Monmouthshire Merlin

^xam ?, SESSIONS. «.— j QuarterSessionsfor thecounty olMon- < opened at Us ki ou Tuesday. There were '-S. R. Bosanquet, E-j., chairman Granville t Esq., Q.C. deputy-chairman; Lord Tre- rd Henry Somerset, M. P., Lord Raglan, Col F. C. Morgan, M.P.. T. Cordes, Esq., M.P., Vlorgan, Esq., A. D. Berrington, Esq., W. ght, Esq H. M. Kennard, Esq., Colonel J. M. Banner.nan, Esq., E. J. Phillips, nel G. R. Greenhow-Relph," 0 A. Wyatt, J. C. Hill, R. Rees, Esq., William Lie- Major Tyler, Major Davies, Rev. Robert r. Willis, F. T. E. Prothero, Esq., &c. MINUTBS. .ites of the last meeting of the Court were i fpn reading of a minute with respect to ,nttttion of a quarterly report by the Asylum ,tee, the Chairman remarked that the deci- ,0 do so could not of course be imposed on jther counties by any resolution of Monmouth- e. The- inemtwra of the Committee representing ier counties bad, however, acquiesced. The minutes' ¡ere confirmed. CIRCULAR FROM THI HOKZ OFFICt. A circular was received, pointing out that under the 3th sec. of the Public Works Loans Act, 1875, it was ecessary to intimate before the 31st December, what tans they would require to borrow from the Commis- ooerg during the ensaing year. The circular was, of Jurøe, out of date, but, in answer to the Chairman, Ie Clerk of the Peace stated that the county did not qnire to borrow any money from the Commissioners, they could borrow at better terms from other rties. trNiTBBsrrr gollequ. BHISTOL • "October 16th 1376. SM,—I beg to draw your attention to the articles of ociasion of University College, Bristol (Art. 11 clause which empowers the magistrates of various counties Inarter Sessions to elect a representative on the irning body, and as Monmouthshire is one of the ties named, I have to request you will bring the sub- before the magistrates at their next meeting, with ew of this power being exercised. By same post I 'ou a copy of the articles of Association. I am, Ac., EDWARD STOCK. B. Fox, Esq., Clerk of the Peace." tction was taken. CONTAGIOUS bISEA.SES ACT. -ter was read from the Clerk of the Peace for sex, stating that the operations of the Conta- iseases (Animals) Act called for some action on of the magistrates, and drawing the attention Jort to measures adopted in that county, by was considered that the hands of those vitb the execution of the Act would be ma- j rengthened. { itter was referred to Major Herbert, the table, to report upon at the next Quarter ASSESSMENT OF PUBLIC BUILDINGS. of the Peace stated that he had received n :h. Clerks of the Peace of several coun- e especially from Oxford, asking for the of the County of Monmouth iu testing nether the county building3 and police- be legally assessed to the property tax. been made to assess these properties, >nt recommended that suoh assessments ?d pending the decision of a case to be '•superior courts. I said the aasesment was made only rs, and a great attempt was being o many properties that had not been d to enhance the assessment of each ggestion was, that it was probable ddings would be assessed, as notice he Cierk of the Peace, and the days Ked. Although it had not been the county buildings generally, he 'me had been assessed. e Court in which they were then £ sed a,n :t the Chief Constable in- \t three police-stations had also it on to say that in his belief tsessable to a certain extent, viz., oersons residing therein. It was on,'but they considered that :vg public, should be altogether itn property was once assessed, fa three years, yet he did not nothing to prevent fresh pro- 9S" The Learned Chairman mir..g!1amnewspf\ver an account ;he Worcesterebire Qu»rtac Ses- •ject as that now under discus- that Worcestershire had de- 'ce' Lancashire had de- that ww a very large county, asment. He did not think that act alone, but if several coun- Oxfordsbvta, he thought they number. 14e question would raw the case. that the Sessions Court was d. that rent was Wd for it, and spent £500, and had a bene- hairman, Col. Relph taid it was iuae-Ux, but to the property-tax. Morgan, the Colonel sari it was ioor. man observed that he though this implicated matter than app^red ioor. man observed that he though this implicated matter than app^red would suggest that a Commits be jr with the county of Oxford (wh«h oaken the initiative) with power with them, as they might see hi i would be better than to send a definite 3 affirmative, because his experience aat in all law proceedings it was better own case, and then they had everything er. This he said without any disrespect i of the Peace for Oxfordshire, whoki he a for 30 years, and who was one of the i in England in that department. He tad oncur of representing that Court in the mit- .min. I prosecutions, with Lancashire, to seij etc the Queen's Bench, and he could only sa; reater diversity of opinion he never saw than meeting. Mr. Somerset concluded by moving Committee be appointed. was second-id and carried, the Committee ap- consisting of the Chairman, Deputy-chairman, I. Relph. CORONERS' SALARIES. Coroners' salaries are adjusted on fin averages years. The Chairman now said the five ye^r. psed, and a letter had been received from Mr sking that the salaries might be revised on the of the last five years. He thought they had Mt on the letter. M agreed tint the Coroners' salaries be revised. J: ABERGAVENNY BRIDGE QtJESTIOt AGAIN". Hill rose to speak to the following motion, of h. had given notice- To bring before the the injustice indicted upon the hamlets of and Hardwick, in obliging them to continue fir Lhinfoist bridge, unless the order of the made on 14th January, 1828, be carried out; nove that the order, which was acted upon for y t, s nd never rescinded, be continued, or the t taken over by the county in the same way that .