namely, the necessity of obtaining a Charter of Incorporation for the borough. A public meeting to consider the propriety of petitioning for a Charter was soon afterwards called, but the proposal met with so much opposition that the promoters of the Charter could not obtain a hearing. The excitement and agitation were kept up with much acrimony on both sides, but a petition having at last been adopted (the Commissioners , themselves, who then numbered no fewer than 360, supporting the petition by a majority of nearly two to one) a commissioner, Captain Arbuthnot, was sent down by the Privy Council to take evidence, and opened a court of inquiry in the Town hall, on Monday, the 12th of February, 1849. Petitions for and against the Charter were presented, the former bearing 3624 signatures, of persons assessed to the amount of £40,689, and the latter signed by 1612 persons, whose assessments amounted to £13,452. The result of the inquiry was that, on the 13th of June in the same year, a Royal Charter was granted to the town, and was subsequently confirmed by statute 13th and 14th Victoria, chap. 43, constituting the inhabitants of the township into a body corporate by the name of "The Mayor, Aldermen, and Burgesses of the Borough of Oldham," and the town was divided into the following eight wards: --

St. James' ward Waterhead mill ward Clarksfield ward Mumps ward

St. Peter's ward St. Mary's ward. Westwood ward Werneth ward

In accordance with directions contained in the Charter the iirst election of councillors took place on the 2nd of of August, 1849, when the following gentlemen were
appointed : -- ,

COUNCILLORS

St. Mary's Ward MR. JOHN NEILD MR. GEORGE BENTLEY MR. EDWARD BULLMAN

St. Peter's Ward MR. S.M. TAYLOR MR. ERNEST JACKSON MR. WILLIAM BRADLEY

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