Papurau Newydd Cymru

Chwiliwch 15 miliwn o erthyglau papurau newydd Cymru

Cuddio Rhestr Erthyglau

11 erthygl ar y dudalen hon

HOUSE OF COMMONS.—TUESDAY,…

MINISTERS' MONEY (IRELAND).

TIOUSE OF COMMONS.—WEDNESDAY,…

TO CORRESPONDENTS. I

OTNGIIAM versus CALICO.—SOLOMON…

CARDIFF.-

Newyddion
Dyfynnu
Rhannu

CARDIFF. STREET COMMISSIONERS. An adjourned meeting of the board was held oil Tuesday last at the Town-hall. There was a attendance of Commis- sioners, v;ind considerable, intercut prevailed as to the result of, cc' the proceedings of the last meeting. There i%,ere i)-peeeii C. C. WILLIAMS, Chairman. Walter Coffin. E. P. Richards. J. Grierson. Ile v. T. Stacey. John Llovd. R. H. Harnlyn. Jas. Lewis. William Williams. W. Bird. Geo. Bird. It. L. Heece. Geo. Bird. II'. L. Lieece. J J. R. Hopkins, Ghas. Milner. C.. "Vac'heH. Thomas Evans. Griffith Phillips. W. A. Bradley. David Lewis. Dr. Vacliell. "W. B. Walk ins. J oil n Batclielor. M. -Grower. Capt. Morgan. Win Harris. W. Pritehard. Dr. Moore. B. Mathews. I W. Pritchard. I ATSSKXT. F. H. Lowder. J. Pride. D. Evans. John Bird. W.Vaehtill. R. J. Todd. J. II. Insole. Thomas Price. ThoUHlJ Dalton. Geo. Farmer. William Richards. Rich. Reece. Jos. Davis. Geo. Insole. R. Tredwen. John Woods. Edw. Evans. The CHAIKMAX, in opening the meeting, read a statement of the board's financial position. The rate and the arrears of riyte made on the 29th of May last year amounted to £ 1,728 2s. bd. There was paid to the bank up to the last meeting, £ 1,300 2s. fid. There had been since collected, t 100 12s. Therefore, the sum of £ 1,4D0 Us. 6d. had been collected in all; and £ 327 8s. re- mained to be collected. This amount includes old ..arrears and also rates due from parties who have jailed iii business, and others whose liability to pay street fates may be doubtful. The CHAIRMAN then read an estimate of the expenses for the ensuing half-year, which, including a h,llallce 1)f £ 390 due to the Bank, amounted to between E900 and An order was then made for the payment of several sums, in relation to which a conversation followed having reference to the method in which the several items Had been contracted. THE PLANS FOlt DRAlXtNO TltK TOWS', The clerk having read the minutes of the last meeting, The CIIAIKMAM said, that no report had beeii rec eived FROM the committee appointed to examine them, and that the coill- mittee now consisted of only. taree go-itlelliell, two 11. Mr. L. REECE rose and said, on behalf of himself and thegentle- men that had been referred to that they had not telt it right to proceed in the investigation of the plans, until the commission- ers had determined whether they would add two gentlemen to the committee in the room of those who had retired, or not. If it was the wish of the commissioners to complete the original number of five, thev would be happy to meet them if on the contrary they determined that the vacancies should not be filled up (being still a committee), they would resume their duties, and with professional *aid lay before the commissioners a report with the professional gentlemen's observations on all the plans. Mr. Reece then referred to an article which appeared in the Guardian of last-week, and said: -:A most un- warrantable attack havs appeared against myself and other members of the committee in the columns of the Cardijf Guar- dian. It will be my duty to reply to it in print. 1 do not for a moment believe it emanated from the editor, (although of course he will be obliged to avow it,) inasmuch as being reporter as well as editor, he must know that the inferences are not at all borne out by his report of the proceedings of the last meeting. I will merely now say that the whole statementts a toilful perversion of the truth. Mr. VACHELL fully concurred in the observations made by Mr. Reece. lIe defended himself from the imputations east upon his character in the Guardian newspaper of last week. In mentioning Mr. Tregellis's name, he merely did so with a view of promoting the objects of the cpmmitcee. He had no idea of favouring his connexions; but since Mr. Tre- gellis had paid great attention to the question of sewerage, and had obtained eminent testimonials of his ability, he thought it no imprqpriety to mention his name to the committee. At one of their meetings, when all the members, with the exception of the mayor, were present, he was desired to write to Mr. Tre- gellis to ascertain his terms. In calling on the clerk, together with Mr. Watkins and Mr. Reece, (the mayor and Mr. C. Williams being out of town,) and requesting him to delay send- ing the plans to London until another meeting of the com- mittees was held, they were actuated by the purest, of motives, and had not the slightest intention of acting in oppo. sition to the other two gentlemen. He had as muchat stake in the town as any gentleman on the committee. His only desire was to do that which would be for the benefit of all. Besides, there was a reason for