The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-06-13 00:00:00

711 Z FAIR FIELI).

The report of the-doTmeni- itir—p;;es Committee was
read. It stated that the following tenders had been
received for the works to be executed at the fair field.
For the ironwork, Messrs. Tracey £249 1, Messrs.
Crocker and Co. 4:33.5 10s. For the brickwork
Messrs. Davis £694, Messrs. Guy £7lO, and Messrs.
I Wellspring £690. They recommended that the
tenders of Messrs. Tracey and Messrs. Wellspring be
accepted, subject to the condition that any portion of
the work may be reserved that the Council might
' deem necessary.
I It was proposed by Mr. BURNZTT and seconded by
Mr. F. Bareerr, that the recommendations of the
committee be agreed to, with the further proviso that
the work should be at once proceeded with, and
carried out under the supervision of the Surveyor.
Mr. Gurionr was of opinion that the northern
boundary ought not to be proceeded with until the
building site had been nettled, and he moved an
amendment to that effect. It was not, however,
seconded, and the original resolution was carried.
BIGGAR/1' KNAP. —THZ APPROACHING COMMISSION.
The Town CLERK read a number of letters from the
I authorities above, relative to the Beggars' Knap
controversy. The first was dated the 29th May, and
stated that the Lords Commissioners of Her Majesty's
Treasury found they had not the power tb come to a
decision with to the scheme of the Dorchester
Corporation to same Beggars' Knap without further
Information. They had therefore requested Mr. Gore,
a commissioner, to came an enquiry to be made into
the various statements on the subject, and to report
to them thereon. Their lordships thought it right to
observe the powers vested in them were limited
chiefly to the financial bearings of any proposals from
Corporations.
On the 2nd of June a letter was sent from the office
of the Woods and Forests, which was to this effect,
the Lords of Her Majesty's Treasury had referred to
that office the memorial from the Corporation of
Dorchester, asking for their lordship's sanction to the
sale of certain Corporation property, and the writer
had been requestcd by Mr. C. Gore to request the
Corporation to furnish him with anundertaking to defray
all expense incurred by the department to obtain a
report, and if necessary a valuation of the property
to enable him to advise their lordships on the subject.
That letter, the Town Clerk said he had replied to
!ay saying that he would lay it before the Corpora-

must

--frince than • letter had been received by the Mayor
signed J. Glutton (a gentleman who is • surveyor for
Use Government), in which the writer said he proposed
to attend at Dorchester on Tuesday, the 27th, to hear
the parties to the memorials. He the meet-
ing would be held in the Town-aaurodd asked his
worthip kindly to let him know as soon as pomade if
the fixture were convenient.
Mr. Bum"r salted who had instrneted Mr.
Glutton to come down. The Connell had not. Where

than did he get his Instructions from? He begged to
propose that Mr. Clutton, whoever he might be,
should be informed that he wee not required to come,
for they did not want him there as a CounciL He
meant to say it was nothing but throwing the rate-
payers' money into the grate; and they were not
justified in:spending £lOO to get a man down here from
London to tell them what they were to do with their
own property—(hear). He would move that the
subject matter of those letters be deferred until the
completion of the fair ground.
Alderman LOCK opposed the motion. They must
do it in a business-like way. It appeared to him that
this enquiry was an answer to questions which they
had themselves put; and, if they declined to accept it,
their own memorial would be set aside and they would
be going right in their own face if the enquiry was not
held. He thought they could not do otherwise then
to ask the Town Clerk to give the required undertak-
ing ; and he would move an amendment to that effect
Mr. Buluirrr asked if Aldermen Lock believed
when the memorial was sent up that there ever would
have been an enquiry; or did he think there would
have been one had not a counter memorial been got
up,
Alderman LOCK replied they must subject them-
selves to all those inconveniences. The ratepayers
had a perfect right to object to the memorial which
the Council had sent up; but the Council having sent
it up were bound to carry it out.
Mr. Buturrr : The rates are burdened quite enough
without putting any more on them.
The Town CLERK remarked Weymouth had had
similar experiences, memorials and counter memorials
had been sentup, and a commissioner had been sent
down.

