Page:Volume 3 1840.pdf/50

Proposed Brighton to Hastings Railway

The St. Leonards Commissioners in 1844 were. R. Hollond, M.P., J. Harwood, M.D., Major Jeffries, Dr. H. Burton, A. Burton, John Gill, C. and R. Deudney, Jas. Rock, C. H. Southall, S. Chester, G. F. Jarman, W. Waghorne, W. D. Davis, Rev. J. C. Leslie and G. B. Greenough.

At their first meeting for the year, held in the Victoria Hotel on February 19th, a resolution was carried "That in the opinion of this meeting the proposed railway from Brighton to St. Leonards is most desirable, and likely to prove of great advantage to the town." Also "That copies of this resolution be sent to the Borough Members, with a request to use their utmost efforts in support of the proposed Bill." At a subsequent meeting (June 24th) the Commissioners’ Clerk was desired to make known to the Directors the importance to the town of having a station at the west end, and of the danger to the water-supply in the proposed formation of a tunnel in continuance of the line to Ashford; also that the Commissioners request that clauses be inserted in the Bill for securing to the town both a west-end station and compensation in case of any diminution of the water supply. This desire of the Commissioners was ultimately complied with, but not without exciting a feeling of rivalry between St. Leonards and Hastings, the latter town being anxious that a terminus should be erected in the Priory Brooks, and for that purpose strove its utmost to bring the South-Eastern line to that spot, in lieu of the Brighton line to St. Leonards, Of these matters there will be much to say further on. In the mean time let us take a glance at a few minor transactions of the St. Leonards Commissioners during the year under consideration. In consequence of the circular steps leading to the top of East Ascent from behind 23 Marina having proved less a convenience than a nuisance, Mr. Rawson’s executors were to be applied to to stop up the thoroughfare. The throwing of rubbish upon the beach and the drying of clothes upon the same were other nuisances that were to be immediately abated. Among the improvements to be effected during the rear were the following:— Messrs. Hughes and Hunter to put in drains and gullies near South Lodge and West Ascent to prevent a recurrence of floods from West and Quarry hills. Mr. Burgess to improve the channeling above Gloucester Lodge with boulder paving. Messrs Woodgate and How to construct wooden steps from the parade to the beach at a cost of £6 15s, The seats at the Library to have painted on them "For the use of visitors," and a new seat for boatmen to be placed near the slipway. Mr. Putland to be employed to alter the gradients at the foot of Maze Hill and to lay on a surface of hard stone. Mr. Carey to reinstate, at a cost of £27 10s., the raddle groyne partly destroyed by the severe storm of July 30th.

The Commissioners, with the view of securing greater efficiency in the management of the fire-engine, resolved — That notice be put up that the key of the engine-house can be obtained at Mr. Naish’s, in the Victoria Mews, and at the South Lodge; that the distance of fire-plugs be painted on the nearest walls; that a crow-bar and pole-axe be provided; that a dozen torches be kept in readiness for the use of the firemen when called out in a dark night; that a duplicate implement be provided for turning-on water in the absence of the turncock; that Mr. Chamberlain be paid £13 17s. for rens of the engine-house; that Mr. Naish be paid £4 14s, for past services, and that he receive £5 per year in future on the understanding that the engine be exercised not fewer than four times a year. — The further transactions of the Commissioners were comprised in the following summary: — The usual twice-a-year rate of 1s. on town property and 6d. on agricultural was, of course, levied on owners or occupiers, and the stereotyped order given to summons all defaulters if demands were not complied with in a reasonable time. Unfortunately for both parties, the reasonable time was never well defined, it being variously contracted and extended. The question of a sinking-fund was re-introduced by the Clerk for the ninth or tenth time, but no motion made thereon. Unsuccessful negociations(sic) with replicants to six advertisements in the Times for loans at 4 per cent. were brought to a close, and the advertisements were ordered to be repeated, it being desired to pay off the existing bondholders and reduce the cost of interest. A loan of £2,500 at 4½ per cent. and an additional loan at the same rate haying been offered by Capt. Style, the said offers were declined, and the Clerk was ordered to make further efforts, but not incur any further expense. In consequence, however, of the death of the Commissioners’ Clerk (Mr. George Fraser) this duty devolved on his successor (Mr.Wm. Markwick Burton). A draft was to be given for the Clerk’s salary as soon as funds would admit of it, and a similar process was to be observed for the payment of interest to bondholders.

Parochial Matters.

The overseers appointed for St. Leonards were John Painter and Edward Farncomb; the surveyors were Charles Deudney and Edward Farncomb; the assessors were William Noon and Newton Parks for the inbounds, and Edward Farncomb and Richard Lamb for the outbounds; the vestry-clerk was John Phillips. The parochial business of that year was strictly of a routine character, the greatest item of public importance being the levying of two poor-rates at 3d., two borough-rates at 3d., and one highway rate at 3d.; which, with the Commissioners’ two rates at 1s., brought up the total of the year’s rating for that parish to 3/3 in the £. It may be mentioned that a threepenny rate at that time realised about £52. The overseers appointed for St. Mary Magdalen were George Roberts and John Peerless; the surveyors were John Austin and Nelson Andrews; the assessors were William Noon and Newton Parks. The rates for the year were two for the poor at-6d., two for the borough at 3d., and one for the highways - at 3d.; total 1/9 for that portion of the parish eastward of the Archway, or 3/9 for the property in the western portion as far as the Victoria Hotel, where the two parishes joined, The average attendance of parishioners at the vestry meetings was about a dozen. The committee appointed for revising the assessment consisted of George Voysey, Stephen Putland, Wm. Noon, John Peerless, James Troup and Charles Neve. The report of this committee was adopted. At one of the meetings, it was resolved that the Vestry-clerk give notice to the Trustees of the Magdalen Charity Lands that it is the intention of the parishioners to enforce their claims and interest as they may be legally advised. At the next meeting, Mr. T. B. Baker was appointed Vestry-clerk, and the overseers were desired to take his opinion respecting the rating of the Magdalen turnpike gate and other property.