preventing the plans being sent off to London-he feared that one of the gentle- men to whom the plans were to have been sentwas prejudged in favour of oneofthe plans sentin, and in the absence of information relative to the character of the town, he would most likely give his opinion in favour of his favourite. Mr. V, then read the following extract from the report of the competitor to whom he was referring :—" The practicability of the system has been fully tested by experimental works, visited and reported on by the Surveyors of the Metropolitan Commissioners of Sewers, an extract from which report I beg to submit to your notice. It has also received the approval of Parliament, and the City of London Commission of Sewers, whom I had the honour of attending to-day, with the view of making arrangements for carrying it out in the City."—He would ask, was it right to send the plans to gentlemen who had already made up their minds, as this proved to be the case ? As to the calumnies that had been cast upon him in a certain print, he would say nothing; those who attempted to do their duty were always the most calumniated by it. Mr. COFFIN disclaimed any knowledge of the article which appeared in the Guardian, until he had seen it in print, and said that he never wrote an article for a newspaper in his life. If the gentlemen to whom Mr. Vachell referred were prejudiced in favour of a particular plan, he was ignorant of it up to the present moment. They were gentlemen of high standing and respectability, and he believed could not be influenced in their judgment by any bias they may have in favour of any particu- lar system. Mr. W. B. WATKINS then rose and said As a member of the committee appointed by yourselves to examine the several plans of drainage of the town, I will take the liberty of making some observations. It will be scarcely necessary, after the remarks just made by Mr, Reece and Mr. Vachell, that I should advert to the base imputations against those gentlemen and myself, contained in an article inserted in last week's Guardian, more especially as that paper, it will be generally conceded, is but the mouthpiece of a party it can, therefore, be scarcely neces- sary to vindicate from such attacks the character of a gentle- man who has so recently filled the high office of mayor of this town, and the responsible duties of which were discharged by him so impartially, honourably, and independently, as to have caused it to be generally remarked, that "Mr. Reece was the best mayor Cardiff ever had." In reference to tHe-imp-u.tati.pn,, endeavoured to be fastened upon us as Chartists—men of no pro- pertyor stake in the town-who have no interest in preserving law or order,—why, gentlemen, this is too preposterous, when Mr. Vachell alone, one of the commltteereflectecl on, is the possessor of house property in this town, not only larger in amount than any one commissioner, but I believe, in truth, larger than the whole body of the commissioners put together. As regards the "diffident and unobtrusive third," as I have been kindly designated, I will simply remark that he is doubly qualified to act as a commissioner, both as a rate-payer, and by property. So much for party attacks and now, gentlemen, as much misrepresentation has taken place in reference to the conduct of the committee, I will, with your permission, detail as concisely as I can the proceedings of that body from its con- stitution to this hour. Mr. Watkins then entered into a tem- perate and able statement of the proceedings of the committee, clearly showing that the two gentlemen who had so pettishly withdrawn because frustrated in their intentions, had taken on themselves to forward the plans to London without having had authority for so doing; that the majority of the committee had strong reasons for objecting to such a course and though they consented to Mr. Coffin's makingfthe inquiry of Messrs. Hazlitt and Phillips, as to the terms on which they would examine the plans, yet had a meeting been called to communicate these "■entlemen's reply, they would then have objected to submitting the plans to their gratuitous opinion, as they had already ex- pressed approvai of the system of one particular plan, and the one which the minority of the committee had from the first advo- cated, and were thus bound by a judgment already expressed. It would, therefore, appear, that it was for this reason that these gentlemen were so pertinaciously fixed upon to be the referrees in the matter, a course that would have swamped the chances of any fair investigation into the merits of the other plans. Mr. Watkins concluded by stating that, as a member of the still existing committee, if the commissioners thought pro- per to add two gentlemen to their number, in place of those who had resigned, or if they desired that the present commit- tee should proceed with their labours, and make a report, he would pledge himself with the other members of the committee, aided