gaol expenses not less than £10. (Hear, hear.) Under those circumstances, they made this application-not on the ground of charity or benevolence-but on the ground that it was probably the best investment that could be made with public funds-an investment that would be reproductive of great benefit to the community in the course of a few years. Now, with regard to the portion of their finances in this particular enlargement that they had now taken in hand, private benevolence had already put forth its hand very liberally, but they expected that after private benevolence had been completely exhausted, there would be a deficiency of some £500. They, therefore, appealed to the Council to say if they, in their wisdom, could see fit to assist them in the completion of this work. As he mentioned at the outset, this probably was one of the first applications that had been made under this Act, but it had come under their notice that one application had been made previously; and perhaps it would not be out of place if he were to read the extract from a Midland Counties paper relating to the neighbourhood of Staffordshire. It was as follows::

ACTION UNDER THE INDUSTRIAL SCHOOLS ACT.-At the Staffordshire Quarter Sessions, the Chairman (the Earl of Lichfield) brought forward a notice for the establishment of a certified school under the Industrial Schools Act, 1866, this being, he said, the first action taken under the Act, though he trusted the example would be extensively followed, in order that the rising neglected generation might be saved from a criminal path. A house large enough to accommodate forty boys had been offered, and contiguous to it was a plot of land wherein the boys might be industrially employed; and he only asked for a vote of £1,200 for the purpose at first, believing that sum to be sufficient for the purchase and adaptation of the premises. After some remarks by other magistrates in favour of the proposition, the motion was adopted, and a committee appointed.

Mr. Clapham, in conclusion, said he really hoped they had reason to expect, if the streets were once cleared for one generation of those neglected children, that they probably would have no necessity for any further interference.

The MAYOR said the Council would take the memorial and the observations which had been made upon it into consideration.

The deputation then retired; and the memorial, on the motion of Mr. J. ROBINSON, was referred to the Finance Committee.

ST. JOHN'S LANE IMPROVEMENTS.

Mr. J. ANGUS presented the following petition respecting the St. John's Lane improvements, from Mr. George Angus, gutta percha manufacturer:

22, Close, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 6th August, 1867. To the Right Worshipful the Mayor, Alderman, and Councillors of the Borough of Newcastle-upon-Tyne.

Gentlemen,-In the month of December last I agreed to purchase from your body a plot of ground in St. John's Lane, for the purpose of building business premises thereon (the plans for which have been passed by your Finance Committee), under the firm impression that the intended new street,

from Neville Street to Grainger Street, was to be carried out in the same line, or with a very slight deviation therefrom, as laid down in the lithographed plan shown me by your borough-engineer, and from that plan I purchased the property in question. I was much surprised, however, to learn that at your last Council meeting you decided, by a majority of votes, to alter the said intended new street in such a way as, if carried out, I feel sure will deteriorate the value of my property to a very considerable extent, and will, instead of being an advantage, I believe, be a very serious inconvenience to the great traffic which will necessarily flow in that direction. I am not, therefore, surprised to learn from the newspapers that at your meeting to-morrow this question is to be brought forward for reconsideration, when, I trust, that whatever your decision may be, you will not altogether lose sight of the interest of one who purchased land from you, on the faith of the new street being carried out in a more direct line than the one fixed upon by you at last meeting. I may just add, I would have hesitated to have bought the site with such a plan before me as the one now proposed.

I am, gentlemen, your most obedient servant,

GEORGE ANGUS.

Mr. J. ANGUS said it was likely that this matter would come under the consideration of the Council at a subsequent stage, but he moved that Mr. Angus's memorial be referred to the Finance Committee.

The motion was assented to.

A deputation of tradesmen carrying on business in Grainger Street and neighbourhood was next introduced.

