that the Mayor of Hastings had succeded(sic) in maintaining for Hastings its precedence. The report also added that a petition was presented to the Lord Warden, praying his lordship to waive all claims he might have on all wreckage which might be cast upon the shore within the jurisdiction of the Corporation. – Couns. Putland moved and Coun. Poole seconded that the report be recorded in the minutes, and Ald. Rock moved a vote of thanks to be given to the Mayor and deputation for maintaining the place of precedence on the occasion. Coun. Gausden remarked that the Court did not go into the question of right, and it was left open to a future day for discussion. The Dover people simply withdrew their pretensions rather than have any unpleasantness. – Ald. Ross was surprised that Dover should have made a claim to the first place at all, seeing that it was well known to those who were acquainted with the ancient records that Hastings had always ranked first. That she had done so for the five hundred years could be shewn by the entries in the books of the courts. At the coronations, too, of the Kings and Queens, Hastings had a right to sit at the King’s right hand. – Coun. Putland said they must all feel thankful to the Mayor and Town Clerk; also in a particular sense to Ald. Ross, for the bold and lucid manner in which was upset the determination to which the meeting had arrived before the Hastings barons and combarons got in. In fact, it seemed to be all settled beforehand until the Mayor claimed his right. He was very pleased at the manner in which Mr. Ross spoke at the court and also with the attention he had devoted to the getting up of the documents he had with him, without which, they might have stood in a different position. Motion unanimously adopted. [The account of this grand pageant will be found in Volume 1 “Premier Cinque Port”, pages 1 to 3.]
Roads in Magdalen Parish. At the February meeting it was reported that Church road, Edward road, Princes road, Victoria road, Villa road and St. Margaret’s terrace, all of which the Board had been requested to dedicate, were not properly paved, flagged and channelled. It was resolved to give the owners notice to put the same in proper order within two months. At the next meeting during a discussion on the said roads, Coun. Howell called attention to the great hardship to individuals in forcing them to kerb the sides of villas where they derived no advantage from the side-walk or boundary. It was a benefit to the town to have roads made as wide and as open as possible, but parties who happened to have property at corners ought not to be called upon to pave more than the fronts. He held it to be unjust, and thought the town should do the kerbing at the sides of such property. – No motion made.
