PROCEEDINGS OF THE NEWCASTLE COUNCIL. 22 ANNUAL MEETING. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1865. THE Annual Meeting of the Council was held this day in the ELECTION OF MAYOR. The DEPUTY-MAYOR said their next duty would be to proceed to the election of the Mayor of the borough for the ensuing year, and he was ready to hear any gentleman make a proposition. Mr. WILSON, in response, said that the first duty of the Council was to elect a chief magistrate in the place of Lieutenant-Colonel Perkins. He therefore rose to propose a gentleman to that office, who, he believed, would be acceptable not only to the members of that Council, but also to the town at large. He begged to propose that Mr. Alderman Dodds be elected Mayor. That gentleman had served in the office before, and had shown that he was well qualified to discharge its duties. A better man could not well be found, and he had therefore great pleasure in proposing Mr. Alderman Dodds. (Hear. hear.) Mr. HUNTER had great pleasure in seconding the proposition. He was quite sure that Mr. Dodds' long practice as a magistrate fully qualified him for the office of Mayor; and the great satisfaction he gave to the town on the previous occasion was to some extent a guarantee that he would give satisfaction if elected to the office a second time. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Ald INGLEDEW said that twelve years ago he had the honour of proposing Mr. Ald. Dodds for the office of Mayor. He then stated that he possessed every qualification for fulfilling that office efficiently and well; and that if Mr. Dodds did not possess the suaviter in modo he had at least the fortiter in re. He still held the same opinion of the worthy alderman; and he had no doubt that, if again elected, he would give perfect satisfaction not only to that Council but to the town at large. He begged to support the nomination of Mr. Ald. Dodds. Mr. HODGE said he believed that hitherto the appointment of Mayor of Newcastle had rather been considered in the Council too much a matter of course. He, however, thought that it was one of the most solemn duties that any member of that Council could be called upon to perform. Opposed as he was generally to the reappointment of persons to the civic chair who had already had the honour of serving the office, and disclaiming entirely as he did any feeling of hostility personally towards Mr. Ald. Dodds, he still felt it his duty on that occasion to rise and propose that the senior alderman of that Council, and who had not already fulfilled the office of Mayor, should be appointed to that office. He could not help feeling that there must be something radically wrong either in the duties which the Mayor of this town in the discharge of his functions was called upon to perform, or in the amount of his remuneration or the salary attached to the office; and he thought that the Council would do well on an early occasion to inquire into both those matters. However, without further preface, he would propose that the senior alderman who had not already fulfilled the office be elected Mayor.-[VOICES: "Name, name."]-Mr. Hodge said he referred to Mr. Ald. Sillick, and who he now proposed be appointed Mayor for the ensuing year. Mr. Ald. DODDS here rose and said he was not seeking the office. The position of Mr. Sillick as well as his abilities more fitted him for the office than himself. He was sure there was no man more qualified than Mr. Sillick to take the office. Mr. HODGE: I may just say that I have had no communication with Mr. Sillick on the matter. I make the proposition as a matter of principle. Mr. T. ROBINSON: Mr. Sillick has been frequently asked to take the office, and has always declined. [Mr. Ald. Sillick was not present during this part of the proceedings The DEPUTY-MAYOR: Does any one second Mr. Hodge's proposition? Or has any gentleman any other proposition to make? If not, I will take a show of hands. No seconder being found for Mr. Hodge's proposition, and no other nomination being made, the name of Mr. Dodds was put and carried by a show of hands amidst cordial applause. The DEPUTY-MAYOR then invested Mr. Ald. Dodds, who had subscribed the usual declarations, with the chain of office, and in retiring from the chair said:-I have much pleasure in handing to you this chain of office, and I wish you health and strength to discharge the duties of the office. The MAYOR-ELECT briefly returned thanks for the honour conferred upon him. The last time he held that office was during war and in the year of the great fire; but he hoped Providence would be more indulgent to them in the coming year. He should be happy to do his duty in such a manner as to reflect credit on the choice of the Council and to make himself pleasant to the town. (Applause.) LETTER FROM THE EX-MAYOR. The TOWN CLERK then read the following letter from the ex-Mayor, Lieut.-Col. Perkins: London, November 7, 1865. Dear Sir, I was in hopes that restored health would have admitted of my return to Newcastle so that I might have attended the meeting of the Council on the 9th inst.; but I grieve to say that I am still unable to make such a long journey. Under these circumstances, I shall feel obliged if you will convey to the Council, on my behalf, an expression of very sincere regret at my compulsory absence on the occasion of resigning, to my successor in the mayoralty, that post of honour which I have, I fear, only nominally filled for a considerable period of my term of office. In retiring, I would beg to record my very high appreciation of the courtesy and consideration which I have invariably received at the hands of the Sheriff and the members of the Council generally, of yourself, Sir, as Town Clerk, and of all the other officials of the Corporation, with whom I have, as Mayor, been brought into contact. But I desire most especially to thank my friend, Mr. Alderman Nichol, who has, during the past twelve months, so ably, so frequently, and with so much kindness, discharged, as Deputy-Mayor, those dnties which I was unable to attend to in consequence of my protracted illness. And, in conclusion, I should feel myself wanting in gratitude were I to refrain from