The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-08-22 00:00:00

OLD PUBLIC DOCUMENTS.

Mr. ELIOT asked that Mr. Sherr.m might be asked to
attend the Council with reference to certain documents
in his posses,ion. The matter hail been publicly
mooted, and there was some alight tinge of aspersion on
Mr. Sherron,and be was willing to attend and explain to
the Council how he became possessed of these papers.
Mr. Steffen was sent for, and the MAYOR explained
to him why.
Mr. SHIRR'S said be felt very much obliged to the
Council for having done him the honour to invite bun,
and given him an opportunity of refuting the slanderous
imputations in which there was not a title of truth.
The document, he betame possessed of in • thoroughly
honest way, and he ads any secret of possessing
them Ahout 30 years ago there was • Record Com-
mittee appointed to take care of the Connell chest, to
examine the documenta, reserve those that were vain-
able, and throw away the useless. Mr. Benj unto
Bedew was chairman, and several esounoillors were
appointed to help him; but they did not all examine
the chest. and Mr. Barlow Invited others. The principal
engaged in the examination were Mr, Barlow. Mr. J,
Wallis Allen, and Mr. Frederick Pitman. No doubt
they acted to the best of their judgment ; but the result
was that • very large quantity of papers were taken
out as useless and removed to • stable in East-street.
There were three bushel baskets fall. and they remained
there for two or three years. More than • quarter of a cen-
tury ago, he (the speaker) was about to ptabli4i a new
Weymouth Guide, and Kr. Barlow told him he bad a
lot of old papers, and if they were of any use, he might
have them: lir,Sherren went to the stable, and at the
first glance perceived that they were document, of
value, and he said be would be very glad to have them.
lie did not say all he thought, but that they were of
Interest. Mr. Barlow said " they are perfeetly useless
to we ; If you like to hays them they are at your ser-
vice." Mr, Sharron mat his boys and fetched them.
They were very filthy, and saturated with water, and
many of the most valuable were utterly destroyed. He
had them hung on lines, took considerable trouble and
had them dried and pressed. As a specimen of them
Mr. Sherren produeed a long roll, showing the way in
which • man 300 years ago. sent in an account of
monies received and expended. Re had also original
letters and very beautiful autographs of statesmen,
some Of the Duke of Marlborough which oommeroially
would bo worth £2. _ -

_
Mr. ELIOT said the statement first made was very
remarkable as showing how public, property had been
allowed to go out of possession into private hands, He
would like to know bow far a invite individual was
justified in obtaining corporate property. If the Mayor,
Mr. Milledge, were, to dispose of epee( the maces or two
or three Doke of the gild chain, ant it was afterwards
found in the rossessiou of some one else, how far would
that party be justified in retaining them? They owed •
great debt of gratitude to Mr. Sherren for preserving
from utter loss valuable papers; but it seemed a most
extraordinary way of parting with them, and Mr.
Sherren had been acute enough to take advantage of
Mr. Barlow's offer. The Brat moment he (Mr. Eliot)
became aware that a private Individual had public pro-
perty in his possession, he resolved to bring the matter
forward to see If some means could not be used to
recover them. They ought to ask Mr. Sherren in what
way he would be willing to allow the Corporation to
come into possession again.
Mr. STECOLLL said the Town Clerk was the sole party
responsible for all documents relating to the Corpora.
tion. Three years before he was appointed be saw three
hampers full u/ these identieal documents, when be was
asked to take some wine at Mr. Barlow's, and he asked
what they were? Mr. Barlow replied that It was only
a parcel of rubbish, good for nothing. As soon a: be
was appointed Town Clerk, he asked for all documents
to be delivered to him. Be had before found
the Council room door, and even the door of the
sarong room open, to that any one oonld come
in and take what they liked. Now he supposed that
there was not a corporation in the West of England
who had more beautiful charters and muniments than
Weymouth Corporation. But many of them were
wet through and destroyed; but fortunately the
charter of George 111., which recited the previous
charters, was intuit, as well as another document.
lie tolls an inventory of the different things, and
found that • large portion of the deeds of the town
property were absent. After months of enquiry and
the greatest patience, he collected them from various
gentlemen. Since the question had been raised he had
searched the books book to 1E139, when Mr. Ellis was
chairman of the Reoord Committee, and from materials
obtained from the Council's strong room, "Ellis'.
Antiquities of Weymouth' was compiled. Even it the
Corporation gave various members the power of saying
what were useless and what not, there was nothing to
show any farther powers of the committee. He
regretted that the strong room is no better now than
it was then, there is no ventilation, and anything kept
there long must perish.
Mr. RELIED asked if in the documents held by Mr.
Sharron there is anything to show misappropriation of
the public property.
Mr. HOWARD said Mr. Sharma had had these docu-
ments long among to make a title to them, Any plan
for recovering them from him must be • matter of
businees
Mr. SIMMER would have no objection to meet •
committee of the Council. He had been offered a large
amount for the autographs, and might have disposed
of the whole CA maw for • oonsiderable sum.
It was resolved "Theta oommmittee, consisting of
the Mayor, and Councillors Eliot, Drew, and Welaford,
be appointed to examine the public papers in the
hands of Mr. Sharron, and ascertain the terms on
which he will hand them over to the Corparation."
LOCAL &AID OF HEALTH.