Owing to the frequent alarms of fire and other disturbances in the town
this winter, the Magistrates made application to the Legislature for an
Act to establish a night watch, and accordingly, on the 5th May, a
nightly watch was established by order of the Governor and Council for
three months.
During the spring of 1818 and the previous autumn, several vessels
arrived in this port with emigrants from Europe, many of whom were found
to be in a most destitute condition. They could not be permitted to
remain a burden on the town and the Governor and Council advanced funds
to assist their removal to the country, and Mr. Samuel Cunard and Mr.
Michael Tobin were intrusted with the funds for the purpose.
"On the 9th February there remained of these emigrants in town only 20
families and 30 single men. Their distress and that of the humbler
classes in the town this winter induced the Governor to place £100 more
in the hands of Messrs. Tobin and Cunard to be used by them to mitigate
the suffering of the poor in general. They, in consequence, established
for a time a public soup house, beginning with 50 gallons of soup a day;
but in three days they were obliged to double the quantity, finding that
50 pounds beef and vegetables, producing 100 gallons a day, did not more
than answer the demand. The fitting up of the place and eight days'
issue cost over £50, and they supposed the money would be all gone in a
fortnight more. They attended constantly in person at the daily issues
and say that 500 daily partook of the gift. They estimated that £200
more would be required to keep up the establishment until the pressure
of want should be alleviated in some other way. The first £50 was paid
out of the Arms Fund, £100 from the Treasury, and the House voted £200
on 10th February for temporary relief of the poor at
Halifax."--[Murdoch.]
Eight armed fishing vessels were seized this summer by the ships of war
on the station, and brought into the Harbor of Halifax. Five were
released and three condemned in the Court of Vice-Admiralty.
A general election occurred this year. The poll for the County and Town
of Halifax was opened at the County Court House on Monday, 15th June,
and continued until Wednesday, when one of the candidates, Mr. Richard
Kidston, having withdrawn, the other two, Mr. John Albro' and Mr. H. H.
Cogswell were returned. Capt. Thomas Maynard, R. N., was Sheriff this
year. He resided in the old house in Jacob Street formerly known as the
Grenadier Fort, which stood on the spot where the Trinity Church has
since been erected.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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