taking this opportunity of acknowledging the very kind and cordial support which I have experienced on many public occasions from all the inhabitants of the town. With the expression of which sentiment, and with an earnest hope, that the public business of the borough has in no degree suffered through my continued indisposition, I beg most sincerely, as chief magistrate of the town, to say farewell. I remain, my dear Sir, yours very faithfully, EDWARD M. PERKINS. To John Clayton, Esq., Town Clerk, Newcastle-upon-Tyue. ELECTION OE SHERIFF. Mr. Ald. BELL, in first addressing Mr. Ald. Dodds, offered him his most sincere and hearty congratulations on his election for the second time to that most important office. The immediate object of his rising was to carry out what he understood was the general wish on the part of the Council, namely, to propose Mr. Henry Angus as a fit and proper person to discharge the duties of Sheriff for the ensuing year. (Hear, hear.) He felt satisfied that, from the general character which that gentleman bore-and most worthily bore -in the town, the choice of the Council would meet with the common approbation of the town at large. He therefore begged leave to propose Mr. Henry Angus as Sheriff for the ensuing year. (Hear, bear.) Mr. T. ROBINSON had great pleasure in seconding Mr. Ald. Bell's proposition. Mr. Bell had so well and fully described the qualifications of Mr. Angus that there was nothing more left to be said in his behalf. The MAYOR asked if there was any other gentleman to be proposed as Sheriff; but no answer being returned, his Worship put the proposition, and it was carried. Mr. Angus was therefore declared to be elected Sheriff. The SHERIFF-ELECT, in returning thanks, said that he was taken rather by surprise that morning when it was named to him on entering the room that he would be elected. Certainly some friends of his had named the subject to him a few days ago, and had asked him to serve as Sheriff; and under their pressing solicitations he had consented. Though the office was foreign to the usual line of his life, he could only say that he felt proud of the honour they had conferred upon him. While he felt convinced that the chief magistrate possessed the fortiter in re, as had been said by Mr. Ingledew, he himself would do his best to second the efforts of the Mayor. (Cheers.) LETTER FROM THE LATE SHERIFF. The TOWN CLERK read the following letter from Mr. W. Lockey Harle, the late Sheriff: Collingwood Tower, November 9. Dear Mr. Mayor,-I am suffering from a severe cold, and my doctor strictly enjoins my remaining at home for a short time. Under these, to me most mortifying circumstances, I cannot, in prudence, be present in my appointed place on this the last day of my shrievalty. You will oblige me, therefore, by thanking, in my name, the gentlemen, of the Council for the uniform civility I have received at their hands during my tenure of the office of Sheriff. Wishing you and my successor a year of pleasant intercourse,-Believe me, dear Mr. Mayor, very faithfully yours, WM. LOCKEY HARLE. VOTE OF THANKS TO THE EX-MAYOR. Mr. Ald. BELL said that the gentleman on whom the duty devolved on previous occasions of proposing a vote of thanks to the retiring Mayor was the person who proposed that gentleman at his election. He was sorry that he could not claim for his friend Colonel Perkins that full meed of thanks which he felt satisfied he would have been entitled to had he been enabled to discharge the duties of the office, as he was satisfied Colonel Perkins would have done, had his health permitted. They could not, however, forget the generous and open manner in which Colonel Perkins met with the response of the Town Council twelve months ago, when he agreed at once to relieve them from the state of embarassment they had fallen into for want of a proper person to fill the office, the duties of which he would have most worthily discharged had his health permitted. They might take as an earnest of what he would have done his conduct on that occasion, and also on those few opportunities on which he had been enabled to discharge his duties as Mayor. He would therefore ask the Council to agree with him, and pass a vote of thanks to his friend Colonel Perkins; and also to express regret that they had found it necessary to mingle with the vote their sympathy and condolence for those circumstances which had prevented him from undertaking more prominently the duties of his position. (Hear, hear.) Any amount of thanks which could not perhaps be strictly due to his friend Colonel Perkins, he felt would be most worthily appropriated to his deputy, Mr. Ald. Nichol; and he trusted he was quite within the bounds of order when he moved that a vote of thanks be given to LieutenantColonel Perkins and to Mr Ald. Nichol for the very efficient way in which the duties of Mayor had been carried out during the past year. (Applause.) Mr. Ald. INGLEDEW begged to second the resolution. Had Col. Perkins been able to attend to the duties, nobody would have been better suited to the office, and they must all join in a vote of sympathy and condolence with him. Mr. FORSTER suggested that there should be two distinct votes. The MAYOR then put the resolution, so far as it affected Colonel Perkins, and it was carried with applause. VOTE OF THANKS TO THE DEPUTY-MAYOR. Mr. FORSTER next said he would move that a similar vote be given to Mr. Ald. Nichol, whose valuable services all the Council must acknowledge. Mr. PLUMMER seconded the motion. The MAYOR put it to the vote, and it was carried with cheers. The DEPUTY-MAYOR returned thanks, saying he felt much obliged for the vote of confidence passed to him by the Council. He had endeavoured, as far as lay in his power, to fulfil his duties as deputy in the absence of the Mayor, and if he had discharged them to the satisfaction of the Council he was perfectly satisfied. (Applause.) VOTE OF THANKS TO THE EX-SHERIFF. Mr. Ald. CowEN said he had the honour of proposing their late Sheriff that time twelve months. He had now great pleasure in proposing a vote of thanks to him for the able manner in which he had discharged the duties of Sheriff. He was sorry, in |