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35
We note that three letters, viz.:-27th May, 18th June, and 3rd July
were addressed by your Honourable Board to him, calling for his observations
on the subject of the petition, before his letter of the 8th July was
received by your Board. We now reply ad-seriatim to the Vestry Clerk's
observations. The allegation of the Vestry was that they could not obtain
satisfactory information from the Vestry Clerk regarding the shillings
received for summonses, and we submit that his observations to your
Honourable Board, although more complete than we were able to obtain
from him, in no way give a satisfactory solution of the question raised.
* The minute of the overseers' meeting referred to by him, only shews
that they sanctioned his participation in one distribution, and not the
whole amount prior to 1882 as might be inferred from his statement. We,
however, submit that the Overseers had no power to distribute these
amounts in this manner, and that it was the duty of the Vestry Clerk and
Assistant Overseer to have so informed them.
The Vestry Clerk's observation regarding the amounts received from 1882
to 1887 particularly calls for investigation, as he admitted having received
various sums and paid certain expenses therefrom, yet he does not state
what has become of the large balance which accrued in his hands during
this long period, and even now fails to produce vouchers for the amounts
received and paid, which shows great neglect of duty in a matter which has
agitated the minds of the Vestry and the Ratepayers. For many years,
moreover, the Rate Collectors have stated before our Committee that they
have always paid the whole of these shillings to the Vestry Clerk, and have
rendered a balance sheet about two years ago, covering the period between
1882 and 1887, and which was accepted by the Overseers.
In response to the assertion that since February, 1887, £219 9s. lid. had
been paid into the Bank, we draw your attention to the second paragraph
of our petition, which sets forth that in 1887, £55 only was paid into the
Bank. The Vestry Clerk now states that a sum of £219 9s. l1d. has been
paid into Bank since that date, which really means that the difference,
viz., £164 9s. l1d. was in the Vestry Clerk's possession until March in the
present year, and was only paid in after the Vestry had appointed a
Committee to draw up the petition already before your Honorable Board.
* Extract from Overseers' Minutes, 11th January, 1883.
Summonsing Money Accounts.
The Vestry Clerk submitted these Accounts for the Rates made April, 1881;
November, 1881; and April, 1882 ; and reported that after payment of expenses and a
gratuity of £5 on each Rate to the late Beadle, Charles Griffin, senior, the a ances
were:—
April, 188 £22 19 6
November, 1881 33 14 10
April, 1882 31 17 3
It was proposed by Mr. Glen, seconded by Dr. Egan, that the Vestry Clerk have on
half thereof, and the remainder divided pro rata according to the sums paid in by them
to the Collectors.