>r10.o;e was; in the year 1838." He said that the time he had the pleasure of appearing at that t was on the 28th March, and many gentlemen jnt would remember that on that occasion he •eased them ou the subject of Llanfoist bridge. He sure that he then sincerely hoped that as that was first time he had spoken on the subject, so that it jht be the last, but it was willed otherwise, and again appeared before them to plead the cause of a Abergavenny ratepayers. They would remember at when he-addressed them last he said that there ad been an order of the Court made in 1823 that ;3 Os. 6d. per centum per annum should be returned D the parish of Abergavenny because it kept in repair 9 own bridge. He was stopped by the Chairman, ho said "Have you any proof of that ? I don't find ly record of payment." Now he should be able to ove that there was a record of payment. The iairman then recommended that the whole matter. Duld be referred to the Finance Committee, and a course was proposed by Mr. Herbert, of Llanarth, 1 seconded by Major Davies. Mr. Herbert, in ving that, made use of the wise and sensible re- rks, I should like to kuow, if we have power to ept a bridge constructed by the county, why we Vi e not the power to accept one constructed for them. are circumstances that should be fully weighed." h^SKped that those circumstances would receive the ghtVwhich they ought to have. Now, he contended the aacounty had the power of adopting the Aber- 5°ny as it adopted Usk bridge. Be was there thX^r, tu make any claim upon the county 't to demand any back payment—but simply to chem to do J^jM8tice to the ratepayers of Aberga- iy. _^ow he go ag far back as the Michael ie (\inrf°fK he found from the minutes o Ia '• WaS 'Vesolved that the Clerk of the e SJOuld enquire and Vfiport to the Court of Quar- ,ncL port lons whether from circumstance that the s, 3 AbergavOTtpy repaired their own ,ee ey were entitled by ciajL*rter, prescription, or *•- c-ntrifcat-- *:• ier they were Ji^\u?ry, 1828, the Cler; Oi% t ana what ot, t'ue X did pay them back ior j trfem who aat '"a the chair when th^t.rijr was .,j; They all knew the House of Bua^fert—one of''Vie most noble among the most noble, and r/aose who bad the pleasure uf remembering Lord GrauviWe Somersev would know the soundness of his jodgruent, and would feel that the greatest possible'weight must "be attached to what he did. He (Captain Hill) had great difficulty in treating the case, for Lord Granville was gone, the then Clerk of the Peace was gone, and the Treasurer was gone, but he could not believe that if Lord Granville had lived he should have been that day pleading that cause for Abergavenny. One of the oldest friends he had in the world, if not quite the oldest, Mr. Cartwright, un- fortunately got op and opposed him in very tailing speech, in whicn he said that they were £ ouo<? to reject the motion, as Abergavenny had from time immemorial repaired the bridge. Whether that was right or not he did not know, but he very much doubted it. He went further than that, and held up the terrors of the law, and said any ratepayer who felt aggrieved could apply to the Court of Queen's Bench for a mandamus. But nothing was heard of iny inandamus during the 11 years in which the payments were made. Usk bridge was taken over in 1838, when Lord Granville occupied the chair, and had any one heard of his friend Mr. Cartwright's terrors of the law ? No, and they never would hear of them. And- why ? Because the yeomen of England liked even- handed justice, and used the bridges perhaps more than any other class, and he wanted to see justice done in the county with regard to the bridges., He always tfnderatood that the easence of a rate was that itshould be made equal upon all, and why should not the expenditure of the rates be equally distributed ? Abergavenny repaired its own bridge, and had to con- tribute towards the repair of others, and could any oae agree that this was the essence of even-handed justice? He believed, in the superior Courts, the Judges would not, if they could help it, upset the pre- vious ruling of another Judge, but here they found the presiding Chairman casting on one side the ruling of his predecessor. There was no outside pressure to cause him to do so neither had. he heard any of the terrors of the law of his friend Mr. Cartwright; but the excellent Chairman felt it his duty to contend that what his predecessor had done was altogether illegal. Was he wrong in asking the Chairman, when no out- side pressure was put upon him, whether this was not very like a bird fouling its own nest ? He asked him to consider very well where they were drifting to. They must remember that the Chairman could not wear his mantle for ever, and the Cierk of the Peace, wiry and excellent fox that he was, must go to earth, and then who should say but some one might arise to say that their ruling was all wrong. Now, in March last, he was what be called "shunted" to the Finance Committee. At the meeting of the Finance Committee the Chair- man laid it down as an axiom that no county could legally adopt a bridge that it is not compelled by an Act of Parliament to maintain, and of course the Finance Committee bowed to that ruling, and reported that they could not recommend the adoption of Llan- foist bridge but they did so with regret, and he thanked tbe Committee for that expression of regret, which he thought should go a long way in support of this argument. At the Finance Committee, the Chairman remarked that no doubt the reason why the payments were discontinued, was because it was discovered that they were illegal. At the time, he (Capt. Hill) was not sharp enough to reply to this, but he did so now. That theory could not be sup- ported, because in 1838 the Usk bridge was taken over, thereby supporting the ruling of 1828. Col. Relph was the means of the Usk bridge being taken over, when the parish paid £ 400 to repair the bridge, whereas it cost £ 600. Now he was afraid he was going to say something that the Chairman might think a little personal, but he must say it. He could not admit that the Chairman was infallible, because Newport was before his mind. He did not forget that there was nearly, if not quite dS 1,000 spent in law over Newport bridge, in addition to £ 5L000 spent in widening it, and what came of it ? A. member of that honourable Court was put to very great expense, but he beat the County in the end. Now he must say to their