The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-02 00:00:00

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COMMISSIONERS MEETING.

The montlily meeting of this body was held on Mon-
ninny las, : Me. J. McKwen inn the their. There were
also present Messrs. Hughes, Kelly, Woelley, Parker,
Perkins, Young, Mills, Stanley, Orittlths, Allehurch, and
Finance Committee reported that
there was due to the treasurer on the Inagrovement se•
imant, £2115 1s 10:1.; due to the treasurer on the Ilige-
Wlf ne,ount. 1:1711 7e $l. The committee recommended
Line payment of several small !lam.. •rhry had hod a
special mectingjin c :nu:queue° of Mr. Knott listriag ap-
plied Inc a rule to show cause why II ittqfida 81101.11 d
not be iSSUed compelling the Commissioners to 'inbuilt
their accounts to him to be audited. Mr. Shepherd at-
tended the meeting, and advised the committee to re•
rpiest their clerk to write Mr. Knott to the effect that
they had instreeted ban to prepare the sanitary accounts
of 'the Cowinhoti.,lldr6 for the year waling Marsh 30.
1874. and that each accounts would be ready for him
on or after Thursday last. Mr. Knott, replying to
letter forworiled to bile by the Clerk of the Cornell.
xionere upon the question of audit. sold he felt himself
unable to take further action with reference to the
audit of the accounts while the subject was before the
Court of queen's 13encli —Mr. Hughee said he fewred
the pr-sent undertaking would be sa ry expensive, and
ho could not help expressing inns belief that had Mr.
Knott acted with courtesy of a gentleman they might
have been avoided, lie moved the adoption if the re.
port, which use seconded by Mr. itillinghsm, ead car.
red—The Clerk read • letter from Mrnsre. Ilarword.
Shepherd, and Mills, solieiters to the Corenrieeinnere,
recommending the Board to inotruct counsel not to
argue the rule on the teclinicol grounds, but tn eons: nt
to • rule for the andit of the accounts so far as they le•
lated to matters within the scope of the Sawitary Acts.
Counsel had not expressly referred to the question
whether the accounts, as far as they related to
othermatters, ought also lobe :submitted to Mr. Knott's
audit. At present the solicitors thought that such ac-
counts were not subject to his audit, and unless counsel
advised that they clearly were subject to his audit,
they recommended the Commissionero to instruct coun-
sel to argue the rule on that ground, centining the con-
tention to that portion of the aecounts. The auditors
at present were persons copreesly elected for that pur-
pose by the ratepayers), and unless the law has distinctly
varied that mode of audit, they thought it worth con-
tending for—Thu Chtlirlllllll thought it would be well
for the Commissioners to have the point referred to by
their solicitors submitted to counsel, and it they were
of opionion that the whole of the accounts should be
submitted to Mr. Knott. the Board should cease further
action in the matter.—.k resolution wax moved, giving
power to their solicitors to obtain the opinion of coo,.
eel upoo thot point, and to take such other legal pro-
ceedings in the case as they considerd necessory in
the Interesto of the Board.—Mr. Bnllnninanu oeconded
tie motion, which en is unanimously agreed to--The
hierioral Pnrposes Committee reported, analog other
matters, that the tnediesl officer hail notified that the
Oig Mill dedrict was without draino, god that there
was • dirty ditch along the front of some lotnues