The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-24 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL.

IMPORTANT TOWN'S MEETING ON THE

IMPROVEMENT BILL.

A lame and influential meeting of ratepayers sma held
on Thursday lust, in the Nationat School-roe:li, te take
into consideration the proposed lisprovernent Ifni of Mr.
Price.

The Bev. S. Franklin occupied the chair, and in open-
ing the meeting, said : Gentlemen, sod rellow•ratepayer.,
—lam glad to aec au g,1041 tin 10NC1111,144e Of ratepayerd
of Brierley Hill tbi• morning, because the subject is a
very great and important one. You are well swore it is
proposed by a very near neighbour to have an Improve-
meut Bill for Brierley Hid and 411 Arid. It is for you to
consider whether you will have it or reject it. The in-
habitants are 11,000 in Itrierley 11111. and it is getting an
important district; and I hopo that you will take it into
your serious consideration. Before making any further
remarks, I sill read the n..tioa calling the tne.:ting:—
" Notice is hereby given, that a general meeting of the
ratepayers of the parish of Brierley Hill will he Odd at
the Nationul Set 1-room, Brit rlcy 11111, on Thursday
next, at half-pad Lou o'clodt in the morning, to consider
the proposed appdcatiou to Parliament, for a bill to iriv.
prove Brierky 11111 and liingteinforl.
(Signed)
SAX CEL FRAN KLIN. Bettor.

WeAvkn, -h h J " L ure war cus.
You are well aware that the scheme has been published
in our paper for the last two weeks. MeSaral. Itouttruy
aria Hu.hertou will give you every information you ruay
num)o. The speaker euticluiled by hoping that there
would not be siiy iu.igry feeling iluiptayed, but that each
person should be heuru, as it was v,ry Important tor Use
. . . .

rMi. Hominy : This notice listing been iuserted i.i the
pari, L have been cunsuited upon tile subject. I strived
that a ifleeting be coiled, alai tuat ID. Price be Invited Id
tincilti. I aid very glad that SD. Price is litre, Sc he w..tl
explain it to you. I 5.11 not give you my opitimus at
11it sent.
Mr. Price: I do not intend saying auytliing at present
until the bat is printed. If I. do not get a majority of
ratepayers in nay favour, I do not intend to proceed with
tile bill. One object or the bid is, I may *Ay, to enable
you to get cotntensatlo3l for yonr property. Ills bill laas
,wen drawn up, nod will be laid bet ate rot uu the 2s,i of
ii,cember ; nod I intend ti Imre it p•iolisked on th.:291.1.
if December. You u.,l thou liove au opportutity of
reading it. As I...gartis the eltlieliseS. Ole). will be divided
between two or Infer par oh, ii, And Will hut CIA Li •erley
ulil r.:.00. I would sagee.4 toot this meeting be ad-
jAirnot till efter the liii of December. I cannot go
lo partirulara lenV, arid I do not think I can say lay
more. It wont,' be very foolish u 1 we to attempt to carry
ii bill against a mai•rity of ratepayera of Itrieney ilio;
but th.•re are only ab.iiit two IT three hundred persons
li, re. I don not think I could be ruled by this niezt•
. . .

r. Mo!dicrley: Hat you think we have a majority
here Toe pari•i, is well represented —(hear, hear.)
Mr. lloothvy : 1 do .'t think we have anything to c 13-
via, as to Mr. Price's bill. This is the leitith time Sc
hale been invadswl ill the township of Brierley
(hear, hear). It is true the roads and drains n.sy be
b. Ger. It i, not slie bill that no fear, but the hid oh cssts
—not the lawye.ss, hot the lawyers charges. That being
so, 1,1 u. know what we are doing before we get a bill of
costs. The speaker here read and pointed out the ses-
tinas in the notice which would affect lirierley It'll. Ile
then pointed out the state Stool:IA:14e Will is with a min t.
gage debt of .E 30,000 and anothsr application for £1,:g.10
more; and if this bill was allowed to go on they would
sson have a debt On the town. Ile could not are that they
wanted the bill. lithe ratevnyers adopted the Local
, Government Act of that would be all they re-
quired. Ile thought his friend was out of Court in trying
to force that act ithozi them. He would advise them to
adopt the Local Act. If they did so, he was quite sure
that the legislature would not grant a private bill when
there was a public one which would answer the setae
purpose—(eaeers).
A voice : " He had no business here."
Mr. lionifray : Mr. Price has taken good care to put in
the Pensnett Chase Act, and lie has gilded it over very
nicely ; but I tell you again as I have told you before,
that when a person's house is damaged by being under.
mined, they can get compensation. According to the
Pensnett Enclosure Act, Lord Dudley, in the working of
his mines, is bound to leave substantial supports to the
roofs. If he does not, and your property is injured,yon
con get compensation—(cheers). I would advise you to
pass a resolution at this meeting to adopt the Local Use '
vernment Act. If you do so, you will had that my friend
will be snuffed out —.cheers).
Mr. Price said all he asked now was that the meeting
should be adjourned, and wait uutil he had brought the
bill before them.

Mr. Grove said they bad had the bill explained by Mr.
Homfray, and that it was not approved of by them.
He begged to move—" That the bill now brought for.
ward by Mr. Price, be opposed iu every legal way that
they could," which was seconded by Mr. Bennett, and
carried unanimously.
Mr. Mullett moved that the meeting be adjourned, so
that they may take the opinion of eminent counsel, which
he considered to be the least expensive. You have heard
amid deal from Mr. limutray about opposiug the Mil;
but we all know what lawyers are—they want to put money
into their pockets; and the hest thing to dole to adjourn
the meeting and get counsel's opiuion.
; A voice: " You fill,' maid enough."
Mr. Pletcher also spoke at considerable length against
the scheme propounded by Mr. Price. and advised them to
got the Local Government Act; and moved the following
resolution: "That am lication be made for the adoption
of the Local Government Act for Brierley which
was seconded by Mr. Corbett, and carried unanimouvly.
Mr. Houifray said there was nothing to prevent them
from getting it, if they implied for it.
Mr. Edward Wright prop, ed a vote of thanks to the
chairman, which was seconded by Mr. Price.
The worthy Chairman briefly r. turned thanks. and
complimented the meeting for the orderly way in which
it had been carried out; and he was happy to say that for
the last nine years he had been with them, they hs,l not
had a disorderly meeting. He also complimented them
for the decision they had come to, and advised them to
get the Local Government Act.
The meeting then broke up.