The Northern Daily Times.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-11-18 00:00:00

SALFORD TOWN COUNCIL

An adjourned quarterly meeting of the Salford Town
Council was held in the Council Chamber, Town-Hall,
Salford, on Wednesday morning. The chair was occupied
by his Worship the MAYOR (William Ross, Esq.)

LLOR T

The TOWN-CLERK having read the minutes of proceed-
ings at the last meeting, proceeded to read two letters from
Mr. Councillor Thompson (who had been recently elected
councillor for St. Stephen's Ward), in one of which he
begged to resign the office of ward-assessor for Blackfriars'
Ward, and in the other, resigning his office of councillor for
St. Stephen's Ward.

Mr. 'Councillor SANKEY moved that the resignations of
both offices, held by Mr. Thompson, be accepted.
Mr. Councillor HOLMES seconded the resolution.

Mr. Alderman HEELIS apprehended it was a question
whether the council should, under the circumstances, take
any notice of the matter. Mr. Thompson had placed him-
self in the position which he occupied, and the question
was, whether he should not be left to act as he thought
proper, in order to get rid of the difficulties by which he
was surrounded, without the intervention of the council.
But probably the town-clerk would give some explanation
of the matter.

Mr. Councillor SANKEY said, probably the gentlemen
present would remember that Mr. Thompson stated at the
first meeting after the election (on the Ist of November),
that he had made inquires as to the position he (Mr.
Thompson) occupied. According to the advice of the town-
clerk, the accept ince of the office of ward-assessor for Black-
friars' Ward did not disqualify Mr. Thompson from being
elected a councillor for any ward in the borough. But it
appeared from some further inquiries Mr. Thompson had
made, that the information he had received from the town-
clerk was not correct—at least, so he was informed by his
own legal adviser, and the course which Mr. Thompson has
taken was recommended by his legal adviser
The TowN-CLERK

iid it was usual to ace ept the re-
signation of a Councillor, when certain circumstances had
arisen, such as illness of the councillor, his being about to
leave the town, or difficulties connected with pecuniary
matters, and so on. And if Councillor Thompson had sent in
Rimnly of thaapffice of councillor, then it
would. have been uneterstooa b 11111/bell avuiu
difficulties ; but the question was, why did he send in his
resignation of the office of assessor for Blackfriars' Ward, a
new election for which would put the council to additional
expense. He would advise the council to accept the resig-
nation of Mr. Thompson as councillor, under the circum-
stances in which he was placed. But it was quite a differ-
ent matter with regard to the acceptance of the resignation

The MAYOR : No reason has been assigned in either of
the notices for the resignation.

The TOWN-CLERK :No ; but a reason has been indicates
as to the reason why the office of councillor has been
resigned. '

Mr. Councillor SANKEY said, Mr. Thompson asked the
town-clerk whether his being ward-assessor would disqualify
him from being elected councillor for any of the wards in
the borough, and the town clerk gave Mr. Thompson to
understand that the acceptance of the office of ward-assesor
would not interfere with his acceptance of the office of
councillor, if elected to that office by any of the wards in
the borough. And believing that what the town-clerk told
him was in accordance with the act of parliament, he
accepted the office of councillor, to which he was elected by
the burgesses of Blackfriars' Ward ; but finding from his
own legal adviser that that information was incorrect, he
had resigned the office of councillor.