£4 5s. Steined graves, with the privilege of erecting monuments, £6 6s. instead of £7 7s.; and an increase of 3s. for each foot depth beyond 8 feet. In openings and removals a reduction to be made in common graves from a guinea to half a guinea. For permission to place iron railings round a common grave 10/6; and for turfing graves on purchased ground 2/6. A number of minor alterations were also proposed in the regulations. It was recommended that application be made to the Secretary of State to sanction the revised scale. Coun. Picknell believed the alterations would work beneficially to all parties. Coun. Bromley hoped that the change would bring a larger income by the adoption of the intermediate description of graves, it having been a great jump from 17s. to £4 4s. Coun. Winter referred to the expense which had attended funerals at the Cemetery, such expense being from five to six guineas, which induced visitors to avail themselves of the common graves, on each of which there had been a loss to the Board of about 12/- The report was adopted.
Death of a Councillor.
At the meeting on May 4th, Ald. Ross said that since the Council had last met one of their number had passed to his final rest. He felt sure that everyone present would bear witness to the sincere and honest manner in which Mr. John Austin had carried out the duties connected with the office of a Town Councilman for so many years; and he would move that the Clerk be instructed to write a letter to the executors of the deceased member, stating that it was the desire of the Council to pay a last mark of respect to his memory by following his remains to the Cemetery. Proposition carried. The expense of this funeral amenity was afterwards represented as being illegal by the Borough Auditors in their report on
The Borough Accounts.
“We the undersigned Auditors of the Borough of Hastings beg to report that we have examined the Treasurer’s accounts, and find them correct. Great credit is due to him for the labour and diligence bestowed in their classification. From the magnitude of the accounts and the great responsibility devolving upon him, we are of opinion that he is insufficiently remunerated in comparison with other officers who are very liberally paid for their services. It being our province merely to audit the Treasurer’s accounts, yet, before we close our report we feel it our duty to make a few observations respecting three items of expenditure embraced in them, viz, an amount of £12 12s. fly hire for the accommodation of the Council in joining the procession at funerals (which should be paid for by those -
