The Committee at Work. On the 19th of September the following advertisement appeared:- “Hastings and St. Leonards Floating Harbour Association (Limited), capital £12,000 in shares of £1 each. The public meeting of the 3rd of September having passed unanimous resolutions for the formation of a Floating Harbour on the principal designed by Capt. Adderley Sleigh, K.T.S., and the Committee thus appointed having made a report after full consideration by a sub-committee, chosen for the purpose, expressive of their opinion that such a harbour should be placed off the Old Fishmarket, and from the patronage and support already given to this object, as also from the encouragement offered by the recent recommendation of a select Committee of the House of Lords, before which the Mayor and other authorities of this borough were examined, it is announced that the Association is now being formed to carry out the above mentioned object. Propectuses(sic) with names of Patrons and supporters, with every detail, will shortly be issued. In the mean time, full information on all points, Plans and particulars of amounts already subscribed may be had at the office of the Association, Marine Parade. By Order, Hastings, 19th Sept., 1860.
Comment on the above. The Hastings News, of the same week had the following remarks:- “The Harbour Committee appointed by the public meeting in Hastings is quietly pursuing its studies. Something definite has now been done, - at least, so we learn from an advertisement in today’s News, - and the public are invited to speculate in a £12,000 harbour, the money to be raised in £1 shares. On two suppositions this is a very sensible way of going to work, as it gives men of every class a chance of having a vested interest in the undertaking. Those two suppositions are – First that a harbour is wanted here; and, secondly, that £12,000 will be enough money to make one sufficiently large to be of use to anybody. If it be intended only for experiment we apprehend the inducement will be hardly strong enough to lead many persons to risk even their single pound. In last Friday’s Steam-Shipping Chronicle there is a sketch of some breakwaters of Vice-Admiral Taylor’s designing, and an explanation of their principle. Audi alteram partem.” [Hear the other party.] “We have nothing new to remark on the question, except that we believe the asserted unanimity is a fiction, as we hear that the Rev. W. W. Hume refused to sign the Report.”
Mr. Hume’s Withdrawal. This gentleman, acting on the dictates of his usually good sense, on discovering that the prepondering public opinion was decidedly against the proposed harbour, prac-
