Monmouthshire Merlin

NEWPORT MUNICIPAL ELECTION. UPROARIOUS MEETING. One of the most uproarious and crowded meetings that has been held of late years in connection with municipal matters, took place at the Town Hall, on Monday night. The meeting had been convened by the Mayor (Mr. G. Fothergill) in response to a requisi- tion, with the view of giving the retiring councillors, who all seek re-election, an opportunity of addressing the ratepayers. These candidates are—Messrs. W. West and H. J. Parnall, of the Central Ward Messrs. Robert Graham and J. R. Jacob, of the North Ward Messrs. Wyndham Jones and J. Rogers, of the South Ward and the Mayor and Mr. E. Griffiths, of the East Ward. For the eight seats there were eleven candi- dates, the three new men being, Mr. J. R. Richards, Central Ward Mr. S. Goss, North Ward and Mr. W. Oliver, East Ward. For some time before the doors of the Assembly- room were opened there was a crowd outside, and it was evident that great interest was felt in the object of the meeting. The chair was taken by the Mayor, and there were on the platform Alderman G. W. Jones; Councillors, J. W. Jones, E Griffiths, J. Moses, W. West, H. J. Parnall, A. R. Bear, D. A. Vaughan, 0. Goas, and J. Rogers Captain Lonsdale, Messrs. R.G. Cullum, E. J. Cox Davies, John Griffiths, W. Vaughan, J. Railton, C. Wells, T. Billard, W. Evans (Alma-street), J. R. Richards, R. Limbery, Bell, R. H. Richards, H. Mullock, J. H. Young, A. J. David, J. C. Sanders, C. Oliver, E. Grice, &c. The Mayor, in opening the proceedings, briefly an- nounced the course he intended to take in conducting the business, and stated that although he was one of the candidates, he did not appear before them that evening in that capacity, but simply in his capacity as Mayor. He read a letter from Mr. Wyndham Jones (the only retiring member absent from the meeting) in which that gentleman said he was unable to attend owing to » death in his fatniiy. Having appealed for a fair hearing for the various speakers, the Mayor called on Mr. West to address the assembly. Mr. West was received with hearty and prolonged cheering. In the course of his speech he said he must ask them to throw their minds back for a period some- thing like three years. At that time there was a con- siderable amount of commercial prosperity, and the majority of them had no idea that the adverse cloud was so close upon them. He went on to allude to the great strike, and to the ruin which was occasioned by unsound joint-stock schemes, bubble companies, and undue speculation. Trade almost entirely collapsed, commerce was diminished, and wages were diminished and what he wanted to lead up to was this question- was it not an imperative duty on the part of their re- presentatives, under such circumstances, to be very careful how they spent the public money ? (Cheers.) Having dwelt further on this point, Mr. West went on to speak of the salaries question, and explained the course he had taken in reference to it. As soon as it was brought on, he moved an amendment, that it was inexpedient to increase the salaries of officials at that particular moment. He was not adverse to the Surveyor, or any other official, having fair remuneration, but it was simply a ques tion of time, and, with trade, and commerce, and labour in the condition they were, be thought the time most inopportune. After some fur- ther explanatory observations he proceeded to say that a colleague, whom he highly respected, and whose mental power he much admired (Mr. Jacob) had in- dulged, on the occasion of his moving a second amend- ment, in what he must call a flippant remark, for he must call it a flippant remark when that gentleman charged him, and those who voted with him, with merely attempting to catch the fleeting breezes of popularity. (Applause.) He asked them to-night, whether, when he had been conscientiously acting from the point of view he had stated, whether it was not a flippant remark to say that they were simply acting so as to catch the votes of the ratepayers. Another thing said by that gentleman was, that they were casting a slur on the Surveyor. This he denied, for he embodied in his amendment his appreciation of the services of the Town Surveyor, and only said the time was inopportune. Mr. West then spoke of the opposition he had shown to the proposed giving away of the four feet of pavement in Thomas-street, for the purposes of the Tredegar Memorial. Thomas-street, ne said, was a most important thoroughfare. In voting against giving away the town property, he did not object to the Corn Exchange, but, on the contrary, some years ago he worked very hard to get up a general Exchange for all classes of trade, but failed." Another reason why he voted against it was because he did not consider it a fitting mode to commemorate the memory of such a large-hearted nobleman as the late Lord Tredegar, by erecting a memorial which represented one interest only. He also voted against it because he never would vote for the restriction of God's light and air in any of the streets in the town. (Cheers.) He voted against any expense being incurred in pur- chasing the George and Dragon and Horse and Jockey, at Pentonville. (Cheers.) They should