or of pulling down, before any other step could be taken. The report was then adopted.
An Address of Condolence. – On the 5th of April the Town Clerk said that by instructions of the Mayor he had put on the agenda “To move an address of condolence to Her Majesty on the death of her late Royal Highness, the Duchess of Kent”. The Mayor then moved a formal proposition to that effect. Ald. Ross seconded, and remarked that at the time of Her Majesty and her royal mother’s visit to Hastings, there had been nowhere else a more sincere and hearty reception. He could only wish Her Majesty might be induced to turn her attention towards Hastings again. The Town Clerk was desired to draw up an address, to affix to it the Corporation seal, and to forward the same to the Secretary of State for presentation.
Improvement of Priory Street. – On the 1st of March it was reported to the Local Board that Mr. William Picknell, of Cambridge Villa, Priory Street, was willing to give up a strip of land 50 to 60 feet long by 15 to 18 inches wide, part of the back yard of his house at the south end of Priory street, if the Board would put down a kerb for the footway on the side of his premises. The Surveyor said the expense would be £8 6s., and that not long since Mr. Picknell had asked the Board £50 for the same strip. The offer was referred back to the Roads Committee. At the next meeting the committee recommended that Mr. Picknell be informed that as soon as the projecting fences in the street were put back in a line with the other buildings, they would take his application into consideration. This recommendation caused an animated discussion, in which Messrs. Putland, Howell and Picknell condemned it as being contrary to the spirit generally evinced by the Board to have as wide and good roads as possible, and as being inconsistent to refuse acceptance of a good offer because others would not comply with the wishes of the Board. The recommendation was, however, adopted by 11 to 6.
The Same Reply was ordered to be given to the inhabitants of Priory street who memorialized for a lamp to be placed in the street – namely that it would be considered as soon as the wooden fences were set back to form a uniform line in the street.
Painting the Town Hall. After considerable discussion, on May the third, the tender of Mr. Bossom (£23 6s.) to paint the Town Hall was accepted. Ald. Ross characterised the proposition to paint and regild the Quebec shield as “murder”. He afterwards explained that the shield was given them b by a former member of the Corporation [General Murray] in the original state in which it -
