The Sun.
London, England, 1864-01-13 00:00:00

NEWSPAPER

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THE PEOPLE'S PARK, BIETriIIiGIAAIL

The question as to the completion of the purchase
of As4ou Park was again before the Town Council
of Birmingham at a meeting of that body held yes-
terday. Since the last d.iscussion on the ciubject
took place, a "report" has been prepared by a com-
mittee, which enters fully into all the detai:s of Ilia
Low unhappily notorious affair. This document
occupies no less than 45 pages. It would, however,
serve no purpose here to give CVC:II an outline of the
contents. The extent to which the town stands
committed to purchase the park is shown by the
following extract from the address read to her Ma-
jesty on the occasion of her attendance to open
the park :
In some towns in your Majasty's dominions public parks
have wisely been provided by wealthy corporations, in others
by the munificence of philanthropic citizens. Here, also,
we are indebted to private liberality for two places of recrea •
lion for the people; but to Birmingham alone has it been
given to secure by her own exertions an ancient park for
the physical relaxation—an ancient hall for the mental cul-
tivation—of her variously employed and laborious popula-
tion.

Your Majesty will, we believe, be gratified to learn that
Aston-hall and Park have been acquired for the most part
by the industry and economy of the people themselves. Of
the money required for this purpose a large proportion has
been subscribed by the working classes—a circumstance
which we venture tl hope will not be without interest and
satisfaction to your Majesty.

This address was signed by the Mayor of Bir-
mingham fol.. the time being, by Mr. Alderman
Lloyd, Mr. Thomas A. Att wood, Mr. Charles Halle
Bracebridge, by several other gentlemen of local
consideration and distinction, and in addition to
these were the signatures of the persons styling
themselves " the interim managers" for effecting
the purchase.

The people of Birmingham have felt keenly and
indignantly the way in which the town appears in
the eyes of the country to have been compromised by
the unauthorised pledge given to the Qaeen by cer-
tain officials in reference to the purchase of the park
during the arrangements in course of her Majesty's
visit. The park was, as is well known, in the hands
of a joint stock company. Of this her Majesty was
made aware ; but the difficulty of a Royal visit under
such circumstances was removed by the assurance
given by the then Mayor in a letter to the Secretary
of State, signed officially. It now appears that this
was done without authority, but it pledged the coup-
cil to the purchase of the park should the company fail,
The company has failed, and the town council not
having purchased, a blot has been thrown upon the
public spirit, good faith, and loyalty of the town.
As has been said, this is deeply felt, and whatever
the merits of the park scheme in the abstract the
general feeling is that the park and hall must now
be bought. The main difficulty—that the price
would almost absorb the legally available moneys
of the council in this department—has been nobly
met by an act of public spirit on the part of a few
of the leading men in the town which will, it is
hoped, satisfy her Majesty that a portion at least of
her Birmingham subjects are alive to a sense of
honour and of what is due to their Sovereign for her
condescension in visiting the town in 1858. In the
course of the last few days Mr. George Dixon (of
the firm of Rabone Brothers) and the Rev. Dr. Mil-
ler, the rector, have exerted themselves to secure
the co-operation of a few others. The result is that a
free gift of £7,000 has been raised amongst a few
persons, and has been offered to the town council as
a supplement to the municipal funds. The gentle-
men who have in this way come forward are :
Messrs. A. and G. Dixon, £2,000; Mr. Thataw,
Lloyd, M.P. for Barnstaple, £l,OOO ; Mr. G.
Muntz, £1,000; Miss Ryland, £1,000; Mr. W.
Middlcraore, £500; Messrs. R. and E. Greaves,
£500; Messes. Archibald and Timothy Kenrick,
£5OO ; Messrs. G. B. and S. Lloyd, £2OO ; Messrs,
A. and D. Evans, £2OO ; C. and J. Shaw, £lOO.
The foregoing was made known to the town
council yesterday in the following communica-
tion :

Birmingham, Jan. 11.

Mr. Mayor,.—Wo the undersigned inhabitants of Bir•
mingharn respectfully represent to the town council that our
anxious attention has been drawn to the position in which
the question as to the purchase of Aston-hall and park now
stands.