wait till they at Pentonville. (Cheers.) They should wait till they saw what the Great Western Company were going to j do, and he might remark that the Great Western knew how to take care of themselves, and he thought they had a very fair slice out of the Borough Fund in connection with the new entrance. There were many level crossings throughout the town, which they had to keep a large staff to attend to, and which they consi- dered unnecessary, and no doubt they were going to concentrate their traffic somewhere at Baneswell or High-street. Let them, he said, wait and see what that concentration brought forth. [Mr. West was here compelled to desist for a short time while a num- ber of the audience moved from the doorway to a part of the hall wher9 there was less pressure, and at this stage Mr. J. R. Richards arrived on the platform, and was greeted with a storm of laughter and ironical cheering ] Mr. West, in continuation, said that he succeeded in carrying an amendment that no expense should be incurred in connection with that, but in consequence of some members of the Town Council having left before the matter was really concluded, it was referred back to the Parliamentary Committee. In the course of further remarks Mr. West protested against an ornamental policy in the present state of affairs such as the mere rounding of a corner, or the straightening of a line, for which architects and sur- veyors had such proclivities. He said, stop that, and let them do nothing but what was utilitarian and strictly necessary. Mr.West, who had been favoured with an orderly hearing, sat down amid loud applause. Mr. H. J. Parnall was the next speaker. His rising was the signal for an outburst of cheering, hisses, shouting and groans of the most discordant character. Something like order having been restored, Mr. Parnall, with good-humoured irony, said he begged to thank them for their kind reception. (Laughter.) He was lie said, glad of the opportunity of clearing away some of the calumnies—and he would say deliberate calumnies—that had been circulated in connection with his name. There was no use in trying to blink the fact that a back-stairs, round-the-corner kind of influence was at work-and that back stairs influence under the guise of economy was going to put the town to the expense of X200 in November next. There was only one difference between him and Mr. West, and it was this—where Mr. West had looked to the present, he (Mr. Parnell) had looked to the future. (Hear, hear.) He was only going to follow the ex- ample of one of old, and answer for himself that day before them touching those things whereof they had the right to be informed. (Hear, hear.) When he had the honour of standing upon that platform before them three years ago, like his friend Mr. West, he was an untried man, and had the ungracious task imposed upon him of telling them what he thought of himself. He was very happy that since that day times were changed and to know they had had some experience of him as their representative at the Town Council. It was for him to ask them what they thought of him, after he had giveh them a fair statement of the motives and views which had actuated him in everything which he had done in that capacity. (Hear, hear, and inter- ruption.) He could only say, that before such a rep- resentative ratepayers' meeting as he saw that night he would be perfectly satisfied with their verdict, whatever it might be, for he was perfectly sure that whatever might be their views as to his judgment, or the judgment which had governed him, they would at least give him the credit of having acted in giving his votes according to the best of his judgment, whether it differed from theirs or no. (Appiause.) There were many pledges given three years ago. One was with regard to the development of the Marshes and Friars Fields. Another was the question of the Tredegar Wharf leases, and a third was the enlargement of the municipal borough, and the obtaining of parliamentary powers for the better governance of the town.; and sundry other points, which would crop up as they went along. The Committee, of which he was a member, had worked very earnestly in endeavouring to develope the Friar's Fields and the Marshes. With regard to the Marshes, he could tell them for their information that, notwithstanding a great deal of opposition from certain members of the Council-(great disorder occasioned by some man ap- parently drunk)—notwithstanding the opposition of gentlemen interested in the development of other lands, and after opposition from certain private gen- tlemen who were largely interested in cottage property, they succeeded in inducing the Council to offer the land for building leases. Since then, by the excellent assistance of the Town Surveyor, 167 houses had been erected, living the ratepayers an income from ground rents of £ 268 a year. [A Voice How many brick makers have broke since you let them the ground ?" and disorder. The Mayor appealed for order, and threatened, amid cheers, to have am offensively noisy man named Corfield expelled by the police if he did not remain quiet ] In addition to that they had the contribution to the town revenue through the assess- ment they