the required bond of £100. The salary was to be £20 a year, as theretofore. Messrs. Payne, Peerless and Ballard were named for overseers; Thomas Holloway and Robert Aldridge were appointed assessors and collectors of income-tax; Messrs. Draper and Gausden were appointed surveyors of highways; and Mr. John Phillips was re-elected vestry-clerk. A poor-rate at 6d was figured for the borough part of the parish, and a highway rate at 4d. Also resolved that application be made for an additional poor-law guardian for the parish.
A Poor Rate at 1s. for the borough part of the parish, passed at the vestry meeting on the 10th of October, was the only business transacted.
Public Notices. At the meeting held on the 14th of November, a complaint was made that notices of parish meetings being placed only at the entrance of the church, the gates at which were usually locked except on Sundays, was a very inefficient arrangement; it was therefore resolved that in future such notices should be placed on the notice-board at the Assembly Rooms.
Vestry Meetings (St. Mary Magdalen Parish)
Election of Officers. At a meeting held at the Norman hotel on the 20th of March, Joseph Boston, William Callaway, Wm. Stoneman, M. G. Church and Chas. Cope, were named from whom to select overseers; A. Harwood and W. E. Skinner were elected assessors; and W. P. Beecham was elected vestry-clerk. The parishioners present were A. Sellman and W. Calaway(sic)(overseers) J. Morris, W. E. Hatchman, T. B. Brett, C. Cope and ten others.
Rearrangement of Rates. At the meeting on the 17th of April, the Clerk stated that a rate of 9d. in the £ would be necessary to meet the call of £1,300. It was, however, thought that three rates for the year would be better than two at 9d., and on the motion of Mr. How, this was agreed to.
Mr. Brisco’s Assessment. At the same meeting, Mr. Wastel Brisco, represented by Mr. de Medewe, objected to the assessment of his mansion and grounds at Bohemia as having been increased from £300 to £350. Explanations were offered by Mr. Boston, Mr. Putland, Mr. How and others to the effect that Mr. Brisco’s property was under-rated rather than under-rated(?); that there were over 19 acres of ground, including a garden, a stable, a beautiful riding-school and other buildings, in addition to the mansion, which was both a town and country residence; that it would probably let for £500; that houses in the front, with only the bare ground they stood on, were assessed at £200 to £250; that the Allegria, which would bear no comparison with Mr. Brisco’s property, let at £250; that Mr. Brisco had considerably enlarged and improved his estate; and that if he appealed against the assessment, the parish would defend it.
Additional Guardians. Also at this meeting (Ap. 17) the chairman introduced the question of additional guardians for the parishes of St. Mary-Magdalen, St. Leonards and Holy Trinity, remarking that in asking the Board to forward the application to the proper quarter, he had thought it to be a most reasonable request. But his motion was opposed by Messrs. Frewen and Harvey, and the decision was not to send the applications. – Mr. Putland then drew comparisons between the country parishes whose representatives op-
