The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-02-07 00:00:00

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TOWN COUNCIL MEETING:

A quarterly meeting of the corporate body took
place at the Council Chamber on Monday.—Present :
The Mayor (J. P. Aldridge, Esq.); Aldermen
Galpin and Coombe; Councillors Vernon, Gregory,
Froud, Lock, Bishop, flayne, Steele, Enaor, and
Mason.

THE GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEE.
to referenoe to the remuneration applied for by
Serjeant Curtis for his care of the town clock, it
was recommended that he should be paid Lb for his
services up to the lit of September last, and from
that time his salary should be increased to £2S per
annum. The report was adopted.
THE AROHAOLOGICAL SOCIETY'S ditrP.
The Mavoit said the time had now arrived when
the Council should take some steps with reference
to the Archeological Society, a body of scientific men
who purposed to visit Dorchester in July, they
having accepted an invitation from the Mayor and
Council. It would be no doubt a most interesting
meeting, and it was necessary some steps should be
taken to make that meeting not only interesting but
also profitable. It had been suggested by the Rev.
C. W. Bingham that as a preliminary step, a small
committee as a nucleus should be formed, and he had
mentioned the names of several Councillors. It
rested with them to determine whether a small
nucleus should be formed, or whether it would be
better, and would interest the town more generally,
if a public meeting was called. If this was done
many persons would be glad to have an opportunity
of expressing their opinions, and some plan might
be devised by which the Society might be favourably
and profitably received. His Worship read the
letter received from Mr. Bingham.
The MAYOR considered Mr. Bingham's suggestion
a very good one, and did not think the Council could
do better than adopt it.
Mr. GREGORY considered that the calling of a
public meeting would be the beet course to adopt.
Mr. 'VERNON asked if it would not be well for the
Council to appoint a committee first, and after a
public meeting was called to add to their numbers.
Mr. BISHOP inquired what was the precedent when
the Bath and West of England Agricultural Society
visited this town?

The TOWN CLERK said a public meeting was
called and oubseriptions were collected; but the
matter in questioti was entirely different.
Mr. BISHOP also recommended that a public
meeting should be called, when the matter might be
fairly initiated and put into working order.
Mr. GALPIN considered that if a committee win
appointed, the persons on it should be interested in
the matter. He thought it was a great error to
appoint • mere formal committee.
Mr. BISHOP moved q resolution to the effect that
• public meeting of the inhabitants of the town
should be called to consider the question.
Mr. Lona seconded the resolution, which was
carried.

TEIII VENTILATION OF THIS TOWNIIALL.
The Mititqp statcdthat at the last l)all which took
place at the Tovrnhall the room was densely hciti and
it bad been found necessary by the late Mayor to
have a quantity of windows broken in order to
ventilate the room. His worship explained that
ventilation could be obtained by having some altera-
tions made in the weet window.

After some desultory discussion this improvement
*ea ordered to be carried out.

THE BTiaZ ON TEX WALKS.

In reference to this subject the MAYOR said he
could not allow this quarterly meeting to pass by
without forming a Walks' Committee. The walks
were in • very bad !dote, and it was absolutely
necessary that something should be done to them.
A committee was appointed last year, but they
never met.
Mr. LOCH suggested that the mattef should be
referred to the General Purposes Commiteee.
The MAYOR considered that that would be equal
to shelving thequestion altogether.
Mr. BISHOP moved that a Walks' Committee be
formed to considlir lmd repot, What •Nis zieeetse. ry
to be done, Which was adopted.

TRINITY SCHOOL r&sstor.._

The MAYOR called the attention of the Council to
the gross immorality which was nightly committed
in the passage opposite the Trinity Schools, and
said if a lamp was placed there it would obviate
the evil complained of.
The TONVN CLERIC said that was a matter which
meatoome before the Board of Health.

_
With reference to the state of the footpath lead
ing by the Mil le•tream to Fordington, the surveyor had
been instructed to do such repairs as were required
for the safety of foot passengers. It had been
suggested that the footway oould be advantageously
diverted from the entrance to Mill-street to the
eastern corner of the Exhibition Hotel premises
adjoining tile Blandford Turnpike Road I and
insitiires had been set On fbot with the view to
ascertain if such diversion could be made with the
owners of the Mill-stream plot.
A very protracted discussion ensued, in the course
of which the Surveyor stated that the coat for
making a new road would be £74, and Mr. Symonde
said it would cost £lO to obtain an order for
diverting the road.
Mr. COOMBS suggested that the plan laid before the
Board should be slightly altered, and moved that
application should be made to the Duchy to grant
the Board the right of way over the larldi
Mr. OALi liocohdecl the proposition, which was
carried.
In reference to an application made by Mr.
Baisiombe for leave to have ap entrance for vehicles
across the publio footway in Tfinityietteet into the
promisee now occupied by Mrs. Godwin, and her
eon, the General Purposes Committee did not think
desirable to grant such leave to the disturbance of
the public right of way over the causeway in
question. As however dartiage hottee doors bad:
been eonettnoted, appatently fot the prirliose df
doing tll&t vrfti4h doald ilot li4 eanotidneid, the,
Committee had instructed the Inspector of Nuisances
to report any treepass on the footpath to the Board
with the view of protecting the rights of the public.
In the coarse of the discussion which ensued on
this matter, Mr. Gaunt reiriarked that if the
Council were to become public ptoirecutord that I
could not take up this ease alone. There seefe
plenty of cases where the consent of the Council had I
never been obtained, and in all these, if they did so
in one particular instant*, they must authorise the
Inspector to report each case, and carry out the law
in an equal manner upon all.
Mr. Ceomne considered that if the Board were too
particular they would it a stop to improvements
being made at all. He considered the matter Ought 1
to be left until sortie one felt aggrieved luid corn-
plaited of the Mattel.:
The Board came to no resolttiori ori the stitijedti I

