the ratepayers hailed from the land of the Shamrock. " Justice to Ireland " yvas therefore the shibboleth under which the Civic battle of November was to be fought, and after the struggle ended, Ireland was no better off than when it began. In Gipps and Latrobe Wards, the retiring Councillors did not re-offer themselves, and in both Wards there were contests, the winners having easy conquests. Messrs. J. O'Shanassy and J. Bowler (a tried and an untried m a n ) were nominated for Gipps Ward, yvhen Bowler polled 62 against his antagonist's 45- H e yvas a quiet-going Attorney, and voted for himself, the only other case of such a questionable display of personal interest on record, being that of Councillor Reid at a prior election in Bourke Ward. In Latrobe Ward, Mr. Kerr, w h o had now been " certificated " and yvas longing to get back to the arena in which he had before been the instrument of so m u c h dissension, opposed Stephen, the retiring Councillor, and beat him by 100 to 69. Councillors Johnston and Armitstead, the retiring members for Bourke and Lonsdale Wards, went back without opposition. THE NEXT MAYOR.
Mr. Kerr's return to the Council, afforded him an opportunity of making another dash for the Mayoralty, and there was m u c h excitement in consequence. But he met with his match in Alderman Russell, who was elected Mayor on the 9th November. It was a close run, for against Russell's six votes, Kerr obtained five, M'Combie (not a candidate) 2, and M o o r 1; Russell voted for Moor, and Kerr for M'Combie, which practically neutralized their votes. At the ensuing Council meeting there yvas m u c h talk over the Mayor's allowance, and ,£300 yvas voted. T h e following scale of salaries yvas also fixed : — T o w n Clerk, ,£240 ; Treasurer, ,£200 ; Surveyor, ,£175 ; T o w n Clerk's clerk, p£ioo ; Market Inspectors (two), ,£78 each ; Cattle Market Inspector, ,£120; Cattle Market Keeper, ,£48 ; T o w n Inspector, ,£85 ; Inspector of Slaughter-houses, ,£60 ; Messenger, ,£52; two Rate-collectors, ,£120 each. Early the next year Mr. J. Sprent was appointed Cattle Market Inspector. O n the 26th November, 1847, the'new cattle yards were opened, when Messrs. Bear and Son, cattle auctioneers, held a maiden sale there. O n the 31st December, 1847, the Corporation statistics disclosed the folloyving facts yvhich evidenced a great disparity between the tax-paying tenements and those enjoying the civic franchise:— Ratable houses in Gipps W a r d Latrobe W a r d Bourke Ward Lonsdale Ward
814 688 443 593
Total houses 2538
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Burgesses. 160 276 130 290
Total burgesses 856
Several matters of general utility had been from time to time decided upon, such as the passing of bye-laws for the regulation of the markets, street-crossings, &c. T h e inconvenience of narrow streets (Sir R. Bourke's mischievous hobby), was forcibly represented to the Government, so that in any future town extension, no street should be under one chain in yvidth. A loan for ,£1500 was negotiated with the Union Bank, and the expediency of obtaining a considerably larger sum from the Sydney Savings Bank was more than once considered. In January, 1848, Councillor Cashmore resigned his seat for Latrobe Ward, to which Mr. James Murray (a formerly defeated candidate), was elected unopposed. In February the Speaker of the Legislative Council in Sydney was on a visit to Melbourne, and entertained by the Mayor at a dinner, to yvhich the usual select coterie were invited. T h e acceptances were general, but Mr. E. J. Brewster, the m e m b e r for Melbourne in the Legislative Council, sent the following remarkable apology, and his reason for declining: — " M r . Brewster presents his respects, and regrets that he feels obliged to decline availing himself ofthe invitation for dinner with which he has been honoured by the Mayor of Melbourne, as he understands he would have to associate with Mr. William Kerr.—Club, Melbourne, ist February, 1848."
