The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-05-06 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL MEETING.

A meeting of the Town Council wee held on Mon-
day. Present : the Mayor ; Aldermen klanfield and
Cuomba ; Councillors Lock, Bishop, Mason, Frond,
Stanton, Aldiidge, and Hodges.
The minutes of the previous meeting were read,
and the report of the Finance Committee was received
and confirmed.

The General Purposes Committee reported that
they had been gratified to learn from the Mayor, the
intention of the post-olfice authorities to substitute a
pillar letter-box of larger dimensions,for that at pre-
sent standing near the Townhall ; and that after
additionally considering the circumstance, the coni•
mittee had agreed to recommend that the new box
should be placed on the verge of the pavement a
little to the eastward of the place where the old one
now stands. The committee had long had under
cons deration various plans which had been from
time to time proposed for the extension of the Town.
hall, and they were now happy at length to be able
to recommend the adoption of that recently prepared
by Mr. Dail, whieh accompanied the report, and
which showed the arrangement of the necessary
offices. But bearing in mind the expressed wish of
the Council in regard to the provision of a room for
a public library, and in which the public might have
access to the patents presented to the town by the
Government, they recommended that the whole
space over the poultry market should be
reserved for such purpose, with the addi-
tion of an ante-room as shown in the plan
u-nber two, and that s,iecifications and an
e t mate of the expense of such proposed building
be forthwith obtained. —Thereport was received and
adopted, after a brief discussion. Mr. .Aldridge
also proposed, and Mr. Froud seconded, and it waa
carried unanimously, " That in the opinion of the
Council the erection of a letter box at the West end
of High-street, would be a great public convenience
in consequence of the largo number of inhabitants,
such box. would benefit. Also that it would be
a great convenience if the letter lynxes in the town
were cleared out before the departure of each mail."
The Inspector of Weights and Measures was
directed to procure a box for the purpose of keep-
ing Ms standard weights; and measures in.—
The question of the fair-field, to which we have
lately drawn attention, underwent some discussion.
A letter had been 'received from Mr. Ensor for the
use of the fair-field on Saturdays for his fortnightly
sales. —The Mayor was of opinion that if the course
now pursued was continued, they would lose their
market entirely, and it was resolved to give up
what is termed "The great market," and to hold a
stock market fortnightly, to enlarge the space at pre-
sent set apart for the purpose, and thereby enable
persons bringing their stock to sell by private con-
tract or by public auction, as they might think proper.
It was therefore proposed that the swim now appro-
priated for the cattle merk et be extended to the bars,
separating the northern portion of the fair-field, and
that the necessary fence for the accommodation of
those using the market be erected.—The Mayor
also introduced the subject as to the desirability of
procuring a new site for the cattle markets and fairs.
It appeared that the lease of the present fair-field
is held on one life, and as we all know
life is uncertain, no one can possibly tell how soon
it will have to be given up.—Mr. Stanton suggested
the propriety of adopting some means for appropria-
ting the Woollaaton field, for holding the cattle
market and fairs, but the Mayor stated the matter
lied already been discussed with no beneficial results.
—Mr. Froud thought that as the present fair-field
was very inadequate for the purpose for which it was
required, application should be made to the Duchy
of Cornwall for the exchange of this piece-of land
for a more eligible site to be taken on a new lean,
and after a brief discussion, the following resolution
was proposed by Mr. Aldridge, seconded by Mr.
Froud, and carried unanimously, "That the General
Purposes Committeee be requested to take into con-
sideration, before the next meeting, the importance
of the town procuring from the Council of the Duchy
of Cornwall, a suitable site for the purpose of hold-
ing the faire and markets, inasmuch as the present
site is inconveniently situated, and not sufficiently
large for the purposes required, in addition to which
the tenure of the present ground DI uncertain.
BOARD OF HICAITH.—The Inspector reported the
existence of several nuisances in Grove Buildings
and Friary Lane, and the usual orders for abatement
were made.--Mr. Stanton complained of the
scavenging of Fordington. He thought it exceed-
ingly unfair that Dorchester should be cleansed
fourteen times as often as Fordington.—The Mayor
said he was not aware of such being the case, and
Mr. Pouncy explained that their present staff was
insufficient to do the whole of the work.—The
Surveyor reported seven applications for drainage
and water supply. On the recommendation of the
committee, various tradesmen's bills were ordered to
be paid. The following tenders were opened for
draiiiing a block of houses in Grove Buildings :-11.
Maher, £39 10a 3d. ; G. Maher, £33 16s. ; G.
Gregory, £39 14. ;J. Wellspring, £3B 15. The
tender of Mr. G. Maher was accepted.—TheGeneral
Purposes Committee reported that they had had
submitted for their coneideration the memorial
recently presented to the Mayor from the inhabi-
tants of the district of West Fordington, requesting
that that district might in future be included in the
lighting district of the borough. The committee
could not otherwise than recognise the great
importance of public lighting generally, and they had
therefore been pleased to receive as such the
expression of the wishes of the inbabitantsi The
committee thought they could not do otherwise
than give effect to such representation, and they
had therefore carefully examined and considered the
plan of the West Fordington district, as prepared
by the Surveyor, and they had no hesitation in re-
commending its adoption. According to the report
mid plan of the Surveyor, the addition of pine
lamps and lamp posts will be required at a cost of
from £3 10s. to £4 each.—Mr. Stanton inquired
whether it would be necessary to petition in like
manner for East Fordington ?—The Mayor observed
that there was a minute on the books to the effect
that the lighting of Fordington would be carried out
only on the inhabitants memonalising. —Mr. Coombe
thought that they ought to place a lamp also at the
midway between the bottom of Glydepath-hill and
the bottom of Grova-buildings, as the lighting that
part of the town would then be cemplete. The
recommendation of the Committee was adopted.—
The Committee also recommended the purchase of
two new carts. —The Mayor said one only was wanted
at present, the other, a tumbler cart, would be wanted
next autumn. He recommended that one only be pur-
chased now as the cast had not been entered on their
year's estimates. It was ordered that onecart forgeneml
puposes be purchased. —The Committee also reported
on the ventilating shafts. They stated that the
subject had caused them great anxiety, their earnest
desire having been to remove, at far as practicable,
the complaints which had been made of the offensive
effluvia arising from them. With this object, on
the recommendation of Dr. Stenhouse, an additional
box of charcoal had been placed in the shift near
Mr. Panton's house,about two feet from the first char-
coal box, so as thoroughly to purify the air passing
through. If this was found to answer, and it was
stated it would, the other shafts would be treated in
the name way.—Mr. Coombs thought it was very
wrong to place then shafts on the pavements im-
mediately opposite people's doors, as had been done
ei; posite him Groves's, under any circum-
stances. If shafts were necessary, they should be
placed as far from people's doors as possible. Some
other matters of trifling moment were then con-
sidered, and the meeting was brought to a close.