were getting from five acres out of 40, and altogether the Corporation cleared about X550 a year out of the Marshes. He hoped they would continue to keep that work going, and if they did they were right to spread the repayment of all moneys over a number of years, seeing that they were going to leave after generations such a splendid inheritance, for in 75 years time the reversion of all that property on the Marshes would accrue to the town. (Cheers and up- roar.) The next topic touched upon by the speaker was the Improvement Bill. At first, he said, he was disappointed when he found that the Committee pro- l posed to include an area from the top of Christchurch I hill on the one side to the river Ebbw on the other. Bat when the Committee took back the report and re-modelled it, then they brought in a very compre- hensive scheme. They went to a great expense in carrying that Bill, and his own conviction was that it was treated with too much haste. He thought that if they had taken more time much of the opposition they experienced might have been smoothed over and disarmed by a policy of conciliation, and that the Bill might thereby have been probably put through at a fourth of the expense. He was very much afraid that if it had not been for one gentleman who stood the test and bore the brunt of the whole of it, they would have lost the inclusion of the Alexandra Dock when before the House of Lords. The Dock had now been assessed by agreement with the overseers at £ 8,000, and therefore the borough funds alone would benefit something like £1,100 or £1,200 a year, and the one man to whom they were indebted for that result was, in his humble opinion, the Town Surveyor. i (Cheers and disapprobation, and cries of "Time.") Without the Alexandra Dock within the boundary the money expended would have been thrown away, but as it was, the Dock would soon clear the expense. Well, there was one other question that they spoke of three years ago, and that was the Tredegar Wharf leases. He was not going now to enlarge upon the unfortunate pressure upon the people, and upon the trade and commerce of the town by those leases, but he promised them he would do what he could to get those leases extended. Well, they had several inter- views with the most powerful gentleman in the town who could have helped them in connection with the Tredegar Wharf leases. He received the whole of their suggestions very favourably, and they endea- voured to show him in a kind and conciliatory way how easily he could do a very good thing for the town, and a very good thing for himself in fact, they showed him a most benevolent way of helping himself (a. laugh), and he believed the gentlemen to whom he referred really saw the thing iu the same light as they did. But just at that time, there came along a question fur which he (the speaket) was belled and proclaimed at the time by that marvellous little effu- sion which arrogated to itself the style and title of a newspaper, called the Evening Telegram—(laughter)— for having voted for the previous Harbour Commis- sioners. Why, just when they had every reason to believe that the Tredegar Wharf leases were going to be considered by that interest, there came a little knot of Adullamite Liberals, and they ousted Mr. L. A, Homfray from the Harbour Commissioners. In fact, they administered to the gentleman whom they most wanted to conciliate a back-handed slap in the face with one hand, whilst they were asking him for a favour with the other. (Loud applause, disapproba- tion, and a voice "Stuff.") From that day to this they bad never been abld to approach the Tredegar Wharf Company. He believed that question would be dealt with, but not in the time they could have wished, and it would be dealt with probably before a very long time elapsed, but it woul 1 be dealt with in the Trede- gar Wharf Company's own way and not the Corpora- tion's. At the ratepayers' gathering held in the spring, and which they were told was an indignation meeting, there was a gentleman who had the most to say on that occasion, and, as he had said before, brought forward facts which were perverted in themselves, and figures which were erroneous, aid upon those perverted facts and erroneous figures he asked them to support him in his resolution. Now one of the allegations that were preferred was in reference to the partioular question of the increase in the pay of the police. The inference left upon the mind of that meeting (and he was there present at the time), was that the great increase in the pay of the police amounted to something like £ 1,050. As a matter of fact, the increase in the police force represented an annual increased pay granted to the police upon the revised scale, of sC48 upon the borough fund. (Ap- plause aud confusion.) Speaking of the increase in the Surveyor's salary, he said that he did not pretend to be clever enough, as some of his friends did, to assess the value of the Surveyor's services. He could only tell them that the increase was not jE200, M was supposed, but only £70. (Hear, hear.) That was a positive fact. Mr. Kirby had been getting j6370 odd previously, including £ 120 or X130 extras. The extras they took away, and gave him £200,. so that