The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-06-21 00:00:00

14—ocal anb istrict Mcivs

COMMISSIONERS' MEETING.

The Annual Commissioners' Meeting for the
purpose of passing the yearly accounts, was held
in the Board -room at the Cern Exchange, on
Wednesday last. The chair was occupied hy
Mr. Henry Hughes, und there were also pre-
sent: Messrs. Me Ewen, Billiugham, Kelly,
Young, Stanley, Perkin, John Hughes, Edwards,
Stringer. Newuum, Alisop, Packwood, .ino
Watkins.

This being the meeting at which the.anditors
of the annual accounts were to be tlected, there
was a very numerous attendance of ratepa)ers
who had come these for twit parpoie.
Mr. Taylor real the notice calling tha meet-
iug ; and afterwards read the minutes of the
previous meeting.
The Chairman then said the next business
was the election of a chairman f ,r the ensuing
year. He should thank any gentleman for a
proposition to that etteet
. .

Mir. Billingham then rose and said he NW.
ab (tit to propi 1 a 114110 fr th off, :e Of roar-
man whiett tie was sure would be mit sio great
cordiality. It was that of a gentleman who wss
engaged in the iron trade, cud who had repre•
a!uted the town at that Board with great eili•
cieney for a ithuab.•r of y.,ars ; met sehiosi r.nuark
able talent kr figures tied general I,ll,lilltmf
espacity had often been of the most eminent
service to that Huard. He was a gentleman who
bid always given the greatest attention to the
business of the town, and one whose urbanity of
untithe:s and coirti (inkiness of stem( anior lint
Wan respect fro u all who list the pleasure LI
at jug silt him at tlist Board. ALer basing
5.51‘1 this he thought it was almost superfluous
to mention his name, as he thought they 11111,C,
all know from the foreooing description that j•
we; Mr. J:l,li.eil 31cOwen chow he meant --
(app!ause). Ile shim id,therefore, without further
preface beg to prupoqe that Mr. Jilllst•e
Mehlwen be chairman of that Board fur the
ensuing year"— (cheers).
Mr. Stanley seconded the proposition.
Mr. Stringer said that he quite endorsed the
high euconiunis that had been passed on Mr.
MoEwen by Mr. Billingham.
Mr. Taylor then asked if there was any other
proposition; and, there being no response, the
Chairman declared the motion duly carried, aud
and said it gave him very great pleasure indeed
to resign in Mr. Mc kwen's favour. Ile then left
the chair, which was taken by Mr. Mchlwen.

Mr. W. Edwards then rose to propose a vote
of thanks to the late chairman (Mr. Henry
Hughes). He had had the pleasure of making
the proposition in the previous year that Mr.
Hughes should take the chair, and he thought
it devolved upon Lim to propose a vote of thanks
to him on this occasion for the excellent manner
in which he bad conducted the business of the
Board. Mr. Hughes had always conducted the
business of the meetings with strict fairness and
impartiability, and had done everything in his
power to keep down the expenses of the town.
He therefore had very great pleasure in pro-
posing a vote of thanks to Mr. Hughes for the
able manner in which he had conducted the
business of the Board during the past year—
(applause).
This was seconded by Mr. Kelly.
Mr. Billingham coincided in the remarks
made by Mr. Edwards with reference to the late
chairman ; and said that Mr. Edwards had shown
great wisdom in proposing him to no chairman
of that Board, as his efficiency had been felt and
acknowledged by all of them.
Mr. McEwen sail it gave him very great
pleasure to add his testimony to that of those
who had already spoken respecting the ability,
carefulness, and thorough business manner in
which Mr. Hughes had carried on the business
during the past year. With regard to himself,
he felt very highly the honour they had dons
him in electing him as chairman for the ensuing
year; and lie should, as far as lay in his power,
do everthing he could to retain that confidence
which they had so generously reposed in him.
They were there to represent the ratepayers,and
net to carry out private schemes of their own.
He believed it had been the sole business of the
Board hitherto to save the pockets of the rate-
payers. In fact, he himself believed that the
board, so far from being extravagant with the
money of the ratepayers, were rather apt at
times to be too parspe mion Many thins
which some of them thought would have been
improvements in the town had not been carried
out simply because they recoiled from putting
the town to expense. He, therefore, hoped the
ratepayers,—who, he was glad to see were so
numerously represented at that meeting—were
satisfied with those whom they had sent as their
representatives at that Board —(eheers). It was
1 a pleasure to them (the Commissioners') to know
that their efforts for the efficient and economic
government of the town were appreciated. He
asked the rttepayers if they thought of any
thing which we; a public question, and likely to
do to the lose. to exercise the right of
eall'ing a public meeting more freely than they