The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-11-17 00:00:00

PENSNETT CHASE INCLOSURE ACT,
AMENDMENT.

To the Editor rf the'. Mec.rer."
Sin,—The principal object of this Bill is lb Nem
ti (lie Owners of the Inclosed !Audi some cowries.
lion for the injuries they sodain from the genii(
of the Mines under their Allotments. liy the lodestar§
Act all mines are reserved to the Lord of the Manor, wilt
very fall powero of golfing them ; and this witluast beinff
liable to make any compensation to the Owners of lye
ourfa.,e ; but, by the ...tate Act, if ouch in face is rlamousel,
the Owner may apply to the J•stices and obtain a rile
over the whole of the Inclosed Lauds, and thoreby eli•
fain pa) went for the injury be Imo sustained. Dot this
rate although really payable by the Loudinincni, boa Is
be dcmanded from the Occupiers on Penssielt Cho"
which is now estimate:l to crutaviat 4,600 iaboldted bowed
and has to be collected by, or at the expense of tbe Fat-
ima in whose favour it is made. This operate* as •be
to any one obtaining compensation unless the amount at
injury is very considerable, because the exper.oe of *Ales.
ling say from £5O to flOs.l, over such • Lirg ,ama se dm
Chase, mid from ob..iut 4,000 persons, would itemort to
more than the suia claimed.

It must a 1.., be borne in mind that a separate Melons
to be made for each caae of damage ; that is. if 'MUMS
Smith and Jahn S.nith are We owaers of adjuiniai
bon,(.. and each home: illjllll.ll to We extt tat it 15J. II
separate rata o‘er the whole of Petianett Chub fowl ha
made for each .C5O.

To prevent this, and to Rive reality to what lii new bet
a shadow, it is proposed that alien an owner has taalstin..4
daut to, fr 1111 l the working of the mines lie Nisei/ preys
•tivh damage before the Justices, RS at proseot, madab
Justice,: I,,siii asset:bed and fist 1 tI. ututioci
the Commissioners shall it certain pe. lots Mae and
collect rate to ray all such darnages as the inagibttans
may II I•Vt ordered to be raised; and thus °e.vc to those
persons injured tio, criopensatiou intended to he given
them by the original Inclosure Art.
. . .

Every one who kaowe anything of mining opera/lone
ia aware that a very large portion of the mineral r
(where the aortae,: belongs to the mine owner) gotten with
but trilling injury to the none.-; bat that where the
1:111:• owner la free from Any liability to LI 4.t goof dam.
AR,* to the surface, how very little mine ii rai.cd without
aerious injury to the surfaee of the property. It may
therefore be suppmw,l that if the mine OlVlle,CuPelid•
nett Chase are rendered liable to contribute towards the
coalp,,nsvtion for dauLtges to the surfaec Etat v,ry hitiW
.ujury will be dune in cou.pitrison to what La now sow
tinned.

A, the carrying into effect the proposed amendments
in the Prusuett Chase Inclmoure Act reader. necessary
the creation of a govorning holy to mske and collect the
emapensation rates, it has been thought advisable to in.
rert clauses giving such governing holy the powers of
Town Comniissioners ; more especially as the Local Go-
verument Acts (uncontrolled by • hind Act) ure found
unsuited to districts like Brierley Hill; the power of
tasstion being unlimited ; the owners of shares in gm
works or other public companies established ty local sets
being disqualified to act as commissioners, and other
unonialies having led to mach litigation, cod r•oderr4
those sets, where adopted, very unpopular.
It is proposed to limit the power of taxation for inn.
provements to a small amount, and to leave the cantral
of the town very much inn the bands of the ratepayers el
the several dietriebi.

Tie Commissioners will of coin. he chosen by the
owners and r•tepayers, and one-third of thou sill rejirs
from odice each year.
The &striate of Brierley Hill, Pensnett, Quarry Banll,
and Brocktunor, are estimated to contain • popu:ation aS
30,000, and there is no reason why, horned into • tows,
that town should not become ono of the moit important
in South Staffordshire, and property become as reliable
at Brierley thU as it is at West Bromwich.
I am, Sir, yours, ke..
LOWLAND rules.
Stourbridp, Nor. 16, 1866.

\ITORDS FOR WOMEN of every position
V lo hte, ss Molds, Wives, Mothers, Servants, ac,.
Post trot, tor 13 peony stamps, by Miss Sallow.

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FIELD, at Lb Offfoes, 42, High-Amer, Stourbmdtte, I.
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Esterday, November IT. ME