actually the difference between those who did vote for the higher salary and those who voted for the lesser, was only some £5(), per year. In explaining his reasons for voting for the sum of j6450, he said he believed then and still believed that he uever consulted the ratepayers' inte- rests more than when be gave that vote. There was one question more which he wonld explain to them, and that was the Pentonville question. (Hear, hear.) As to the newspaper to which he had referred, he had ) been, as he said, belled and proclaimed as having adopted that for his pet scheme. He never had any- thing to do with it. (Noise and interruption.) There were two independent Committees win sat upon ths question, and the last Committee reported that it was advisable to serve notices to treat upon the owners of the George and Dragon and the Horse and Jockey- that the ratepayers might get a basis of value in case the ratepayers should require these properties for the public use and convenience. (Interruption, which lasted some minutes.) He had in his hand a report of the first Committee which reported upon that subject —" We recommend that the necessary power be taken to purchase the Black Horse in Baneswell-road, the Horse and Jockey and the George and Dragon, in Pentonville, for street improvements. Signed, James Brown, Henry Russell Evans, William We3t, James Murphy, Benjamin Evans (Mayor), T. M. Llewellin, Oharles Lyne, Wyndham Jones, Robert Graham, J. R. Jaeob." (Great interruption.) There was a docur ment that could not lie it was delivered at the Coun- cil before that meeting was dreamed of. He did not; believe that they required him to deal with the broad interests of the community in the light of a few miserable three pen ny bits. (Laughter and loud cheers.) A man named Corfield, who had distinguished him- self by shouting out interruptions from the body of the hall, had meanwhile climbed on to the platform amid much derisive cheering and laughter, and he was permitted by the Mayor to disarrange the programme by addressing the meeting. This he did amid tre- mendous uproar, and in a most incoherent manner. He was at length shouted down, when he retired to the back of the platform. Mr. Graham then came forward to speak. He was met with cheers which, however, were speedily drowned in hisses, shouts, and hideous groans. This went on for several minutes, every attempt of Mr. Graham to speak being met with a fresh outburst. A mason named Jacob Jones at last got up in his chair and shouted "Let him speak, he is not going to the Council again." The Mayor also appealed for a fair hearing, and Mr. Graham made a fresh attempt, but the only effect was to increase the confusion. Mr. Sanders then appealed, and the Mayor had another turn. Mr. Graham again essayed to speak, and at length comparative calm was restored. He said the borough in 1874 was £3,000 in debt, whereas in 1877 it owed nothing. He believed he was standing before a body of Englishmen, and that they would hear what he had to say. (Hear, hear.) After that it would be for them to judge whether they would send him back to the Council. (Cries of We won't."); They had wiped off the debt without increasing the rates. He claimed that when the question of the doctor's salary came on, he moved a resolution that the salary be XI.50 instead of £200 and carried it; and who was it that moved that it be £ 200—it was Mr. Henry Russell Evans. (Cheers and hisses.) He alluded to the work done by the Parliamentary Committee in reference to the Im- 'n provement Act. (A voice: "You were well paid for it") He never got a penny for it. Three times had he left London at half-past five o'clock in the momma (A voice • What lime did you leave to prosecute James Brown?") To the best of his ability he had voted for the interests of the town, and according to his con- science. He voted against giving away the Thomas- street footway, and he did not think Mr. West could claim all the credit. (Cries of West for ever.") If they returned him to the Council, which he had no doubt they would—(Cheers and counter cheers)-he would do his best. Mr. Graham then retired tmid a storm of disapprobation mingled with oheers. Mr. Jacob met with a fairly cordial reception. He said that three years ago he gave certain pledges, and be thought he could show them that nearly the whole of those pledges had been redeemed. First he would take the Marshes Estate, and one of his pledges was to introduce the property to the public at low ground rents for building purposes, and that had been done. In 1874 there were 9 leases for houses; at present there were 149, and the ground rents brought in X230 a year, in addition to what the property contributed in connection with the general district rate and poor rate, whioh would amount to £ 360. They would thus see that the Marshes Estate was yielding a total increase of £590. If they capitalised that on the ordinary principle, they would have a total capita of £ 5,8t>0. (Cheers.) It had been said that the Council let the Marshes at too low a rate, and that the income would be swallowed up by the cost of drainage, &c. but it was a fact, that all the expense for the construction of sewers would be covered by five