resolution was carried to the effect that the harbour would be a benefit to the town. It might be the last time he should oppose the scheme in his public capacity, although he should feel quite at liberty to oppose it as a private individual. He thought it had not been properly considered by the town. He had made a calculation to show what bases the proposed harbour had got as a paying speculation. Last year 272 vessels landed on our beach, having a registered tonnage of about 24,000 tons, and a burden of 31,000 tons. According to the average of 9d. per ton, that would realize £1,180. The next source of revenue was a duty on coals of 3d. per ton. He found that last year, only 28,000 tons of coal were landed on the beach, and a revenue of £350 would be obtained from that quantity. It left 3,000 tons unaccounted for, and that quantity would be made up by timber, stone and other articles which were subject to dues. Putting that at the same rate as the coals, it would realise £37 10., and the gross total would be about £1,570; and yet in clause 10 of the provisional order, there was power to raise upon the credit of the dues of the harbour a sum of £40,000 at 5 per cent. This interest, Coun. Winter endeavoured to show could not be realized either by the present or prospective amount of receipts. He then referred to Hastings as a fishing town in 1730, with 1,636 inhabitants and its then population of 23,000 as a fashionable watering place. But, supposing the harbour were constructed and the town became changed from a fashionable resort to a commercial port? Such had been the case at Southampton, where the value of the property in the fashionable part had decreased 30 per cent. If they considered the value of property in this town were depreciated even 25 per cent, what would be the effect of the owners? There was property in Pelham place and its neighbourhood expressly built for lodging-houses, and if the prognostications of those, who were opposed to the harbour were realised, the matter would be a most serious one to the owners of that property, for their interest would be entirely seized before the mortgage or the ground rent was affected. in 1821[1820] the building of the large houses to which he alluded commenced, and from that time they might date the commencement of their prosperity; and therefore he would adjure the Council in its private capacity- for he thought it was out of their hands as a public body to consider the interest and welfare of the town, and endeavour to prevent anything injuring it. In conclusion, Mr. Winter thanked the meeting for the attention that had been given him and moved the adoption of the report. [Mr. Winter might have added that a thousand pounds had been subscribed by the owners of Pelham place and Pelham crescent for the removal of the ship-building premises on which is now the site of the Russian Gun ]. Coun. Gausden, in seconding the resolution, said he wished it to be distinctly understood that although the committee had adopted the report, other resolutions were brought forward; -
Page:Item 10 1862.pdf/11
From Historical Hastings
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