Bendigo Advertiser Tues 4 Dec 1855 CASTLEMAINE. Last Monday week a meeting was held at Castlemaine,for the purpose of receiving the report of the Municipal Committee. There were about forty persons present. Very little interest appeared to be manifested in the matter. The chair was occupied by Mr. Saint. The report was read to the meeting, setting forth the steps taken by the committee to get full information upon the subject, and recommending new boundaries for the municipal district, which would have the effect of bringing a more populous and more valuable area of country within the provisions of the Act. The report also contained answers to certain inquiries which were made to the Surveyor-General, and which we published some short time ago. The following letter from the Colonel Secretarys office was read to the meeting :—Colonial Secretarys Office. Melbourne, 14th Nov., 1855. Sir,—I have received and submitted four communication of the 97th ultimo, requesting on behalf of a committee formed at Castlemaine, to consider the expediency of carrying out municipal institutions for that township, information on certain points of the subject,and I am instructed by the Governor to inform you in reply to your first query—1st. The main lines of road would remain under the charge of the Central Bond Board, unless any good ground existed for an alteration. 2nd. In answer to your second question, I am to state that the streets could not be formed out of the funds provided from the public revenue for main roads and thoroughfares, but that local funds or special grants would be necessary. 3rd. In reply to your third interrogatory, I am instructed to acquaint you, that it having hitherto been the practice to assist municipal bodies by grants from the general revenue,the Governor recognises the claim of a new municipality to assistance, but that it is not at present possible to state precisely the amount which each municipality should receive, as the Government has not decided on the principle which should govern such endowments. l have honor to be, Sir, Your most obedient servant. J. Moons. Alexander S. Palmer, Esq., Chairman of the Local Committee, Castlemaine. Mr. Hitchcock, who arrived after the report had been read, spoke in favor of further delay, and moved that the meeting should be adjourned to that day six months.An amendment was proposed that the business should be proceeded with, which was declared to be carried. Mr. Hitchcock demanded a division, which was refused, and he then retired protesting against the manner in which he had been treated. The adoption of the report and plan of altered boundary were then carried unanimously. It will be necessary to procure 150 signatures to the application to the Governor respecting the alteration of the boundary, and it must be advertised for one month in the Gazette before effect can be given to it by the Governor.The proceedings terminated with a vote of thanks to the chairman. SHOCKING MURDER.—A shocking murder was committed on Monday afternoon, at Butchers Gully, on the eastern side of the Kangaroo diggings.The unfortunate victim is a woman named Sarah Williams, apparently about 45 years of age,and who has cohabited with her murderer, William Jones, some years. From the evidence adduced at the inquest held by Dr. Howlett, on Tuesday, it appeared that Jones went to a neighbors tent, where the deceased was, and requested her to go home; she refused, and called him by some opprobrious names, where upon he caught up a pick and struck her a violent blow in the front part of the neck, the point of the pick penetrating nearly three inches in depth, and making a large hole in the jugular vein. The woman died in a few minutes. An inquest was held on the body,and a verdict of wilful murder was returned against Jones, who had absconded and has not since been heard of.There is nothing of interest respecting the diggings. Kangaroo is rather dull. At Forest Creak quartz-mining is progressing, and a new rush at New Years Flat, Fryers Creek, is turning out well.
Posted on: Fri, 22 Aug 2014 23:13:41 +0000
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