Having already quoted the resolutions of the St. Leonards Commissioners favouring the introduction of the Brighton and Lewes Railway to St. Leonards, it will be opportune now to glance at the proceedings of the public in the matter.

On the 20th of February, a meeting of the owners and occupiers of property in the parishes of St. Leonards and St. Mary Magdalen was held in the St. Leonards Assembly Rooms, with Major Jeffries presiding, when resolutions were passed in favour of the projected Brighton, Lewes and Hastings Railway; but in opposition to this, another meeting was held, three days later, to promote a line in a different direction, whose terminus should be at Hastings instead of St. Leonards. The ball of rivalry was thus again set rolling between the two towns, not to be stopped in this instance until both parties could claim the winnings.

The St. Leonards party were naturally jubilant at the receipt of intelligence that the Bill for thé Brighton and Hastings line had passed a second reading on the 19th of March, and were still more elated to find its third reading effected on the 23rd of May, the same to be fully established on the 29th of July. On the evening after the third passing, a band was engaged by the people of St. Leonards to parade the town, with flags and banners, and. afterwards to proceed to Hastings, there to enliven the good folk with demonstrations of the happy event.

It was said that one effect produced in the old town - an exceptional one, it may be believed — was to cause a chemist to close his shop, he stating as a reason that the Hastings people had had so strong a dose as not to require any other medicine for at least a fortnight.

Be it said, however, that, like men who could wisely accommodate themselves to accomplished facts, many of the influential residents of the old town joined those of the new in a grand dinner at the St. Leonards Assembly Rooms on the 18th of September, to celebrate the passing of the Bill. Included with these. were Dr. MacCabe (Mayor), C. Hicks, Esq., (Mayor of Rye), R, Hollond, Esq., M.P., H Elphinstone, Esq., M.P., J. Nash, Esq., (Chairman of the Railway Company), A. R. Briggs, Esq., Lieut.-Col. Williams, C.E., Capt. Mackay, James Troup, Esq., and about 100 other persons. Mr. Hutchings, of the Saxon, was the caterer, and Mr. Elford’s band performed the music.

After this, two other meetings were held before the close of the year, to receive reports of the committee appointed to watch the progress of the South Eastern Company's Bill through Parliament.

The first political event of the year was the election to aldermanic honours of the well-known Liberal surgeon, Mr. William Duke, in the place of another well-known Liberal, Mr. William Scrivens, of the banking firm of Smith, Hilder, Scrivens and Co., who, after a short but painful illness, departed life on the 15th of January, at the age of 71, Mr. Duke’s elevation caused 4 vacancies in the Council, to fill which which the Conservative Hugh Penfold (an iron-monger, of George street), and the Liberal Henry Dunk (a grocer, of High street) were put in nomination, The contest was a sturdy one, but the poll, at the close, revealed the fact that the Conservative had beaten his opponent by 280 votes to 181.

Unpardonable Political Sin - Vessels Wrecked - Obituaries

Two months later (about March 19th) it was announced that in consequence of continued impaired health, the Rt. Hon. Sir Joseph Planta had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds. Thereupon, a formal requisition to Mr. Brisco was taken round for signatures - not as it was stated, becanse there would be any opposition to. Mr. Brisco as Planta’s successor, but with the object of showing that gentleman how very general the feeling was that the time had come for him to be our Representative. When the paper was taken to St. Leonardensis by Messrs. Deudney and Noon, the questions were asked "Is Mr. Brisco a moderate Liberal or a moderate Conservative; is he in favor(sic) of Free Trade or against it; and is there really to be no other candidate?" To these three questions satisfactory replies were given, and the querent’s signature to the requisition was obtained.

A few hours later, while crossing an unoccupied plot of ground next the old National School (where Mr. Carey afterwards built his workshops, and which latter at the time of writing has been supplanted by Kennard’s noble pile of shops, show-rooms and factory) St. Leonardensis observed a 1arge placard pasted on the gable end of Lavatoria, with the announcement that "Robert Ross Rowan Moore, Esq., will address the Electors of Hastings at the Royal Oak Hotel this evening at eight o’clock precisely." He attended that crowded meeting, and was so satisfied that his signature to the requisition had been obtained by misrepresentation that he immediately wrote separate letters to Messrs. Deudney and Noon to request them to erase his name from the document. The writer had no reason to believe that his request was not acceded to; and, to the credit of the two canvassers here named be it said, the one was afterwards ever courteous until he died, and the other continued a gentlemanly friendliness for forty succeeding years. Now, in strict fairness, it behoves me to state a case on the opposite side.

Within a brief period of the little event just narrated, St. Leonardensis was asked by the late Alderman Ross to become a member of a new political association then holding its meetings at the Royal Oak. He acceded to the request, and at the first meeting, he attended he found that the chief business discussed was the means to be employed in making certain Tories assessors, so that they might be prevented coming forward during the term as candidates for the Town Council. In his innocence, the new member enquired if the consent of the parties had been obtained? The question was answered with derisive laughter, and the querent was informed that both parties did the same thing and that he had yet a good deal to learn. His rejoinder was that with him two blacks did not make a white, and two wrongs did not make a right. Then, treating Mr. Ross as he had previously treated Messrs. Deudney -