respected Chairman, that if he had spent that money in attempting to get an Act of Par- liament to wipe out the law that he (Capt. Hill) said was so unfair and unjust, and which ought never to be exercised again, he would have supported more the dignity of that Court than he did by being beaten by one of the members of it." Capt. Hill then went on to support his argument by reading three letters which he had received, from one of which it appeared that the County of Northumberland had agreed to adopt, in the County, every bridge of any description, bailt since 1803. in case of their being out of repair and certified by the County to be of public service. He hoped that In his earnestness he had not overstepped the bounds of courtesy. He had hit at the Chairman, and he should not grumble, however hard he might hit him back. In conclusion, he could not admit that the tul. n y of the Chairman was correct. He would con- sent not to put his resolution to the vote if the Court would graut him a Committee of Justices to inquire into the legal powers of the Court, with a view of adopting all bridges, such carrying turnpike roads, and other important parish roads in the County, such Committee to report at the next Quarter Sessions, as to the best and cheapest way of obtaining the necessary powers, if such do not at present exist, with a view to promote legislation which would effectually remove the grievance, and consign for ever to the dusty munimeuts of by-gone years, a law that is a blot to the statute book. He felt certais MIA that blot would be wiped out of the statute book- he felt certa n that justice would be done to many other parishes smarting under a grievance similar to Aber- gavency parish. He had no wish to agitate or to put any outside pressure on the Court, and in proof of this he might mention that he had been the means of suppressing three petitions. Mr. Capel H. Williams seconded Captain Hill's cation for the appointment of a committee. He re- mrsked that he thought great hardship was oc- casUqe.l, not only on the town, but on the hamlsfcaof Llwyndu and Hardwick. Tht Chairman said he admired the ability and in- dustry fid perseverance with which Captain Hill had presented his case, and they all wished, if it were possible, ttat success might attend that motion. He had put in < strong claim of justice. He had given strong reasonswhy there should be an alteration made in the law with regard to the incidence of the expense md repair of Llanfoist bridge. The law divided JIstice into two vords, law and equity; but they cOlM not do that wiich the law did not allow. This wa¡ unquestionably a matter of law. The Court had hadthe matter before ';hem very often. The learned Chai man went on to &e £ recate the idea that Captain ^Jill appeared to have, friat the Chairman was the Court, aod pointed out tint in whatever he did he was fotified by the Court, and proceeded to say that in 1828-be Court, after havit.j appointed a Committee, decided,v-igbtly or wrongly, thtt Abergavenny should not pay is bridge rate so long is they repaired Llan- toist brid{e_ Jn January 182J, at the Zpiphany !!+10n8> a report must have been made, but that re- port was not<orthcoming, and they did not know what It was theyinly knew that from th;t time for a few years Abergaenny was not called ujon to pay its raL ^ptain Hill said that the ion-payment wen on tor elevm years, but he (the Chairman) made LI?;Q.K years, viz., from 1828 t» 1S36, at y *eased to obtain exemption. This was ^sions of. the Court that the motion C0'dlJ be entertained. Why dii they rpoorrJ nt th eXetaP^ after that time ? They had no record of the reason but no doubt it was found Uat nariab^id nnt legai; but more than that, the L f r. el? a»y remonstrance till 1852, when rU?n° hoinfr ffr forward in that Court, the contrary to the order'oill^ A ported that lt could 11- >! ^nst it. In 1864 the same t t 0n 5jrwa-d, and again a decision was taken against it. He Kd' a report of the debate which appeared in the^ wh?ch member of I 1,°°! 8ee'1 ^Committee then reported that they had considered 8evral Acts of Parliament, and found the Court had n6, the power to do what was desired. The matter thin slept till last year, when it was again referred tt a committee, with » like result. He thought tha if any decisien of the Court were made by mis^e, it must be the mistake which was found on and rectified in 1836. He thought, the Court having decided the question so ofteu, and having commixed but one mis- take, that they should now abide k, their decision for according to the report of the Conmittee of last year, the Court had no legal power to act. The Chair- man then made some remarks on the nerits of the case, in which he pointed out that Llanf^st also con- tributed to the maintenance of the bridge, but they had made no complaint. He contended that Hard- wick and Llwyndu had brought the burde, on them- selves. He rested his opposition to the moion, how- ever, solely on its emire illegality, The rirst record was in 1811, when a parish meeting of Abergavenny recognised its liability from time immemorial with regard-to the bridge. It was very true that svery- body should coutribute to the general expense but ihey could mot depart from strict law- The oif.y re- medy was a general law, altering the incidents of the&e expenses. \Tr O \fnr(Tijri anrtlcf Jtrrflinafc TPO^fOn. :> n ::• t- I Aiiicii v;V! 8000 by general kgn- • *tiea. Hi irustea ne tuieht$>ers >T> <Uy b* 0 _,dO allowed to thank Captain Hill for the VAa l -o :t of Somerset'^ father,* Hififeelincs en-rely 1 with Iris friend Captain Hill, bú.t; lift.. e.ally luokiug into the matter, he had co the cone!n- sion that the Court had no power t .1<) wiiat !ie be- lieved they all wiehed they could d Tfc* 1, with I regard to county .and pubfio bridges r-to-si unsatis- t factory, and it Was one of those t,. r.h, to his view, required serious and speedy wD-M^erpuon. He trusted that as they had the representatives of the county and the boroughs present, thai tt'-ss gentle- men would consider the subject, ana »eo vhether it could not soon be brought before the