RECEIPTS. | PAYMENTS. | ||||||
| £. | s. | d. |
| £. | s. | d. |
Honorary Subscriptions and Benefactions | 1,631 | 1 | 6 | Sick Pay | 4,994 | 8 | 9 |
Payments by the Members | 16,798 | 16 | 6 | Death | 872 | 0 | 0 |
Interest | 3,082 | 7 | 8 | Endowments | 2,007 | 0 | 6 |
| Annuities in Old Age | 155 | 18 | 0 | |||
| Management Expenses, including purchase of Policies,Salaries, Allowances to Surgeons, Rent, &c. &c. | 5,287 | 4 | 2 | |||
| Total Payments | 13,316 | 10 | 11 | |||
| Balance, being total Stock | 8,195 | 13 | 9 | |||
Total Receipts | £21,512 | 4 | 8 |
| £21,512 | 4 | 8 |
1827—At the Easter Sessions, the Worcestershire and Staffordshire Canal Company appealed against the sum at which they were rated for their docks and basins at Stourport, by the parish of Lower Mitton. It was stated in the course of the proceedings, that the tonnage of the canal for the year ending Michaelmas, 1826, was £32,838. The officers of Lower Mitton had taken the whole value of the basins as rateable there, but the court decided that they must only charge for acreage, computing the basins as they would other portions of the canal.
1829—January 14—At the Epiphany Quarter Sessions, the Earl of Plymouth resigned the chairmanship; and on the motion of Major Bund, seconded by the Earl of Beauchamp, Sir C. S. Smith, Bart., was elected in his stead.
At these Sessions, the magistrates of Droitwich denied the authority of the county magistrates to appoint visitors to the Asylum for Pauper Lunatics kept by the Messrs. Ricketts in the borough, and on the matter being referred to the law officers of the crown, it was decided by them that the act passed in the previous session of Parliament vested the appointment of visitors in the magistracy of the borough in which the asylum was situate. Major Bund gave notice of a motion thereupon, to consider the propriety of building a County Lunatic Asylum.
1829—At the Michaelmas Sessions, the magistrates altered the divisions of the county for Petty Sessional purposes, forming them into eight districts, to be called “The Upton, Pershore, Hundred House, Worcester, Kidderminster, Droitwich, Northfield, and Blockley Divisions.”
1829—An adjourned Sessions was held in November, to consider the propriety of erecting County Courts, the inconvenience of the City Hall having been commented on at every Sessions and Assizes which had taken place for some years past. A case had been laid before Mr. Sergeant Russell, to have his opinion as to whether the magistrates could legally spend money on the enlargement and improvement of courts belonging to the city, and he had replied that they could not; and that if they wanted a Shire Hall of their own, they must obtain a special Act of Parliament for it. The Rev. Mr. Pearson, after reporting the failure of all attempts at negociation with the Worcester Corporation, moved “that it was necessary to erect new courts and suitable lodgings for the judges, and that the magistrates should take the necessary steps for obtaining an Act of Parliament for that purpose.” This resolution was seconded by Colonel Bromley. Earl Somers moved an adjournment of the question, on the ground that in the then depressed state of the country the expense ought not to be incurred. This was seconded by Osman Ricardo, Esq. An adjournment “to the next Epiphany Sessions” was carried; but Lord Foley then moved, “That it is the opinion of this court that the present courts and judges’ lodgings are totally insufficient.” This was seconded by R. Spooner, Esq.; and Colonel Davies opposed it, because he thought that the agitation of the subject was ill-timed. Lord Foley’s motion was ultimately carried by 20 to 17. A committee was then appointed to have another conference with the City Corporation.
Nine Catholic noblemen and gentlemen were now for the first time inserted in the Commission of the Peace for this county—viz., the Earl of Shrewsbury, Viscount Southwell, Sir E. Blount, Sir C. Throckmorton, R. Berkeley, Esq., W. Wakeman, Esq., T. C. Hornyold, Esq., C. E. Hanford, Esq., and W. Acton, Esq.
1830—At the Epiphany Sessions, the question of new courts was again discussed. The committee reported that they found the Guildhall, Worcester, erected in 1721, belonged exclusively to the city. The Rev. T. Pearson again moved that an Act of Parliament should be applied for, with a view to the erection of a Shire Hall; and this was seconded by the Rev. George Turberville. Major General Marriott moved as an amendment, that the Deputy Clerk of the Peace should be instructed to lay a presentment of the present courts before the grand jury at the next assizes. James Taylor, Esq., seconded this. Lord Deerhurst then moved a resolution, declaring that the county, in the present depressed condition of all classes, would rather submit to the inconvenience of the present courts than incur the expense of new ones, which was seconded by Dr. B. Cooper. Lord Deerhurst’s amendment was negatived by 31 to 25, and General Marriott’s without a division. Earl Somers then moved the appointment of a committee to ascertain the practicability of so altering the present courts as to make them sufficiently convenient. This was seconded by John Williams, Esq., but rejected by 31 to 24, and Mr. Pearson’s original motion was then carried.
1830—November 29—The general state of the county caused Viscount Deerhurst to summon the magistrates to a meeting, at which the following resolution was passed:
“That the general peaceable state of the county of Worcester affords a subject of great congratulation. The magistrates, however, viewing with the utmost abhorrence the atrocious acts of violence which have taken place in other counties, feel it their duty to declare that they have made such arrangements as, by giving full effect to the existing laws, are best calculated to prevent the occurrence of similar calamities in this county.”