by professional assistance, to place before them the whole of the plans, with the merits of each, so as to enable the com- missioners to form their own judgment as to the scheme best adapted to the requirements of the town. Mr. COFFIN S I am totally at issue with the gentlemen who have spoken. There was no misunderstanding. If I under- stood anything clearly in my life, I understood that I was to write to those gentlemen requesting them to examine the plans. Mr. Vachell proposed it, and it was quite unanimous my con- viction remains unchanged. Mr. HrmcE: I distinctly proposed in the committee, that a statement should sant.with the plans, written by the clerk, explanatory of the character of the town, and that it was to have been so was understood by a majority of the committee. The CHAIRMAN did not concur in the statements that had been made, neither did he approve of the article which appeared in the Guardian. He did not know that either of the gentlemen to whom the plans were to have been sent had expressed an opinion. lie believed that they were not the same parties. There was nothing said in committee about a statement. The chairman proceeded, but after an observation from Mr. Reece, he gave way to Mr. E. P. RICHARDS, who-, after having referred to the minutes of the last meeting, said If I am the person referred to as having written the article in the Guardian, I beg distinctly to state I had not previously seen the editor, nor did I know anything directly, or indirectly, about it. I totally disapprove of it. As far as I am concerned, no character shall he attacked by me, nor by any one over whom I have any control or influ- ence. Mr. Richards then went into a lengthy history of the committee from its appointment on the 13th February, and concluded by saying that the committee had wholly failed in their duty. He regretted what had occurred, and wished now to bury all in oblivion. He sincerely regretted what had appeared in the Guardian, and hoped the subject would not again he adverted to. He had hoped that a fortnight would have allayed the excitement., but he regretted to find it had increased. They could not with any degree of fairness propose other gentlemen instead of those who had retired. The com- mittee, in fact, was virtually dissolved the report of a com- mittee of three could not be received. lIe would propose that the plans he sent to the Surveyor and Secretary of the Metropoli- tan Sewerage Commission for their opinion. They had offered to givo their opinion gratuitously, and he was sure they would act honourably. If differences on minor matters were ttiid\ved to interfere, the commissioners would never succeed. Captain MOIUJAN seconded the proposition. Mr. BATCHELOU said that Mr. Richards had been guilty of the same irregularity on account of which he condemned the until the committee had made a report the commissioners were irregular in discussing the subject. On the same ground they were incompetent to pass Mr. Richarus's resolution then, "ts1 cause the committee who were still in existence had not ma"<j a report. Mr. B. approved of the observation that Mr. R. haJ •. made with respect to the differences in the committee, were all honourable lPen. The statements made were directly opposite to each other. The commissioners could not say WltJl whom was the truth. To pass Mr. dl's resolution would be an insult to the remaining members of the coiiiiiiittee. Besidto which to send the plans to parties that had been proved by V'achell to be prejudged in favour ot one of the competing was absurd. (Mr. Vachell here, at the request ot Mr H., rea' again the extract referred to, and which appears above.) A1 last meeting it was determined to refer the subject back agalll to the committee. It was now proposed to take it out of theif hands. It was quite childish to do one thing at one meetmg, and then to undo it at another. In that way no business couaj ever be done. By Mr. Richards's proposition they were asked to stultify themselves. He would oppose the resolution. Mr. Thomas EVANS thought that in tact there was no cotn. mittee to report. Two committee-men having retired the com- mittee was defunct. Mr. RICHARDS, who, by-the-by, was a little out of order, replied to Mr. Batchelor, and would leave it to them as mell of business to decide whether or not it was a question ot absuf* dity. He was surprised Mr. Batchelor was not a better iiiall of business. He challenged any gentleman present to J°¡) issue with Mr. Batchelor. Two out of the five Had declined to act, and there was an end of the committee. Had there been a quorum it might be different. He acknowledged that h" was irregular at the last meeting when he proposed to add Mt. Batchelor to the committee; that was done at the spur of tho moment. After a few words from Mr. COFFIN, Mr. REECE, and others- by way of explanation, The resolution was carried by a large majority.

THE "GENERAL NOTT."

NEWPORT.

SWANSEA.

FONTYPOOL.

THE NAVIGATION LAWS.