had been done about any other plans, that was entirely beside the question. The question was with reference to the report presented by Mr. Harle. They wanted to know what additional expense would be incurred by the proposition he now made to them.

had said £50 a year.

Mr. HARLE: £50 will be the cost of these alterations.

Mr. Harle

Mr. SANDERSON understood that the van would cost about another £50.

Mr. HARLE said he had not alluded to a van.

Mr. SANDERSON: That may have been my mistake. We should, however, be informed by next meeting what will be the cost of that matter. We will then be in a position to see whether we can adopt the report.

Mr. G. FORSTER objected to any such proposition at present. If he thought it was, bona fide, for the purpose of getting information, he should be the last to shut any gentlemen up from making such a proposition. But he objected to it on the ground of not having notice. It was done not to meet any bona fide requirement, but simply to delay the carrying out of the scheme already sanctioned by the Council.

Mr. Ald. WILSON disclaimed any intention of delaying the work. He only asked for information as to the expense of the proposed alterations.

Mr. HARLE said he was not sure that the question of a van would come within the province of his committee. It seemed to be more within the province of the Watch Committee.

The discussion then dropped, and the report was received.

THE PROJECTED ENLARGEMENT OF THE GAOL.

Mr. FALCONAR requested that the report on this subject which came next in order for consideration might stand over. The Government Inspector had been down, and he left word that he would write a note to the Mayor on the subject. The question had better stand over till they had that communication.

Agreed to.

RESIGNATION OF MR. ALD. PHILIPSON.

The TOWN CLERK said he had just received the resignation of the office of Alderman held by Mr. Philipson. It might be accepted either at that meeting or at the next.

Mr. GREGSON moved that the resignation be accepted at that meeting. On his own part and that of others, he begged to tender him their most heartfelt thanks for his great and arduous services

during the long time he had been a Councillor and an Alderman of the borough. (Applause.) He was sure they all must rejoice to learn that those services were likely to be continued to them in another shape. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Ald. NICHOL had great pleasure in seconding the motion.

Mr. Ald. WILSON inquired when the Aldermanic vacancy would require to be filled up?

The TOWN CLERK said it would have to be filled up within ten days after the acceptance of the resignation; but it was quite immaterial whether it was accepted at that or the next meeting.

Mr. GREGSON thought it would hardly be fair to Mr. Philipson not to accept his resignation at once. If it were put off a number of aspiring members would be going in for the sweepstakes, but they would find themselves disappointed. They should, therefore, accept the resignation at once.

Mr. Ald. NICHOL thought there was no fear of any harm being done, and was willing to wait till next meeting if necessary.

Mr. PLUMMER moved as an amendment that the acceptance be deferred till next meeting. There was no practical hurry, in his opinion, for taking the step just now.

Mr. CURRY seconded the amendment.

Mr. Jos. CowEN, jun., said he should like to know why, when a gentleman tendered his resignation in the way Ald. Philipson had done, that it should not be accepted at once. There must be some reason for that. He should support Mr. Gregson's proposition.

Mr. G. FORSTER said it had been the custom when any gentleman had wished to be relieved from office to accept his resignation at once. He did not express any opinion as to what might be meant by Mr. Plummer as to what they intended to do, or what might be conveyed by that expression. He simply thought it an act of fairness to the gentleman asking them to accept his resignation, that they should do so. If there had been any intimation in that letter, that such was conveyed from another source, he should have been disposed, as it was his own affair, to have readily acquiesced in it. Inasmuch, however, as this was a simple resignation, and as it had been the invariable-and, he thought, proper practice of that Council -to receive it, he should certainly vote for its immediate acceptance.

Mr. MORRISON: Supposing a case occurred in which a town clerk gave in his resignation, could he be appointed an alderman whilst he held the office?

The TOWN CLERK: No.

Mr. HARLE: Nor whilst he was clerk of the peace.

The TOWN CLERK: If the inquiry has any personal reference, allow me to observe that the present town clerk will not feel himself qualified to undertake the office of alderman.

The motion of Mr. Gregson was then put by a show of hands and carried; but there appearing to be some confusion, the names were taken down upon Mr. Plummer's amendment (that the resignation be accepted next meeting.) This was negatived by 16 for to 23 against, and Mr. Gregson's motion, accepting Mr. Philipson's resignation, was then put and carried by a large majority.

