1847. The Borough Gaol and habitations for our excellent Police Force were erected at this time by the County of Worcester. Previous to this wise concentration of the Police Force into one locality, the men were lodging and living all about the town, much against that discipline so necessary in the force, and now so characteristically practised by the Dudley Police. The lock-up for prisoners was a dingy hole at the Workhouse, in Tower Street. Mr. Superintendent Burton is our veteran popular chief officer.
1848. Since the intimidation and undue influence exercised at the last election, it was determined to endeavour to counteract such hinderances to freedom of election, by using every effort to extend the Franchise. With this object a Public Meeting was held on February 8th, 1848, in Dudley, under the Presidency of the Rev. John Palmer, M.A., Unitarian Minister of Dudley, to promote an extension of the “Midland Counties Freehold Land Society,” whereby, it was shewn how a working man could obtain a freehold house and a vote for the County. The meeting was largely attended and addressed by Alderman Weston, Mr. J. S. Wright, and Mr. W. B. Smith, M.U., as a deputation from Birmingham.
1848, January 7th. Died Mr. Alexander Gordon (of the Straits House, Lower Gornal), formerly a very active public man in this town. Mr. Gordon was a strong Reformer in Politics, and the leading member of the Wesleyan Methodists in this town and district. He was a truly kind and benevolent old gentlemen, but was particularly partial to his own views. He died at the advanced age of 77 years.
January 20th, 1848. Mr. Ralph Musselwhite, Draper, in the old “Middle Row,” again brought an action against the Town Commissioners, in the Queen’s Bench at London, to recover the expenses incurred at his previous trial at Worcester, wherein he was defeated. He was again defeated at the Queen’s Bench, after having expended upwards of £1,000 in useless and unreasonable litigation with the Town Authorities.
1848, February 11th. Died at Bath, Chas. Molyneux, Esq., Manager of the Dudley and West Bromwich Bank in this Town; he was also a Magistrate, and sat on our Dudley Police Bench.
February 7th, 1848. A most influential and numerously attended public meeting was held at the Old Town Hall, Dudley, under the auspices of Mr. Elliott Hollier (the Mayor), “for the purpose of adopting the best measures for promoting the objects of the Mechanics’ Institute in the Borough of Dudley,” and the following report emanated from the meeting.
DUDLEY.
Mechanics’ Institute.—A numerous meeting of the friends of this project was held at the vacant rooms in Wolverhampton Street on Tuesday week, to consider the best means of establishing a Mechanics’ Institute, adapted for all classes, upon a solid and permanent basis. Elliott Hollier, Esq., Mayor, was called to the chair. After some animated discussion, entered into by those gentlemen who are usually found at their posts in advocating and assisting the advancement of knowledge, and the establishment of useful institutions, it was deemed advisable to give more publicity to the project, and canvass the merits of the question amongst all classes. In accordance with this disposition it was at once resolved to suspend operations till a more definite system should be agreed upon. The most effectual way of submitting this to the inhabitants was considered to be by petitioning the Mayor to convene a public meeting for the especial object, and then submitting a definite plan for approval at that assemblage. S. Blackwell, Esq., proposed, and Dr. Browne, seconded, a proposition to that effect: and a resolution was at once signed by the meeting to the Mayor, who fully acquiesced in the expediency and propriety of the movement. Amongst the various modes suggested for effectually maintaining a Mechanics’ Institution was one announced by Mr. Clark, which appeared to augur well for ultimate success; and as it is a project, which, if carried out, would affect collectively two other institutions already established in the town, it may not be amiss to give our Dudley readers an outline of it. The proposition is “that a Mechanics’ Institution shall be established by 200 or 300 shares of one guinea each, and that the annual subscription shall be 10s. The capital thus raised to be appropriated to the purchasing of a library, apparatus, and the necessary furniture required for the effectual carrying on of the institution. That overtures be made to the Geological Society (now almost defunct) and the New street News Rooms, for a mutual amalgamation of these bodies into one large and comprehensive Philosophical Institution, to be managed agreeably to the usual customs of such institutions.” In the event of this suggestion being carried out, little or nothing (save a capital for library), would be required to commence operations, for the News Room is already in full operation, and rooms connected with the Geological Society are partially unoccupied, and well-adapted for the purpose. Amongst the gentlemen and tradesmen present at the meeting, were the Rev. Dr. Browne, Vicar; Rev. Messrs. Noot, A. Davis, Rogers, and Lewis; Messrs. S. Blackwell, Houghton, Bateman, Hickman, J. C. Cook, Grainger, Boddington, Clark, Rudge, Minty, Rock, Wright, Mainwaring, &c. From an advertisement in another column, it will be seen that at a public meeting on Monday, the mayor in the chair, a series of resolutions were carried for the purpose of actively promoting the institution.—Birmingham Journal, 1848.
February 19th, 1848. The committee appointed at the public meeting, after mature and earnest consideration, issued the following suggestions as a programme, upon which a sound and successful Mechanics’ Institute might be grafted; it being arranged that the prosperous “Reading Room,” which Mr. Secretary C. F. G. Clark, had established in 1845, at the Geological Rooms in New Street, should be incorporated with the new institution.