offender to bo pnid out of tlio Polieo Reward Fund, that the members of that Council should individually come forward for that pur- pose, for such dreadful crimes as those com- mitted in the vory heart of the city and within a stone's throw of lim poljco office showed a moat dcplorablo stato of things. The Council munt tliorefore immediately do something ns they were bound to do, as tho representatives of ¿lie City, to bring tho murderer to justice Ifnving referred lo other atrocities committed in the town latelv, Mr. Alderman Murdoch eoncludod by Baying thal as tho Government had not ofl'ered any reward, ho thought tho Corpor- ation should do BO, cvon if thoy had to talco it out of tho City rutes a course to which ho firmly believed tlio whole of tho inhabitauts woivjd

consent.

Tho Mayor referring to uno of tho cases men- tioned by Mr. Murdoch, said that the misero auf ù,i that instanoohiid boen as heavily punished at tho police oflico that morning as tho law

would permit. His Wortdiip in roforonco to tho ' dreadful onso then moro immediately under tho notico of the Council, remarked that tho Superin- tendent of tho force »ntl the police officers had been most dilligent"in their'efforts to discover tho perpetrator of this shocking and lamentable 'ifl'ajr.'and thii.t, every oncrgy was being used to discover tlio fiend in human'foi m who had com. niittctj tho murder, and (¡hut tho efforts now

I !

being made would not be allowed to drop. In I | reforonco to tho remarks which had been made 1 | by Mr. Alderman Murdoch in favor of the offer 1 of a reward, His Worship informed the Council I that on finding that Mr. Forster, Hie Inspector I of Police, was out of town, he had felt it his I duty to coll upon the Governor on tho subject I of this lamentable adair, and had had a meeting 1 withtheExecutivo andhomight stateasthe result 1 of his intorview that thero was every probability I of a reward being issued, it being loft to the I Attorney-General to determine if it would be I desirable or not that such a course should be

taken. No stone, howover, would bo left un- I

turned to discover the murderer and Fhotild the I Government determine not to offer a reward, he

should give his hearty concurrence to the sug- I gestion made by Mr. Alderman Murdoch and contribute his portion towards the reward.

Mr. Alderman Konucrley said it was well known that thero must bo somethiug radically wrong, when crimes of this horrible character could bo oommittpd in tho midst of a city as in this instance, and that the wrong principally arose from the fact that criminals of the most dreadful character were from time to time lot looso from Port Arthur. The atten- tion of tho Comptroller General had been ropoatodly called to the subject, but Alder- man Kenuerley did not know whether the fault rested witli the Imperial Government. Ho was horrified to think that in a respectable community like this, with the standing tho Colony has, that the country Bhould bo allowed to be pestered with such characters as those to whom he had referred, and he thought it would come with a good grace from the Council to take steps to force tho attention of Government to the subject. Ten or a dozen

men of the worst description oamo up from ' Port Arthur, and although they might bo marked mon, and woll known as a .curse to

the Colony, and although every time these j characters wero brought up at the Police Office their Polico records woio rood in tho presence of the public and the Press, yet no sooner had they finished another sentence at Port Arthur than thoy were let out upon society to commit such outrages nguiu. It was a stigma on the colony that suoh demons in human form should be allowed to infest tho colony after having once been convicted of atrocious and abominable crimes. It was he thought a duty the Corporation owed to tho

Community to lot tlie government icnow tneir

opinion on this subject, and that it was an out- rage upon the oolony to lot. loose . from Port Arthur characters of such a description. He was no advocate for keeping persons in chains all their lives,' but they ought at loast to be sent to Swan River or elsewhere, and not lot loose upon thom and their fnmilios, and ho thought the time had arrived when a petition in the form of a protest against the present systom BIIOUM bo made to tlio government, and ho had no doubt it would bo 'immediately signed by at lenst 10,000 persons.

Mr. Alderman Lewis thought it would bo contrary to tho liberty of the subject to detain him in custolywhon the time had arrived at which they sliould bo sent up, but still there were mon and women too in the colony who ought not to bo lot out upon tho public l'or tho roiiuiindcr of their lives, and perhaps it was worth consideration whether au Act of Purlin« meut could not bo passed to meet tho case. They had in this colony tho riddling of all the scoundrels und vagabonds of Great Britain, and lie did not suppose tl.e association of such per- sons with tho prisoners al Port Arthur much improved them, hub was the colony to suffer for this F Ile could not say that this particular crimo was committed by ono of those men, but it was most likely,for when such criminals carno up from thcrc,kuow'ing that they were known and shunned,they resorted to robber j und murder and the community ought as a body to press for an Act ol' Parliament to confino those villains Iq the walls of a prison for their natural lives, for the citizens could not feel that their child- ren were safe in passing through tho styocls particularly after night-fall.

