The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-09-05 00:00:00

Egilusbirt.

SALISBURY CATHEDRAL RESTORATION.
The total amount promised to the Bishop Hamilton
memorial oomuiittee Ia £5,042, and the cast of tho
works already ordered is £6,560, leaving £2,476. But
this sum falls far short of what is required for the
necessary restoration of the Choir, seeing that Mr.
Scott estimates that the restoration of the Stalls and
Bubsellss, with new desk fronts to the same, a now
Throne, new Pavement. Borealis and Bectilia, will
cost
Reinodelling *O." ".
•••
•••
•••15053
of Organ
..•
New Pulpit •.. •• 100
Grilles at side of Altar Screen • .. 450
Architeet's Commission, Clerk °I Works, an•d
Incidental Expensea •.• 100
E 7750

A short report, supplementil. to that already tarnished
by Mr. Boott, was read at • recent meeting of the Dom-
mates respecting the future position of the organ in
tho restored choir, and the coloured decoration of the
vaulting of the choir roof. The report states that the
organ might be placed—(t) On an open screen between
choir and nave. (2) Or OD the arch leading from the
!choir into the north-east transept. (3) Or in one of
the westernmost arches on the side of the choir. This
importrut matter the committee felt unable to decide,
In consequence of the small funds at their disposal. As
tegards the decorative painting the report states that
the choir roof he I been painted with large circular
medallions, containing Boripto-e subjects, which de-
coration had beoomo historical. These were covered
with yellow wash in 1789, an act of vandalish which
provoked the severest censure at the time, from those
capable of forming a sound opinion. It has been found
impossible simply to reames the yellow wash (sat it was
hoped might have been the case), as the process of
scraping the wash BO nearly destroys the painting that
from the floor of the church it would be unintelligible.
Mr. Scott, therefore, recommends that the painting of
the vaulting and epandrils be restored, as delicately
and with as mach reserve as possible; and that the
arches of the choir be cleaned of their coating of wash,
with the remains of colour left upon them to speak for
themaelves. The report adds that by this course, as
this Cathedral is the most unique and complete in its
arohiteourer of any which wepossess, so ohs', we hand
it down complete (so far as we deal with it) in its de-
corative accompaniments. After some considerable
disoassion it was agreed that, considering the lack of
funds. it was only possible at present to order the do.
oorative painting of the oho". That, lo order to this,
Messrs. Clayton and Bell's eAlmate, amounting to
ho sooepted for the above-named decorative
work ; and that £B9 ti paid them for • specimen of a
section of !bootie" walls already painted, which speci-
men v.:l. enable any one who may wish in future to
cs. 4 Olio pewit of the doeoristioa of the othe.-.

DEVIZ ES.
Tag New MONTT Vers.—The basis upon which the
Committee appointed by the Court of Quarter Sessions
proposed to make the New County Rate a al, there le
little doubt, meet with considerable opposition not
merely from the ratepayers, but from many of the
, magistrates. At present there seems to be no u 'Atm mity
, of rating in the vai.ous irdons of the county; some
I seem to have r lopted the old valuation system, while
\
' others have taken rack-rental and the property tax
assessment as their basis. The consequence of this,
assumiog each union to be taken according to its own
mode of assessment, world, it Is alleged, be—that while
' In 10 unions of the county (where reek-rental and pro-
perty tax assessment have been adopted as the basis)
the increase to the County Rate would be 29i per cont.;
In the seven other unions (where the valuation system is
adopted) the Increase would be only about 13 per sent.
—Derided OrizetU•