THE PROPOSED LIONISE° Or VORDINGToN:

The report of the General Purposes Committee,
in reference to the question of lighting the highways
of East Fordington, stated that considerable opposi-
tion had been shown to the proposal by some of the
inhabitants and ratepayem Memorials had been
got up, and representations made to the committee
as expressing the feelings of the inhabitants, but as
there seemed no prospect of bemiring any unanimous
desire for the extension of the advantages of well-
lighted streets, the Committee deemed it advisable
to recommend that the subject should be considered
and determined at a full meeting of tbe Council.
In reply to a question the surveyor stated that 10
lamps would be required at an expense of £34 10s.,
but then there would be the expense of laying the
mains.
Several members of the Board thought this would
be done willingly by the Gas Company.
Mr. HAYNIR asked if the Board could enforce the
scheme in opposition to the wishes of the rate-
payers?
The Tower CLIME replied the Board had the
power independently of the ratepayers.
Mr. RAYNE said as the inhabitants of Fordington
were now situated they were not represented in the
Board:
Mr. Comps said he most protest against Mr.
Hayns sayinglhat goraington was not represented.
They were very well content with the representa-
tion until this question was mooted.
Mr. Vnitiros remarked that in the mune be had
taken be only wished to ancommodete the people
with light, and he had been thoroughly sustained by
102oee reeding in High•dreet and Under th4bnilol4
but in other parts of Fordingtoß there were
4q8104t o bev 60110144 h

, :
•

Mr. HAYNE said Mr. Vernon and Mr. Monle were
the originators of this scheme, which would entail
upon the owners of property an expense of £l5OO.
The original proposition was to light the whole
parish.
The MAYOR denied that there was such A proposal.
Mr. MASON asked bow could £1,500 be expended?
Mr. VERNON said the people of Fordington were
very figurative. Where they got their figures from
he did not know; but some persons had given them
a great deal more information than was necessary.
Mr. HAYNI considered it was unoourteous and
even presumptuous of Mr. Vernon to attempt to put
the district to this expense. He was • gentleman
who had just come into the parish, and had never
yet paid a church-rate.
The MAYOR said they had nothing to do with
that. If such personal remarks were made he
should leave the chair.

Mr. HAYNE considered that Mr. Monis was ill-
advised to ally himself to a parishioner who was not
of his own church.

Mr. VERNON replied that Mr. Moule had never
found him • disturber of the parish, and there
would not have been any disturbance now if it was
not a matter of pounds, shillings, And pence.
Mr. ilitvrls said that was a very important
matter.

Mr. Therm?, said the Board had not been
accustomed to have personal matters mired up with
public questions, and it was due to the inhabitants
of Fordington that the Board should look at the
question upon its merits.
Mr. Coomus said in such a question as this it
would be wrong to let the largest ratepayers
do as they liked, because they had the
means of finding their own light ; it was the
public that must be considered. It was very wrong
that a rich man should have more consideration
Amen him than air or seven poor ones. There
were these two questions to be look at —first, was
gas necessary; and secondly, did the people wish for
It?

A petition was handed round the table, in which
there were 32 signatures in favour of gas, but Mr.
Bayne said he had one, although it was not with
him, signed by 155 persons against.
The MAYOR said it was very necessary that
Fordington should be lighted even as far as the
morality of the place was oonoerned.
Mr. ViRNON said, should the Board expose them-
selves to an action at law for any damage that might
occur by a person falling in the river, or injuring
himself, simply because there were three or four
fanners in the parish who objected to its being
lighted. That was a question which they ought
to consider. _

The Mayox said many serious and even fetal
accidents bad occurred there from want of light.
He had no doubt if the place was lighted, it would
have the effect of checking the immorality carried on
there.
!sr. RAYNE called the attention of his Worship
to the streets in the town, and asked if the lamps
prevented immorality t
The MAYOR replied most undoubtedly.
Mr. VERNON moved that that portion of the
borough (ruin the Fordington end of the borough to
Fordington-Cross, be added to the lighting district
of the borough of Dorchester.
Mr. GREGORY said, finding that the greater
portion of the inhabitants of the district were in
favour of having it lighted, he had great pleasure in
seconding the proposition.
Mr. GALPIN said he had no wish to introduce an
amendment, but be should like to know what the
cost would be for lighting the lamps, and whether
the Gas Company would extend the main as far as
was requited.
Mr. GRIC/ORY presumed they would light them
at the same rate an those in the borough.
Mr. GALPIN said the Board had failed so many
times in presuming, that he required positive infor-
mation. _ _

After some further discussion Mr. Vernon modified
his resolution, in which the Gas Company were to be
applied to for the terms upon which they would
undertake to lay the main and light the lamps, and
report the expense to the Board.
This was carried, and after some business of minor
importance the Board sepsreted.