years' ground rents. It had been said they ought to have given that property for manufacturing pur- poses, but only one application had been made for this since he had been in the Council. They offered the gentlemen who came forward generous terms, but they did not accept them. If any gentleman came forward and asked for a portion of the Marshes for manufacturing purposes they were prepared to con- sider it; but he tMr. Jacob) was not prepared to spend £8,000 or j69,000 upon the construction of a railway siding on mere speculation. (Cheers). He believed the time for using it for manufacturing purposes had long since passed away, and that the neighbourhood I of the Alexandra Dock would compete successfully with the Marshes. (Hear, hear, and cheers.) This year the Council had agreed to sell the School Board a site which would bring in j6530, and they had agreed to sell to the Wesleyan Methodists a piece for a chapel, which be hoped would go towards improving the moral condition of the neighbourhood --(hear, hear),—and for that the Council would receive £150, so that with the ground-rents and the money they would get for these sites, the Council would get from that property alone during the present year, £ 1,000. (A voice: "Who receives the benefits?") The Cor- poration—the ratepayers of Newport. (Cheers). Another pledge given by him was in connection with the tramways, the extension of which to Maindee on the one side, and ohe Alexandra Dock on the other, he had pledged himself to further. He also said he would try and deal with the Friars Fields property, and to extend the borough boundary. He challenged anyone to say he had not fulfilled his pledge in connection with the Improvement Bill. With regard to the Tram- ways they entered into an agreement with the Tredegar Wharf Company for the construction of a road, and theCompany were at the present moment non- structing a road at a cost of between £ 2,000 and £3,000 which after its construction they (the Company) would be bound to keep in repair. Mr. Homfray had con- sented to let the tramways run to Pill, and he (Mr. Jacob) could not help thinking he would ultimately give permission for them to run to the Alex- andra Dock. Granted that the proposed new street were made, the tramways could then run through it to Newport bridge, and thence on to Maindee, and then another pledge of his would be re- deemed. (Cheers and laughter.) He was there to say that he had redeemed his pledge with reference to the proposed new street, because they had got power to construct it, and he believed the moment that street passed though Friars Fields, that property would be double in value-that, for instance, if it were worth £ 10,000 now, it would be then worth £ 20,000. (Question.) That street, however, depended on three tilings-Ist, more prosperous times, 2nd, the decision of a large majority of the ratepayers that it was desirable to construct it, and that an expenditure of £50,000 or £ 60,000 should be incurred, and 3rd, it would depend on the arrangements of the Railway Company. His pledge with reference to the borough boundary had been redeemed. They might say that he promised to decrease taxation, and yet taxation bad not been de- creased, but he would point out that the town, by the new Bill, had incurred expenses which would not re- cur again. For instance, they had put up 80 new gas lamps, at a cost of J6250, and the repair of streets and bye-paths in the added district during six months cost fSOO. In addition to that it should be remembered that new houses would be springing up all around, and this would increase the value of the borough. (Confusion at the back of the hall.) He could quite understand that their revenue would be increasing, but it would be also true that that their expense would be increasing. The revenue would, however, be increasing in a Ltc greater proportion than the expense • consequently, year by year, they would be placed in a better position, and he believed that the final result of the Improvement Bill would be to lessen the rates of the borough in three or four years by threepence in the pound, and ultimately sixpence in the potrod. As to increasing the salaries of the officials. it was said that the Corporation were guilty of huge extravagance. First of all the police. Taking the increase in the wages, that amounted to (and he could prove it by indisputable papers) j697 10s. Now he did not vote in favour of that because he thought if they had gone; through good times at low wages, they would get through bad times at low wages. He next alluded to. the reduction of the number of appointments held; by Inspector Williams, by which X26 had been saved. Then he canoe to what he termed the huge and highly-exaggerated question of the sa- lary of the Town Surveyor." Mr. Jacob pro- ceeded to sketch what had taken place at the Council, which resulted in a resolution being passed at the Council that the salary should be C400 a year. (A, voice, "Nice money.He voted in favour of re- scinding that resolution for the payment of X450 with- out fees, per centagesr or private business. With the fees, &c., and the salary of £ 400 a year, Mr. Kirby's salary would have been. j6520, for his fees, &c, were teturned