higher authori-1 lies. Any memorial that might Dt7 r^i irdBsed to the Home Secretary would receiv c hip (VISomerset's) hearty support. He did not. thiuk vhe suggestion that the matter should be referred to P. committee, was of any practical value, as it could not improve their knowledge of the law, and he thought, therefore, it would be better to decide, once for all, on the pro- posal. In the course of further observations, the De- puty-chairman, alluded to the difficulties which would arise in dealing with the questien, if it .were intro- duced into Parliament. j Lord Tredegar said he had listened with great plea- sure to the remarks of his friend, Mr. Hill; but, after the speeches they had heard from the Chairman and Deputy-chairman, the high legal opinions they had received, and, in view of the fact that the question had been several times decided, he hoped Mr Hill would not put the Court to the trouble of dividirg on his motion, but would withdraw it. Capt. Hill said he was quite willing to withdraw his original motion if the second, for the appeintm<nt of a Committee, &c., were agreed to. After considerable further conversation, the f)llow- ing resolution was unau oously agreed to- Thit the Court of Quarter Sessions is of opinion that tha pre- sent law, as to county and parish bridges, is unsatis- factory, and requests the Secretary of State to take p the same into his consideration, and to promote t Bill for the amendment thereof." TREDUNNOCK BRIDGE. Mr. John James had given notice that the above bridge be taken to by the county. In his absents, he addressed the following letter to the Court:— To S. R. Bosanquet, Esq., Chairman of Quarter Sessions, Monmouthshire. "Mr DEAR SiR.—I regret my notice of motion, that Newbridge, in the parish of Tredunnock, be taker as a County Bridge, should have been adjourned to a time of year when my infirmities are so increased that I annot attempt to address the Court in person. I beg, therefore, most respectfully to be allowed to lay before you ar.d the Court, in writing, my reasons for having given that notice. The County of Monmouth contains within itself the germs of prosperity in no ordinary degree. It is dtvided into two parts, somewhat equal in area, by the Biver Usk, which is impassable for commercial traffic except by bridges. Seven public bridges cross the Usk within the county-five of which are county bridges. Newbridge is maintained by the parishes of Tredunnock and LItntris- sent, whose aggregate valuation is .£3, ;16, the valuation of the county being £ 328,737. The right bans of the Usk to the north west has a mineral basin of immense value, which has attracted a very large population they live on the mountains where the surface is not adapted for the production of animal or vegetable food, The inhabitants have, consequently, fostered markets at the bases'of their mountains. These people are very industrious they nominally receive high wages, and spend their money with a most liberal hand, thereby making Monmouthshire markets stand for agri- cultural produce amongst the very best in Great Britain. Professional men, merchants, and dealers of all kinds, live near the markets, and increase the demand for food ou the right bank of the Usk. The left bank is almost purely agricultural and very fertile. A few years since, a com- missioner sent by the Times to report on the state of the farming interest throughout England and Wales, described the land in the valley of the Severn as the best in England. We possess such land on the Caldicot level, stretching from Newport bridge to the walls of Chepstow. It pro- duce* beef, pork, cheese, butter, and hay in abundance. The slopes risine from that level teem with mutton, grain, straw, and vegetables, and the milts send large supplies of charcoal to the Iron and Tin Manufactories. The great depot of the county for timber and hoops for exportation is at Newbridge itself. This abundant pro- duce of the left side of the Usk, although almost within sight of the markets I have pointed out, is as completely shut out from them, except by the bridges on the Usk, as the sugar of Jamaica is from the refineries of Bristol. '• These bridges are, therefore, the vital arteries of the prosperity of the county. Nor is there any ratepayer, therefore, who is not directly, or indirectly interested in These bridges are, therefore, the vital arteries of the prosperity of the county. Nor is there any ratepayer, therefore, who is not directly, or indirectly interested in their maintenance, and, consequently, they ought to be under the jealous care of the magistrates and the supervi- sion of their own servant. It has been objected that the Bench has no power to take Newbridge for the county The Clerk of the Peace volunteered to assert that it you did so, any ratepayer might refuse to pay the county rate, a.nd apply for a mandamus. No one has ventured upon tunt £ 2UTrse in the cases of Usk and KJiadyr bridges. I rent are tu n,iuk -r«Tcr "Tn^tti t' Oaerleon, where ^Newbridge stands, will find it inexpe- dient to do so. We have bequeathed to us the precedents of Usk and Rhadyr bridges—Lord Granville Somerset, Williams, of Llangibby; McDonnell, of Usk Pocock, of Beech Hill; and others, whose ability, legal knowledge, and caution, are not yet surpassed in the administration of our county business. I beg to hand you a volume of Burns' Justice,' in which, at pages 330 and 331, I have marked two leading cases. I trust you will have them read in Court, not only because I think them applicable to Newbridge, but be- cause it has been whispered abroad that placing Usk and Rhadyr bridges on the county was effected by personal influence rather than by legal power. The common law on bridges seems to me almost re- duced to an axiom that where a bridge is dedicated to the public, and the public find it useful a.nd use it, the public must repair it. And the latest statutes seem to support the Common Law, sec. 33 and 34 Vic., cap- 73, where a Turnpike-road shall have become an ordinary highway, the bridges previously repaired by the Trustees shall become county bridges, and shall