Mr. S. Henderson presented the following memorial, which he said was signed by 181 persons:

We, the undersigned inhabitants and ratepayers of your ancient borough, beg most respectfully to request your attention to the decision come to at a special meeting of the Council held on the 10th inst. (July), respecting the new street about to be formed from Newgate Street to Neville Street, when it was resolved to adopt a line as a straight continuation of Grainger Street, and curving sharply round the Church of St. John.

This new street, if properly formed, will be of great benefit to the inhabitants; and as it will form the chief route from the north and north-east to the Central Station, and will give additional access to the various markets and the centre of the town, from the rapidly increasing west, it is most essential that the form of the thoroughfare should be the one best adapted to suit the traffic it is designed to accommodate.

Your memorialists believe that the proposed projection of the church beyond the line of the street will be a serious obstacle to this traffic, checking its freedom, and making it inconvenient and dangerous, and will diminish the value of the whole of the property. Having regard to the present and future requirements of this increasing borough, your memorialists respectfully ask your honourable Council to re-consider the whole matter, with the view of making the new street as direct to Neville Street, and as free from impediments, as the nature of the ground will admit.

Mr. George Noble Clark and Mr. Fletcher also appeared as a deputation from the Savings' Bank Managers.

Mr. Clark said the plan of the new street which the Council adopted at their last meeting, was calculated to injure the value of the Savings Bank. The trustees and managers of the institution, when they expended £10,000 in the erection of that building, were influenced by the idea that they would not only get a bank of great convenience, but one that would tend to the credit, and be an im

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provement to the town. According to the plan and lines laid down by the officers of the Corporation, when the trustees and managers of the Savings Bank bought their site, the new street was to be carried out in a straight line, leading from Grainger Street to Westgate Street; and when their plans were laid before the Town Improvement Committee, and sanctioned by them, they fully expected that that line of street would be carried out. They had no objection to the line laid down by the surveyor in the Parliamentary plan; but since that another line had been laid down by Mr. Lamb, the borough-engineer, which would affect the value of their property; and he thought it was the duty of the managers of the bank to protect the value of their premises, as they might, at some future day, have to be applied to some other purpose The line laid down by Mr. Lamb carried out a projection to the site next to theirs-the one on which Mr. Angus was at present building; and the erection, because it projected very considerably, would be in the way of the bank, which would be thrown further back, and thus materially deteriorated in value. On coming to the bend, passengers from the east end of the street would naturally cross over to St. John's Church side, and thus there would be little passenger traffic on the footpath alongside the Savings Bank. On these grounds, he thought they had some right to ask the Council to re-consider the decision arrived at at their last meeting, because this new plan was totally opposed to the one which induced them to build the Savings Bank on the line which it stood. They had no interest in the management of the bank, but many gentlemen were led to support the building in the hope that it would be of great value to the town; and he must say the present arrangement looked as if faith had been tampered with between the Corporation and the Savings' Bank. He made the statement in no invidious spirit, and he hoped it would have some influence on the gentlemen of the Corporation.

Mr. SANDERSON: Do we understand that the line on which the Savings Bank was built, should form a straight line to the end of Grainger Street?

Mr. Clark said he believed that was so. He had not the plan now, but he believed it could be got. Upon the plan a straight line was laid down. All these plans were laid before the Town Improvement Committee, and they had full confidence that they would be carried

out.

Mr. GREGSON said the plan Mr. Clark alluded to was the Parliamentary plan the original plan of Mr. Lamb.

The deputation then retired.

Mr. HAMOND begged to move that the matter be referred to the Town Improvement Committee, who had full authority on behalf of the Council to act in all these matters.

Mr. GREGSON moved that it be referred to the Finance Committee. Mr. HAMOND: It's not a question of finance; it's a question of laying out.

Mr. HARFORD: Are we to commence the discussion on this subject? Mr. SANDERSON seconded Mr. Gregson's motion on the ground that the negotiations were carried on through the Finance Committee, and they alone could give a satisfactory answer to the case.

