The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-25 00:00:00

T STOURERIDGE OBSERVER.

so thoroughly gone into as before committees of the
Houses of Parliument. On the other hand the need
of a central sanitary authority might properly be
urged as a reason for incorporation where the in.
habitants:are practically agreed as to its desirability.
He called attention to this to save time, as a large
aux) ant of time might be expended in going into
these sanitary matters on which the Privy Council
wend hardly -undertake to form an opinion, where
so great a difforence of opinion existed among the
inhabitants. In expressing this opinion he bore in
min his letter of instructions. He was not asked
to ae vise whaler a charter of incorporation should
be granted, and should not express an opinion on
the point at present ; but he was asked to report on
comfit points, one being the mode of defining the
limits of the proposed borough. He must leave it
to the petiticaters to say, whether, under the cir-
cumstances, they would proceed with the whole of
the scheme, or whether they wished to proceed with
a modified scheme for the incorporation of a more
limited are a. He was prepared to sit there and hear
all the evidence that was forthcoming.
Mr. Jeune (after consulting his friends) said .he
had had an opportunity of speaking to some of his
clients, and, he had to express their great ac-
knowledgment to the Court for laying down the
principles ,apon which these charters were likely
to be granted, consistently with the action of the
Privy Council, and the statutable powers conferred
00 them. He could not say that that view was alto
gether strange to him, because he confessed, with
his little knowledge of the action of the Privy.
Council in such matters, and of the Acts of Parlia-
ment conferring powers upon them, it was not al- ,
together a matter of surprise it should be laid down
that the Privy Council would enforce incorporation
upon art unwilling population, whatever might be
the merits of the case, but would leave it to be
sought by other methods. Up to that time, how-
ever, no one had had the advantage of hearing those
principles as laid down by the Commission. His
clients had been anxious to do what was best for
the district, and they now recognised the force of
! the observations made. and recogised with perfect
candour the principles laid down. Recognising
those principles, there appeared to him but one
course open. It would be idle, it would be a wicked
waste of time to spend it in proving what they
believed was a strong sanitary case, if it was not at
the end cc,.nclu%ve in favour of incorporation, which
on the principle laid down by the Commissioner was
not. his clients desired him to say that they did
not desire to proceed further with the scheme as
affecting the townships outlying Stourbridga With
regard to Stourbridge the circumstances were alto-
gether reversed. The majority there was much in
favour of incorporation, and therefore they desired
to proceed with the case so far as related to Stour-
bridge. As a matter of convenience his clients
might have desired a longer time to consider that
decision, but he took upon himself to press them
not to adjourn thar decision till next day. As far
as Stouroridge was concerned it would be a
convenieece if they would allow him to proceed
with the case of Stotarbridge itself.
The Commissioner said he somewhat regretted
that he was not in a position to give his opinion at
an earlier stage, before the enquiry was held, but he
did not know till to-day what the signatures against
Lte petition represented, or he might have expressed
i an opinion in July, which would have saved seine
I trouble.

Mr. Young said before they departed he might
i•ay he felt very gratified to his friend Mr. Jenne tor
having given the Commissioner the invitation he
i'id to state the principles upon which that enquiry
WM to be conducted. They were equally indebted
to the Commissioner for kindly accepting the invita-
tion, and notifying the course the Privy Council
would take. It would save a great expenditure of
money.