be kept in repair ac- cordingly. The case of Glasburne appears applicable te New- bridge, which was formerly constructed of wood, adapted for horses in accordance with the ancient Pack and Prime roads of the country, but in 1778 was rebuilt with stone, so excellently that it has required the merest ordinary re- pair to this day. Probably the structure has not cost during almost one hundred years so much as the six- teenth part of a penny on the present county rate would yield. I do not offer any special reasons for Newbridge, be- cause I rely on the general principle that every bridge which spans the Usk within this county, not being a bridge receiving tolls, should be maintained by the county. I am, my dear Sir, yours very truly, "JOHN JAMES. Llansoar, 2nd Januaiy, 1877." THE WYE BRIDGK AT MONMOUTH. The following memorial was read To the Magistrates of the County of Monmouth, in Quarter Sesnons assembled. The memorial of the Mayor, Aldermen, and burgesses of the borough of Monmouth in Council assembled this 28th day of December, 1876, SHEWETH.—That the Wye bridge at Monmouth is the main approach to Mayhill Station at Monmouth, of the Monmouth and Ross Railway. That the said railway, is connected with the Coleford, Monmouth, Usk, and Pontypool Railway, and the WIa Valley Railway at Monmouth, and a very large increase in the traffic over the said bridge has taken place in con- sequence thereof. That the greatest portion of the railway passenger traffic from and to the town of Monmouth is carried on at the said Mayhill Railway Station. That the roadway of the said Wye bridge is 15 feet 6 inches, the footway 3 feet wide only, and the parapet of the bridge in many places but 2 feet, and therefore the bridge is quite inadequate for the safe transit of passen- gers thereon. That your memorialists are of opinion that the danger to passengers may be obviated by the bridge being widened from buttress to buttress. That your memorialists bave keen informed that the bridge at the west end was many years ago widened and improved at the expemse of the county of Monmouth, and I J. continuation of such widening would be of great advan- ce to the public using the same. "That the said bridge and the suggestions made for widenng it have been viewed by competent engineers, and they aie of opinion that the improvement can be readily and eSe-tively carried out at no considerable expense. "Your memorialists therefore beg to lay the subject before youi Court, aad ask for your early and favourable consideration thereof. J y0V* menQori«*liats will, as in duty bound, ever pray, etc. o,th<! N„ W.„. "THOMAS R. HTAM, Mayor." Dr. illis gaye ,.)tic8 of motion that the memorial be taken into colaideration at the next Quarter oessions. Major Tyler suggestel that the Surveyor should present a report on the natter to the Court at its next meeting, and it was undwgtood that the Surveyor would be prepared with all accessary information. THE LUNATIC REPORT. The Lunatic A»ylum has be* -well conducted unuer the able and indefatigable supwjntendendence of Dr. McCollough, assisted by the skillful co-operation ot Dr. Glendenning. The Commissioners iu^unacy have visited, and report favorably of the Establish mint, in regpect of the behaviour and general appearand# of the patients, their general condition, health, and dut. They make many recommendations of additions te the building the most important of which the Committee W, bring to the attention of the several Quarter Sessions, wbe, thev hav» thoroughly considered them. The Commission^' Re, T will be given in extenso in the printed Anmw which with the usual Tables and detailed infornUrT be furnished to the Magistrates and Unions 1)n 1fl There has been-a decrease of 4 in the num^ 0f V'*™* tbp T.'Hpr hn* n> the year ttere If a= u,trf •" °r V1r and 21 n iin- preset wtai uamr,*rivp3 mal,>s, ar,d 2*2 f«m.i;V J of which '54 fesw«?s are boarded oat ir. the M»cole?fHM 1 Asylum, and Ifonaie is in Fish^r^or Asylum. One i* 1 about to be sent in the Western Counties Idiot Asylum, ),y the recommendation of the Commissioners in L"an»cy,—ah*5 being an idiot capable of mental improvement. Th f: males in the A ^ergarency Asylum are 5 in excess, fud. tl t femalps 2 in etceas. of the accommodation. This is in addi- tion to 34 females now in the Macclesfield -Asy 1 am. 'o The additional buildings s&acu3nei by the several Quarter Sessnns in March last ars approaching comple- tion, but are not quite complete the exact cost therefore cannot, be ascertained and reported before the March Sessions. The Committee hare to call upo, the three Counties for their proportionate contributions torn wa of £ 1,200, according to the following Schedule, viz '— For repairs, fittings, artisans' wages, insurance, annuities granted, Ac., JJ750 maintenance of patients under contract £145; expenses in transferring patients, i:47 5s. 7d. for extras allowed to the contractor £ ,2. i 15s. 9d. raising stone in the quarry on the Asylum ground, J £ 105 16s.; metalling new line of road made necessary by the new building, and hauling stone, sand, and earth, X50 7s. lOd.; surveying for now line of road, £ 2 5s. new hot water tank, wS40 5a. contingent expenses, say t37 4a. 10d.