the remainder from which any inconvenience was likely to arise, only three occurred daily as affected St. Leonards, whilst Hastings was affected to the merely nominal extent of five letters in a fortnight. Mr. Gausden also showed that Government derived an income of £2,000 a year from the St. Leonards office, and that the expenses were not more than £280. The advantages of the existing arrangements were then contrasted with those of Brighton, where there was only one general post office, and where, in some of the districts letters had to be posted three hours before the departure of the mail, and in nearer and more favoured districts, one hour before such departure. Taking all these things into consideration, Mr. Gausden contended that to deprive St. Leonards of its post office, instead of lessening any small inconvenience, would be to increase it ten or twenty times. The proximity of the Council meeting to the time of our going to press prevents us reporting it at greater length. Suffice it to say that the motion was negatived by a considerable majority.” This motion which was intended to exclude Councillor Gausden from the deputation and to shut out the West Ward from having a voice in the matter, although proposed and seconded by East Ward Liberals was regarded as being so wanting in fairness and righteousness that Mr. Howell, an East Ward Liberal, Mr. Winter, an East Ward Liberal, and other East Ward Liberals, voted against it.
(For same subject at Council meetings, see next chapter)
The Western Waterworks.
At the commencement of the year it was proposed to change Mr. Clark’s Eversfield Waterworks in to that of a company to be called the Hastings and St. Leonards Water Works Company. The names of the provisional directors were Charles Clark, of Shornden (engineer), Walter Pell, gentleman, of Carlisle parade, George Medhurst, hotel-keeper, of Carlisle parade, John Banks, accountant, Bleak House, and John Bishop, gentleman, West Hill. The secretary was William Hall, of Shornden.
“Filled to overflowing“. A large quantity of surface water deposited by the heavy rains of Sunday, May 13th, having found its way into a large reservoir connected with the Eversfield Waterworks, effected a breach in the embankment, and descended impetuously into the gardens below. The estimated loss of water was ten million gallons. The damage sustained at the works themselves was slight, but it was thought the lessee would be called upon to pay heavily for the injury done to the Local Board Works in the parish of St. Andrew.
Much more concerning Mr. Clark and his Eversfield Water Works will be found in the next chapter, under the head of “Town Council Meetings”.
