Breach of Contract. The tender first accepted was not that of Messrs. Hughes and Hunter, but that of Bennett and Holdsworth, as being the lowest. At the meeting on March 6th, a letter was received from that firm declining to undertake the work. The tender of Messrs. Hughes and Hunter being the next lowest, with Mr. James Smith and Mr. William Booth as sureties, the contract was given to them. Coun. H. N. Williams thought there ought to be some notice taken of the objector's conduct in having sent in a tender, and then stating in such an offhand manner they could not take the contract. He could not allow a public body to be thus treated without expressing his disgust. Coun. Bromley also agreed to a censure of the parties. The total amount of the drainage contracts was £15,796, and the extras were estimated at a few hundred only.
A New Town Clerk. A special meeting was held on the 28th of August, when Mr. Robert Growse was elected to the offices of Coroner, Town Clerk and Clerk to the Board of Health. In introducing the business the Mayor remarked that the subject which had called them together was a very painful one. In the late Mr. Shorter, the borough had had a most faithful and useful officer. If there was anything wrong in the borough no one felt more strongly on the matter than Mr. Shorter. He (the Mayor) had sat in the Council for the last 16 years, and had seen some very stormy debates, but amidst all he had never known the late Town Clerk swerve from his duty to the borough. Mr. Growse (who had been Deputy-Coroner during Mr. Shorter's illness) was proposed by Ald. Clement and seconded by Councillor Harvey. Coun. Eldridge said it afforded him great satisfaction that they had found a man in the borough who could take the place. The last time they appointed a public officer, they went out of the borough for him, and he hoped they were thoroughly ashamed of it. A long but friendly discussion then followed on the appointment to the other offices, together with the salary that should be given; and it was ultimately decided that Mr. Growse should receive £120 as Town Clerk, £15 as Clerk to the Board of Health and £30 as Clerk to the Burial Board. Also that the Deputy-Judgeship, for which theretofore £8 had been paid, should be merged into that of the Town Clerk without salary; as although the said Court had to a great extent been superseded by the County Court, it could not be abolished, notwithstanding that no case had been tried in it for 45 years. [This would take the active existence of the Court back to 1812.] No extras were to be charged by Mr. Growse, except for moneys paid out of pocket.
