Wood. The price asked was £10,000. The Clerk had seen the lease, with its map and plans, the offer had been made through Mr. John Philips, a solicitor, and Mr. Young, a solicitor had assured the Clerk that all the preliminaries set forth in the document had been settled between Mr. Eversfield and Mr. Clark. It was discovered that Clark had obtained an additional piece of land by which he could secure to himself the spring at Buck’s Hole, usually known as Dr MacCabe’s, from which the Board were getting a supply. The prevalent feeling of the meeting appeared to be “Let him do it if he can, but we believe he can’t.” It being understood that nothing could be done with the present offer beyond referring it to the Water Committee, the remainder of the meeting was mainly occupied with the object for which it was specifically called. Councillors Putland and Howell had both changed their views in relation to the proposed new reservoir, and agreed that it would be much better to make it on higher ground, that the water might find its way by gravitation, instead of having to be pumped up from so low a level. The former speaker was of opinion that instead of spending £2,000 or more in making such a reservoir it would be better to apply that sum to the making of drains and other works at the Ecclesbourne reservoir, where millions of gallons then running into the sea, might be stored at a height of 250 feet above low water. – Couns. Duke corroborated Mr. Putland’s statement as to the large stream running away at Ecclesbourne, and added that if only one fourth of the money now proposed to be spent had been expended in completing the Ecclesbourne works [taken over from the Commissioners] a good supply might long ago have been obtained. In reply to Councillor Winter’s question whether Mr. Putland had ever made a motion for securing that valuable supply? The latter said he had never received encouragement to do so, although he had several times mentioned it in committee. The Council had never looked upon the Ecclesbourne reservoir with any favour; and as it was rather a personal matter in which he, as superintending the work was badly treated, he had not cared to be the one to move in the matter. He explained what he had wished to have seen done, and intimated that a thousand million gallons of water could be obtained on the high levels from the neighbourhood of the Dripping Well. – One member remarked that it could hardly be said that their discussions had amounted to nothing, seeing that Mr. Clark had reduced his figure from £25,000 to £10,000.
At the meeting on the 4th of May, it was resolved not to accept Mr. Clark’s latest offer of £10,000, but to adhere to the Board’s original offer of £8,000.
