Mayor, yvho, during his year of office, contrived to embroil himself in more bitter and serious differences, both in and out of the Council, than any Chief Magistrate preceding or succeeding him. THE ELECTION OF ALDERMEN.
Councillor Moor succeeded Alderman Kerr, who retired by rotation, and Alderman Orr was re-elected. Towards the end of 1843 Alderman Mortimer retired from the Council, when Councillor Orr was elected an Alderman, and now a renewal of the trust was conferred upon him. A well-deserved compliment was paid to the ex-Mayor by the unanimous adoption of this resolution—"That the Town Council of Melbourne, deeply sensible of the disinterested zeal, conspicuous abilities, and indefatigable exertions of Henry Moor, Esq, during the period of his Mayoralty, do tender him their warmest thanks, together with the assurance of their high esteem for his character." Alderman Moor's efficient unremunerated services were so highly appreciated outside the Council, that a public meeting yvas held at the Royal Hotel, on the 17th November, to consider the propriety of presenting him yvith some substantial token of public favour. T h e Mayor presided, and resolutions were passed tendering the grateful acknowledgments of the burgesses and the inhabitants, and initiating a subscription for the purchase of a service of plate for presentation to him, contributions to be limited to five shillings from each donor. A handsome sum was realized, and it was given to Mr. Moor, with a request to have it invested in the manner indicated. Thefirstmeeting of the Civic N e w Year, yvas held on the 15th November, at yvhich it was intimated that the Legislative Council had voted ,£1000 towards the erection of a Lunatic Asylum. The question of reviving an allowance for the Mayor was discussed, and as thefinancialprospect was brightening, it was considered desirable to do so. There was some chaffering over the amount, whether it should be ,£300 or ,£200, and on a division the larger sum yvas carried by the casting vote of the Chairman (ex-Mayor Moor). The salaries of the T o w n Clerk, Treasurer, Surveyor and Messenger yvere increased twenty per cent. A return of the probable receipts and expenditure for the current year (1845-6) was presented, and showed the estimated total revenue at .£4689 8s. 3d.; salaries including Mayor, ,£850; balance for town improvements, ,£3839 8s. 3d. The vacancy occasioned in Bourke Ward by the elevation of Councillor Moor to an Aldermanship wasfilledby the unopposed election of Mr. W . M . Bell (member of the firm of Bell and Buchanan) and the Council was soon engaged in an animated remonstrance against a proposal of the Government to raise a loan of half-a-million, on the security of the land revenue of the whole Colony, and against such a precipitate pledging of Port Phillip territory. A strongly worded memorial on the subject yvas transmitted to the Superintendent. The present site was recommended by a Committee of the Council, and strongly supported by Councillor Greeves, but vehemently opposed by Councillor Fawkner, who preferred Batman's Hill, and declared that the selection of a place so far out of town was simply to have a garden for the future Government-house, the land for which had been long set apart, Alderman Orr and Councillor Stephen also voting against it; but the site was ultimately decided on, and the Mayor was directed to announce the decision of the Council to the Government. The Government, however, would not allow the Corporation to have anything to do with the garden trusteeship or the management. Mayor Palmer yvas not profuse in his hospitality, though he now and then gave a pleasant little dinner to a few picked guests at Burwood (St. James' Park) where he resided ; but for once he took it into his head to do something uncommon in the way of a public breakfast, at the Royal Hotel, on the 4th February, 1846—the event of thefirsttriennial "Beating of the T o w n Boundaries" as prescribed by law. H e could sometimes work himself into an excessive degree of inflated p o m p over a small thing, and he yvas determined to produce some kind of sensation on this occasion. A public holiday yvas proclaimed, and all the school children were turned out in a grand juvenile review over the river near the bridge, where, at 10.30 a.m., 1500 urchins—viz, 1200 attending schools receiving Government aid, and 300 private pupils—