by him at £:120. The not increase in Mr. Kirby'ssalary wasonly £ 80 a year. (Cries of "Shame.") He contended that, considering that they had passed the Improvement Bill, in respect of which the Sur- veyor had rendered such important services, which were valued by one aldferman at j6500, and by another at jSlOOO, and further considering that he had been sixteen years a faithful servant of the Corporation, that the time for raising. his salary was an opportune one. During the lastr three years the rates had not been increased a single-farthing in the pound, and the increased expense in respect of all the salaries was only J6170. The so-called economists who had intro- duced new candidates- -for the Council, and unneces- sarily created a state of war in this borough, were responsible for £ 200 which would have to be paid by the ratepayers in this, contested election. (Cheers.) What could they say. consistently of their so-called economists? (A Voice-; "Now for the tailor," and great laughter and cheering.) In the North Ward they were to have opposition, and Mr. Samuel Goss was before them. (Applause.) Mr. Goss was an old acquaintance of his, and he highly respected him, but he was introduced to their notice under somewhat re- markable circumstances. He enjoyed, he (Mr. Jacob) believed, the patronage of a celebrated politician living in Charles-street, Mo-, George Smith. (Cheers and laughter.) (Jacob Jones, mason, here stood up on his- chair, and with wild gesticulations, deprecated, amid great uproar, any personalities.) He enjoyed, in the next place, the patronage of the Evening Telegram. Mr. Jacob proceeded, to denounce that paper in strong, terms, and said that under the mask of economy Mr. H. R Evans hid a vaulting ambition. He accused the new candidates of being the nominees of Mr. Hi R. Evans, and, turning to Mr. J. R. Richards, said, "Mr. Richards before you is one of the nominees of Mr. H. R. Evans." (Here Mr. J. R. Richards rose from his seat on the platform and advanced suddenly to the table and shook his fist wildly at Mr. Jacob, the posi- tions being— Mr. Richards at one end of the table,. Mr. Jacob at the other, and the Mayor between them. Al- most speechless with rage Mr. Richards continued not- withstanding the interposition of the Mayor, to shake his fist, amid the most uproarious merriment on the part of the spectators. Presently the Mayor took hold of him gently, but he threw off the civic grasp,. and in doing W, swung one of his arms about so. wildly that the Mayor narrowly escaped a blow in. the face. After a little more of this "screaming farce," two or three friends, partly by force, partly by persuasion, in- duced Mr. Richards to sit down. The Mayor then tried to get order, but Mr. Richards was. shortly oft. his feet again, and at the table, where he repeated the same performance. His friends then forcibly pulled him a.way and put him down in his seat. The Mayo* again appealed for order, and Mir. Richards, whose passion seemed to have spent itself, rose a third time, &nd advanced to the table, but this time simply with the pacific intention of refreshing himself with a glass of water. This purpose he achieved amid the most tremendous laughter and ironical cheering. Mr. Jacob leaned across the table and told him quietly that he would have an opportunity of speaking pres- ently, when Mr. Richards burst into, a fresh tit of fury, and shook his hand wildly at him again, and made some reply, which, judging by the expression of his countenance, was probably of a most ferocious character. The Mayor once mote took hold of him and he sat down. The uproar and laughter continued for some time, the Mayor vainly trying to restore quiet. At length Mr. Jacob (who had appeared an amused spectator of Mr. Richards' antics) again got a hearing. He appealed to them whether, through the agency of the Evening Telegram, (cheers) through the agency of a so-called Working Men's Liberal Associa- tion that met in the Telegram room, Mr. H. R. Evans was to return hia creatures to the Town Council (no, no, cheers, and uproar, and a voice," That is a scandalous assertion of yours") to control the muni- cipal destines of this borough. (Cheers.) He had too much confidence in their intelligence and their morality to believe that such a shameful catastrophe could happen to the Borough of Newport. He placed him- self and his candidature in their hands with every con- fidence. (Great cheering ) Mr. Jacob Jones, a mason, then spoke, the burden of his speech appearing to be, that the Council should hold themselves entirely as the servants of the rate- payers, whereas, he said, they called themselves the hum- ble servants of thelburgesses before election, and after. wards turned round and said "Now I'm your master." He liked gentlemen to conduct themselves as such, and he thought it very disreputable and unmanly of Mr. Jacob to refer personally aqd itigraatw any man as "a Charles-street politician." (Cheers.) A man was a man if he came out of a bottle-(hea.r, hear) and they should not despise anybody. In conclusion he said, I appeal to you all, above everything don't vote for Graham. (Laughter and uproar.) Mr. J. R. Richards here came forward and spoke to the