that the Council meetings were public. Mr. Howell’s motion that the Chaplain’s resignation be referred to the Burial Board Committee was carried by a large majority.
The Chaplain’s Stipend Again!
Another spirited discussion over this subject took place at the Council meeting on the 1st of June, when Ald. Ginner introduced a motion to rescind the resolution passed on the 3rd of February. The speaker, after some introductory remarks, said he had brought the matter forward from the very best of feelings and with a desire to promote the best interests of the town. Boards of that character sometimes did their business rather hastily, and it was no discredit to the gentlemen present if he said their own Board had sometimes done so. It was stated at the former meeting that it was incumbent upon the clergy of each parish to bury the dead of their own parish, but it happened that two parishes had no clergyman, and two others had no burial grounds; consequently they had no burials to perform, and unless the clergy of these parishes chose to take upon themselves the dutices(sic), they could not be called upon to do so. Thus, if there were no appointed chaplain, others could not be compelled to officiate. It had been urged that the Cemetery was unproductive, but the receipts had increased marvelously since All Saints’ church had been closed. Last year the receipts were £335, but this year in five months they had reached £360, mainly from expensive funerals. It was stated at the last meeting that it was not legal to appoint a chaplain in the way they had, but he believed there was an Act by which they could if they applied to the Bishop. The Town Clerk here explained that there was a provision in an Act by which they could nominate a chaplain and give him a fixed annual sum. He would ask them to calmly consider the great interest they had at stake. It was worth something to have a quiet meeting, but it was worth a great deal more not to have a party strife, dividing the Board with respect of the Cemetery. He moved that the former order be rescinded, and that £60 be granted to Mr. Nightingale. – Coun. Bromley , in seconding the motion, said it never occurred to him before that by not having a regularly appointed chaplain they might drive all the best class of funerals to Fairlight or Hollington, a course which would be prejudicial to the interests of the borough. Coun. Vidler was an advocate for an increase of salary, but hoped there would not be a repitition(sic) of the previous angry discussion. – Coun. Winter, in a warm, but telling speech, opposed the rescinding of the previous decision. He had hoped that when the Board had settled the question it would not again be re-opened. It was not as a Dissenter that he opposed the motion. He took the ground that the Board had no power whatever to appoint a Chaplain. Before he was a member of the Council -
