The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-02-02 00:00:00

LOCAL BOARD OF HEALTH.

The Town Clerk read the minutes of the proceedings
of the last meeting; and stated that he had written, as
desired, to Mr. Dodson respecting the claim of Mr.
Bennett for damage done by the sewerage works. Mr.
Dodson replied that he would call and see the Town
Clerk, but no meeting had yet taken place. The Mayor
said Mr. Dodson had expressed an opinion to him to the
effect that he intended to dispute the liability.
The Inspector of Nuisances reported several nui-
sances, and the usual orders were made. Mr. Devenish
drew attention to two porches over house-doors in
Trinity-street, which were so low as to endanger passers
by. The Mayor deprecated proceeding in an isolated
case, but he would suggest that the Board should act in
all cases of nuisance, particularly where gentlemen had
coach-house and stable-doors opening into public
thoroughfares when such doors could readily be made
to slide. His Worship doubted whether the Board could
summarily proceed in the case of the porches, but notice
might he given to the occupiers to remove the nuisance
themselves.

FINANCES.—The Finance Committee's report recom-
mended several bills for payment: and in reference to
the OP.II Company's claim of £lO4 19.4. let, the com-
mittee recommended that ttii ctittritee bed tioP besp
perfected no money be paid till the contract is perfecte£,
that £BO be then paid on account of the present demand,
the balance to he reserved till the lamp-posts are painted
and repaired. Several members of the Board complained
of the bad way in which the town is lighted, and an
animated conversation ensued, Mr. Lock stating that
the gas directors were not willing to expunge the
words about moonlight nights from the contract as pro-
posed some time back by Mr. Andrews. Each speaker
expressed a desire that an amicable understanding should
subsist between the gas directors and the Local Board of
Health. Mr. Hedges moved and Mr. Galvin seconded
—That the report be adopted. Mr. Devenisli Moied as
an amendment, and to show the friendly spirit of the
Board, and Mr. Lock seconded—That £BO be forthwith
paid to the gas company and that the contract should go
on till the end of the year as heretofore—the year ending
about 3 months hence; but the amendment was lila-
mately withdrawn, the report being adopted with a
suggestion that the terms of the next contract be con-
sidered at an early date.
,1 Tax WATER AND SEWERAGE WORKS.—The TOWD
Clerk read a report which had been sent under cover to
I him from Mr. Whitehead, engineer, and dated Jan.
29. The report set forth that the public works of sewer-
age had been completed, and, according to the engineer's
recent examination, the whole seemed fairly executed.
The flow of water from the outfall it was hoped would
be remedied by a plan now in course of execution.
75,000 gallons of storage room had been obtained, and in
three weeks 25,000 gallons more storage was expected.
After three days' rest there were 92 feet of water in the
well, and 60,000 gallons Were raised thenbe on Dec. 27.
Certificates for payment of sums to Mr. Dodson and
Meiners. Burton and Co., contractors, accompanied the
report. The sunis to be paid to Mr. Dodson were, on
account of contract A £582; contract B £291; No.
5 (laying water mains). £l5O. To Messrs. Burton and
Co. for pumping, £l5O. An application from Messrs.
Winter and Hossey, millwrights, stating that the engines
and boilers were ready and that £4OO be advanced to
them, was placed on the table. The Town Clerk said
Mr. Whitehead had not given a certificate for this pay-
ment, though he acknowledged that the work was done
as well as could be etpected inasmuch as one third of
the contract for engines (£985) was to be paid on
the boilers being permanently fixed, another third when
the engines were permanently fixed, and the remaining
third three months after the completion of the contract.
The Board had £937 16s, in hand on current account,
and £1,051 13e. 6d. u..n deposit account. Mr. Dod-
son had been paid £l,. ; the amount of his contract
B was £1,728, and No. 5 £350. On the motion of Mr.
Galpin the report was adopted. Mr. Bishop said that
Messrs. Winter end Hossey were compelled to complete
their contract within six months, under penalty. They
had complied, and the engines could not be received yet
by the Board. It was hard that they should not receive
something on account. Mr. Lock moved, and Mr.
Ensor seconded—That Messrs. Winter and Hossey be
paid £3OO, provided they accept the same without pre-
judice to their existing contract. Every member of the
Board present, except the Mayor, voted for the motion,
and his Worship protested &Omit it on principle, ob-
serving, that though Messrs. Winter and Honey might
fairly be entitled to some amount in consideration of
their work being finished though it could not yet be
rendered available by the Board, the Board had no
power to vote away the public money in a manner not
in accordance with the contract entered into. Mr.
Galpin then, though he would throw no discredit on or
make any complaint against Mr. Whitehead, begged to
propose—" That Mr. Whitehead be requested to knish
the Board with an account of all the expenses incurred in
carrying out the contracts for works completed and in
operation under the Public Health Act up to this date,
including all extras of every kind; also, to report as to
the time that he expects the whole work will be com-
pleted for use, with an estimate of any further expenses
he anticipates before such works are completed." Mr.
Garland seconded the proposition, and it passed. It
was stated that the cost of Messrs. Burton and Co's.
work in pumping, originally estimated at about £4O,
would probably reach £4OO, and that the £l5O ordered
to be paid to them was on this account. Up to the
, beginning of October or November they had given in a
demand for £203. The Town Clerk said he had seen no
bill for "extras" from Mr. Dodson, though such a bill
might be forthcoming from contractors. It was deter-
mined --regarding several claims sent in for damage done
by executing public works, the Town Clerk being of
opinion that the contractor (Mr. Dodson) was liable and
not the Board—That the Town Clerk should write to
claimants saying that the Board are not, prepared to
take upon themselves the responsibility to4ntertain the
demands, on the ground that the contractor who has done
the damage, if any, is legally liable. Mr. Bennett
claimed £l6 10s. for damage done to 3 acres of land,
and Mr. Mayo claimed but £3 4s. 64. for damage done
to 3 scree 1 rood and 30 perches. The Mayor explained
that claims for compensation for injuries such as those
described in Mr. Bennett's communication would, be-
ing under £2O, be brought before the magistrates
against the Board of Health, as being payable out o
the borough rates, the magistrates to detennine who was
liable and the amount to bea.paid. Claims over £2O
were to be settled by arbitration. Presuming that Mr.
Dodson refused to satisfy the claim, the Board would
have to inform that contractor that he must repay the
Board._ . . .

