Page:History of Adelaide and vicinity.djvu/98

 I- ADELAIDE AND VICINITY The Citizens Adelaide Cukpok.ation Skal Adopted in 1840 morals, and the promotion of that union which gives strength and efficiency to every effort at |X)litical. social, and moral improvement." With these hopeful and dutiful words the City Council began its administrative history. Two days later. Governor Gawler replied to the address, e.xpressing gratification, and promising that when the community was settled and established the privileges of representative government would be awarded in the full rate. This was impossible in the initial stages of a country's history, for the obvious reason that unity, energy, and decision of Go'ernment were, under such circumstances, more necessary for the general welfare than the much more slowly moving principle of representative collective deliberation. The Corporation set to work to appoint a staff, and D. Spence (^150 per annum) became Town Clerk ; G. S. Kingston (^400), Town Surveyer and Collector ; John Morphett (^52 los.). City Treasurer ; and W. McBean (30s. per week), Messenger. As the ordinary ex- penditure of the Corporation was limited to ^^2,000 each year, this scale of remuneration, with the mayoral allowance of ^300, was high, aggregating ^980 los., or nearly half the total annual expenditure. However, it was a period of great expectations, and Adelaide was an important city in the midst of land which was apparently believed to need no working to yield a fortune. The Government advanced, as a loan, the sum of .;^250 for the Council to begin its business on. The land on which to build the Council Chambers was available, as an acre had been reserved in the original survey of the city for the use of a prospective corporation, and an application was made to the Governor that this should be transferred. Acre 203 was thereupon transferred for 12s., j>aid on February 18, 1841. The Secretary for the Colonies, Lord Stanley, questioned the transaction, and declared that the proceeding was illegal and invalid, Ixiing at too low a price ; but on the ground of public convenience the title was allowed to stand. Designs were invited for suitable buildings ; but, as there were no funds, they were laid aside, and a single room was hired in Hindley Street. A market site was opened near to the j)resent slaughter-house ; a cattle market was established, and a slaughter-house was erected. The exjjense entered into for these buildings amounted to ^853, which, with ^980 los. for salaries, left the finances of the Corporation in a curiously impecunious condition before any revenue was obtained. Committees were appointed for the regulation of finance, markets, and for general purpo.ses, and before the end of 1840 a city seal was adopted. Some attention was devoted in the early ])art of 1841 to the question of improving Adelaide Cori'oration Skai. AnoPTKD IN 1880