The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-04-03 00:00:00

Xotai an piaritt attew.

COMMISSIONER' MEETING.

The monthly meeting of this body was held in
the Board Room, on Monday last; Mr. E. Stanley
in the chair. There were also present: Messrs,
Hughes, Edwards, Woolley, Mills, Kelly, Perkin,
Franklin. Allchureh, Penney, -Dillingham. Stringer,
Packwood, and

The Clork read thj minutes of the last meeting,
which were confirmed.

FINANCE COMMITTEE'S REPORT.

hrprovement Account. —Balance due from treasu-
rer, £lB7 17s 2d; cheques ordered to February
22, £29 lOs sd; paid to treasurer, £65 13s Id; due
from treasurer to this date, -C224 Os 4.d.—Highway
Acccunt.—Cheques ordered tc February 22, £45 15s
10d; balance due from treasurer, £23 2s 3d; cash
paid to treasurer,. £9 18s lid; due to treasurer,
£l2 14s 4d.—Urban Sanitary Account.—Balance
due to treasurer, .271 15s 6d; cheque: ordered,
£3B 5s 6d ; paid to treasurer, £7; balance due to
treasurer to this date, £lOl Ss 6d.

A number of accounts on the Highway Account,
amounting to .236 is 5d were ordered to be paid;
on the linprovemeut Account, .R 9 Os 8d; on the
Urban Sanitary Account, .238 6s Bd.

On the motiOn of Mr. 'Hughes, seconded by Mr.
W. Edwards, the report was adopted.
REPORT OF THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.
Alteration in the Market Hall.—Your Committee
have again considered this subject, and advise that
the portion of the Market Hall used as butchers'
stalls—from Market-street to the entrances from
Sinithfield—should be converted into shops and
warehouses, fronting Smithfield.
Owing to the recent death of Dr. Richards, th e
Conmittee recommend the Board to advertise for a
medical officer, at a salary of £5O per year,
For the month ending March 19th, the number
of deaths in the township had been 20, and births
29; the death rate being 25 per 1,000.
Two slaughter-houses were reported to be not in
condition.

Mr, Mills moved that the report read be received,
and in doing so said that a detailed plan should
be prepared of the proposed alterations of the
Market Hall, with an estimate of th, p,7obable
cost. He said the Market Hall had I,,ea a loss
for some years past, and he considered the time
had come when the commissioners should take
some steps to make it pay. They had not any too
many shops in the town, and he thought it would
be better to convert a portion of the space into
shopping, and make warehouse-room, By doing
so the shops would be soon taken, and they would
pay. He thought doing this would be much better
than turning the room into pig pens and cattle
stalls, as had been before suggested.
Mr. Kell.), in seconding ir, said that by turning
tit; room iato shops and warehouses that would
ue a very good thing, as there would be no diffi-
culty in letting them.

Elward'S did not think that there was any-
thing on the plan to show the back premises that
would be required to build shops, and thought they
ought to have some idea as to the cost of

Mr. Franklin suggested that an architect should
be employed so as to give them near what the cost
would be.
Mr. Hughes thought it would he throwing away
money to employ an architect to ascertain the
costs of the proposed alterations. It would be far
oetter, in his opinion, to add to the present Smith-
deld, which could be done at a cost of £2OO.
The Chairman said the already too large Smith-
deld would cost £2OO to alter it, and the shops and
warehouses would not cost more than £3OO or £6OO,
which could be had for 3f per cent., and made to
pay a much larger amount, and be a saving- to the
ratJpayers. He did not think,there would have
been a dissentient voice.
Mr. Hughes said the Chlirman had spoken of
the " alree..dy too large Smithfield." He considered
that it was not quarter large eaougn, and that
some of the gentlemen had given their opinion
who knew but little about building.
Mr. Mills said that he thought the last speaker
was out of order in saying that the alterations
had been recommeneed by persons who knew no-
thing about buitding. He b?gged to tell him that
he knew as much about building as Mr. Hughes
did—(cries of "Nothing personal.")
Mr. Hughes: I did not say anything personal,
and you have no right to make that observation,
and should object to any gentleman round that
board saying anything personal.
Mr. Allsop said there could not be two opinion
about one thing—that the erection ef the Market
Hall was a mistake from the first, so far as the size
wrs concerned, and the question for the Commis-
sioners was what could be done to effect an advan-
tageous change. He thought the whole matter
had bettet be referred to the committee for fur-
ther consideration.
After some further discussion.
Mr. Franklin proposed, and Mr. Mills seconded,
"That this meeting considers if most important
h.afore forming any opinion on the recomuaenda-
tion of the General Purpsses Committee, that the
Committe should again consider the whole subject
and report at the next meeting."
•
This was carried.
There was no other business of importance.

