The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-08-07 00:00:00

THE LYE.

At the Public Office, yesterday, before Colonel
Fletcher Hon. C. G.Lyttelton, andJ. B. Cochrane,
Esq., Albert Lloyd, (14), residing at the Thornes,
was charged with maliciously shooting Maria
Beesley (18), on the 4th inst, with intent to do her
grevious bodly harm. Mr. Addison,who appeared
to prosecute, said that he wished to make an
application for an adjournment as the prosecutrix
was very ill and unable to attend, and he was
afraid she would not be able to attend for ten
days.—Mr. Homer who appeared for the defence,
said he had no objections, but would ask the bench
to bail the prisoner out. As there was no object-
tion, prisoner was remanded to Brierly Hill, on
Monday next, bail being accepted—himself in .C5O,
and two sureties in £25 each.

SOUTH STAFFORDSHIRE MINES' DRAINAGE
COMMISSIONERS.
The first statutory meeting of the South Stafford-
shire Mines' Drainage Commissioners was held on
Wednesday, at the offices, Darlington Street, Wol-
verhampton. There were present Messrs. G. Barker
(chairman), Walter Williams, J.P., W. Williams,
M.P. Grazebrook, J. B. Cochrane, B. Whitehouse,
David Groucate, G. W. Sparrow, E. Fisher Smith,
J. P. Hunt, J. E. Swindell, G. W. Hastings, G. W.
Dowdeswell, Q.C., (arbitrator), J. Holcroft, and W.
Bassano ; Messrs. H. Underhill and H. Fowler, law
clerks to the Commissioners.
Mr. G. Barker was unanimously re-appointed
Chairman of the Board for the ensuing year.
Mr. Barker thanked the Board for the honour
conferred upon him by reappointing him as chairman
of the Board.
The annual report of the General Purposes Com-
mittee was adopted. From this it appears that the
arbitrators are still dealing with the Rivers Tame
and Stour, from thar outlets to the heads of the
several tributaries. Theyrecommended the removal
of the mill weirs on the Tame, and that the stream
beds be cut down to the lowest levels, and made
watertight. The report minutely described the
works which have been carried out in the several dis-
tricts, and states that great benefit must have been
derived by the different mineuwiters through the dis-
tricts Laving been relieved of large quantities of
water. -
The report of the Finance Committee stated that
after careful consideration the committee were of
opinion that the sum of £30,000 should, in the first
instance, be borrowed; and that after the payment
thereout of the costs and expenses which are directed
by the Act to be defrayed out of capital, the balance
should be applied in aid of the cost of the permanent
surface works which hava been executed during the
past year. They have accordingly arranged with
their bankers for such a loan at five per cent., inter-
est, the first general drainage rate was made on the
17th of August, 1874, for the year ending sth of
August, 1875, and was payable in two half-yearly
instalments. The committee are of opinion that all
the expenses of the commissioners and arbitrators
up to the 31st of December,lB74, should be defrayed
out of the capital. The gross amount of the general
drainage rate is £26,222 13s. 7d., that of this sum
£22,326 16s. 3d. had been received up to the 30th
of June."
Th:. report was unanimously adopted.
Mr. Dowdswell said he wished to make a few
remarks respecting the execution of the works.
An opinion seemed to prevail that they were being
carried out upon a myth larger scale than they
should be. It should be fully understood that the
commissioners as well as_upon the arbitrators, who
recommended to the commissioners such works as
they considered might have effecutsally carried
out in accordance with the Act—effectual with re-
gard to the security of the mines, and effecutal
in regard to the security of the people. They had
not only to take into consideration the interest of
mine owners but to deal with streams, forin carry-
ing out the works the interference with streams
of water necessitated an increase in the low, and
it was therefore their duty to take care thot pro-
perty situated in the neighbourhood of those
streams was not interfered with by the body cf
water which was brought down. In the execution
of the works they had incurred a serious responsi-
bility, for anybody who took upon himself to in-
terfere with the natural course of a stream did so
at the peril of pa)ing compensation to any owner
whose property he night injure. The arbitrators
had been careful to avoid the difficulties he had
described. Under these circumstances they had
thought it necessary to provide sound banks in
order to protect the overthrow of loods, which
were certain to occur. During the present season
there had been a large overflow of water, and ac-
cording to the report, it would be seen that the
water-courses had overflowed their boundaries, and
if it had not been for the safety banks erected in
connection with the works, general floods would
have occured, and considerable damage done to
property. At the present moment the whole of
the water which it was contemplated to collect
had not been got together; consequently what
they now experienced was ony a foretaste of what
they might expee some time hereafter. Mr.
Hawkesley had given it as his opinion that the
floods of the summer never equalled the foods of
winter, and that the flood of January might more
than double the flood of July. Under those
circumstances it might happen that in January or
February next they would have inn& larger floods,
and a greater responsibility • wouldbo in-
curred if the streams overflowed their banks
and damage was occasioned to property. If such
was the case everyone would blame them for it.