The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-05-12 00:00:00

Corrtsponbtnce.

TITS SPIRITUAL AND SPIRIPUOUS LORDS
UP .ARROTSBURY
7. the Edanr.

Dear Sir,-1 have before now visited Abbotabury
I a Foust size fishing village in Dorset) where there once
mimed • prosperous Good Templar Lodge, also a
United Temperance Society and Band of Hope. The
Vicar (the has. G. H. Penny, 34.. k. was an earnest
temperance worker, and the meeting. were held in
the Church Schools, as ulei a weekly and united
prayer meeting, Episcopal Church and Noncon-
formists all coming together for that purpose. Mr.
Penny was beloved and respected by all who knew
and ever ready to help anybody totally irrespec-
tive of elms or creed ; he was what I should call a
perfect model clergyman, but now what • change ham
come over this ['omit village, the property of Lord
Ilehester. P.vor Mr. Penny is dead, a new vicar is
appointed, and one of his first acts was to call
together his parishioners to hear his views on the
temperance quieten (would that we had had a short-
hand reporter present ). He opened his paper by aesuring
those preeent that no discussion would be allowed,
and any one interfering would be asked to leave the
room. 41ter then explaining that strong drink was
good creature of God:to lie used with thanksgiving,
he went on to inform them that the schoW-roomit
would not be used any more for temperance work, and
that higher power (Lord Ilcheeter) must be asked
before any o‘Aer meeting could be held in the parish.
I understand consent cannot even be obtained
for the united prayer meatiest, the vicar tel.
ling them the school-room was not • place for prayer..
The Bible Society meeting I find was held in the !
school-ruom, but although the vicar was not there him-
self, the stipulation was made that no dimenter should
speak.
There is a Cmigrwational Church in the village, but
held on lease from Lord Ilchester, who would clear
thenq out if they permit any meetings not sanctioned
by him. Every house iq the place belongs to his lord-
ship, and there is not a soul there who dares to
countenance anything in oppo•ition to his wishes or
they would get • ins week's notice to quit, which means
the lose of their homes and means of livelihood. Every
child attending the parish school ii. obliged to go to
church, learn the lestachism, or clear out of the
vill. .

Now, sir, can you or any ot your readers tell us how ,
to educate the new electors amongst these poor slaves
—and there are a large number. I have offered to go,
and plenty are ready to go with me and hold
Temperanas demonstration in the open air ; hundreds
from all the country email would be present, but I
fear the people themselves in the place would not
dare even to come to listen, and so the real good done
would he but small. However, this will let the free
end independent working men of England see bow
some id their brethren live in agricultural districts.
These are the things that will di, more to hasten Dis.
establishment thaq all such men as Osman ilberfi see,
Callon Parrar, and other true, generous-hearted men
can say or do to save it. A publican's wife says things
are wonderfully letter since the new vicar came there,
lint I believe the time is tomb* when sober English.
men will be free fawn all such petty tyranny, and
when neither landlords, publicans, nor parsons will he
able to grind down the pis* after such a fashion. If
the Church is to live it must live in the hearts of the
people, and it can only do that by her clergy taking
up such social questions as ours, which so affect the
human race.

T. W. GLovas.
Freemmitlt.,