onerous duties of which he discharged with much efficiency almost to the hour of his death. He was succeeded by Ex-Alderman
William Kerr,
Who, after an eventful, turbulent and unsuccessful career, settled down, as the stipendiary of the body in which he had for years sustained the character of one of the chief "bosses." It was about the worst possible choice that could be made, for though he had brains, Mr. Kerr had not the slightest organising ability; and as the Corporation was becoming a really important body, with increasing powers and proportionate responsibilities, he was quite the wrong man for the place. But the Council were so sick of him that they considered it a good riddance to pack him away to any place—celestial, infernal, or terrestrial—it did not matter much where; and so he was muzzled by being thrust into the Town Clerkship, where, fortunately for himself, he was, in a few years, joined by Mr. E. G. Fitzgibbon as Clerk of Committees. By a strange perverseness of the human mind, Mr. Kerr, who was an impudent, bullying braggart towards his opponents in the Council, sank into a creature of a totally different kind as Town Clerk, where he grew as quiet and docile as a well-trained hound. Even to the public he was more than affable. Kerr would not only speak civilly, but submissively; his only replication being an upward twitch of his spectacles, and a half-scared stare of surprise, his mouth wide open and his tongue thrust out.
The affairs of the Town Clerk's office soon got into disorder, and worse followed bad, until things were in such a chaotic state that the Council was reluctantly forced to make a change, and on the 9th May, 1856, Mr. Kerr retired. He was now very little good for anything, and having a family to maintain, even his worst enemies pitied the man who had held many trump cards in his hand, but lacked the skill to play them properly. In the old Political, National and Civic contests, no man was more frequently or ruthlessly libelled than Mr. O'Shanassy was by Mr. Kerr; yet, to the eternal credit of the former, when, in 1858, the former was Chief Secretary, he was instrumental in appointing his old foe to be Railway Stationmaster at Sunbury, then the terminus of the North-Western line. Here Mr. Kerr remained for some time, and died on the 25th May, 1859.
E. G. Fitzgibbon,
Who, though virtually "walked the course" for the "Town Clerk" Stakes, had to contend against an unworthy underhand "fluke" attempted by Mr. J. T. Smith (then Mayor), who designed the place for a special protégé of his, Mr. John Rae, Town Clerk of Sydney. Mr. Fitzgibbon, however, by his energy and independence, foiled the shameful attempt, and, to the credit of the Council, merit for once met with its just reward, and an officer who had worthily won his spurs, received them, and wears them to this day (1888). As above all things in the world personal eulogy is distasteful to the present Town Clerk, I will only add that it would be difficult for the Corporation of Melbourne to find another "First Lieutenant" to serve it with more loyalty and ability.
The First Civic Treasurer
Was a Mr. Beith, an intimate friend of Mr. Kerr, who was elected by means of the old Scotch influence. He did not long survive his good luck, and was followed by Mr. J. Richardson, a precise and painstaking servant, whose death made way for Mr. Charles Farewell, more of a scholar than accountant. The fourth Treasurer was Mr. Cosgrave, to whose merits I have before borne testimony.
The First Town Surveyor,
W. W. Howe, was a quiet-going official, who, under exceptionally difficult circumstances, did as well as could be reasonally expected. He tired of the un-made streets, and, resigning, died a couple of years after, when Mr. Charles Laing succeeded him. Laing's taste was of the Architectural order, and some of the old churches and public and private buildings were planned by him. In course of time he abandoned the Council to devote himself to a large and lucrative practice, and Mr. James Blackburn was installed in the