Mr. HODGE moved that the matter be held over till they discussed the whole subject that day. They could not usefully refer the letter to the Finance Committee, till they came to an understanding on the whole question. In his opinion-and he believed he would be borne out by the Town Clerk-they could not come to any decision with such a letter as that of Mr. Angus's staring them in the face; and from what Mr. Clark had stated it appeared that he had precisely the same cause of complaint. He thought the Town Clerk would tell them that if they had sold a site either to one body or the other, under a particular plan, they were bound to adhere to that plan, and their departure from it might give rise to an injunction to prevent them. Under all the circumstances, it might be desirable to refer the whole matter to the Finance Committee.

Mr. HARFORD Supported Mr. Hodge's proposition. Until the subject had been properly ventilated they should not stultify themselves by any resolution which they might not adopt.

Mr. PLUMMER thought the best course would be at once to refer the question to a special committee, composed of the Finance and Town Improvement committees, who were acquainted with the whole

matter.

The MAYOR The St. John's Lane Improvement Committee is composed of three members of the Finance, and three of the Town Improvement Committee.

Mr. J. ROBINSON said the Finance Committee were well acquainted with the subject; and he thought it would be far better to refer it back to that committee.

On a show of hands being taken, the motion of Mr. Gregson, referring the documents to the Finance Committee, was carried by a majority of five.

THE VEGETABLE MARKET.

Mr. W. STEWART presented a memorial from the tenants of the inner vegetable market, complaining against Mr. Furness, the lessee of the tolls, charging them for the use of the tables in the market during five days of the week, notwithstanding that they were paid for by the holders of them on the Saturdays.

Mr. GREGSON said these parties had been before them previously. One party came before them with the grievance respecting the payment of tolls. She paid 1s. 6d. per week for her table, and actually let it to another person for 2s. on the Saturdays, thus making a profit of 6d. This was the grievance in that case. Unless the persons paid for their own tables, they had no right to have them at all. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. W. STEWART: There are two ways of discussing a case,
The MAYOR: We can't discuss it now.

Mr. GREGSON: We had the parties before us on both sides.
The memorial was referred to the Finance Committee.

SMOKE CONSUMPTION.

A circular was read from Mr. Edward P. Wilson, of Messrs. Hogg, Hargreaves, & Co., intimating that their furnace, which was entirely free from smoke, could be seen in daily operation at Bolton.

ENFRANCHISEMENT OF PROPERTY.

A communication was read from the Lords of the Treasury, authorising the enfranchisement of property, amounting to £4,050, the amount to be devoted to the liquidation of the debt of the Corporation.

MERCHANT SEAMEN'S ORPHAN ASYLUM.

A letter was received from Mr. Poppelwell, of North Shields, asking the Council to support the Merchant Seamen's Orphan Asylum in Essex. There were at present in the institution, 104 boys, and seventy girls, destitute orphans of merchant seamen. Of these, twenty belonged to this neighbourhood.

The memorial was referred to the Finance Committee.

THE APPOINTMENT OF NEW MAGISTRATES.

Mr. HARLE, addressing the Mayor, said: I wish, sir, to ask two questions, which I believe you can very readily answer. First, Is it correct, as stated in the public journals, that an addition has been made to the magistracy of this borough? and, secondly, Through what channel were the names of the gentlemen appointed sent to the Lord Chancellor ?

The MAYOR: I can answer your first question. There have been six new magistrates appointed, but by whom their names were sent to the Lord Chancellor I don't know. [For names see "Record,” July 25. ]

Mr. HARLE: You have had no communication from the Lord Chancellor, then?

The MAYOR: I have had no communication with the Lord Chancellor. I have only received a note from the Town Clerk informing me that I was on the list of magistrates.

Mr. HARLE: I have no fault to find with that, and I am sure the Town Council will feel obliged to the Lord Chancellor for appointing yourself. All the names, with one or two exceptions, have already been before this Council, but I felt exceedingly anxious to know through what channel the names reached the Lord Chancellor of the