-Total, £ 1,200. The general increase of wages has necessitated an increase of the salaries of fodr deserving officers to the amount together of A9 per anqum. The weekly payment for maintenance has been reduced from lOs. 6d. to 10s. for the ensuing year. Signed, S. R. BOSANQTJBT, Chairman." fOf the call of JB1,200, the proportion payable by Mon- mouthshire is £ 905.J Mr. Berrington said that the fact that the buildings bad been carried out at a cost of £ 6000 with such a small amount for extras, was due to the watchfulness of their Chairman. The Chairman remarked that the reduction of 6d. per head per week in the coet of the maintenance of each lunatic would be an advantage to the cotmty of over £ 500. The report was adopted, and the Committee'was re- appointed without alteration. EXTORT OF VISITING JCSXICC3 OF THE COUNTY PRISON. I "January 2nd, 1877. MY LORDS AND GINTLIIIBN,—The Prison is in a good state of repair. The tread-wheel has required con- siderable repairs, and a covered way to the Workhouse has been erected under the. direction of the Governor by prisoner's labour. The conduct of prisoners generally, and their health, with a few exceptions,have been satisfactory ;three prisoners have been discharged on account of their health,by order of the Secretary of:State. One prisoner after sentence at the last Quarter Sessions made his escape by breaking through the ventilator of the closet in the lock-up beneath the Court. He is still at liberty. The lock-up is under the supervision of the Visiting Justices, and frpm time to time has been inspected by one or., more of them; sufficient consideration, however, now appears not to hare beea given to the corrosive effects of gases, in addition to the atmosphere, to which the ventilator was subject. The rules and regulations have-on the whole, been observed, and the discipline of the prison maintained. The requirements of the Rivers Pollution Act, 1876, which His Grace the Lord Lieutenant was good enough to bring to the notice of the Court last Quarter Sessions, and was by the Court referred to us so far as they will affect the sewage arrangement* of the prison, will require greater consideration than we have yet been able to give to them, and at an early day we shall return to a con- sideration of them. We understand that the Local Authority of the Town of Usk contemplates dealing with the sewage of the town by means of filter-beds in somewhat close proximity to the prison. We would therefore suggest that the County Surveyor should ascertain the nature of the works, the exact distance thej will be from the prison, and that we, on reo,:i T i tig his report, be authorised to take such measures for the protection of the prison as may be deemed necessary. We recommend that a gratuity of X20 be presented to the Deputy Governor in recognition of the valuable assistance given by him to the Industrial Labour Com- mittee in framing and working out a system of accounts and stock keeping, which occupied him much time beyond the hours of duty. The daily average number of prisoners during the quarter is—Males 112, females 34-total, 146 in correspoading quarter last year—Males 97, females 29 —total 126, showing an in.crease of 15 Males, and firs females. The expenditure of the quarter has been—salaries and wages, JJ332 10s Tradesmen's bills, £ 514 Os 5d; removal of Convicts, XIO 17s 7d sundry disbursements, j £ 20 10s aid to discharged prisoners, £ 3 12s. The report was signed by— I. MCDONNBLL. W. W. PHILLIPS. THOS. COEDES. EAGLAX. "A. P BEBKINGTOX. G. R. GREEN HOW-RELPH. Jaiias DAVIES. E. J. PHILLIPS." Mr. Berrington said that from conversation with members of the Usk Local Board, he did not think any nuisance would arise from the filter-beds. He assured the Court that the Committee did not think £ 11 u -of *<00 proposed Deputy-governor, was at all too large. The report presented last Session showed a large profit from industrial labour. The report was adopted. THE NEW COURTS. Colonel Relph, speaking of the new courts now in course of erection at Usk, said that very little departure had been made from the plans, and he thought the extras arising from this source would be covered by a score, or a couple of score of pounds. A number of items were advisedly left out of the builders' contract the contract amounting to about £ 9,900. Over and above the contract they had to provide for the warming and ventilating of the courts and a contract had been let for this purpose which amounted to nearly £400. Then, again, the gas fittings were left out of the contract. The major part of the fittings bad already been put in, for the Committeee knowing perfectly well that they could not do without gas, had accepted the contract of Strode's celebrated hou!le- a house that had the reputation of doing its work in a first class manner and at a reasonable cost—and this would add X 150, and possibly JE250 to the expense. Then in sinking the foundations they came on a quicksand, and a large quantity of concrete, more than they bad anticipated, had to be used, but this extra expense would probably be under £ 50. They had also under- taken to make the occupation road, and to fence it in at considerable length, and they also had to provide iron railings to rail up the prison wall from the Court grounds &c., and this expense was estimated to be possibly £1,100. They hoped, however, that it would prove to be considerably less. The Committee had laid their heads together on the subject and had decided to ask the Court to entrust them with jE2,000 more money, and Ijhey assured the Court that they believed in all honesty that they should be able to finish every- thing connected with the building without expending the whole of that sum; and in fact they hoped to have a handsome amount in hand at the completion of the Courts. Colonel Relph went on to allude to an item which he had forgotten, viz., the furnishing of the magistrates, and counsel's retiring room, grand jury and other rooms. He remarked that they had a certain amount of furniture in the room in which they were then met, but there were a number of museums in the country, and he thought they had better send the furniture to some museum, and buy new. He trusted that before long they would be in the new Courts, and that the present would be the last winter in which' they should have to endure the dis- comfort of the present Court. He congratulated the Chairman from the bottom of his heart on the manner in which bis constitution had stood so many hard winters anJ stifliug summers in that building, and he was glad that he would go out of it in such good case. The Chairman And all the other Magistrates. (Laughter.) Colonel Relph Well we have not done anything like what you have done, and that makes all the difference. The Court then granted the necessary power, and the Clerk of the Peace was requested to negociate a loan for the £ 2,000 required, MONMOUTH COUNTY BLILDINGS COMMITTEE The Buildings Committee report that they have read the testimonials to the merits of