The Town Clerk reported that he had communicated
with the Weymouth Turnpike trustees respecting the
causeway in Grove Buildings, and the reply was that the
footway had always been repaired by the parish of For-
dington, and Mr. Jesty had told him that they made and
repaired the causeway. Mr. Legg said Fordington had
repaired the footway in question at the side of the turn-
pike road.—Mr. Wm. Baker, in a letter dated Yeovil,
Jan. 30, offered to bore at the cistern a 7 inch bore at
12s. the first 10 feet and an extra charge for every addi-
tional 10 'feet.--Monday next was fixed for holding a
meeting of the whole Council to consider the Fairground
question. The Board broke up shortly before two
o'clock.

BOROUGH POLICE COURT, Townhall, Monday Feb.
let (before the Mayor, W. Manfield, Bag, and J. F.
Hodges, Esq.)—Frances Cox, keeper of the Compasses
beerhouse, Grove Buildings, summoned for keeping her
house open after 11 o'clock on the night of the 25th ult.,
was, on admitting the offence, fined 208 including costs.

COMMITTED TO DORCHESTER GAOL. AddiZNl.
Thomas Caines, stealing coal at Langton Matravers ;
Alfred Stickland, stealing a pair of leggings at Iwerne
Minster. Hard Labour—James Vine, poaching at
Canford Magna, 1 calendar month: William Kempt-
man, vagrancy at Melbury Abbas, 26 day.; William
Thompson, vagrancy at Melbury Abbas, 26 days ;
Francis Elkins, poaching at Preston Cum Crawford, 1
calendar month ; James Mitchell, breaking windows at
Bridport, 1 calendar month; William Myall and Alfred
&animal, poaching at Blandford, 1 calendar month'
Thomas Christopher, poaching at Piddletrenthide. 1
calendar month; John Gale, stealing cigars at Brid-
port, 1 calendar month, and 4 years to Reformatory
School; Martin Millard, stealingleather, &lc., at Sixpenny
Handley, 6 weeks; Emma Arnold, stealing artificial
flowers, &a., at Wimborne Minster, 1 calendar month;
John Smith, assault at Blandford, 1 calendar month.