The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-05 00:00:00

DUDLEY TOWN COUNCIL,

On Tuesday, the monthly meeting of this Council
was held, the Mayor (Alderman Hoa at) presiding.
It was resolved that a letter of condolence be sent
to the family of the late Mr. Solomon Crew. A
resolution in favour ef petitioning on behalf of the
Manchester Ship Canal Bill was approved. A com-
mittee was elected to arrange for the ceremony in
connection with the opening of the Free Library by
the Countess of Dudley on the 29th inst. The
Officer of Health reported a death-rate of 2P64 per
1,000 and a birth-rate of 42.16. A long discussion
took place upon the scheme for paving the ap-
proaches to the town, which the Public Works Com-
mittee recommended should ba gone on with. Mr.
W. Jewk( s proposed, and Mr. Joseph Hall seconded,
that the matter be deferred for twelve months, as
the Council had no money in hand to carry out the
scheme, but eventually the report was adopted. In
reply to Mr. Walker, Alderman Bagott explained
that the Halesowen Board and Coseley Board were
at prEsent omitted from the scheme, on account of
the probability of the roads being disturbed by
mining operations. Alderman J. H. Smith called
attention to the resignation of Mr. Brown (the
borough surveyor), who had received a more lucra—
tive appointment at St. Helens, and expressed
r, gret that the Council should lose the services of
so valuable an officer. The committee, he said, had
r. solved to reduce the salary of the office to £250
a yEar. Mr. Coley inquired whether Mr. Brown was
to receive a large sum as commission from the suc-
cessful contra2tor or contractors for making certain
streets in the borough, Mr. Brown said that owing
to a mistake in the last lot of contracts he had this
time drawn out the quaotiti?s of the streets, and
these had been supplied to those who tendered for
the contracts. The only charge he had to make or
receive was £1 Is, which he intended to give to his
clerk for extra services in drawing out the quantities
Mr. W. S Gorton said this was a usual thing with
people who had to issue contracts. He deprecated
the action of Mr. Coley in bringing the matter for-
ward, Alderman J. H. Smith said Mr. Coley had
fired a mine on Mr. Brown which was calculated to
damage him in his new situation. The report was
adopted.

DUDLEY SCHOOL BO ARD
THE VICAR CENSURED.

A meeting of this Board was held on Monday, at
the Town Hall, Dudley. Mr. H. M. Wainwright
presided, and there were also present Messrs. D.
Ho watt (Mayor), John Finch, W. P. Greenway, R.
N. Hall, H. C. Brettle, W. E. Walker' W. L,
smith; the Revs. G. McMichael and Dr. Cosens.
The Rev. Dr. Cceens moved, in accordance with
notice, "That tbe Lord's Prayer and the Ten Com-
mandments be taught to all children attending the
Board Schools in the borough, unless objection be
raised by the parents or guardians of individual
children under the conscience clause." He said be
did not want to import into the discussion any
pliva.te or personal feeling, a proceeding which he
thought would be a mistake. He did not wish that
the children should have the Commandments ex-
ained to them at any length, but that the Com-
mandments should simply be taught as they were
given in the Word of God.
Mr, W. E. Walker, in seconding the motion, said
he saw no reason why it should not be carried out,
more especially as it was so well guarded by the
conscience clause. The hymns, prayers, and re-
ligious reading, took place in the first part of the
morning, so that parents who objected to their
children receiving religious instruction had only
to keep them away from school for the first half-
hour or forty minutes, which they could do and
still have their attendance recorded.
The Chairman moved, as an amendment, "That
the Lord's Prayer be used daily at the opening of
every school uncler the control of the Board; and
that the Ten Commandments, and the 6th, 6th, and
7th chapters of the Gospel according to St. Matthew,
containing the sermon on the Mount, be read with-
out note or comment in every such school weekly;
and that the fact of such reading be entered in the
log-books of the schools immediately afterwards.".
He thought the course that Dr. Cosens had taken on
a previous occasion was extremely improper—(hear,
hear). His previous motion was negatived.
Dr. Cosens: No, sir, it was not negatived.
The Chairman, continuing, said that when Dr.
Co3ens, frona the pulpit of his church denounced
certain members of that Board as men of the most
immoral character, he (the Chairman) said that Dr.
Coseus had no business to slander his neighbours—
(hear, hear). He had no business to slander men
who were as God-fearing, as religious, as honest,
if not more honest, than he was himself, and as
truly degirous of doing their duty to God and man
as he was—(hear, hear). He, the speaker, had,
therefore, to say to Dr. Cosens what he had said
Previously. He could not prevent him from using
his pulpit for what purpose he liked; and if anyone
were to say a word against him in church, the
offender would be summoned and punished for
brawling. Under those circumstances it was a most
improper thing for him to talk of members of the
Board in the manner in which he had done. Re-
ferring to his amendment the speaker said he had
used the word" read " in the place of Dr. Cosens'
won i "taught," because, as the word originally
stood, it would allow an unscrupulous teacher to
teach any scheme he pleased with respect to the
Christian dispensation.

The Mayo;, in seconding the amendment, said he
thought Dr. Cosens could not complain about it, as
it wive more than he actually asked for hear,

The amendment was then put and carried.