The: Court thcn adjourned till Weinosday morn-
ing. _ _

After the unexpected course which the proceed-
ings relative to the above scheme took on Tuesday
afternoon, it was thought probable that*he remain-
ing part of the project relating to Stourbridge itself
would be withdrawn, and this course was decided
upon at a meeting of the Stourbridge Commissioners
on Tuesday night. The Hon. T. H. W. Pelham,
the Commissioner appointeti by the Privy Council
to enquire into the subject matter of the petition,
took his seat in the Corn Exchange, on Wednesday,
at the hour,to which the court had been adjourned.
Mr. Jenne, Q.C. (instructed by Messrs. Harwards,
Shepherd, and Mills) appeared for the promoters;
and Mr. G. Perry for certain owners and occupiers
at Stourbridge, who opposed.
Mr. Jeune said be was able on Tuesday to relieve
the Commissioner of his labours so far as the
greater part of the scheme before him was concerned
and he was now placed in a position to relieve him,
for the present at any rate, of the remainder of his
labours. The promoters had, since the adjournment,
considered the altered circumstances in which they
were placed. He believed that the original idea
ir. connection with the scheme of incorporation re-
ferred to Stourbridge alone, but the larger- sehetne
raised such different issues and excited so much
more opposition that the smaller scheme, if it was
one, was overshadowed and lost sight of. Conse-
quently the petition and the documents upon whici
in was based dwelt almost exclusively upon the
case relating to the larger scheme, and it might well
be in that the mind of persons who dealt with the
subject were directed almost exclusively to the
question of the outlying districts. It might be that
toe Commisioner would be perfectly justified in
going on with the s2heine relating to Stourbridge
:done ; because the great, r undoubtedly included
the less, but as the aspect of the question had been
al:ered, they were anxious to do nothing counter in
any wayto the opinion of theircoustituenls, or to out-
run it, and they thought the people of Stourbridge
should have au opportunity of reconsidering the
question. It was therefore proposed to withdraw
tee scheme for the incorporation of Stourbridge at
present, and he might be permitted to add that if
Mr. feelhain's duties brought him again into that
part of the world, he trusted it would he to approve
tetweie which had the unanimous support of the
population of Stourimidge.
Mr. G. Perry said it was a matter of satisfaction
to himsel red those he represented to hear the
statement the learned counsel had made. and if he
might say so, Le thought the course he had taken
was the only one which with propriety he could
take, and he quti• anti cad with it.
The Commissioeer Ito I understand, if it be
decided hereafter te ;nora,to a scheme for the
corporation of the town of Stourbridge, it would be
by a fresh petition e
Mr. Jenne : Yes, sir ; I,: a fresh petition, deal-
in.4 with the matter alone.

;The Commissioner: iecause I might ask the
Privy Council to delay giving a decisi-n on my
ro.ort, and an adi,orned enquiry might be held if
tht: inhabitants mihed to have a charter. But on
the other hand, there is no doubt it would be inoa!
satisfactory
to have- a fresh petiti(..n, because it
we+ild test the fcel.kg ot the inhabitants.
iNlr. Juene : I thiok it would be best to consult
the population on the qi.stio. If my clients t tne
my advice, I think a ha n petition would be the
best course.

The Commissioner : Jr will make little difference
as regards the expense. Vey well, gentlemen, it
will be my duty to report, not on the evidence sub—
mitted to me, hut on the course whic'ci it, ka,s eii
decided to take, Of eu.se I shall report as to the
intimation I gave on Toe • day, and as to the views
which the petitioners have expressed thlough their
counsel this morning, Therefore I have no doubt
that the Lords of the Privy Council will recommend
her Majesty not to grant a charter of incorporation,
inasmuch as it is not the de-ire of the inhabitants. ,
It entirely leaves the question open nt to a future
petition. I think, as a %. heti a peftion has
been refused to a particular place, the l'rivy Cun-
cii refuse to consider the question again
till some years have elapsed; but in this ease, the
petition having been for a very large area, il a sub-
sequent petition is presented for a Icr are;i, I
have no doubt that Privy Council woulo at ary tate
be willing tx. have an enquiry mid full investiation
into the iner:ts ot the ease, Of eo.irse, I say that
without expressing any opinin r.-!!atever as to
whether Stourbridge is a plae:; of s.Alielent size anti
importance lor her Majesty to grant a charter to. I
wou't expr,:s.., any opinion as regards that. It ill
entirely a local question. TheCommis-ioner con -
eluded by thanking the taithorities for granting the I
use of the room, and the counsel who appeared for
the way in which the case had been laid before 1.4. close.

COuee- lailur,s at Stourbridge
a whir'