During the incipient rush to the goldfields the Corporation employes remained at their posts in an exemplary manner, under very tempting circumstances; and in recognition of such good conduct, the Council decreed a bonus of one month's salary to each officer " for his integrity and faithfulness in not absenting himself during the gold crisis." AT THE NOVEMBER ELECTIONS (1851)
There yvas some degree of excitement, especially in Fitzroy Ward, where Mr. Robert Willan (Solicitor) opposed the reelection ofthe retiring Councillor (Young) and beat him by 85 votes to 66. In Bourke Ward, Dal. Campbell, who went out, had no desire to go back, and the vacancy yvas contested by Messrs. C. W . Rowling and R. Matthewson, when the former polled 97 against the other's 60. In Latrobe Ward, Mr. N. Guthridge was returned without opposition; and the same thing occurred in Gipps and Lonsdale Wards, in favour of Mr. Timothy ("Tim ") Lane and Councillor Annand. THE LAST OF THE OLD MAYORS.
As the eventful 9th arrived, there was much intriguing, increased by the fact that in addition to the Mayoralty, the Council had two vacant Aldermanships to give ayvay. Alderman Smith had been for two or three years keenly on the watch for the Civic Chair, and now his time was come, for he not only got it, but without the least symptom of opposition. T h e Aldermanic vacancies yvere caused by the retirement by effluxion of time of Aldermen Greeves and Bell; and the Council knew nothing of the pernicious rule which has grown into fashion during the last twenty years, that "once an Alderman for ever an Alderman" —thus perpetuating an irresponsible appointment never contemplated by the Corporation Act. T h e consequence then was that the Aldermanships, like the Mayoralty, yvere kept rolling, and as prizes of the Council, were distributed as largely as possible. Out-going Aldermen never dreamt of re-election. O n this occasion there were four candidates for the two seats, and the polling thus resulted :—Hodgson, nine votes ; Stephen, nine votes; M'Combie, eight notes; Annand,fivevotes. T h efirsttwo were of course the elected, and Councillor M'Combie took his defeat so m u c h to heart, that in afitof dudgeon he resigned soon after, and the Council knew him no more. At the meeting of the 13th November in the voting of salaries, Alderman Stephen ineffectually endeavoured to increase the Mayor's allowance from .£300 to ,£400, and it wasfixedat .£350. Several casual vacancies, created by the Aldermanic promotions and M'Combie's resignation, were filled thus :— L O N S D A L E W A R D . — M r . W . B. Hatch, vice' Hodgson, elected without opposition. T h e seat abandoned by M'Combie was contested by Messrs. Henry Stooke (butcher), and F. Bryant (merchant), and the latter polling 170 votes against his opponent's 101. G I P P S W A R D , in re Stephen.—Mr. H . Crossley (butcher), beat Mr. J. W . Dunbar (solicitor), by polling 87 to 85. Councillor " Tim " Lane's name dropped off the Citizen Roll; and he, therefore, lost his seat, which yvas popped into by Mr. T. Drewery, a chemist, who counted 84 supporters against Mr. J. W . Dunbar's 78, the latter thus receiving two beatings in the same Ward in a couple of weeks. O n the 2ist November, an extremely interesting report was presented from the City Surveyor on " Melbourne and Hobson's Bay intercommunication." T h e Council yvound up the year 1851, yvith an Address to the Queen and a Petition to the Legislative Council, on the question of Transportation; and giving a much-merited increase of ,£50 a year (,£350) to the City Surveyor. S o m e of the members opposed it through personal dislike for the official, but fair play carried the day, and Blackburn only got what he well deserved.