the silicate paint, and made other inquiries respecting it, and they do not find that they are warranted in recommending it to be used upon the stone or p.aister work of the shire hall. They recommend that the stoue ami plaister work be cleansed and coloured in the same manner as before. They have given leave to the borough authorities to place a short ironi har in the area under the hall, for a rest to the end of the fire escape. The report of the Committee WAS adopted, and the Committee was re-appoicted. POLICE CO¥)fTrT.K.'g REPORT The report was as follows a meeting 0f the Police Committee, held at Usk, ttns 2-nd December, 1876. Present—S. R. Bosanquet, ^sq., Chairman; W. S. Cartwright, Esq., and A. D. Berrington, Esq. The Chief Constable's accounts for the past quarter wereexamined with the vouchers and passed*. lhe Treasurer's accounts for the past quarter were <?nIan»ne<i with the vouchers aud passed, Payu.e .t is recommended of bills relative to police stations, amounting "to £ 59 7s. 10d.,j and also bills subi mitted by tho Chief Constable amounting toJ £ 29 19s. 9d., We recommend that a police rate of one farthing in the £ be granted for the ensuibg quarter.- The Clerk of the Police reported that he has not yet received the draft lease of the site for the Abe Ui. j P°"<S. R^ BOSANQUET, Ciairman Police Committee." ESTIMATE THR POLICE ACCOUNT. V.liryiiUad Reteivts. "'V" n £ s. d. Balance in the hands of the Treasurer 1183 6 11 Portion of rate granted at Michaelmas Ses- sions not, yeiiecslved, • — l- P^Hce «arr.i.:gs, other speci*. du aes by ecus* Kn'ar-v, and £ riag frow cauvty rr.t# 15, Receivable from High Sheriff for javelia men. 46 13 0 t Di.;to from MagÙ,trates Clprh, ab(,ut 25 0 0 Deficiency to be provided for 350 jg JQ n • t £ 3,124 3 t t.- >vmatcd Payments. Bill? at Epiphany Sessions 87 7 7 Instalments of principal money 32 10 0 Interest 22 16 1 P&7 for December, January, Feb- ruary (say) 2430 0 0 Less lodgings 66 0 8 2384 0 0 Boot a.lowaace for (titto 50 00 Chiei Constable, a quarter's salary J,12 10 0 Forage allowance to Chief Constable and four Superintendents 85 0 0 Contingent expenses. 50 0 0 Station-house charges 125 0 0 Payments on account of police-stations 150 0 0 Treasurer's salary and incidentals 25 0 0 £ 3,124 3 8 (A rate of id. in the 4* produces X729 Is. Id.) The report was adopted. egreir CONSTABLE'S REPORT. The Chief Constable reported as follows :— Chief Constable's Office, Abergavenny, 2nd January, 1876. My Lords and Gentlemen—Death of a Constable.—I regret to have to report the death on the 7th November of first-class constable Charles Waters, No. 67. He was in charge of a horse and cart containing the standard weights and measures. Whilst unloading them at New- portpolice-station the-horse moved on. The constable endeavoured to stop its progress, but unfortunately fell, the wheel of the cart passing over him. In less than two hours he expired. He had served in the county con- stabulary 18 years and 170 days, and was a steady, well- conducted and efficient constable. He leaves a widow and two children dependent upon her. 1 beg to recommend that a gratuity under the sec. 20 of 22 and 23 Vic., cap. 32, of one year's salary, amounting to .£69 19s. be granted to his widow. Additional Constable. -1 have appointed two ad- ditional constables for duty at the Pauteg Steel Works, to be paid for by the Company I have to ask your ap- proval of the same. Winter Atsitet. 3 County prisoners were committed for trial under the new arrangement, to the Winter Assizes at Worcester. The case against one of these was not dis- posed of, in consequence of the absence of the prosecutrix. The report concluded with statistics of the.number of prisoners for trial, and the usual returns of persons ap- prehended and summoned during the months of October and November.. The recommendation of the Chief Constable in re- spect of the widow of P.C. Waters, was concurred in by the Court. AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS. The Deputy-qhairman asked the Chief Constable if there wo dd be any difficulty in his making quarterly reports of the number of aggravated assaults on police- men and others, disposed of summarily by magistrates. The county, owing to the new law by which these assaults could be disposed of at at petty sessions, might be under the impression that these assaults had decreased, whereas he believed it was otherwise. The Chief Constable said there would be no diffi- culty in making the return if a definition of the kind of assault coming under the head of aggravated, were given. I The Deputy-chairman deprecated any de&ire to put the Chief Constable to any undue inconvenience, and said he would leave it to him to classify the assaults, j It was then understood that a quarterly report, in aocordance with the suggestion of the Deputy-chair- man, would be made by Major Herbert. CONTAGIOUS DISEASES (AXTMALS) ACT. Major Herbert, as chief inspector under this Act, reported as follows 1, MY LORDS AND GENTLEMEN,—I have the honour to report that during the past quarter scab in sheep has pre- vailed to a great extent; 251 fresh outbreaks have been reported to the Committee. Although the regulations are strictly enforced, there is, I fear, but little prospect of any I diminution of this disease until a change of weather ena- bles the flock owners to apply, with better effect, the usual remedies. No case of foot and mouth disease has been reported, and only one case of glanders. In this the ani- mal was slaughtered. Eleven persons have been pro- ceeded against for offences against the Act, nine of whom were fined, and two ordered to pay the costs. The total expenses for the quarter amounted to .