book, they deemed that there were certain rents amounting in the aggregate to £8 12s 9d (all of which were described to be) wholly unrecoverable, some from lapse of time since they were paid, and others the sites of which were not known. Some of these sites (73 in number) the present writer believes he could have pointed out at the time had he known aught of the difficulty.
Lord John Russell censured - E. Strickland re Waste Beach - Municipal Elections
Whether the Secretary of State declined to sanction to entire list of magistrates sent to him because it contained the names of two brothers, Musgrave and Wastel Brisco, was, perhaps, only known to himself, but it is presumable that he was not moved from his purpose by the following rebuke passed on the 5th of April:-
"Resolved that in erasing Wastel Brisco's name from the list of proposed magistrates, Lord John Russell has committed an act of injustice to the Council and an injury to the town, and that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Secretary of State."
At the June meeting a letter was received from Lord John Russell which stated that he would recommend, as desired, a separate Court of Quarter Sessions for the borough, on condition that the Council first put the gaol into a fit state, or build a new one, or contract with the county for the reception of the borough prisoners. It was resolved that the third proposition be adopted.
It has been shewn in a preceding chapter that Mr. Strickland's application for a piece of stone-beach opposite to Breeds place was not granted by the Corporation. The applicant probably thought that he was as much entitled to purchase a site for his coal store near to Mr. Camac's stables as was the latter gentleman to similarly acquire a site for the housing of his horses; or he might have contended, as others had done, that the Corporation has no legal right to the ground. In either case, he made use of a spot immediately in front of some of the best houses in the borough, which under any circumstance was objectionable both to the owners and occupiers. Notice was therefore given to Mr. Strickland to remove within 7 days the coal he had deposited on the stone-beach near to Mr. Bisby's office. This order not being readily complied with, the Council at their August meeting ordered that a case then prepared by the Town Clerk relative to the title to the land called Stone Beach opposite Breeds place be laid before Counsel for an opinion thereon. It being a fact that at sundry times throughout a period of two or three centuries, the Corporation had obtained Counsel's opinion on the Stone-beach question, one would suppose that they were never thoroughly satisfied of the validity of their claim.
Commenting on the November municipal election, the Brighton Guardian - a journal of advanced Liberal sentiments - rejoiced to see the "Old Corporation and Shadwell parties" disjointed, and described them as in "absolute rage" at the result of the East Ward elections. It, however, regretted the election at St. Leonards of Mr. Charles Deudney, and the consequent rejection of Mr. Putland. The proceedings, it contended, were a farce, and the overbearing dictation of Mr. Deudney as well as the conduct of the time-serving Harman, were strongly condemned. The former, although he was the chosen one in a mock-election, was alleged to be ineligible to sit in the Council, and the party to be liable to a heavy fine. At the last meeting of the municipal year the Councillors present were Messrs. Shadwell, Thrope, Ranking, Camac, Deudney, Fermor, Foster, Hannay, Hickes, Amoore, Harman, Inskipp, Mannington, Eldridge, and Putland, all of whom, except the last three, were regarded as Tories. The outgoing Councillors for the East Ward were all defeated in the following November, except Mr. W. Amoore; those losing their elections being Foster, Murray and Hickes, and the new members taking their places being Dr. MacCabe, Thos. Breeds, and J. D. Thwaites. At the meeting on the 9th November, the elect the Mayor and to transact other business, a debate took place on the question of throwing open the meetings to the public. The Conservatives, almost to a man, opposed it, but they were ultimately obliged to capitulate; the new Liberal members, the influence of the Press, and the general pressure from without, being too strong for decent resistance.
It is thought that with the majority of Englishmen a good dinner has a wonderful tendency to soften asperities, and this, perhaps, was the case on that occasion; for, although the cordiality at the Council meeting was not of the best, the Mayor, while dining at the "Swan" the same evening, was supported by about fifty of his friends and opponents.
But the rejection from the Council board of three Conservative members caused a re-awakening of the party to their own interests, and on the 21st of December they endeavoured to establish a new club, under the appellation of "The Hastings and St. Leonards Constitutional Association." There were present Mr. Sutherland-Graeme, Robert Ranking, Wm. Shirley, Joseph Hart, Nelson Williams, C. Shepherd, Rev. - Snowden, Hy. Edlin, Wm. Amoore, T. White, Stephen Welfare, John Russell, George Wingfield, Rev. - Fenner, and others.
Before the close of the year, the question of a harbour was ventilated by a few energetic persons, who wanted the Town Council to take the initiative in getting an engineering survey made of the Crown land. It was argued that the borough funds could not be applied to such a purpose, and that the preliminary expenses must be met by a subscription. In furtherance of the project, a meeting was held at the Royal Oak hotel, when Messrs. Elphinstone and North promised £10 each, and Messrs. S. Putland and G. Thwaites offered to carry the subscription list round the town. What was called the up-town party did not seem to acquiesce in the scheme, and it was known that the Conservative members of the Council were not favourably disposed towards it. Party politics, as some of my readers will remember, were as spicy in those days as they are in the present, and the flavour was not unfrequently a good deal stronger. In the November contests of '36 the so-called Tory element of the Council was considerably diluted, but it was still contended that the harbour proposal would meet with no encouragement until the Council Board became more thoroughly Liberal. This, however, was hardly a charitable view of the case, for, the Council at their December meeting, whilst admitting that they did not feel justified in using the borough funds for such a purpose, resolved that a harbour for small vessels would conduce to the advantage of the borough, and that with a view to ascertain how far such was practicable, a subscription be entered upon, and as soon as it amounted to £100, the Mayor call a special meeting for the further consideration of it. Then, notwithstanding their dubiousness about the legality of spending the borough funds for such purpose, the Council voted £30 towards the expense of a survey.
Political Jeu d'esprit - Capt. Daniels Death - Old Town Commissioners
In the exuberance of party feeling, an endeavour was made to persuade the public that the "Loyal and Constitutional Association" which the Conservatives established as above stated, was but a nine day's won-
