Conisborough PC – ‘Last scene of all – That ends this strange eventful history,’

April 1896

Mexborough & Swinton Times, April 10, 1896

Conisborough Parish Council.

‘Last scene of all – That ends this strange eventful history,
As you like it.

At the final meeting of the retiring Conisborough Parish Council on Wednesday the chairman, Mr. Samuel Whitfield, at the close of the meeting said that as this was the leave-taking of the old members of the Council he would take his farewell of the gentlemen who for a year had been his colleagues. He could not say that that leave-taking came with either pleasure or regret. They had had some very pleasant times occasionally (Laughter.) As chairman he had on the whole been very comfortable. He had found the members well-behaved as himself. (Laughter and hear, hear.) He hoped the Council would work amicably during the enabling twelve months, but whatever they did he wished they would do it with a single eye for the good of the parish and bury all-party and sectarian strife. (Hear, hear)

For his own part he would as soon get a peg toy and play with little boys and go to the Parish Council meetings for all they were able to do. It was not worth the consideration of intelligent men, and altogether out of place for a town like Conisborough. That was the reason why he had the sought reflection this time. His friend said it was from ill-health. That looked like funk, whereas the real reason was that he was tired of wasting his time and breath in the ineffective and useless work they were permitted to do. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. W. W. Norwood, the vice-chairman, moved a vote of thanks to the retiring chairman. He had, he said, at he commencement of the Council’s career, had the honour of proposing him (Mr. Whitfield) as chairman. He had not during this term of office given entire satisfaction as chairman. He had sometimes appeared to bear a bit to one side, but he thought on the whole he had acted very fairly, and, according to his own belief, he had done what was right. (Applause.) It he had not quite as much of his own way as he wanted he hoped at any rate he would be satisfied with the amount of deference the Council had displayed toward him. (Hear, hear). He wished Mr. Withfield had been a candidate for the new Council. He did not know how they would get on with no one to find fault and critic settings. (Laughter, and hear, hear). However, he hoped Mr. Whitfield would not entirely lose sight of the Council; perhaps he would nudge them up occasionally. (Laughter and hear, hear). He was sure they all thanked him for the way in which h had occupied the chair and wished him very good health. (Hear, hear).

Mr. Holmes had great pleasure in seconding the vote of thanks, and also in sharing Mr. Norwood’s remarks. Mr. Whitfield had said one thing that evening to which he took a little exception. He said id effect that it was not worth the while of intelligent men to seek seats on the Parish Council. There he joined issue with them, and for this reason. If ever there was a time when men of intelligence and standing and position ought to have sought seats on the Council it was this time. (Hear, hear). It was a time when having found out that the Parish Council was not of very much use, they were thinking of launching out to secure extended powers, and he did not think anybody had a right to turn his back upon them and refuse to assist them in attaining that object. He thought men of intelligence and position ought to have come forward at the late election. The new Council might not have so much weight and influence as it would have had had other gentlemen would have had. He contended if Urban powers were worth having they were worth trying for, and they were worth the time and service of the men of standing in the township. Apart from the question of Urban powers he Parish Council, but if it was going to be scouted and discounted by men who bought they had had intelligence and they were going to leave its work to men whom they thought were not possessed of intelligence, and if they were going to hold absolutely aloof from it then they must he prepared to abide by the consequences. (Hear, hear). So far as the retiring chairman was considered he had sat with considerable pleasure under Mr. Whitfield’s chairmanship, and regretted exceedingly that he had not sought a seat on the new Council. (Hear, hear).

Mr. J. Gillott supported the resolution. The chairman and himself had not always agreed, but at the same time he thought he had made a very good chairman, and he did not know where they could have found a better. (Hear, hear).

The resolution was then put and carried unanimously.

The Chairman, in reply, said he had hesitated in using the word intelligent, and he was sorry that Mr. Holmes had taken his use of it to heart so keenly. At the same time he was not going to withdraw it entirely. Without the least desire to reflect upon the gentleman who formed it, he felt compelled to say that the Parish Council were not the intelligent men of Conisborough. (Hear, hear). Mr. Holmes had harped much on the question of Urban powers. He had been working for the last five or six years for this and if he saw a probability of Urban powers being obtained he would help the Parish Council all he could to get them. (Hear, hear). He did not care whether they were working men or what they were. He wanted men to go straight, and when he found half-a-dozen men who would go straight on this question he was ready to fight up to the hilt with them. (Hear, hear). He had hitherto not found four men who on this question had consistently stood their ground. They had always been running away at the last moment, afraid of offending somebody or of interfering with somebody’s private interest.

Mr. Gillott afterwards moved a vote of thanks to the retiring vice-chairman, who, he said, had not had a great deal to do during his year of office, but who had acted impartially when called upon to fill the chair.

Mr. Marsh seconded, and said he was glad that Mr. Norwood was going to be a member of the new Council. (Hear, hear.)

The proportion was carried unanimously, and, in responding, the vice-chairman said that the chairman’s attendance had been so good he had really had very little to do, but the performance of his duties, whatever they had been, had been a very great pleasure indeed to him.