£10 6s. 7d. Your obedient servant, EDMUND HEBBEET." The report was received. INSPECTION OF WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. MY Louies AND GZNTLEMEN,—The first inspection of weights and measures by the County Constabulary com- menced on October 5th, and terminated on the 16th of December. There beiii. but one set of standard weights and measures for the whole county, the time which could b6 allotted to each place was, in several instances, far too short for the completion of the work. 4 1.438 weights have, howevtr, been examined and stamped. The pewter mea- sures generailywere fou ad.gofr^ft^ X estimate that during amined by the inspectors, and that about tTSe same^n'umfler still require to be examined before the inspection can be considered complete. The fees received for stamping amounting to £ 22 3s., have been paid over to the Trea- surer. The total expenses for the quarter amounted to .645 .5". 10d. The adjusting was done by tradesmen, who j made their own charges, and considerable delay was'occa- sioned by their not being provided with proper scales and weights. Only a portion of the new sets ef weights and measures has. as yet, been received. I have the honour be, my Lords and Gentlemen, Your obedient servant, EDMUND HERBBRT." This report was also received. JTXAN'CB. "Usk, 26th December, 1876. "At a meeting of the Finanee Committee, held this day.. Present—S. R. Bosanquet, Esq., Chairman G. R. Greenhow-Relph, Esq., E. J. Phillips, Esq., and A. D. Berrington, Esq. We recommend that bil's which have been passed by us to the amount of XI,672 7s. 6d. be paid. Also bills U, under the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, amounting to X10 6s. 7d. We recommend that a county rate of one penny in be crpnnted for the nnsninc Quarter. S., R. BOSANQUET. A. D. BERRINGTON. » G. R. GREENHOW-RELPH. E. J. PHILLIPS." » G. R. GREENHOW-RELPH. E. J. PHILLIPS." I Bills passed by the Finanoi Committee amounted to"—for bridges, £ 155 16s. 9d.; county prison, £ 663 8s. • repairs to prisons, .£1 13s. 4d. shire-halls.. £ 34 14s. 9d.; militia store, .£54 17s. lid. petty sessions courts, X,18 2s. 6d.; pensions, £ 54; reformatories, £ 00 7s. 8d. coroners. £ 260 7s.; advertising, print.ng, &c., £ 62 Is. 2d.; mis- cellaneous, 3:301 17s. 8d. contagious' diseases (animals). .£10 6s. 7d.; total, .£1,682 14s. Id. V The prison cash account from 1st October to loth De- cember was appended. I TREASURER 8 ESTIMATE. Estimated Receipts ■ Mr £ s. d. Amount receivable from Her Majesty's Pay- master General (about) 1880 8 4 Portion of rate granted at Michaelmas Ses- sions, not yet received 1818 16 5 Amount receivable for fines payable to county rate, and other miscellaneous receipts (abut) 110 0 0 Deficiency to be provided for 3959 0 2 4§|; £7,7684iï Estimated Payments■ Balance due to Treasurer ^01 1 7 Bills at Epiphany Sessions 1671 19 3 Prosecutions at Sessions (say) — 300 0 0 Instalments of principal ••• ••• 461 16 0 Interest 721 1 6 Maintenance of lunatics (say). 102 0 0 Prosecutions under Criminal Justice and Ju- venile Offenders' Acts (say) 80 0 0 Conveyance of prisoners. 70 0 0 Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act expenses.. 10 6 7 Incidentals, including gaol drafts 350 0 0 Asylum calls (say) 900 0 0 Estimated amount of bills, costs of prosecu- tions at Easter Sessions and Assizes, and other expenses to be paid before Midsummer Sessions. 3000 0 0 £ 7,7G8 4 11 (A rate of Id. in the £ produces £ 3,453 Is. 5d.) The report was passed, and the members of the Committee were re-appoiuted. COUNTY AND POLICE RATES. A police rate of one farthing in the £ for the ensu- ing quarter was granted, and also a county rate of Id. in the £ for the quarter. FISHKRY CONSERVATORS. The next business on the agenda P^P61" was the appointment of 12 members of the Board of Concjer. r vators of the L^sk and Ebbw Fishery District. Ten } out of the twelve retiring Conservators were re- appointed. In the room of Col. M*g*u, resigned, ai)d Mr. Walford deceased, Capt. HUI and Mr. J. (j. Palling were appointed. It being necessary to appoint four members of the Board of Conservators of the Rumney Fishery Dis- trict, the old members were re-app,Jlcted. COUNTY LICENSING COMMITTEE. On the question of the appointment of the Licen- sing Committee, Col. Relph said that complaints had been made that magistrates granted certificates, and when those certificates came before the Committee for review they were sometimes dealt with by a fewer icdy than the grantors, and perhaps by some gentle- men not well acquainted with the district. This was -tnnrr^t 44, kar.i8hip. if such were the case he -h ict I ^er natnes should be substituted for J i gentlemen whose attendances were very few, in „ T* f'hey might see if they could not get a >eiier attendance. Chairman -thought the business of the Comr. b'ten moit -firr?-'1 tnt di'riof | svii'rV r.i i;i to :incipit woch tao Commit.•« vs* <*ppo»uuu wa. ou? r member from each petty sessional division, aed said lie wouH d,) his best to get the member}, to attendthe meetings m future. « ) The Committee was then re-appointed ,dthont ohaugE.. surveyor' rbpoht. -Tile Surveyors report was as foilowa :—' tc '-ay before you my usual quarterly rsp&rt ou the state of repairs of the county bridges and birildin^ and an estimate of thojnoney required for repairs Jr. tn*? ^n^uing quarter. ine generally it 4 satisfactory state of repair, and rw—; r« special notice, lhe r-'ers ot >hepatow ondge are occasionally injured by tub ana by the passige of boughs through the arch- ways. Some injury has taken place recently, and I esti- mate that these repairs will coat during next quarter Repairs and pointing are wanted to the parapets of Skenr frith bridge, which will cost about £ 14. Some painting .is wanted to the sergeant's quarters of Caerleon polic* stauon, which will coat 8a. The metalling of Caerleoa bridge would cost £ 45 lOi.; Pontygarn, £ 18 15s.: Pon- thier, £ 11 5s.; Rbymney, £ 14." 1 The report was adopted.. j station, which will cost .£2 8s. The metalling of Caerleoa bridge would cost £ 45 lOi.; Pontygarn, £ 18 15s.: Pon- thier, £ 11 5s.; Rbymney, £ 14." 1 The report was adopted.. j REVISED RULES OF StsSMNS. The next business on the agenda paper was to oon* sider, and if deemed advisable, to approve and adopt the reviaed rules of Sessions submitted to the iMt Quarter Sessions. On the motion of Mr. Cartwright, the revised ruleg were adopted and ordered to be printed. The Chairman signed bills, and the proceedings terminated for the day.