Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/166

 I40 ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The Producers It is siiid that slights were put upon the Council by Parliament, and that heartburnings were the consequence. The Mayor elected for the year 1858-9 was Mr. T. W. Sabben, but in January, 1S59, he vacated office, and was succeeded by Mr. E. W. Wright. In December, 1 8^8, the Corporation was in debt to the amount of ^6,873 i is. 9d., the depression in the country districts having affected the city. The credit of the Corporation was not good, and the Bank refused to make an advance. Ilie unpopularity of the Council had created a feeling of distrust. City improvements were suspended, and the expenditure was reduced by nearly ^^9,000. In 1859 Colonel George Palmer, Me.ssrs. Jacob Montefiore, Raikes Currie, M.P., and Ale.xander Lang Elder presented to the Cor[)oration a large silver bowl and a piece of the wedding cake of the Princess Royal. The inscription on the bowl contained the words : " Pre.sented to the Mayor and Corporation of Adelaide, that they may drink thereout in colonial wine to the memory of Lieut. -Colonel Light, the first Surveyor-General of South Australia, by some of the original founders of the Colony . . . ." It was decided by resolution " that the practice of drinking to the memory of Lieut. -Colonel Light be continued from year to year in the first meeting of the Corporation, or after the anniversary of the Colony." At the end of 1859 the debt of the Corporation was reduced to about ^3,200 ; but while the assessment in that year was ^193,636, in i860 it fell to ^165,824. In May, 1859, a new city seal was adopted. Mr. G. B. W. Glandfield was Mayor in 1 859-60-1. The defective nature of the IVIunici])al Act of 1849 was remedied in 1861 by the passing of a Municipal Corporations Act. Under it the means for creating new municipalities were simplified ; the. office of Alderman was abolished ; the election of Mayor was vested in the citizens at large, instead of being left to the Council ; and the number of Councillors was reduced to eight, two being returned for each ward. The ensuing elections excited more than usual interest; Mr. Cilandfield was elected Mayor, and Messrs. O. Rankin, S. Carvosso, H. L. Vosz, H. Price, T. Plnglish, J. Colton, W. Bundey, and S. Goode, Councillors. Mr. Worsnop records that this alteration in the Council was greatly needed. Neither economy nor judgment had previously regulated civic ex])enditure, the Council had exceeded its resources, and scenes of disorder at its meetings had brought Councilmen very low in public estimation. The Mayor urged the importance of improving the river banks and other parts of the city. In the balance-sheet of 1861 was a statement of the revenue and expenditure of the Corporation since its establishment in 1852. The revenue was ^188,234 7s. id., of which the principal items were ^66,596 3s. 4d. from city rates, and ^66,134 19s. 4d. from Government grants. The expenditure on roads and streets was ^113,902 iis., and on Corporation buildings ^44,081 2s. iid. ; the amount aksorbed in salaries was ^i 7,998 9s. 5d. It was hoped that, by reducing the size of the Council, discursive discussion would give way tc solid business. This result was attained, and the proceedings were thenceforth conducted with more cordiality and facility. Plxcellent work was done during the next ten years. Councilmen were determined to have a town hall that would rcHect credit on the