Alderman CUMIN said they could not help it now.
They must go on with it.
Alderman GALPIN asked Mr. Burnett not to make
a resolution of it. It would look as if the Council were
afraid to meet an emplinr. He believed they were all
fully convinced theyluarl done what they thought to be
the best for;the town (hear, hear), and he, for one, would
not hesitate that any gentlemen should come there to
make the necessary enquiries. He was very sorry that
it should turn out that they were to be saddled with
the expeiror of that enquiry, but they must thank other
gentlemen for it. He urged them not to attempt to
avoid an enquiry, but, let them be prepared to main-
tain their own opinions.
Mr. Buararr said certainly. lie did not intend
his resolution to bear any such interpretation.
Mr. GNP-GOBI remarked that Mr. Burnett had
alluded to the ratepayers' money being thrown away.
Nowt he believed the ratepayers wished to have that
enquiry made, as thereby the rights of the matter
would become known.
Mr. T. Biurnzrr : If they think 60, why they
must pay for it.
Mr. GU:GORY would like to know who had thrown
he ratepayers' money away.
Mr. Bufteterr : You know.
_ -

_
Mr. GREGOZY : I think the Council have brought it
on themselves.
Dr. ALDRIDOR strongly objected to this gentleman
being brought down at the expense of the town. He
had a keen recollection of the expense the Corpora-
tion were once put to in a lawsuit. It coat them
£6OO, and they were told in the first place it would
not be more than £6O, or £6O at the outside. In this
matter they could not tell what expense they might
not be led into. There was an antagonistic feeling
existing in the town to the opinions the Council
had formed, and the conclusions they had arrived at,
and it was impossible to say to what length the
antagonism might be carried. He thought before
they guaranteed the cost of those proceedings they
should have an approximate idea of what they were
likely to amount to.
The Tows CLUE said the only indication he
could give on the subject was this. It was in the
recollection of some of the gentlemen at that table
that a great many years ago an application was made
by the Council to the Treasury for leave to sell the
reversion of certain properties in Dorchester; a
similar letter came from the office of the Woods to the
Council, requiring a guarantee tor the expenses of
the survey. A similar thing was also done with
Woollaston fields, and he rather faacied
Wrnl' to
Cotton came down then, and on the previous
occasion Mr. Rodtlen. Mr. Redden was here pretty
nearly a week, and he found his bill for attendance
and making a valuation and a report was £67 some
odd shillings
1 Mr. GREGORY : Not so very ruinous after all.
The Tows CLARK continued: With regard to the
other occasion referred to by Dr. Aldridge, he rather
thought he must be mistaken, as he did not think any
one ever gave an estimate for 1:50 or ock.
Mr. Buarirrr then altered his resolution to the
following :—'That the Town Clerk be instructed, in
reply to the letter from the office of the Woods, of
the 2nd of June to ascertain the expense of having
down a Commissioner before instructions are given
for his attendance.

_
Mr. fiLtin : You can't do that. Better let the
thing take its course. It will be the sooner over.
(Hear, hear).
Dr. ALDRIDGZ was quite sure the ratepayers as a
body would object to it. and he protested against it
on the part of the town. Rather than expose the
town to the risk of a heavy expense he would move
that the whole matter be set amide sine die.
The motion of Mr. Burnett not being seconded, it
was then withdrawn.

Mclennan Loci( propose and Alderman GALPIN,
seconded a resolution to the effect that the Town
Clerk be instructed to write and give the necessary
guarantee.
On being put to the vote it was cArried, Mr. Burnett
and Dr. Aldridge, alone holding up their hands against

The TOWN CLERK, MY also requested to attend on
the occasion in question to represent the CounciL
_

_THI waiin.

A talk then ensued upon the propriety of granting a
much needed boon—that gates should be fixed in the
walks to admit the passage of wheel chairs. The fact
that in the rear of the chairs would of necessity follow
those terrible nuisances perambulators, and their gaping
drivers, seem to make some of the,members hesitate.—
Mr. GREGORY thought the work could be done for £5;
but Alderman Gahm, amid not see its being carried
out for four times £5. Ultimately it was decided to
refer the matter back to the General Purposes Com-
pany, to obtain estimates. Invalidsmay consequently
reckon upon enjoying the beauties of the walks about
the month of "still 'October."

A "TILT" THAT DID NOT PAY.