WEYMOUTH.—MACKEREL.—Within the last
few days a considerable quantity of mackerel have
been caught by the fishermen here and at Wyke.

Irani CHURCH MISSIONS.—The annual public
meeting for promoting the Irish Church Mission to
Roman Catholics was held at the National School-
room, Melcombe Regis, on Thursday last. The
chair was occupied by the Rev. Talbot Greaves,
vicar, who stated, from personal inspection of the
state of Ireland w bile travelling through that
country, that great alai)). existed among the Irish
Protestant clergy respecting Roman Catholics,
regarding them rather ns extra parochial than as
those whose conversion to the truth they should
strive to secure, and hence there was an objection
to this society in the minds of many. He held, how-
ever, that it was the duty of protestant., to seek the
enlightenment of their Roman Catholic brethren,and
that consequently this society claimed the support of
thole whose desire was to promote the Gospel of the
Gmee of God by teaching men the inutility of pen-
ance, or stripes of the body, for avoiding purgatory
of the soul. The light of divine truth had to be
brought into direct contact with the souls and con-
sciences of men, as in the construction of the Port-
land Breakwater it was found that a sloping wall
would not resist the force of the w.ves, whilst a
perpendicular wall would effectually break the rush
and force of the sea. So in like manner the tide of
error and superstition, when brought into contact
with the perpendicular wall of God's truth was
stemmed and turned back. Ho was happy to state
that the town of Weymouth was arousing itself as to
the importance of this society, as while the year
before last the amount collected was but £4O ; last
year the amount realised was 42 ISs, 3d. The
Rev. Mr. Dallas, who (attended as a deputation from
the Parent Society) gave an interesting account of
the society's proceedings, and the good that had
already been effected by the aid of its agents in the
dissemination of the Word of Life, and concluded
with an eloquent appeal for the prayer*, the
sympathies, and the assistance of his hearers in aid-
ing this great and important work. A liberal col-
lection was made at the close of the meeting.
Amu/me—On Saturday last Mr. Hall, ticket
collector at the South-Western Railway station,
had the misfortune to break his leg. He was re-
turning from the market-house when Mr. Yearaley's
omnibus, which was sails to tho Ototioot MAO

along, Mr. Hall attempted to jump on the hind
step to ride, but having nailed boots on his feet,
slipped, and he fell, fracturing his leg just below the
calf. He was taken home and surgical assistance
immediately sent fn..