"I have succeeded a gentleman, w h o has long possessed your confidence in a degree attainable by few, and has discharged the various functions appertaining to his office in a manner which has been impeached by none. That gentleman will pardon m e , though I m a k e the observation in his presence, that his qualifications eminentlyfittedhim for the high office of Mayor. T o mature habits of business, and a quick insight into the characters of m e n , he unites an extensive knowledge of the wants and wishes of the toyvn, an untiring zeal for the public welfare, and an amenity of manners, yvhich, by conciliating differences at the Council table, have smoothed the ruggedness of debate. N o r is it by the possession of these qualities alone that he merits the vote of thanks which I shall have the honour to propose to him in this place; and (as I confidently hope) some more substantial token of public esteem, elsewhere. Disinterestedly, in the very crisis and exigency of the Corporationship, and when the helm yvas well nigh abandoned by others, Councillor M o o r came forward to assume c o m m a n d of it, and I have good reason for believing that in his private bounties also no one is more liberal, or more open-handed and free in the encouragement of every philanthropical undertaking and project for the public good. N o r must I omit to glance at certain lighter traits of his character, though pregnant with important results, I m e a n a warmth and ' raciness' so to speak, of manner which have uniformly succeeded in keeping the attention ayvake, have animated the debate when it flagged, and redeemed from the charge of insipidity, the details of Macadamization and yvooden gullets. Can it be doubted, then, that I shall be deemed presumptuous, and that it will be said and reiterated of m e — w h a t has been so often said, and with so m u c h reason of others—that ' Fools rush in where angels fear to tread.' "
The Municipal programme for the coming year was thus sketched by the new Mayor:— " A m o n g the important subjects which will c o m e under your consideration during the ensuing year, will be the revision of the Corporation Acts, and consequent upon that, the expediency of revising and consolidating our bye-laws. These will d e m a n d your careful attention; and in order that you m a y not be hurried in your deliberations, and that your acts m a y receive the sanction of the Legislature as soon after their assembling as possible, I shall d e e m it m y duty, unless I a m anticipated by others, to bring them under your notice at an early period. T h e Market and the Building Acts are measures of scarcely inferior consequence, and for similar reasons—that no delay m a y occur in their transit through the Legislative Assembly—it will be proper that you should not procrastinate their consideration. T h e selection of a site for the Botanic Gardens, and the disposal of the town-drain question, are measures which also await your decision, as preliminaries which must be settled before w e can avail ourselves of the grants m a d e for the former of these objects, and for improving the approaches to the wharf. T h e improvement and reparation of our streets, are measures of obvious and paramount utility, and will claim for the future, as they have had in time past, your unremitting attention." Not unforgetful of the past, and sanguine of the future, His Worship expressed a hope that, if not unanimity, at least concord and friendliness, might accompany their future proceedings, and continued :— " A n advocate in the fullest sense of the words for freedom of debate; and believing that strength of expression and warmth of advocacy are in no degree inconsistent with this freedom, I deprecate as the greatest of calamities yvhich could befall the honour of this Council, the indulgence of personal discourtesies. N o m a n is more ready to admit, no m a n will more strenuously join in the sentiment, that neither fear nor favour, nor any less worthy feeling should have place a m o n g public m e n , but that in the discussion of public questions, the judgment should be unbiassed, and the liberty of speech unfettered, except by such restraints as are imposed by good sense, good taste, and good feelings. A s a sharer of our c o m m o n nature, endued with the same feelings, with sensibilities as warm, as just and as true as our own, every man is entitled to our regard ; and as the depository of power, by an agreement which has been tacitly assented to by all, the Government is entitled to our respect. T o violate the courtesies of life is to defraud our neighbour of his due. T o assail with vituperation and undistinguishing obloquy the measures and motives of Government, is to subvert order, to invite retaliation, and to create a spirit of discontent. From what has passed at this Council, under m y o w n obseivation, I draw a bright augury of the future, and I believe that any indiscretions of the kind to which I have adverted, will be as infrequent as they are certainly undesirable."