The next business was the of a notice
put upon the agenda paper by Mr. Gregory. In deal-
ing with it, that gentleman addressing his worship,
said he would remember that at the last Council meet-
ing, he asked him for an explanation of a letter he
(the Mayor) bad sent to the Lords of the Treasury on
the 18th of April last, which contained certain re-
marks in reference to himself (the speaker). The letter
was diem/led vertfreely, but, at the suggestion of some
members of the ...mined that under existing circum•
stances it should lie allowed to drop, he willingly assented
to that course, on the understanding that he should
resume it on some future occasion. He, therefore, had
now simply to ask him far an explanation for the
unfounded, untruthful, (oh, oh, and no, no), and
libellous assertions made in that letter. He had
nothing to do with any portions of the letter except
that which related to himself. Ile had nothing to do
with those other mis-statements which were in his
opinion to be found throughout the letter.
Dr. ALDRIDGE did not think the Mayor called upon
to reply in any way to the observations put in such
manner. He thought he should treat it with utter con-
"

tempt.
Mr. F. BENErrr : So should I. I hope Mr. Gregory
will withdraw it altogether. There was no reason for
any trouble or strife on that occasion.
Mr. GREGORY : Supposing certain remarks were
made about you which were not true, wouldn't you
want an explanation.
Mr. F. SENNErr : Why your name was never
mentioned. If the cap Ste you of course you must
wear it.

TAiiman Cunbig : It really is a pity that this
should be gone into.
The MAYOR consulted with the TOWN CLUK, who
said "you will do as you please sir."
Mr. Bunnierr : After a member of the Council had
made use of such terms if I had been the Mayor I
should have left the chair.

----Ti;ii-1170;;;Irr-r;Ply, said he did not wish it to be
Imagined that he had shown feelings of ipparfiality,
which had had no existence in his mind. He believed
every word of the letter he had written was true—as
true am the truth itself could be He read it over and
over again, and he affirmed there was no mis-state-
ment in it. There was nothing he was ashamed of,
nothing for which he could apologise, or retract, or
explain. The matters to winch he referred in that
letter were matters of history. They were to be found
In the local paper—the Dorset Express -and that paw
bore out the strict trueness of his remarks. He
would read his remarks, and show how unfounded
Mr. Gregory's accusations were—
Alderman LOCK interposed. Before the Mayor did
that he thought it would be better for Mr. Gregory to
point ant himself of what he complained. He had
made some very strong observations, and he certainly
thought that would be the best course for him to
pursue. At the present he was certainly in the dark
to what ha meant.

The Towx CLgag said when Mr. Gregory gave
notice of his question, he suggested to him that he
ought to go further, and to append a resolution. That,
he believed, was the rule in all legislative assemblages.
If he had done that a specific expression of opinion
might have been obtained from the Council.
Mr. Gitsoosr didn't want any vote from the
Council

--iii-;--i.OWN CLERK: Then it's a personal matter
between you and the Mayor—to be settled out of this
room.

Mr. GREGORY : The remarks of which I complain
were made by the Mayor in his official capacity.
The TOWN CLERK could not see, if no expression of
opinion from the Council were desired, that they had
any jurisdiction in the matter. Had there have been
a resolution, the issue would have been fairly before
the CounciL

Mr. Benstrrr (to Mr. Gregory) : What do you
charge the Mayor with'
Mr. Giumoat said as Mr. Lock had asked him to
state of what he complained, he would do so. After
referring to other people in the letter, the Mayor
wrote:—

"It happens here that on the eastern side of B
Knap the Lands (shown by the colour red on the piano)
have also been laid out by the Duchy for building
purposes, and operations have been commenced on some
portions of the Lots abutting on the Public Road and
walks, and it is understood that a member of our Council
(who suented to the original purchase of Beggar's KnaP—
entered fully into the discussion on its appropriation—
formed one of the deputation to Chichester, and up to •
certain point rendered important aasistance on account of
his great practical experience, as an architect and
i surveyor). s a lessee for building under the Duchy and in
a manner therefore like Mr. Andrews affected by the
desire on the part of the Council to utilise the northern
part of Baggers' limp for building purposes, and to such
an extent has be and Mr. Andrews made common cause
that a plan proposed by him to the Council on the 2nd of
February last for laying out the whole of Beggar's Knali,
but which was rejected, wu subsequently submitted to a
meeting of about 1.5 members (all told) of the Dorchester
Farmers' Club at which both attended, to which Mr.
Amis.. is 'screwy, and from which meeting a vote of
confidence and approval was obtained."
Mr. Scams.: I should like to know in what way
liar. affected.
Mr. F. Baxizrr : I should like to know what there
Is untrue there.

