Western Australian Times (Perth, WA : 1874 - 1879), Friday 4 August 1876, page 2


FREMANTLE-PORT COUNCIL

The monthly meeting of the Port Municipality Council was held at their office High Street, on the 2nd instant. Present-the Chairman), H. M. Lefroy Esq., J. P.Councillors, Geo. Pearse, T. S. King, J. A. Herbert, W. Hayes, Jarvis, G. A. Davies. Absent Councillors, B. C. Wood, J. Storey, E. H. Higham.

The minutes of the previous monthly meeting, the meeting of ratepayers, and also the special meeting, having been read, Councillor Geo. Pearse proposed and Councillor J. A. Herbert seconded they be passed.

Carried.

The Chairman then formally submitted the following accounts to the council for approval and sanction for payment, which was given upon the motion of J. A. S Herbert seconded by W. Hayes,

£ s.

d. " W.A. Times" 11

6

Assessment Register ... 12 0

0

Freight of do., to Albany ... 17

6

Freight from Albany ... 7

6

Duty 3 4

6

Commission ... 14

0

W. D. Moore .... 15

0

E. Delaney carting 45yds. stoneat6d 1 16

R. King & Son 8

0

Hall . 15

0

Mcechum ... 16

6

Sharp * 8-10

10 Burns 8 15

0

Supervisors salary .... 4 3

4 McKenna 13 15

0 CORRESPONDENCE TOWN HALL.

The Chairman then read the following letter.

Colonial Secretary's Office,

Perth, 28th July, 1876.

Sir,-I have the honor, by direction of His Excellency the Governor, to acknowledge the receipt of your letter, of the 12th instant and the several resolutions forwarded therewith, and in reply, I am instructed to state that His Excellency is glad the Town Council are taking steps towards the erection of a suitable Town Hall, and the Legislative Council will be requested to contribute to the extent of £2000, subject to the approval by the government of the plans and specifications &c. His Excellency will also, as he stated to the deputation, be glad to assist with any convict labor which can be properly spared from other works.

I have the honor to be

Sir,

Your obdt. Servant,

A. O'GRADY LEFROY,

Acting Colonial Secretary.

H. M. Lefroy Esq. Chairman, Fremantle. The Chairman thought the mentioning of the £2000 contribution by the government would possibly create a technical difficulty.

Councillor Geo. Pearse thought the resolution passed by the ratepayers sanctioned £3000 being raised by the Council subject to government supplementing it with a similar

sum.

Councillor G. A. Davies, T. S. King and J. A. Herbert though so long as the council raised a sum corresponding with the government grant in aid, it did not matter whether it be £2000 or £3000. It was then resolved to lay the foundation of the proposed. Town Hall as quickly as possible. The Chairman

was requested to acknowledge the letter rereceived from the Colonial Secretary and to tender the thanks of the council to His Excellency for the kind and liberal manner in which he had responded to their application for assistance to erect a suitable Town Hall.

Adelaide By-Laws.

The Chairman placed upon the table for the information of the council a copy of the Adelaide by-laws, received by Mr. G. B. Humble (clerk of the council) and which the Adelaide Municipality had courteously sent by the last mail.

Rev. D. Glynn Watkin's Letter. \ The Chairman said an application, as the council were aware, had been made by the Saint John's Church Vestry for a strip of land outside the Church wall. So far as he was concerned in the matter, as one of the building committee he was of opinion it would be a saving of at least £150 to the church if they did not get it, he then read the following letter.

Fremantle, July, 1876

My Dear Sirs-I write you on behalf of the Vestry. The enclosed tracing represents King's sq care in this town and the adjacent

streets.

The whole of the land in the square which is represented in the tracing by ink lines, was as you are well aware, long ago granted by the Crown to the Church of England.

I beg now to ask consent of the Municipal Council to the proposal, that the whole of the land adjacent to the Church Grant and bounded as represented in the tracing by pencil lines, be granted to the Church of England, in which case the sides of King's Square would be of uniform width with the streets into which they severally merge. We have two reasons for wishing to acquire this strip of land which is now lying waste and utterly useless for any purpose whatever.

1st. We propose to build a new Church on the site, roughly indicated on the tracing and under the present circumstances we should be cramped for space.

2nd. We wish to make a public improvement and to confer a boon upon the inhabitants of Fremantle. If our proposal is favourably received we purpose to remove the present unsightly boundary wall, to en-close the whole area with an iron fence, and to plant it as tastefully as we can with ornamental trees and shrubs, and to throw it open for the use and comfort and advantage of the public.

At present King's Square is neither useful nor ornamental, but if our offer is accepted, it will be our endeavour to render it grateful to the eye and a pleasant place of resort for the people of this town.

I am Dear Sir,

Yours very faithfully,

D. GLYNN WATKINS,

Chairman of the St. John's Vestry.

H. M. Lefroy Esq., Chairman Municipal

Council Fremantle.

Councillor Hayes objected to the land being given to the Church upon the grounds that it was a useful place for breaking and stacking stone for repairs of the roads.

Councillor Geo. Pearse thought the Church had ground enough already, and that the strip asked for should not be granted.

The Chairman was of opinion that there is ample room for the new Church, without taking in the strip of land outside the walls.

Councillors T. S. King and G. A. Davis were certain there would be no reason for

regret if the land asked for be granted to the Church upon the condition set forth in Mr.

Watkin's letter.

Councillor G. A. Davis then proposed and Councillor King seconded, " That this Council consent to the proposal made in Mr. Wat-kins letter for the transfer of land, under trust, to the Vestry of St. John's Church. The terms of the agreement to be mutually agreed upon. It was then put to the meet-ing-Ayes-Councillors G. A. Davies and T. S. King. Noes-Councillors Jarvis, Geo. Pearse, W. Hayes and J. A. Herbert.

The Chairman declared the motion rejected.

Boat Building on North Beach.

The Chairman stated he had received a

letter from the Colonial Secretary in reference to the unfinished boat lying near the North Jetty and abutting over an old line of tramway, which the Government stated they might shortly require to convey stone to the sight for the new lighthouse. It appeared the land had been let to Mr. Lakey to build a boat upon and he had paid the rent of it in advance for one year, and the Council was therefore unable to disturb his possession for some six months, and it was therefore thought advisable to let the matter rest for the present.

Stone Breaking in the Prison.

The Chairman informed the Council that the Acting Comptroller had written him to the effect that the prisoners inside the prison walls were so much occupied in pumping water for the supply of shipping that he could not hold out any hope of being able to furnish convict labor to break stone for the Municipality.

Municipal Labor.

A question arose as to the economy of day contract work. It was ultimately resolved to employ day labor for the present.

The Chairman stated the Government had furnished the Municipality with hose pipes which were perfectly useless without the hose and which could not be supplied by the Government or obtained in the colony. It was decided to procure some as soon as possible from the other colonies.

Councillor Davis expressed a hope that the Chairman would not lose sight of, or omit to watch the state of the exchequer.

Chairman, certainly. I will keep my eye upon it.

The meeting then adjourned sine die.