The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-09-25 00:00:00

REVISION COURTS.

DUDLEY.

Mr. R. H. Amphlett held an open Court in the
Council Chamber, Dudley, oil Tuesday, for the
purpose of revising the Parliamentary and muni-
cipal lists for the borough of Dudley.
After the general examination of the lists and
the admission of about a dozen lodger 'claims, Mr,
Isaac Prince, vestry clerk, handed in his bill of
costs amounting to .2150 13s 10d. He explained
that cn the 3rd June last his salary was fixed by a
vestry meeting at £3OO a year, aud the charges
lie made were for extra assistance.up the date of
the resolution passed. He made no charges since
that date, and it simply left his salary w.,at the
vestry had put it at. The certificate of the Re-
isiug Barrister was asked for just the same, hi ,h
would make the salary up to £3OO during the time
he (the Vestry Clerk) was only paid a s duty of
4:12) a year.
Mr. Poole (Overseer) : The Vestry Clerk has
been paid £6O for a half year, era the £9O now
harged in the account just in would make the

salary equal to £l5O for the 6 months.
Mr. Coley' said he strongly objected to's.. certifi-
cate being given for this 00 item, It vas an
illegal charge, as it was for word that was put and
parcel of Mr. Prince's duties. ,The decision: of filo
L)cal Government Board, which he would band in,
)nfirmert the objection. Although he admitted
the salary before we 3rd of :June was too little, the
Act of Parliament showed lit was illegal to make
tho,e extra charges, and they had for ',,years been a
serious item, amounting altogether to something
like £5,000. The Local Government Board had
decided they had always been wrongly made. They
had gone lon for nineteen years, and he strongly
protested on behalf of ,the ratepayers against
another shilling beiu -paid 'ihf these extras. They
were part of his duties as Vestry Clerk.
Mr Prince: And the salary for which you admit
was insufficient.
Mr. Coley : That is nothing to do with it. You
are not entitled to the 00 accotding to the decision
of the Local Government Board.
The Vestry Clerk said this would be the last
time such charges would be made. They would in
future go into his salary; but the success of Mr.
Coley's opposition would leave him with about £2,
7s a week.
Mr. Amphlett thought the Vestry Clerk should
have an opportunity of giving details. If the
amount were for work done for which he could allow
by Act of Parlian:ent he bhould do so. He did not
wish to do anyone an injustice,
,and he should
adjourn the matter till the following evening to
see if the charges were for work included in the
duties of the Vestry Clerk or not.
The formal proceedings of the Court were then
resumed.
On Wednesday evening Mr. Prince presented an
amended bill for £197 us 2d, instead of £l5O odd.
, The bill contained an item of £49 lls for affixing
notices, and £677s 2d for copying in connection
with the borough registration. Mr. Coley objected,
as on the previous day, to the payment of the money.
The Barrister complained that the Overseers should
came to him to rectify the Under-payment of parish
officers, and disallowed the item for copying alto-
gether, and reduced the other item to .£l2.
'l2he account for the county registration was then
presented by Mr. Prince, and the Barrister disal-
lowed £4 for copying, and an item of .298 15s for
affixing notices be renuced to .216 odd.
In me ease of John Turner, of Ely, objected to,
103 was allowed for travelling expenses.

SATURDAY SEPTEKBER 25, 'lBB 6