Mayor, thumping the table violently as he did so. He was met with cries of sit down," and counter cries for him to speak. The JVIayor succeeded in persuad- ing him to sit down and make way for Mr. Rogers. Mr. Rogers, who was well received, said that what pained him more than anything else during his election y last year was, the suggestion that if he were returned he would not act independently, and that he would be influenced by party considerations. He trusted that those gentlemen who originated the suggestion had since been convinced that they were entirely wrong. He went on to refer to the many street im- provements which had taken place, and which had been greater in the past year than in any previous year. (A Voice: Or seven years.) It was satisfactory to know that these improvements would have to be paid for by the owners of property, and not by the great bulk of the ratepayers. Referring to the lighting of the South Ward, he said there were many streets to the benighted condition of which he was continually calling attention, but he was sorry to say very little had been accomplished. He gave his reasons for voting against giving away the Thomas-street pavement, and then proceeded to speak of the question of the Sur- veyor's salary. His views as to the inopportuneness cf the time for making the increase were similar to Mr. West's, but he further dwelt on the appointment of an assistant surveyor. The present assistant sur- veyor was, he said, originally engaged for a specific purpose, viz., the completion of the town survey, and that work had been completed, so that the Surveyor had given him, in consequence of the enlargement of the borough,an assistant at zE130 a year, in addition to his increase of salary. He contended that the in- creased income arising out of the Improvement Bill, which cost £ 5,560, ought to have been applied to the reduction of the rates. It was urged by some that the difference between f450 and jE400 was very trifling -that it was not the eighth of a penny in the pound on the rates, but he contended that that was not a sound way to look at it. (A Voice: Who shut the Parrot ?) With regard to the proposed widening of the street at Pentonville by the purchase of public, house property there, he said that he believed it was unnecessary to do so. The street was 24 feet 3 inches wide, and three vehicles could pass each other with safety, and the traffic was by no means heavy. He I had given, and should give, special attention to the interests of the neglected South Ward, and oppose any unnecessary or extravagant expenditure. (Mr Rogers gained the quietest heariug of the evening.) Mr. Enoch Griffiths next addressed the audience, and was received with cheers, mingled with some hilarious uproar. Something like quiet having b-B"n restored, Mr. Griffiths said commercial men knew that in every bank there was what was called the sweating room, and the hall that night was a sort of municipal sweating room. (Laughter.) Three or four important matters had come before the Council during the past nine or ten months, but perhaps none were of more importance than the vote with reference to the New Cemetery for the purchase of 10 acres of land for JE250 per acre, which was let at the time for X2 au acre. (Uproar.) This was an important point, for the Home Secretary had sent down an order olosing the Old Cemetery, which was not full, and some day in the future when the New Cemetery was built around a similar order might come down in respect of that. (Uproar) He contended that the purchase of these ten acres was quite unnecessary, and pointed out that all around the Cemetery there was a space of 20 feet which did not contain a single grave, and which could be used. (Uproorr and a voice That's rather a dead subject," followed by roars of laughter.) Well, he admitted that it was, rather a dead subject, but at the same time it was a most important subject, aud he prided himself as having voted against the purchase of that land, which was- bought at £250, and was not worth X160 an acre. He also voted against the giving away of the Thomas-street pavement. He had two reasons for that-tirst, that it was possible to get all that was necessary from the-adjoining premises —(cheers), and secondly because they could not have their streets and roads too wide. (iNoise at the back part of the hall.) They wanted' room. They had experience of that that evening. (Hear, hear.) As to the purchase of property at Pentonville, he had voted against the widening of that road. (Cheers.) He thought that for the present Pentouville was quite wide enough for the purposes of the traffic that was earried over it. (Cheers.) Regarding the Surveyor's salary, he wished it to be perfectly uRderstood that he did not wish to recall the vote he had given. (Hear, hear.) He did not forget this, that when the Town Surveyor asked for his salary to be increased, be was told be must wait until the Improvement Bill was passed, and when that Bill wa3 passed the Council were only fulfilling the promise they had made to Mr Kirby when they increased his salary. (A Voice "They ought not to," and cheers.), Hie would ask them whether they would have their representatives recall a promise once