Argus (Melbourne, Vic. : 1848 - 1957), Monday 4 July 1898, page 6


DEATH OF ALDERMAN AMESS.

The announcement of the death of Alder-man Samuel Amess, which occurred on Saturday morning at his residence, 274 William-street, will be read with much re -   gret. About three weeks ago the deceased gentleman caught a chill and although his health was poor, he persisted in attending to his multifarious public duties. A fort-night ago however, he was forced to take to his bed. Sir T. N. Fitzgerald and Drs. Troup and Amess—the lastnamed a nephew of the deceased—were called in, but Alder-man Amess got gradually worse and even-tually died of heart failure. He was born in Newburg, Fifeshire, Scotland, in 1826   and on leaving school was apprenticed to a stonemason. In the year 1852 Mr Amess arrived in Melbourne, and almost imme- diately afterwards went to the goldfields. There he was very successful, and early in the following year returned to the city, and set up as a building contractor, carry ing on this business for a number of years. In this connection his name is associated with the General Post-office, the Custom  house, the Kew Lunatic Asylum, the former Government Printing Office, the Ballarat railway station and other minor public buildings. He was first elected to the City Council for Bourke Ward in 1864. He was elected to the Mayoral chair in 1869. Ever since he has been connected with the City Council, and in 1870 was chosen as alderman for Bourke Ward. For a long time he represented the council on the Melbourne Harbour Trust and at the time of his death was a member of the Metropolitan Board of Works. The funeral is appointed to leave his late residence today at 3 o'clock.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE ARGUS.

Sir,—Any mention of the splendid enter-tainments (a ball and two concerts in one week) given by the deceased, Alderman Amess, at the opening at the Town-hall during his mayoralty in 1870, and for which he issued upwards of 20,000 invititions, should state that they were given at his own cost. It was proposed in the City Council that £2,000 should be voted for the purpose, but the legality of such ex- penditure was more than doubtful, and Mayor Amess declared that if any money were voted there should be no ceremonial

opening of the building. In returning thanks for a gold and jewelled chain of office, which was presented to him by the Governor, Lord Canterbury, on behalf of a committee of citizens on the opening night, he said:—

"So lasting and magnificent a token of public approval, with the attendant honour of its presen- tatition by the noble hands of Her Majesty's repre- sentative, in presence of this great assemblage, can be received by me only with a deep sense of gra-titude to Your Excellency and to my fellow-citi-

zens. I shall be pardoned for believing that the good qualities ascribed to me are referable rather   to friendly imagination than to any action of mine. In especial, my sparing the corporate funds in con-nection with the opening of this building has been a simple act of duty, as according to my judgement the contrary course would have left room for cavil-

ling and question, alike humiliating and vexatious to the members of the City Council. But whilst declaiming the flattering encomiums passed upon me, I heartily tender thanks for the kindly feeling         which they embody, and for the exquisitely beautiful and costly gift by which they are accom-panied."

A cantata called 'Euterpe," composed specially for the occasion by Mr. C. E. Horsley, the libretto of which was written by Henrv Kendall, cost Mr Amess upwards of £800, and was only one item of his ex penditure on that occasion. He was not less liberal in his entertainment of Admiral Hornby and the officers of the Flying Squadron, who, with other guests, he con-veyed, in some 70 vehicles, to a sumptuous picnic in Ferntree Gully.

Of the corporate funds, he was ever watchful that they should be carefully gathered in, and as carefully expended.— Yours, &c., E. G. FITZGIBBON.    

July 3.