Portland Guardian and Normanby General Advertiser (Vic. : 1842 - 1843; 1854 - 1876), Friday 5 March 1858, page 3


UIUIClIP Lj b DICQ1o' POrW'LANL Statement of the proceodingA of the Council for the sirX mnonthl, ending on thu 31st day of Jauiiuary, 1818. PUBLIC WORKS. THE Council have continued to expend the funds at their commandu in the improvement of the principal street., chiefly in Percy -,.street, Julia street, Hlenty street, Ilurd street, Gawler street andul Otway street., Some irmprovements haive 'ls 'been made in South l£ortlhind. rl'ho approaches to the Jetties are also in the:caurse of formation under the direction of the Council, the expensei of which will be borne by a special appropriation of the sum of £950 at the disposal of the Central Road S;f3ord. " ' The Council. have to regret that the now Jetty which has been so long in constructing has not yet been completed, but as the council hare no control, whatever, over that work and there is no Engineer, or other officer in Portland in charge, the delay is not to be wondered at, nor can the Council be blamed. The consequence of the delay is, that thle Jetty could not be used during the busy season of tlui year. ENDOWMENT. Tile Council have petitioned the- Governor * to'recommend to the Legislature a liberal per. :smaAnentendowment of the Muncipalities within the Colony, nothing permnirient has, however, been yet? decided on, but a grant has been made for the ensuing year based on ther Samonunt of local assessment collected, but thle amount has not been declared. BOTANICAL GARIDEN,. In the latter end of September last, the surm of £300 was appropriated for the purpose of improving the Botanical Gardene, but with an injunction that the whole of the money must be spent before the 25th Detcember. The Council accordingly applied themselves to expending the money as speedily as they could and.to the best advantage that the Iimited-time would allow,. and acting on the suggestion of tile superintendent of the Ieotuancal Gardens in Melbourne, obtained the services of Mr. \lexander Elliott (then ernloeyed in tihe Melbourne gardens) in forming wvalks in the Eastern portion of the Gardens m .hich has been frced off' fron the remainder from which it was decided to raise some revenue, by letting it for a grazing paddock. While the works were in progres the sumr appropriated was increased front £J00 to '500 and tihe restriction as to the time in which the money was to be spent remuvoel but too late, however, us to the £300 which was by thut time nearly spent, the walks being conpleted. The Council have suspended their proceedings ,/ in consequeneo of tihe difficulties atteniling the receipt of the money appropriated, none of which Ihas yet been recuived, althrough, within the last flw dauys an order has bocn made for the payment of the monoy, (not to the Council, but to the chairman, raid tire iplics Maglg-istrate) but as the latter has no instructions on the subject, the Coniicil are still unablu to get repaid. the sum they havre exlpended in anticipationuof the grunt.. It is hoped, howeevr, that time may vovercleu the ditliculties in the way, and that the full amount may ultimately -be available for the public benlefit. FIRa ENGINE. An efficient fire engine for the use of the Towna has been ordered t'rnm London, and its arrival urmay he expreutted surtly.

In consequence of a communicution from thu Central lBonrd of health, of the jprevelnce of smnall, pox iu M.~lbourne, and other parts of the colony,.the Council to,,k such stepst as appear:ld neces:ary to be prolpered in case that disease shouhl 'pp -ar in Portland. The attention of the Council having been directed to the Bills, now before l'ariaimeot for the aiteration of tlh electoral districts. of the Colony, and which appeared: highly detrimental to the wsestri n portion of the Colony. The Council. adopted a p" tition to the Legislative Assemubly against the bill which was preisented by Mr. Hulghes M. P., for the town, and has boen followed by several othcr petitions irom diflerent parts of tho western district, and other places of the colony. A vacancy in the council having been caused by the sudden death of Mr. Bell, an election of a successor took place on.the 4th.Decemrber slwhenI Mr. Thomas Finn, a former member af the Council was elected without opposition. At the end of the Municipal your, Messrs Crouch, Learmonth, and Fitzgerald retired frotm the Council by rotation,. and Me-srs. Fitzgeralt, Learmontl andl John Browning' (a former memober of the Council) were duly elected to fill the vacancies in the Council. 'Theroe as been since the last haltf year eighteen, mertinirs of the Council, which have been attunded by thie everaL members as follows :The Chairmau attended ... 18mceetings Mr. Crouch ... ... 15 - Learmontli ... .... 11 - Fitzgerld ... 5... 1 .' - Bell ... ... ..: 7 . ut of 8 - Henty ... ... ... 13 - Smith ... ... ... 12 - ,'inn' ... ... '... 5 out of 5 Adopted by the Council this 9th day of Feb. 1858: WPM; LE.~3tI.NOTItI Chairman.. PIIrPl SCDTTi Clerk to the Council. Statement of Receipts and Expenditure for the six months, ending 31st January 1858. nicienTs Amount of rates collected ... 1212 18 3 Police filnes .... 27 1 3 Grants from the Crown .... 5206 10 4 . £6476 9 10 EXPENDITURE Balance duo to bank of Australasia on 1st August 1837 1645. 0" 9 Works on public streets ... 2869 13 6 Printing, stationery &c.. ... 46 0 2 Salaries 287 10 0 Fire engino . ... 200 0 0 otanical Gardens ... 293 19 0 McLean advance on account of Jetty approathes 350 0' 0 Bollie on account of Jetty 433 0 0 Interest to Bank of Australasia. 37 2 0 Prisoners guard ... 20 10 0 Sundries . 9 17 0 £6192 12 6 Balance in favor of the Council. £ 283 17 5 Pliltr.i Sco'r, Clerk to ile Council.