NOMINATION OF GUARDIANS.—There app ars to
be a number of contests impending for seats at the
Board of Guardians, and unless there are withdrawals
the whole of the following places will be contested :—A mblecote : Philip Pargeter, William Corbett,
William Mullett, Cradley : Benjamin Homer,
James Hingiey. Hasbury : Erasmus Benjamin
Phillips, Thomas Bissell. lily: Samuel Thomas
Weston, Walter Somers. Kingswinford : Isaiah
Rollingson, William Rolinson, Roland Thompson,
Thomas Higgs, George Griffiths, William Mullett.
Breekmoor : Wi Liam Wood, • William Ma!lett.
Pensnett : Benjamin Homer, John Raybould, Francis
Cookson, William Mullett. Saint Mary's:
B tker, Edward Canset Giles, Eazer Penzer, William
Mallett. Wordsley : William Baker, William Hall,
Ruben Plant, William Mullett. The Lye: Georg(
William Prescott, George Rhodes, William Fiddian,
Samuel Mobberley, Elisha Brookes, Josoph Pardee,
Joseph Perry, Ilionia.4„, Eveson. Stourbridge :
George William Prescott, Benjamin Brooks, Frede-
rick John Haskew, Henry Billingham, Thomas All-
church, William Mullett. Upper Swinford : George
William Prescott, Noah Forrest. Wollaston:
Goorge William Prescott, John Guest. Wollescote :
Thomas H. Pargeter, William Smith, Thomas Eve.
son, John Brooks.—Up to yesterday, the following
nominations have been withdrawn :—Hasbury, E. B.
Phillips; Illy, S. T. Weston ; Pensnett, W. Mullett;
Quarry Bank, George Paskin (nomination bad) ; St.
Mary's, Kingswinford, W. Baker; Lye, J. Pardoe
and J. Ptitry.

VESTRY lIERTING.-A vestry meeting was held
at the Corn Exchange, on Thursday morning, for the
purpose of nominating overseers; Mr. Franklin in
the chair. There were also present Messrs. W.
Edwards, H. Penney, G. Doody, J. Dutton, E.
Stanley, W. Wooley, G. Perkin, M. Barlow, &o. &c.
The notice calling the meeting having been read by
Mr. Yates, the' following persons were nominated:—
Thomas Penny, Joseph Henry Parkes, and Joseph
Worton Woolly. A vote of thanks to the chairman
closed the proceedings.
Arronirrstrwr or Ovszezzaa.—At the Public
Office, yesteriay before Colonel Pletcher and Mr. J.
B. Cochrane, the following persons were appointed
as overseers for the ensuing year. Clent ; William
Phillips and William Thatcher; Churchill, Robert
Thurston and T. Whittaker; Cradley, William
Oliver and William Taite ; Stourbridge, Joseph
Bateman and Joseph Wharton Woolley • Hagley,
Young and Caswell; Broom, Walter Hickman and
John Fox; Pedmore, William Roberts and Hartley
King; Woliescote, George Hill and Thomos ;
Lye, Thomas William Hatton, and Reuben Hatton;
Wollaston, John Mobberleq and William Young.—
Oldewinford ; The appointment of overseers for this
parish was adjourned in consequence of none being
nominated. Mr. Dallow assistant overseer said that
in consequence of the rabble and uproar they could
not proceed with the business, Mr. King the Clerk
read a letter reoeived from John Chamberlain to the
effect that he was appointed Chairman and that
James T. Horsley, James Hume Phillips, William B.
Moore, and J. Cox, were nominated.
VESTRY MEETING.—The annual vestry meeting
was he'd at the vestry of St. Thomas'e Church, on
Tuesday last„ the Rev. H. Sherrard, vicar, in the
chair. There were al,!o present: Messrs. R. L.
Freer, Major Walker, C. Blunsom, A. Morris, T.
Bland, R. Brooaihall, B. Wood, Priddey, S. Field,
—Jackson, Holden, J. Underwood, a.' The
chairman read the notice calling the meeting, and
said that he proposed for the second time, Mr. B.
Wood as his warden. The churchwardens had
worked very harmoniously together during the past
year, and he had consulted Mr. Wood upon the
matter, and he had consented to act for a second
year. Mr. R. L. Freer then proposed Mr. Priddy as
the peoples war len. He had great pleasure in doing
so, teat gentleman was, he believed, the choi....e of the
pc0,..)1e, and had performed his duty well during the
term he had already served in office. This was
.sec-
conded by Mr. T. Bland. Mr. Sherman was alio
nominated and seconded peoples warden, but on a
division, Mr, Priddey was elected by a large majority
The accounts were then produced by the churchwar-
dens which show a deficency of some .2.14. The ac-
counts were passed, and ordered to be printed. A
vote of thanks to the churchwardens aad chairman
closed the proceLdings.
At a v:3try uiating on Tuesday, Messrs. A. Jones
and t. et ieger, jun., were elt.cted chulehwardeus
for 3t. Jena's, Stoarbridge.