The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-08-08 00:00:00

tocal ;nth istritt

EL OTION OF A BURIAL BOARD
FOR STOURBRIDOE AN!, PPER
SWINFO,:II.

• )11 T 11,•••,.. :1U1.,r , W. sting was held
oi toe Corn xchauge, fur the purpose of elect-
ing a litnial Board for Upper Swinford and
Stourbridge. There wore not more than eighty
persons present. It vi bo rewelubered that a
voil was taken on the question a short time ago,
and the ratepayers then decisively pronounced
for the cemetery. Since then the Secretary of
Kate for the Hume Department has issued an
order fur the election of a Burial Board, and the
m •eting was called to carry the business a fur-
ther stage. The Rev. H. Sherrard pre.d.ti, and
there acre tut,' present tee Rev. 1). Magiuom,
Messrs. Bernard, Perry, Billiugham, Wall, Kelly,
Anney, &.c.,
Mr. Waterman (from the office of Messrs. Bur-
nerd and King) read the the notice calling the
meeting, after which

Mr. Prescott complained that the terms of the
notice were such as to deceive the ratepayers.
It said the meeting was convened for the pur-
pose of electing a number of ratepayers, not be-
ing less than three or more that. uiue, owners of
real property, to form a Burial Board for Upper
Swinford sod Stirtirtiridge. This showed that
this had been none to neceive the ratepayers,
aid WilS not in accordance with the act. There
was not a syllable in the Act to the effect that
the persons elected on the Burial Board should
be ratepayers in resp,ct of real property. Ile
said that was a peice of deception, and a demi.
tion that ought not to be practised upon tioit
parish and the parish of Upper Swinford. With
regard to that meeting being held there at eleven
o'clock that day, he challenged any one to show
that th.ire had been it single notice placed upon
that building (the Corn Exchange). It was true
they had had them fixed upon a kw of the
churches, but ho maintained there should have
ben one ...flixi•d to the doors of the building they
were in ; and he kilow of instances where Boards
id lest actions through the notices not having
been no affixed. As far is tll,l letter front the
Secretary of State w as concerned, it had ito bear.
tag upon that meetiog fie Lad a letter from
the Secretary of State in which he said he did
not decide .bether the was legal or not.
here Witi Mr Galosh rouge .rwarit, he did
uot go behind Ms back to sit- d. woo wits no more
churchwarden of Oldswinford 1,1,11,0 (Mr. Pr,
cut') was, or any other gentlendm in the room.
L. t t ~luicjut. I, 0 ia ihu'ywould
show.

The chaiman here told Mr. Prescott that he
should not go into th tt gueadqn, as it had been
raised lat fore.

Mr. Presiaitt : I will raise it again.
The chaivinan ee.id he did not see anything in
Mr. Prescott's objections. The meeting was
called to elect a Burial Board for Upper Swinford
and Stourbridge. Her Maji s• y's principal Sec-
retary of State for the Home Department had
given his sanction and order for such a Board
to be elected, and it was not necessary for him to
occupy them at any time on the subject. Their
sole object was to elect a Burial Board, and to
elect as gond a Board as they could. He thought
• g .0d Board would consist of gentlemen who
would not think a cemetery for that place might
be put in any place, and ex,ented in any way.
He would rather have those who would have it
put down in convc i •nt situation, and in a
pleasing wio . so that persees might have plea-
sure in visiting it and looking at the last resting
place of their deceased friends. He thought
that would he one gnaification of a good Burial
Board, that they would provide a cemetery that
should be an ornament to the town—(hear, hear).
They should also be men of business, who would
transact the affairs with anich they had to deal
with due economy, and without unnecessary
waste of funds. They should be men in whom
their fellow-townsmen had confidence, tried men
who enjoyed the respect of their fellow citizens.
He thought those would be very necessary quali-
fications for those composing the Board. It
wont be for those present to propose persons to
form the Burial Bo ird f .r Upper Swinford and
Stourbridge. The tonnher et persona on tile
Board might be as low as three, or as many as
nine, but whatever proposition WM made it maid