hear.) He thought, therefore, they could not do wrong in supporting this resolution. If their officers were wrongly named, let them change those names. Their expenditure, he feared, would increase to a greater extent than some of them would like, and it became them, as holding the control of the finances of the town, to see that they themselves were doing their duty to those whom they represented. They should also see that the work which they undertook was done in the most economical and in the best arranged manner.

Mr. Ald. BELL agreed with what had fallen from Mr. Sanderson. He was one of those who promoted the election of an engineer-inchief, but when he gave in his adhesion to the appointment of that officer, he did so in the firm expectation that they were appointing an officer superior to any one in the pay of the Corporation. (Hear, hear.) It was no use being mealy-mouthed in matters like that. He had no doubt in his own mind that words and figures were utterly inadequate to express the great amount of inconvenience which resulted from the present anomalous state of things, which he was quite certain no private concern would allow to exist for one moment. They had all experienced the unpleasant nature of the feeling which existed between Mr. Bryson, their Town Surveyor, and their engineer. Who was answerable for that state of things it was not for him to say. With regard to St. John's Lane, he would remind Mr. Morrison that a man could not be both a competent engineer and at the same time an experienced architect. Besides, a severe lesson had been learnt in the erection of that celebrated building in which they were assembled; and in what had been done in advertising for plans they were distrusting, not the taste of their engineer or architect, but the taste of the Council itself. (Hear, hear.) Therefore, he for one was anxious that in constructing an important approach to the town, they should do nothing rashly, but that they should, so far as they could, assure themselves of assistance from such a quarter that there could be no manner of doubt with regard to the result. Mr. Morrison and Mr. Gregson had let drop an expression which seemed to him rather objectionable. He had suggested that they should review their officers as the Government did their marines and their soldiers; and his friend, Mr. Gregson, spoke of condemning some of them as they would do rotten ships. That, he imagined, could not be done by any casual inspection. They must satisfy themselves by their own experience as to whether their officers were efficient and equal to the discharge of their duties. If they then found that their servants were inefficient, he said let them get others, and that immediately. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. MORRISON said his motion had been received with such unanimity that it behoved him to make but a very few remarks in reply. He merely wished to say, in answer to his friend, Mr. Plummer, that in the observations which he had submitted with respect to the engineer, he did not intend to cast any slur whatever upon that gentlemen. He simply complained of the system as a system. By the review of their officers, he meant an examination to be tested by

their acts, and by the inquiry of the committee which he was about to propose should be appointed-whether they discharged properly the positions to which they had been respectively appointed. Perhaps their choice had not been well justified by the result; and perhaps they were not fit for the offices which they occupied. Those were all matters which would be inquired into.

Mr. Ald. BELL said that in taking the course they did with regard to St. John's Lane, the Finance Committee had no intention whatever of throwing any doubt upon their own engineer. There was a plan submitted to them, but the committee did not like to undertake upon their own responsibility the recommendation of that plan to the public. They, therefore, adopted the course pursued by the Corporation of London, and other large municipal bodies, who had their own engineers, by inviting competition.

The motion was then passed unanimously, the committee appointed being the Mayor, the Sheriff, Aldermen Wilson, Bell, and Dodds, and Messrs. Sanderson, Tone, Gregson, Mawson, and Morrison.

NEW STREETS.

Mr. Ald. WILSON presented a list of streets which had been completed under the Town Improvement Act of 1853, for confirmation by the Council, so far as relates to the assessment of the expenses incurred upon the owners, viz. :-Back Napier and York Street, Alexandra Place, Alexandra Terrace, Back Alexandra Place, Back Alexandra Place and Marianople Street, Back Alma Street and Marianople Street, and Back Alexandra Terrace and Carolina Terrace. He stated that since the application of their new Town Improvement Act, 108 new streets had been brought under the powers of the committee, at an estimated cost of £28,520. Up to the 1st of May (that day), £12,607 had been received. There were 45 streets now in progress, and 14 had been entirely finished.

Mr. H. PARKER seconded the motion, which was unanimously carried.

PANDON DENE DRAIN.

Mr. Ald. WILSON moved-"That an order of Council be made for the formation of a drain through Pandon Dene, according to the Town Surveyor's specification, and assessment of the expenses upon the parties liable for the same." He stated that the chief portion of the expense would have to be borne by the owners of the property. The motion was also formally agreed to.

