Huddersfield Chronicle (22/Aug/1868) - Municipal Elections

The following is a transcription of a historic newspaper article and may contain occasional errors. If the article was published prior to 1 June 1957, then the text is likely in the Public Domain.

MUNICIPAL ELECTIONS.

East Ward.

A meeting of the ratepayers of this ward was held in the Preaching Room, Rose and Crown Yard, Kirkgate, on Wednesday evening, for the purpose of nominating three gentlemen as candidates to represent the ward in the Town Council. About 120 persons were present. Mr. T. Washington presided. Nine candidates were proposed; but the majority of votes was given in favour of Mr. R. Appleton, Mr. Reed Holliday, and Mr. Benson. A meeting of ratepayers of the East Ward was held last evening, at the White Swan Hotel, Mr. E. H. Walker in the chair. Messrs. A. H. Owen, Wm. Cocking, and Thos. Jackson (Messrs. Fox and Jackson), were nominated.

West Ward.

A meeting of this ward was held in the Assembly Room of the George Hotel, on Monday night. There was a large and influential attendance. J. C. Laycock, Esq., presided. On the motion of Mr. D. Carter, and seconded by Mr. D. Hellawell, the following gentlemen were nominated:— Mr. James Booth, Trinity Street; Mr. Joseph Turner, New North Road; Mr. W. H. Aston, South Parade; Mr. R. Porritt, Clare Hill; Mr. H. D. Taylor, Greenhead Lane; and Mr. D. Eastwood, New North Road. Before the passing of the resolution, a letter was read, in which Mr. Eastwood declined to become a candidate; but, in the course of the evening, he attended the meeting, and, after some persuasion, accepted the invitation. Various persons advocated the claims of the several candidates; and the meeting closed with thanks to the chairman, on the motion of Mr. Aston, and seconded by Mr. Taylor.

Fartown Ward.

During the week meetings have been held in various parts of the Ward by both sets of candidates. On Tuesday night, the supporters of Messrs. Crosland, Cowgill, and Beaumont held a public meeting at the Butchers' Arms Inn, Sheepridge. Mr. J. Swift presided. There was a large number present. The meeting having been addressed by the candidates, Mr. Tom Helme proposed, and Mr. E. Heppenstal seconded, a resolution, the substance of which was that they were fit and proper persons to represent the Ward. An amendment was proposed by Mr. Hirst, that Messrs. Scholes, Stork, and Lister be the candidates. On being put to the meeting the chairman declared the original motion carried. On Monday evening, a large meeting of the supporters of Scholes, Stork, and Lister was held in a large room of the warehouse of Messrs. Woodhead Bros., Sheepridge, when, the candidates having addressed the meeting, they were unanimously carried as fit and proper persons to represent the Ward.

A similar meeting, also well attended, was held at the Black Bull Inn, Hillhouse, on Thursday night, when a like resolution was unanimously carried.

Lindley Ward.

A public meeting of the ratepayers was held in the Town's School, Westgate, on Monday night, for the purpose of selecting three fit and proper persons to be returned as councillors. Between 50 and 60 persons were present. Mr. W. Sykes, jun., was appointed chairman. It seems that a preliminary meeting had been held on the previous Thursday evening, when the names of Messrs. E. J. W. Waterhouse, Alfred Walker, and B. H. Hattersley had been selected for recommendation to the public meeting.

In opening the proceedings, the Chairman wished those present to conduct the election on fair and equitable principles, irrespective of politics or religion.

Mr. Josh. Fox objected to Mr. Hattersley, who, being one of the parties that supplied gas to Lindley, was not eligible for election. He also objected to Mr. Walker, he being too young for office.

Mr. Josh. Armitage objected to the same parties on similar grounds.

The meeting was addressed by Messrs. E. Jackson, — Harrison, J. Firth, A. Walker, D. Binns, B. Hall (Quarmby), W. Moorhouse, and others. The following parties were then proposed to the meeting as fit persons:— Mr. G. Jaggar proposed, and Mr. B. Hall seconded Mr. A. Walker, who was carried unanimously. Mr. Hall then proposed, and Mr. W. Heap seconded Mr. Hattersley, who received 28 votes, 11 being against him. Mr. D. Wilkinson proposed, and Mr. E. Wilkinson seconded Mr. Waterhouse, who received only 24 votes. Mr. J. Armitage proposed, and Mr. J. Firth seconded Mr. D. Binns, who obtained 33 votes. The names of Messrs. G. Gledhill and R. Holliday were also proposed, but, receiving no support, were not submitted to the meeting.

The Chairman explained that Mr. Hattersley was not disqualified from sitting at the council, be being only a shareholder, and not a director, and that of a gas company in another township; and declared that Messrs. Walker, Binns, and Hattersley were the three chosen as candidates.

A discussion then ensued on the subject of an alderman for the ward, when a resolution was carried that Mr. E. J. W. Waterhouse be recommended as the alderman to be appointed for this ward. A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.

Moldgreen Ward.

