seconder. Ald. Ross could not understand why Putland wished the Council to go westward. It was perfectly ridiculous to suppose they were afraid of Mr. Frewen. [Hear, hear.] The Council would claim the whole beach from the western end of St. Leonards right down to Bulverhithe. The Committee were unanimous in the matter and had decided to commence on this part of the beach, but they wished to settle the question as amicably as possible. They were only seeking to recover their rights for which they had paid rent to the Crown for 300 years. [To most persons it would seem strange that any persons should pay rent for what was their own property. It has yet to be learnt that when the Government built the towers on the said ground, that the Corporation was asked for permission, and that when the railway company constructed their line across the said beach the Corporation was consulted. The Hastings fishermen who used to dry their nets there always contended that the rent paid to Government was on their behalf.] The Town Clerk said there was a letter received from Mr. Young on behalf of Mr. Eversfield, disputing the title of the Council to that portion of the beach which it had been agreed to let to Mr. Tutt, and requesting to know how the Council proposed to establish their claim to the same. In the Committee’s report, which was adopted as against Mr. Putland’s amendment, it was recommended that the Council’s reply should be that they were unwilling to enter into any correspondence on the subject, but that instead of acting vexatiously towards Mr. Eversfield, would like that some steps should be taken to try the question by a friendly suit. – At a later meeting (July 6th) Alderman Ross asked if any explanation could be given respecting the western stonebeach? He also alluded to some arrangement which he thought had been made between their Clerk and Mr. Eversfield’s solicitor, with regard to sending a joint case to Mr. Welsby for his opinion thereon, so as to settle the matter amicably. The clerk said he had obtained an opinion and Mr. Young, Mr. Eversfield’s solicitor had also sent up a case. Mr Young and himself (Mr. Growse) could not agree on the subject, the former considering that the Council had acted in a very improper manner in taking possession of the ground when it was already in possession of Mr. Eversfield. The Stonebeach Committee thought it would be imprudent at present to make known what steps had been taken; but the matter was progressing as fast as it could be got on with.
Groynes and Wharfing
At the meeting on Feb. 3rd, the Stonebeach Committee reported that the
