The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-01-14 00:00:00

gorrezponbence.

PORTLAND RAILWAY.

Tho following appeared in our contemporary, the
Telegram :

Sur,—Open as your columns have been of late for
the general good of my native town, and having
read many excellent and well written articles, ex-
posing the misgovernment of the Town Council in a
plain truthful statement, signed, "A Looker On,"
in your last week's journal, which appears to have
awakened the good people of Weymouth from the
lethargy they had fallen into respecting the damage
likely to accrue to the interesta of this town by the
introduction of a railway from hence to Portland;
and having had lengthened conversation with many
respectable gentlemen, as well as tradesmen of long I
standing and known respectability, and of opposite
political principles, I hope I may be not deemed too
Intrusive upon your valuable and independent
journal, if I make the following remarks :—One
feeling alone, Mr. Editor, appears to pervade the
town, and that feeling is one of strong indignation.
They are disgusted with the conduct of the many
abeentees from the Council Chamber, when a
question of an is vital importance is about being dis-
cussed. They are disgusted also with those who
were present, and did not (although some expressed
a strong dissent upon the proposals made by the
Tory leader, and mover of all great doings, Mr. A.
Devenish) record their votes either for or against the
proposal. But the strongest feeling of indignation
and disgust is directed against those who in the
very face of common sense, and against the wisher
of the inhabitants of Weymouth, proclaimed their
sympathy with the proposed scheme, and carried a
sufficient number of votes to compel the Town
Council of Weymouth to support a Bill in Parlia-
ment, the object of which is to reduce Weymouth
to • lower ebb of prosperity than it has ever known.
Surely, Mr. Editor, those persons who advanced
their capital upon mortgage to the Harbour and Pile
Pier are not to be thus sacrificed by Messrs. Devenish,
Thompson, Hare (Mayor), Hibbs, Maunders, Row-
land Thomas, and Ayles. Several of these were re-
turned through the interest of Mr. Devenieb and the
Tory clique at the last November election, I believe
for, the express purpose of giving countenance and
support to the railroad for their leader; for it is
evident the railroad scheme has only been supported
by one-fourth of its body. I must here highly com-
mend Mr. Drew for his amendment, and also con-
gratulate the town of having such staunch friends to
support the interest of the town, as Mr. William
Thomas, Mr. William Roberts, and Mr. Christopher
Reagent. These men are all of long standing, and
from their practical knowledge of everything con-
mated with the port and shipping generally, they at
once saw the absurdity of such a scheme, bringing
with it nothing but rain to the harbour, and an irre-
parable amount of injury to the artisans and porters,
and the tradesmen of every class. Now compare
these men of standing with those who supported Mr. ,
Devenish's proposition also with those who were
present and did not vat), as well as the absentee*: ,
and I affirm that although but four in number, they
possess more business sense and ability than all the
rest put together. I have not space, Mr. Editor, to
subscribe their names, not I assure you from fear,
but I must refer your readers for their names to
"Looker On," which appeared in your journal of
November 2nd, and I pot it to common serute,—As
those present and absent being fully aware of the
object of the meeting, they of course could to a man
have voted for the railroad, but either through fear
or party feeling some kept away, whilst others re-
mained neutral. Yet their party must have felt
very disagreeable whilst a gentleman of high 'tending
and of fifty years experience of the town—being also
one of the old corporation, and who has held the high
office of chief magistrate several times—and an out-
and-out consistent Tory, gave vent to his indignation
upon so rash a scheme. I must here name the gen-
tleman I allude to, it is, Mr. Editor, Mr. Richard
Bower, and although holding sonis,amannt of pro-
perty in Portland, yek Rain hie general kilo:Pledge
' of the true intereete At the borough, he expeaegyr
himself strongly avow to such a wild scheepriWal-
railroad to Parties*, Read his remarks 14 thoik
council mee —dre*sPeak volumes.
I have oftenlasedit said those that are not &ran
object to be carried, mast decidedly be against it,
and I firmly believe this to be the eese, therefore the
town may fairlyeongratulate themselves by reckon-
ing upon thoie gentlemen who did not vote, and

those absent as being both indignant and disgusted
at all that took place (say nothing of the Mayor
tendoring his support and voting.) Therefore, the
town of Weymouth may calculate that a very large
majority of the Town Council are against • railroad
to Portland.