On Thursday night a public meeting of the ratepayers of Moldgreen Ward was held in Whiteley’s Schoolroom, Almondbury Bank, for the purpose of nominating three fit and proper persons to represent the ward in the Town Council of the Huddersfield Corporation. There was a large attendance of ratepayers. Mr. John Day, as chairman of the Local Board, presided. In opening the meeting, the Chairman said the Local Board was established in June, 1859, and would cease to exist on the 7th of September, 1868, so that it had been nine years established. Some parties had charged the Board with doing nothing. This he denied, and pointed out that the Local Board had supplied the whole district with gas, constructed many new roads, widened others, laid down a considerable length of new causeway, constructed new sewers of great capacity and durability, and had made many other great public improvements. One subject alone had baffled all their efforts, viz., the obtaining of an ample supply of good water for the comfort and health of the inhabitants. The Board had tried to overcome this difficulty, but had been unable to do so without saddling the ratepayers with an enormous debt for a long series of years, and this the Board did not feel inclined to do. After reviewing the efforts of the Moldgreen and Lockwood Local Boards on this subject, and the action taken by the Huddersfield Waterworks Commissioners, he concluded by trusting that one of the first undertakings of the new corporation would be the subject of an enlarged supply of water for the whole borough. He advised the meeting to avoid all party feeling in the choice of their representatives, and to send to the council men of business habits who would be capable of grappling with this great question.

Mr. I. Robson followed in the same strain, and urged the meeting to choose only those men, who would serve the interests of the ward faithfully, effectively, and efficiently.

Mr. Gelder explained the difference there would be in the manner of voting under the Local Government Act and under the Charter of Incorporation, and after speaking upon the duties that would devolve upon the representatives of the wards, concluded by proposing Mr. J. Day as a fit and proper person to represent them in the Common Council. Mr. G. Scholefield seconded the nomination.

Mr. W. Ely moved, and Mr. Henry Walker seconded, Mr. I. Robson as another candidate.

Mr. Josh. Byram was proposed by Mr. Godfrey Sykes, who spoke of the inestimable blessings of a good supply of pure water, and considered that any man would be very unfeeling if, after the sufferings of the last four months, ho did not use his utmost endeavours to secure that boon. He pointed out the dangerous nuisance of the open beck at Storthes, denouncing it as reeking with filth and abominations. The manure depot was also denounced by him as being a nuisance that engendered fever, and gave as an instance that out of nine cases of fever in the Huddersfield Workhouse hospital, seven of them were from the locality of the manure depot. The long-bridge was pointed out as being a disgrace to the locality, and he expressed a hope that it would speedily be altered and that the men sent to the Council would endeavour to remedy the dangerous evil.

Mr. Thewlis seconded the nomination.

Mr. J. B. Best proposed, and Mr. Day seconded, the nomination of Mr. B. Graham.

Mr. Walter Haigh proposed, and Mr. W. Vickerman seconded, Mr. G. H. Tolson, as a fit person for a Councilman. The name of Mr. Gelder was proposed, but that gentleman declined to be put in nomination at the present time.

The name of Mr. Anthony Kaye was proposed by Mr. John Dawson and seconded by a person in the room.

Mr. J. I. Freeman enquired if it was correct that a few individuals had met at the Kaye's Arms Inn, and selected a list of names to be submitted to that meeting for confirmation?

The Chairman knew of no other meeting than the one then assembled. He had heard of something of the kind going on, and thought the best way was to call that meeting, and let the ratepayers decide for themselves.

Mr. J. I. Freeman denounced the Local Board for allowing such abominations to exist as those pointed out by Mr. Ely. He thought the Board had been a great expense to little purpose, and urged that the blessings of the Corporation would be best known when they had to pay for it. He considered it a piece of arrogance — although he had nothing to say against the respectability and intelligence of those proposed for a number of persons to hold a private meeting, select a few names, and submit them and no others to a public meeting as representatives, and that the sooner they had the ballot box the better, in order to secure to every one the privilege of voting as he liked. The Local Government Act he considered the worst thing ever conceived, and described the Moldgreen Board as a nice, little, happy family party selecting and electing one another, but, as it was about to cease to exist, he would let it die in peace, and, if they could not erect a suitable epitaph to its memory, the least said about its actions the better.

Mr. Gelder, in reply, pointed out that Mr. Freeman was a disappointed candidate at the last two elections for members of the Local Board, and like many other defeated candidates, was dissatisfied with the result. Mr. Freeman was a lawyer, and he would show them what some lawyers were. Some time ago, when in Germany, he saw a cartoon of a lawyer and his two clients. One of the clients was pulling very hard at the horns of a cow, while the other was pulling equally hard at the tail. In the middle was the lawyer, quietly milking the cow. and laughing at both of them. (Loud laughter.) If they wished to be in the place of the cow, they should send lawyers to the Council.

Mr. Freeman remarked that the Local Board had no milk to give.

The Chairman would simply say that Mr. Freeman had only been a resident in Moldgreen for two years, and could not judge much of what the Board bad done. He then proceeded to submit the names of those proposed to the meeting. Messrs. Day and Robson were carried unanimously. Mr. Byram was carried by a large majority, while Mr. Graham and Mr. Tolson were but indifferently supported. The Chairman declared the three first gentlemen as having been adopted by the meeting.

Mr. Byram, in a forcible speech, replied to some of the remarks of Mr. Freeman, and pointed out the great exertions made by the Board to have the manure depot removed. Deputations had gone to Sir John Ramsden, to Longley Hall, and to the Improvement Commissioners, and all they could get was a promise that the nuisance should be abated, and it was well known that the Board had no power to remove anything that was established before that Board came into existence. He considered it the greatest injustice ever inflicted by one town upon another, to bring its filth and abominations and lay them at its neighbour's door.

A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meeting.