FORMATION OF STREETS.

Mr. Ald. WILSON moved-"The application of the provisions of the Newcastle-upon-Tyne Improvement Act, 1865, relating to the formation of new streets to the streets undermentioned. That such

streets be sewered, paved, and flagged with the materials, according to the manner and levels specified by the Town Surveyor in his estimate of the costs attending the several works, within one calendar month from the 1st day of June, 1867. That such estimates be adopted and confirmed by the Council, and that the requisite notices be forthwith given to the respective owners as required by the Act."

6-inch Branch Drains to each separate Property or Plot of Ground.

The motion was carried.

£1,199 6 11

THE VEGETABLE MARKET.

Mr. Ald. BELL moved "That the rules, orders, and regulations for the government of the butcher and vegetable and general markets, made and ordained by the Council on the 7th day of February, 1838, so far as the same constitute Grainger Street, Clayton Street, Nelson Street, and Nun Street part of the said markets, be repealed, and that the out-door market be confined to Green Court. That the officers having jurisdiction in the said streets and market be instructed to carry the foregoing order into effect."

Mr. H. ANGUS seconded the motion.

Mr. BARKAS suggested that at the height of the vegetable season the recess to the west of the market might with advantage be appropriated to the carts.

Mr. Ald. BELL: We can do that as we want the recess.

The motion was then carried.

THE SHIPWRECKED MARINERS' SOCIETY.

Mr. Ald. BELL moved a grant of £25 out of the Corporate funds towards the Shipwrecked Mariners' presented by the secretary at last

Society, in terms of the appeal Council meeting. He could not

say, so far as their own position was concerned, that that was any argument why the prayer of the petition should be granted. That, at all events, was the recommendation of the committee.

Mr. MORRISON said that with £10,000 in debt, and thus to begin to be charitable, was a course that they would not, in their private capacity, think of pursuing. This should be a question for private charity. Do not let them dispense the money of their constituents in charity. Let them do it themselves.

Mr. GREGSON begged to second this proposition. They had been told that they had a great many sins. As "charity covers a multitude of sins," he would support the motion on that ground. (A laugh.) This town was largely engaged in shipping; and it ought to contribute to such an object.

The motion was then put and carried, and the Council adjourned till the first Wednesday in June.

ADJOURNED MEETING.

WEDNESDAY, JUNE 5, 1867.

AN Adjourned Meeting of the Council was held to-day in the Council Chamber, Town Hall Buildings-Mr. Ald. Dodds, in the absence of the Mayor, presiding. The following were the other members who were present:-Aldermen Blackwell, Philipson, Sillick, Laycock, Ridley, Nichol, and Wilson; the Sheriff; Councillors Curry, Dagget, Burrell, J. Robinson, Hunnam, Parker, Gregson, T. Robinson, Dickinson, Mawson, M'Allum, G. Stewart, Temple, jun., Scott, Oliver, Harle, Harford, W. Stewart, Barkas, Hutchinson, J. Angus, Newton, Brown, Morrison, Charlton, Falconar, Plummer, Dove, Pollard, G. Forster, Beck, Clark, Sanderson, Tone, Potter, and Smith. The minutes of the previous meeting were read and confirmed,

THE RESIGNATION OF THE TOWN CLERK.

The TOWN CLERK, after he had read the minutes of the previous meeting, turned to the Deputy-Mayor and said: I now place in your hands my resignation of office, to be dealt with by the Council as they shall see fit. My official life has been prolonged a few weeks longer than I intended, by my feeling myself pledged to carry through certain pending matters, which I have since been able to carry out.

The DEPUTY-MAYOR: I am sure you have done your duty; and we wish you long life and health.

The TOWN CELRK: I am much obliged to you, but I cannot expect to be exempted much longer from the infirmities of old age. (After a brief pause): Perhaps the most convenient course will be for the Council to appoint a day for accepting the resignation and filling up the office. There might be an inconvenience arising from having the office vacant, which would be the case if the resignation were accepted to-day; and it occurred to me that that would be the most convenient course for the Council now to adopt to fix a day on which they would meet to accept the resignation and appoint the

successor.

Mr. Ald. Nichol moved that they meet on the first Wednesday in July to make the appointment