.Will not, Mr. Editor, the late "Fraudulent
Trustee Act," for wilfully injuring, neglecting, or
depreciating the property under their especial care,
protect the inhabitants of Weymouth, as well as Mr.l
Herbert Williams and other bondholders, having so:
large an amount of capital as .£30,000, from being in,
jured in their outlay? I have understood the,
body corporate were the sole trustees to the Harbour
and Pile Pier, as well as the bridge and all other
public property, and I should like to see Mr. Devenish
or any man belonging to the Town Council stand up
and advocate in the teeth of this Act, anything that
would tend to damnify the property of the town, the
effect of which would be nothing more nor less than
the depreciation of some, and the entire destruction of
others of the many valuable trnataunder their guardian-
ship; and would here caution the Council ere it be too
late, to loak well to these remarks, and take Use ad.
vice now given, for ere long they will find that some
Weymouthians are still living, who will not only call
a public meeting to try the sense of the inhabitants
and to put a stop to the iniquitous way in which the
good old borough has of late been misruled and mis-
managed. I believe that every one of the bond-
holders can legally call upon the Council to oppose
any Parlismentary Bill likely to interfere or damage
the property on which they have advanced their
cash; and as I happen to know, from conversation,
several of the principal bondholders, I can state that
each steps will assuredly be taken to oppose the
Parliamentary Bill thus supported by Mr. A.
Devenish. In conclusion, having beard that Mr.
Hare, (Mayor,) is solicitor to the Bill, I can very
easily account for his readiness to vote; yet, I think,
as Mayor his modesty ought to have actuated his
prerogative, and to have caused him to remain silent;
but lawyer like, "loaves and fishes" are the same
now as they have always been, sweet, and not often
occurring, therefore I can forgive him.
Your giving place to this will, I know, gratify
your readers, and oblige, Mr. Editor,
Yours, vory truly,
OBSERVER.
Radipole, January 6th, 1862.

PORTLAND.--Cosr or CoNviore. The expendi-
ture at the convict prisons of England in the year 1860-
61, amounted to £275.399. The average daily number
of convicts being 7,665, this was rather more than £36
per prisoner. The value of the labour of the convicts
was £105,364, reducing the coat to £22 68. per prisoner.
The agreeable value of the labour is kept down by the
small amount earned by the stage of separate confine-
ment, and by women, boys, and invalids. The expendi-
tun', ,on the other hand, is raised by three items of
charges to which ordinary prisons are not subject—.
salaries and wages of officers emploged in the manufac-
turing and labour department, clothing and other
expenses on liberation, and gratuities to convicts—under
which buit head • large sum is paid in this country to
Gibraltar and Bermuda convicts, brought to Millbank
and Chatham before libefition. The outlay under these
three heads constitutes about a seventh of the cost of the
convict prisons. A man sentenced to four years' penal
servitude, if exemplary during tbe whole period, would
gain in three and a quarter years (the last nine months
would be remitted) £9 16e. 9d., but it would be earned
by downright hard work, and the amount would be at
the disposal of the Government for promoting the wel
fare of the prisoner on his discharge—it is usually paid
In instalments.

STURMINSTER NEWTON.--We are pleased
to notice that out of the fifty Art Union tickets
issued by Mr. W. Trite, of this place, more than
the average share of good fortune has fallen to his
subscribers, viz., No. 224,047; this ticket repre-
senting an oil painting by F. J. Hartley—" Drach-
enfela, on the Rhine,' being the 239th drawing.
The successful prize-holder is Mr. Clough, Master of
the Union. We cannot but congratulate him on his
anccesa, as he holds more than the average share
generally allotted in such cases, the last year's
average being about one prize in sixty-eight tickets.
We hope that at the next drawing, one hundred
instead of fifty ticket, will be disposed of in this
town, for we feel sure that the Society is oonducted
in every way in a manner to give satisfaction to all.
BERE REGIS.—Onn FILLOWSHIP. —We noticed a
few weeks since the active exertions of a few of the
members of the above society. They have so far
succeeded as to obtain the requisite number of
members for a lodge, and thew application was
granted by the committee of the Poole district,
which met on Tuesday, the 31st ult., at the Good
Samaritan L Age, Bell Inn' Fish-street, Poole.
The Bare Regis lodge ,vill shortly be opened at the
Royal Oak Inn, and will be called "the Loyal
Garibaldi Lodge." We heartily wish the under-
taking every success.
COLLEGE Or PRECEPTORS. —At a meeting of the
council of this horporation on Saturday, the 28th
tilt, it was unanimously resolved that an address of
condolence and respectful sympathy on the death of
his late Royal Highness the Prince Consort, should
be presented to Her Majesty. The following gentle-
men were elected members of the college, Mr. W.
Austen, Copenhagen-street, London, N.; Mr. S.
Behrins, Victona-park ; Dr. Benham, Bristol;
Mr. J. M. Crisp, Bere Regis; Mr. J. Hillier,
Oswestry ; Mons. F. L Lorin, Islington; Mr. C.
L. Mantis, Brixton Oval; Mr. T. Motile Birken-
head; Rev. D. Smith, MA. St. John's Mania,
; Mr.
W. A. Tiddy, Tunbridge-wells ; Mr. M. Wilcox,
St. Hiller's, Jersey.

BROAD CHAIKE.—The vicarage of Broad
Chalke, near Salisbury, of which it is sought to de-
prive Dr. Williams, is in the gift of the Provoet and
Fellows of Ring's College, Cambridge, who presented
Dr. Williams (then a fellow of the college,) in 1858
or 1859. He had written a work on "Rational
Godliness" some time before, which brought him
into collision with another bishop, but the Bishop
of Salisbury did not refuse on that account to insti-
tute him to Broad Chalke, when he was presented
by his college.