The park having been opened by our most gracious and
beloved Sovereign on a day which for its display of heart-
felt and enthusiastic loyalty will long be memorable in the
annals of the town and district, was dedicated by her Ma.•
jesty the Queen to the use of the people.
It is undeniable that her Majesty had previously received
an assurance that under every contingency Aston Park
would be secured to the people for ever.
We wish entirely to abstain from any statement or re-
mark which would reflect upon any individual or upon any
body of persons whatever. We wish also entirely to disclaim
any at tempt to interfere by external pressure with the free
judgment of our local representatives. But as we believe it
to be the general conviction of our fellow-townsmen that
ultimately the hall and park must be purchased, and the
wish of her Gracious Majesty carried out, and as we are of
opinion that delay would zob the purchase of its grace, we
are anxious to relieve the council, as far as our efforts have
enabled us to do so, from what appears to be their main dif-
ficulty—namely, that the whole sum required would nearly
absorb for one park the available resources of the council
for expenditure in this department.
In the hope that our efforts may facilitate the only
decision which appears to us to be compatible with the
loyalty and fair fame of our town—namely, the immediate
purchase of the hall and park for the use of the people for
ever—we have much pleasure, Mr. Mayor, in respectfully
requesting you to inform the council that should they do-
cide within a reasonable period—not later than the end o►f
February—to purchase the hall and park, wo are autho-
rised to place at the disposal of the council the sum of
£7,000, which is presented by the donors specified in the
subjoined list in the proportions attached to their names
respectively, each donor making the donation contingent on
no other condition than the early consent of the council to
purchase the hall and the whole of the park from the mu-
nicipal funds.—We have the honour, &c.

Signed by the Rev. Dr. Miller, Mr. Gorge Dixon, and
others of the donors,

The foregoing having been read and ordered to be en.
tered on the minutes,
Mr. Alderman HAWKES moved

That,' in order to secure the realisation of her Most
Gracious Majesty's expectation and desire that Aston Park
(which was publicly opened by the Queen) shall be perma-
nently secured as a place for the healthy exercise and ra-
tional recreation of the industrious classes, and in COMIAC
m oration of the auspicious visit of her Majesty and her
illustrious Consort the Prince Albert to this borough oer
the 15th day of June, ISSB, it is expedient that the park be'
purchased by this council; and for this purpose that the
Estate and Buildings Committee be authorised and in-
structed to treat for and buy (at a sum net exceeding
£26,000) the said park and the hall and other buildings
standing thereon, as now or late held and occupied by tho
Aston-hall and Park Company, and to do and execute all
necessary acts and deeds that may be necessary to vest the
same in the corporation, under the provisions of " The Bir-
mingham Parks Act, 1854."
Mr. Alderman MANTON seconded the resolution-

An amendment was moved by Mr. GooDRWK, to
the effect that the council was in no way pledged
to purchase the park. This was seconded by Air.
BRINSLEY. Several other amendments were moved,
each of them with the object to avoid the purchase,
and a debate ensued. which lasted several hours.

Sir JOHN RATCLIFF, who was Mayor at the time
her Majesty visited the town, vindicated himself as
to the course he pursued. Circumstances had, he
said, undoubtedly altered as regarded the purchase
of the park, but at the time all was enthusiasm,
and no one doubted the result. The letter to the
Home-office, written by the town•clerk, and signed
by him (Sir John) as Mayor, was, he insisted,
worded in a proper spirit.
The result was that no vote was taken on the
original resolution, and any decision was postponed
until the next meeting of the council.

PRIZE DESIGNS.—" Undoubtedly, however, tho floe"
show in this respect is made by Benson,'
who offered prizes
for designs for watchcases at the South Kensington MusetTs+
and who by this means has secured some of the most e:c
or
quisite •
nameutal details for watch cases that are shown 11l
the building."—Times, May 7, ISO?. Chronometer,
lever, horizontal, repeater 4, centre seconds, keyless, to splall
it
seconds, and every description of watch, adapted duple,
climates. Belson's illustrated pamphlet on watches (free by
post for two stamps)contains a short history of watchmaking,
with prices, from 3to 200 guineas each. It acts as a guide in
the purchase of a watch, and enables those who live in any
part of the world to select a watch, and have it scut safe by
post. Prize medal and honourable mention, classes 33 And
15. J. W. Benson, 33 and 34, Ludgate-hill, London. Etqa
Wished 1749. Watch and clock maker by special Warrant 0/
appointment to LULU. the Prince 01 wale!.