The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-07-09 00:00:00

aTbir p;Ltical-sagps-- ;ion, I roman. ka.
N. P.

ATT RIM TO CLOSE TH I SYNTIT ATH
THROUGH WAREHAM CHURCHYARD.
-- -
To the Sailor.

Sir, —On &easy evening as I was UM.' my usual
walla round the w 11. of this ancient town, and through
the chemist's 4 into the street, I *hammed a nntio. on
the cherish ceiling • v•etry mmting of the perish of
Lady Saint Nary, "Far the purpose of Marna Bin
',limber • easemin highway in the mid epri•h, to wit, •
footw.y leeding from Churehmreen through the huffing
got there, and int., • lane celled Conp yr-likne, el
said sod beironeh of Wareham, of the
knelt .4 oselaun 'red and tee ymde, shall be entirely
*tamped up ne being sonmsessary." The noties was signed
by the rector, chareherardenx, -and overseer'. Whilst I
arm 1111.1111[ the notice about 40 or 50 people pais d
through the ch•rebyerrl, having, no doubt, t ken th• ir
emitter, Sunday evening'. w.lk, as I had done, round
the walls and through the churelmard, which I. • moot
eiinvenient and interesting outlet. I e•lled the at-
tention of several of them to the nodes, est ng them If
b y w. r° taking thslr last walk thet way, when they all
expressed their Indigestion at each an attempt Is leg
maae to deprive the k abbe, the waking population, of
their &fluent rights and privileges. Ail the notice stated
the footpath was unnesteseey I stayed awhile notioe
the number. that used it, and when I found at the very
least 200 people Named through, some from the eburch•
green to the walls, and some from the walla to the
cherehsgreen, and others looking at the tombstones and
speaking of their departed one., I thoneht, can this foot
pals be mid to be unneciereary which gives each en-
joyment, and calls up each reminiscences to so ninny?
No, I said. the footpath I. a necessity. It 'applies •
great want, the want of. eoevenient outlet from the
ramparts of the town, and • rest &amble entreats to
them ; it is also the neareet way to the church for
several cottage., it I. (I am obliged to mention ill
the wsy lb* relatives of the dead go to pay their visits
to the grace, It is the haunt of elderly peewee who love
to think of those who were once their acquaintances
and whom moment inspires hole thoughts, it in a
Omn wak for as they wish to view the habita-
tion of the &PO, it is • public way, • beautiful way,
coanmanding a view of distant Deanery, and the
poi over that *a belotage to the ap n
Individeel, belongs to you, sir, and to all her
leaje.ty's subjects. Shall we consent to each on
outrage upon public tight? Shall we rob the people
of their preciony privilege.? Shall we destroy • neer
•Dp-asela to *beech? Shall we block up both entrances
to the graveyard, and dcprive the relatives of the dead
of the opportunity of visiting their grave.? Shall yrk
rob old men of the memory of the departed? Shall we
wilfully de-troy • boanti•ul and nee-seamy path, rej Ted
and need by the whole town? These and • hundred
whet. goes ions fll shed II riugh my mind, and I sought
to God • memo. Oirer every footpath. al wan,
I, as as, individual, one of the gleen's have a
right to roam, it is as nisch mine, and yonr., m if it
were our &solute freehold. There, after every day'.
toil. I can grander, there I can ruminate. enjoy Nast
liberty, which I pawn. Shall I yield thee, No, ra
pull down every brick that was raised to rob meal 4/1
I EAU ; and I ass fort lied and strengthened in my deter.
mination when I rernemher how onr f ,refathets fought
for their rub's end pined them. I'd roam loses veral
weeks wages than each an estimable right, and would
on no &omens consent to alienate from my family
privileges whieh lave demeorled to me (man in,
ancestors. 011! England. I lore to ramble along thy
footpaths, byewsp, and highweys ; I am free, h.ve the
right at way, feel it, know it, am proud of it, and enjoy
,g. 11 1. aoe peivlipge and I cherish it, for on the high-
way lam the peer, the peal of anyone. I will not
consent to be demised of it myself, neither will I con-
sent to nay fellow working men being depriend of It
Let the aggrsemps beware, they Jr. treadle, on denpenus
fround, and they may Ind themselves pat to ennrider.
able aspens', for 11l c mmilt • lawyer, and do my
ettnnet. T. • f eling ie no Ice, elate spies. th t I
mis eves raise • public ant' S r pt as and defense fund.
run I believe,. foot...th imenut be Moiled if Any 1.14401
objects, What ohject is to be gained by Aiming the
footpath. First, I sunned, that at the eravegard Is at
present incon•eniently wooded, two or three pemon•
having be, a b tried abase the original °outspent. elf the
gems., it Is inionded not only to dies the footpath, but
to mire the wail, to Pie from the uhim so pest
disgr ice. Seesed, It a. whispered about that et every
frmh owning of • grave the skeletons of the deed are
-tog up, and th.. bystanders take the 'knits in their I
heed., end for th it the fmatpeth la yriMed to he Almon-
tinned. Oh, ery the adwoostes for elo-ine the f
stint out thve mimes from our view; but they do not '
remember that there is • fl•lii adjoinieg the ohurebyard
that has been consecrated but never used, or that it is
hotter to rem-dv the dims.e than hide the plants spot.
They do not rise up in 'leant and exclaim agsiet
it,. diagram. It is well known throughout War. ham
that there is sot any avaiLble space in the churchyard
'a make • new grave, unless the *mom is buried I
perpendicularly. It is • scandal ant haspli Mimi to the !
tows. What wool Ibe the inseimenos of olosieg both
entrances to the churchyard! Simply this, that all I
penons who wished to view theme's of then relatives. !
or Vie churchyard, would have to give the clerk • .
-killing to oaso the charob end let them out of the I
-Me door, but •s he cl.vc duty for one p•rids only, and !
gets paid for three, Ido not see the 14.04 why his !
emoluments should b• that incressed. It woutd else
rob Om Queen'. subject., the people of their jar. !
•noient, and istnemoii-1 right, and privileges. It
"meld deprive them of the privilege posereavad Is, their
countrymen in Marry nighbounng town, for, where I
ask is the town or village that hss n public way intro
the *hardly/AL It is sot the path I assert, is the ,
bugbear, it is the state of the burying ground, whidt
'squirm's a few shrubs and 'nue to be planted and the
remand. r of the cons- an Jed land added ; then, if there !
is any truth In the old are, 'that the stele of the '
graveyard is • hist of civilisation.," the town of Ware-
ham will how* emerged from its derkne.. and have •
public wslk there. For these reasons, Sir, I shall
et
-ally minces any attempt to stop up this hothpath.—
Yours !duly,
A WORKING MAN.
Wareham, Bth July, 1857.