Mr. GREGORY replied he was the possessor of one
spot of ground, upon which he proposed to build a
residenoe that should cost at the least 0,000. Was
It possible anything the Council might build would
MINA him, as hail been insinuated! .

Mr. F. BENNE-a :.Why will you put the rap on
your head?
Mr. Guitcoliv said with re.;ard to the phin (,1 Mr.
Andrews. he never paw it till it wa l.il on thp
table. He further never took it to the Farmers'
Club.

Mr. T. BeNNErr asked him who put it there.
Mr. GREGOIIV said he cent for it to show a rimde
gentleman, and did not see it after till it was on the
table.

Brangrr I think you ought to withdraw the
subject. I don't think you have a single inch of
ground to stand upon, and not one of your facts has
been proved. It seems to me the only vote you are
asking the Council for is one of censure upon yourself.
(Laughter.) I think you will show your wisdom if
you withdraw those charges.
Dr. AtnioDus : I think you Aught to withdraw
them.
Mr. DUIMIS : You have no foundation for them
whatever.

Mr. GRWORY : The Jlayor'a remarks are utterly
unfounded. _ _

The MAYOR : They are unpalatable, perhaps, Mr.
Gregory.
Dr. Aununce proposed that the Council be asked
if there were anything in the Mayor's letter unfounded,
untruthful, or libellous, or anything to hive cause for
such assertions as were now being made. Unless
they were retracted it was incumbent on them to pass
such a revolution in support f the Mayor.
A resolution to this effect was put by Alderman
(11:11i316 and carried, every member present holding up
his hand in favour of it, Mr. Gragory, of course,
abstaining from voting.
Mr. (Almon- : It won't alter my opinion one iota,
whatever resolution you may pass.
This concluded the business of public interest.
MAIDEN NEWTON.

FRIENDLY SOCIETy. —The annual holiday in connection
with this club took place on Whit-Tuesday. The church
service war more largely attended than usual, both by
members and visitors. The service commenced with the
processional hymn "Onward, Christian Soldiers." Appro-
priate psalms and hymns were chosen. The sermon leas
preached by the rector, the Rev. M. Ilankcy, from I. Cur.
xii., 11. The service was closed by the choir and members
leaving the church in the same order as they entered,
singing the hymn "All people that on earth to dwell,"
the band again accompui) ing. The Whitsuntide
decorations in the church were very bright and tasteful.
Other adornments also appeared at various points in the
village. The streets were then paraded, the Maiden
Newton band, led by Mr. Yeates, effectively heading the
procession. The dinner wet served by Mrs. Peckham,
of the White Horse Hotel, kind gave universal satisfac-
tion. The newly elected president, Mr. %V. Randall, took
the chair, and there were also present, as visitors, the
Rev. H. Hankey, Rev. G. It. Miall, Mr. J. Treat, Mr.
J. Brown, Mr. W. Vernon, Mr. T. Yates, Mr. .1.
Meadway, Mr. A. W. Swatridge, Mr. G. Morris, Mr. G.
Hodges, and Mr. G. Trenchant. The usual toasts
followed the dinner. The Rector and the Rev.
G. R. Miall responded to the "Clergy and Ministers :"
Mews. Gale and %Vhitty to that of the "Maiden
Newton Friendly society;' Mr. Vernon to "The
Honorary Members ;" Mr. Treed and Mr. Morris to "The
%%sitters ;" and Mr. Brown, as representing the
other society existing in the parish. The President
responded to the toast of his own health, which was
proposed by Mr. Gale. The Rev. H. Henke), said it wan
now • bounden duty on the working classes to join some
kind of friendly society. If this was not the best club it
certainly was better than none. The Rev. G. It. Miall
referred to the advantages of meetings of this kind. where
social subjects could be discussed, and where all could
unite in • common object. Mr. Vernon congratulated the
club on the good beginning their new president had made.
Mr. Treed followed in the same strain. Mr. G. Morris
gave his reasons for joining the National Deposit Friendly
Society; and Mr. Brown said there must he hundreds of
persons in the neighbourhood who ought to belong to a
friendly or insurance society and did not. The annual
meeting of the Maiden Newton Branch of the National
Deposit then took place in the schoolroom.