Mr. Alderman Seabrook ooncurred that thoio should be stringent monsures taken to prevent such men from perambulating tho streets, and that the Council as the representatives of tho Citizens, wore bound to do something in the matter, but he did not know v, bother it would bo best to protest against the Comptroll. or General's department or whether they should get up a strong petition to the Governor and to Parliament, and call a public meeting of tho citizens for tlio purpose, but it wns at least the duly of the Council at this timo to present somo strong protest, and of every father of a family to support it. The maller had been represented to tho . Comptroller-Goueral limes out} pf number, but Mr. Alderman Seabrook waa not aware it' it was his duty to the Imperial Government to pay no attention lo tho remon- strances nuulc, but at all ovouls the Coinptrollor-i General had always turned a deaf ear lo overy aplication uiadoto him to make an »Iteration la tho present systom, so now ho hoped a stroan protost would be mado and that tho íawlíf pcoplo would mool and back it HÏ,

"« M Aldw"}ttIî LT'is. »s a substantivo motion, i oulcl move that a Committee to consist of Mr aidormon Konnorloy, His Worship the Mayor. Mr. Alderman Murdoch, und the mover bo nppomtod to draw up a petition upon this afiair

for presentation lo the Govornmont.

Mr. Alderman Murdoch seconded the motion j wJuch was pul and carried uuanimously.

COlirOllATION ÜABOIIEKS.

Mr. Alderman Lewis, pursuant to nQfjeOj moved that the Finance Commitlou bo requested to bring up a report on tho advisability of re- ducing the wages of the Corporation labourers from -ös. to 4s. a day, supporting his motion, by referonec to the rate of wages paid in different years extending from 1851, and comparing tho amounts paid within that period, with tho price of the necessaries of life, house rent, &c, and concluding by saying that in his opinion, consi- dering that house rent had consi- derably fallon, as also the price paid for provi- sions, and fuel, from tho amounts paid when tl\o. present rato of wages was fixed, the Corporation wore upon his calculations paying; one-fifth, moro wilges to their laborers than, they >vera justly entitlod to rocoivo.

Mr. Alderman Murdooh would second the mo-, tionforreferencoof tko question to the Finança Committee for report, but remarked that it must, bo borno in m,inc{ that tho laborers, many of whom had wives and families, frequently lost a, day's work,and suggested that means should bo taken by the erection of slu'ds at the stone quar- ries to employ tim laborors every day, ana ta give employment to increased numbers, but ac- cording only to the amount of their earnings, sä

Mr. Alderman Keiincrly looked upon the question IU ono of a vory grave nature, and re- quiring tho most serious consideration, and ex- pressed his opinion thal thero.should_bo somo system of classification of the laborers, so that each should bo paid only according lo his de sorts, but whilst agreeing that tho prico' of pro- visions should guide tho rate of wages, sug- gested thal tho matter should stand over for

consideration for a short timo.

Mr. Alderman Butlor said tho Council must bear ia mind that tho average weeks work was only about four days in this cli malo and asked how it WHS possible for a mau

to keep himself and family on an average W';.'go

of Ids. a-woek ?

Mr. Aldeinvvn Lewis having vopliod, bogged to M itlulraw his motion in is present shupo and it was then resolved that tlio< question stand over for oonsicloratiou in a- Committee, of tlio whole Council on Monday next.

I'DllLIO IVOJIKS,

A l'oturn was receivod from tha City Sur- veyor, of works ordorod and partly completed with estimated time of complotiou of tho unfin-

ished portions.

Mr. Alderman Kenuerloy at whoso instnnco Iho return waa ciillrjd for, considered it vory satisfactory as ii showed that great progress had boon ina,do in tho works ordored.

The Council orderod a monthly return to bo

sont in to, Iho Council.

Loiter from Mesara. Luttroll and Wiso and others, dilling- altontiou la the slate of Hunter stroefc and calling for repairs in consequence of

tho largo quantity of grain, brought along this

street.

l?oforrod to Public Works Committee.

OITT ml'UOVKStENT.

A further letter was roooivod from Mr, F. 8» Edgar as to alterations to slreots, and suggest- ing tho laying down of eonlro pavements on the

fbot-puth. .

Applications from Mr. Hornby, and Mr., Wobb, for flagging, orderod lo bo complied, wilh. , '

Applications from Mr. Johnson» for erection:

of a stove in his shed in the New Market agreed to; subject to tho inspection, of the stove and piping oy tho City Surveyor and tho Insurance Company.

Lector from Mr. Reed for uso of Town Hall, for meeting of gas consumers to consider the price- of gas &c.

. Application granted.

Letter from Mr. Roberts to Mr. Falconer, as to the unfinished state of Pork-street, with reply from Director of Public Works, stating | that this department bud-nothing to do with tho ' repairs of streots within the city boundary, and second letter from Mr. Roberts to the Council, enclosing the reply of Mr. Falconer for their

consideration.

Referred to Public Works Committee.

Letter from Rev. Mr. Harris calling the unprotected state of this street, and suggesting that the night police should bo directed to patrol it.

Referred to same committee.

PETITION,

Four laborers in tho employ of the Corpora- tion statin«; that the present rate of wages was scarcely sufficient to provide necessarios, and to pay rent, and praying tho merciful considera-

tion of the Council.

Received and read.

BETUBNS.

The usual polico and also rate returns were laid upon the table, and also a return of the number of vessels arrived during tho week.

FINANCE.

Several bills were handed in and referred to the Finance Committee.

The meeting then adjourned.

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