given. (Confusion.) In his opinion it would be the greatest injustice to tie the hands of the Corporation so as to debar themi Srom doing what they thought best for the future welfare I of- the town. (Cheers.) They certainly knew what wouid be the best for the town in the fufcnrev No more sensible remark had been made at that meeting than that by Mr. Parnall, when he said that, 'ihey shouJd DOt look so much to the present as to- the future. (Cheers.) It was the duty of' the Council to look to the future. If their forefathers had looked to the future, they would not have made High-street so narrow. (Cheers and laughter.) Hfe considered tthat this-meeting was one of the most healthy for ventila- ting the town's opinion that could be held. At the same time, he hoped they would never attempt to cranig.the energies of their members. He belie-ved that every gentleman who was in. the Council had their interests at heart. (Cheers.), If they returoed him.—(loud cries of "No, no," anclt" Yes, yes"),he should give his best attention to the matters, that came under the notice of the Council. In concluaion, he. warned them that there was an underhanded) in- fluence in operation in this election which they would perhaps find out by and by. (Cheers and laughter.) Mr. J. R. Richards then advanced to the table- and met wiith an indescribable raeeption, roaro of laughter, the shouts, groans, stamping, and what was known in the last general electisn as the Asha»tee howl," Formed part of his greeting, The uproar con- tinned more or less during ths whole of his speech. He spoke in a very excited manner, and with the ut- most vehemence. He was understood to say that he had come there that night to listen and not to speak, and he should not have attempted to say anything if it had not been for one speaker who was in the- habit of preaching in his pulpit (great cheering) where no one could challenge him. Wildly gesticulating, Mr. Richards went on to say, I ask him to render unto Caesar the things that are Caesar's, and to God the things that ane God'f." Here ttbe noise and confusion were something frightful, and the Mayor tried to maintain order. Mr. Richards proceeded to say that as a candidate for their suffrages he-could not stand the remark that he was Mr. Henry Russell Evans's nominee without rebuke. He was then under- stood to say something about a "wind-bag of elo- quessice," and that something put him ia mind of when he was a boy and uaed to fly a kite, and did not take care of the string, and away went the kite and he could not catch it again. (Great cheers-and laugh- ter.) He would ask his friend Mr. Jacob-(Iatighter) —whether he had any Sreehold in the kingdom or in the county, or any number of the Tbwa Council ? (The Mayor: "I do, upon which Mr. Richards iavoured his Worship with two elaborate- bows.) He was not going to the- Council to be a algid economist, but he should not -vend any money without seeing full value received. He asked them fca their suffrages. He was not the nominee of any man,, and he was not under the thumb of any man, and he should use the brains that God had given him. (Gseat laughter and ironical cheers, during which Mr. Richards sat down.) A Mr. Shee rzove(I that the Mayoa vacate the chair and give an account of his st-. wardship, but the motion was not seconaed. Mr. George- Smith, of Chailes-s&reet, after alluding to Mr. Jacobus description of him. as a Charles-street politician, went on to contend at some length that the salary of the Surveyor was excessive. When the new entrance was made Mr. Parnall got £1,200 for his property,, and of course in return he voted for his. friend the Surveyor's salary being raised. Mr. Smith then dreww attention to the proposed purchase of propetty in Peutonville,, aad asserted that it was to the interest of Mr. Parnall that all these improvements should be carried out because he had property in the neighbourhood. As to. the buying of additional land for the Cemetery, he considered that the Council ought to have waited until Mr. Osborne Morgan's Burials Bill was passed. Mr. Jacob had said that they were here at the bidding of Henry Russell Evans, and, he supposed, the Charles-street politician. (Great laughter.) But he would say he laboured hard to get the requisition signed for that meeting, and he defied anyone to say that Henry Russell Evans was at the bottom of it. (Cheers). He defied Mr. Jacob or any- one else to say that. He moved that the meeting had no confidence in five of those gentlemen who were re- tiring. Mr. Parnall asked to be allowed to make an explana- tion. Mr. George Smith was entirely wrong when he said that there had been collusion between himself and the Town Surveyor in the matter of the new entrance. The Town Surveyor had no more to do with the negotiations about compensation than the man in the mOOD. J Mr. Edwin Jones, of the Dos Works, addressed the meeting. Mr. Garland proposed a vote of confidence in the retiring members. Mr. Stacey, in seconding it, made a Jong speech, notwithstanding constant interruption. Mr. F. W. Dillon spoke amid great noise and vociferous fun. The vote was not put to the meeting, and a vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the proceedings.