to sell it for £200, the sum he gave for it, but he would make an abatement of £20. Coun. Putland was willing that the West should contribute to the improvement of the East. A great improvement had been effected at the Elms, and he would be willing that an additional £25 should be offered to Mr. Cousens. His amendment was lost by 11 to 5, and the original offer of £100 only was carried. Someone suggested acquiring the property by means of the Land Clauses Consolidation Act, but no notice was taken of this, and probably from the recollection of the Clerk’s explanation of the necessary process in applying that Act to some other shops at East parade that were wanted to be cleared away for public improvement. Mr. Growse on that occasion explained that certain notices must be given in the newspapers, after which a petition must be presented to the Secretary of State, stating what was required, upon which a Government officer would be sent down to institute an inquiry, and when reported, a sum to be paid to the owner would be fixed, and a special Act of Parliament would have to be passed. It is pretty evident, then that such a process would have cost a good deal more than even the £200 which Mr. Cousens first demanded, to say nothing of his abatement.
Bye Laws. At a previous meeting (April 1st) the Clerk said he had received from the Home Office a series of bye-laws which were rendered necessary in consequence of the repeal of the 53rd and 72nd sections of the Local Board of Health Act, having reference to the drainage of new buildings, levels of new streets, etc. The new Act gave greater powers than they previously had, and himself and the surveyor had gone through the new bye-laws. A sub-committee was appointed to examine them also. The Committee afterwards reported that they had had an interview with a deputation from the builders, who said that several clauses in the bye-laws, if carried out would seriously affect the interests of the ratepayers, and in many cases would be impracticable. The Committee after hearing the objections were of opinion that it would be desirable to modify some of the clauses and therefore recommended that the bye-laws should not be sent to the Secretary of State for confirmation (should there be a word here e.g.until) they had again looked over them. Surveyor’s Application. At the April meeting, Mr. Laing, the Borough Surveyor, applied for permission to accept an unsolicited offer to become architect and surveyor to the Eversfield Estate, promising that his duties as the Borough Surveyor should in no way be neglected; also to be allowed to take private practice, with such reduction in his salary as they might consider fair. Coun. Vidler remarked that when the drainage works were about the Local Board wanted a man of experience and they agreed to give Mr. Laing what he himself cons-