THE EXPENDITURE OF CORPORATE FUNDS BY COMMITTEES.

Mr. BARKAS stated that Mr. Hamond, who was prevented from attending in consequence of a recent death in his family, had asked him to introduce his motion with respect to the reports of the expenditure of Corporate funds. He thought it desirable, however, to postpone the consideration of the subject until Mr. Hamond was present himself. He understood the question much better than he (Mr. Barkas) did.

The matter was accordingly postponed.

THE ENGINE DRIVERS' STRIKE.

Mr. Jos. CowEN, jun., said he had intended to ask the Mayor a question if he had been present, and now in his absence he would put it to the Deputy-Mayor. He was aware that it would be somewhat out of order, but as they had been a great deal out of order that afternoon they might permit a further slight digression. It was within the knowledge of the Council that a strike took place on the North-Eastern Railway some six or seven weeks ago-the enginedrivers and firemen upon that line truck, and caused a temporary confusion to the company and the public. When that strike took place, the Mayor, in his official capacity as chief-magistrate of Newcastle, issued an intimation, asking the public to be considerate with the railway company, and suggesting to the customers of the NorthEastern the desirability of arranging to carry their own merchandise over the company's rails. He did not now offer any opinion as to the wisdom or otherwise of that proclamation. What he wished to call his attention to was the fact that when the strike took place the running of some fourteen or fifteen passenger trains was abandoned. This was six or eight weeks ago. Since that time the chairman and officials of the railway had formally announced that the inconvenience caused by the strike was entirely removed, and that they were now fully capable of doing their work. This being the case, he (Mr. Cowen) wished to ask the Mayor, seeing that inasmuch as he thought it was his duty to advise the public to be considerate with the railway company in their difficulties, if he did not think it equally his duty in the interests of the people now to advise the Railway Company to put the trains on which they abandoned during the strike. (Applause and laughter.) He thought it was a very per tinent question. (Hear, hear.) That railway company had a monopoly in that district. He had always objected to it, but that

Council had to some extent contributed to the establishment of that monopoly. If they permitted the company to curtail the number of trains running to and from the town without complaint, they would soon have further curtailments; for the company were their masters, and as he knew often very unreasonable and exacting masters. (Hear, hear.) The Deputy-Mayor might convey the question to the Mayor if he chose, and his reply when made public might do some good. (Applause.)

Mr. H. PARKER: We must get the London and North-Western Company. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Ald. NiCHOL thought Mr. Cowen should have brought forward the question when the Mayor was present. Besides, it was altogether irregular to bring it forward in such a way.

Mr. G. FORSTER said he intended to put a notice of motion, bearing on the point, on the paper for next meeting.

Mr. HARFORD thought it was a very irregular thing for the Mayor to put his name to the document alluded to by Mr. Cowen, (Hear, hear.)

The DEPUTY-MAYOR thought it was very unfair to put the question in the absence of the Mayor.

Mr. Jos. CowEN, jun., said he merely supposed that as the Mayor had put his name to a proclamation to help the Railway Company, he might put it to another to serve the interests of the inhabitants of the town generally. (Laughter and applause.)

The DEPUTY-MAYOR said he would take care to communicate the matter to the Mayor when he returned home on Saturday. The subject then dropped.

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 7th day of July, 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.

Mr. GREGSON called attention to a matter seriously affecting the interests of the borough. This town, he was sorry to say, had suffered a great deal in consequence of the irregularity which had prevailed in regard to the landing of cattle from foreign ports. He had no hesitation in saying that from that cause they had lost many hundreds of pounds. (A voice: "Thousands.") It was well known that the borough of Sunderland was a great importer of live stock, and that the cattle and sheep rcceived there were not received here. Or, rather, the fact was this-if a hundred head of cattle arrived at the Quayside, and if one were suffering from disease in the mouthnot a particularly contagious disease, and not very prejudicial to health, the inspector would cause them all to be slaughtered. Numbers of cattle, at a loss of £3 a head, had been slaughtered in that way; and he had no hesitation in saying, on the authority of dealers themselves, an immense quantity of cattle and sheep did not come to Newcastle for the simple reason that the inspector here had not acted the same as at Sunderland. Sunderland was becoming a great importer, and Newcastle was losing its position in that respect. He believed that on the 18th of June the Government