The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-11-11 00:00:00

Portland, October 4th, 1862.
--
LETTER No. 2.
To the Editor of the Somtherm Times.

SIB, —Now that a rigorous blockade of the shops in
Portland is established by &corporal's guard from H. M.S.
Britannic, "the powers that be,"are, we presume, satisfied
all has been done that is neoessary to save the cadets
from the contamination of • Portland refreshment room.
Whether the tradespeople have any mode of redreas
from the nuisance of having petty officers peeping and
prying about their promisee (beck and front) during
business hours, you perhaps can determine. There sorely
ought to be some way of escape from such a system of
espionage. Yet we fear, until a balloon is supplied for
the conveyance of the young gentleman from the ship to
the refreshment wagon and back, there is but little hope
of relief from the present state of seise. If it would
not be deemed too presumptions we might vertare to
suggest that the same precautions taken on week days
should be extended to Sunday, but strange to say, on
that day there is no restriction, so those then who
appear so careful of the youthful morals OD a week
day must, by some unaccountable mode of reasoning,
have discovered that the forbidden thing may be
indulged during one seventh of one's time, harmlessly.
As there is much talk of the Britannia being removed
to Plymouth, we shall expect to hear (if the Cadets are
allowed on shore there with the same restrictions in
force) that the entire garrison has to be employed to
blockade the refreshment rooms in that large town.
We are, kc., kc.,
Portland, October 10th, 1862.

P. T.

Copy of reply remised 25t11 October, 1862.
Southern Times °Moe,.
Weymouth, 24th October, 1662.

The Editor of the Southern Times is sorry to appear
to undervalue Mr. —'s letter communications,
but he cannot insert them unless Mr. --- is
willing to have his name published at the bottom. In
that ease they can appear as any other advertisement
*weld.
' P. T. O.
(The letters sent were returned in the above to the
writer.)

Liman. No.
To ate Editor of the Southern Timm

Si*,—Under the head of" Notice' to Correspon-
dents" in your periodical, it says the Editor places the
correspondent department at the disposal of the sup-
porters of that paper without distinction of class or
creed. It Bile is so, why did you not allow the letter
sent for inzertionfrom ' Portland Tradesmen,' to appear?
or is the 'certain dieerstionary power' brought to
bear, to our disadvantage, in this instance. I took
the liberty of forwarding two lettere for publication in
the Southern Timm, respecting the restrietions imposed
upon the cadets on board /TICS. Britannia, with
reference to their dealings with Portland tradesmen,
intimating at the same time I was ready to pay for
their insertion, if necessary. As these letters contain
no personal attacks, and the matters to which they
refer cannot be said to come under the head of
"General Questions," It appears but fair to the parties
interested if you awarded to them the same privileges
you allow others. You have written your own opinion of
these matters without (it appeals to se) having heard
both sides with equal complacency. We are sorry you
appear willing to class as Portland tradesmen with the
" Unscrupulous tradesmen" (whoever they may be) at
Portsmouth, as the cadets were allowed free intercourse
with Portland tradespeople during the first Ms months
of the ships being here ; it can, therefore, only be
inferred from your article in your paper of the 18th
inst., that we, (of this Island) were found to belong to
the "Unscrupulous class," and that this is the reason
why the custom derived from the cadets was taken
from us. Now I am, fortunately, in a position to prove
this was not the reason of the change. I had the honour
make a written application to the late captain of the Bri-
tannia, asking his reason for the prohibiton, and lam
glad to say I received a very courteous letter in reply.
The late captain did not however intimate that "if the
views and wishes of the Portland tradesmeu were com-
plied with, there would be an utter end to all good order
sad discipline;" and as • member of the body spoken
of, I may be allowed to exercise my regret you should
hate thought it right to allow snob an opinion to go
forth front yourself. The Portland tradesmet may
not, just at present, be in a position to enlist the
'powerful sympathy of • champion in • position to
speak on their behalf, and it appears to savour strongly
of partiality when the Editor of a popular local journal
throws the weight of hisoeinion all on one side, and
denies to the aggrieved parties the privilege of using the
(as to them appeared) most suitable mean* of *MIMI
themselves right with the public. In your article on
the Britannia cadets, I observe how carefully you avoid
making any reference to the desecration of the Sabbath
of which I complained in my setond suppressed letter,
as well as the corporalluard nuisance with' referenoe to
the cadets pledging their parents' credit. Now this
is really all moonshine, for Ws well known if a trades.
man is silly enough to give credit to minors, be does it
at his own risk, and. has no claim on either minor or his
parent's credit. What the "special and cogent reasons"
referred to by you may be we know not, but the late
captain's only reason was, that "beer had been sup-
plied the young gentlemen at some place in Portland,
but at what place we can never learn. Now even
granting, for argument sake, that beer for wine had
been supplied, where is the difference! Now it i 3 got
from the wagon, then from the counter. But why
should we farther trouble ourselves respecting the Bri-
tennis end her one-sided patronage; • "rotten place"
has been .iiscovered—this will bring about the long
soueht emancipation. We shall soon see the stern of
the old ship for the het time, and the timbers that
once stood the shook ef

"The battle and the breeze"
may go to augment the stook of dockyard firewood ;
but the tradesmen of this island will long consider
themselves deeply injured, not only on account of the
treatment they have received from those who admin-
ister the affairs of The cadetship, but by the course you
have thought proper to adopt, in that you have given
your opinion against theta, and have refused them the
, privilege of stating their complaint. This letter, as
well as the two previously submitted for publication, is
:written by one of the number, and not only purports
to emanate from Portland tradesmen, but is really an
humble exponent of their views mid feeling. I am,
'Sir, your most obedient servant,
A PORTLAND TRADESMAN.
, Portland, October 22, 18611.

" Tua CHBONOGELegIi."—" Thus ended the tom of
1862 between the rival Universities for the 'Blue
Eiland of the Thames,' Oxford having won two years
in succession easily. As great disparity exists in the
' time' given by several contemporaries, we have no
hesitation in saying that ours may be relied on as correct,
having been taken by Benson's Chronograph Watch.
—Sporting Life, 16th April, 1862. " While speaking
of Benson's monitor Clock, it may not be out of place to
Srru—Will you kindly permit us to call your stten. remark that a delicate instrument of his manufacture.
tion to an article which appears in the Southern Times the 'Chronograph,' was brought into use at Epsom on
of the 18th instant, headed " H.M.S. Britannia." You the Derby Day, and proved that the race was run in
are doubtless aware that since the summer vacation the 2 min. 45 secs. 5-10the."—City Press, 7th June, 1862.
cadets have not been allowed to enter a shop at Port. "During the day the Exhibition Tent was open to
land, or to purchase anything from Portland shop- ,i'sitors. There were some very be_autifal objects
keepers. As the cadets have patronised us for sin exhibited, and amongst the most interesting a
months, we naturally felt it hard their custom should Chronograph, invented by Mr. Benson, of Ludgate Hill.
have been suddenly withdrawn without any intimation tis designed to mark the time of an occurrence to the
being given. Two letters were sent for insertion to the eth n part of a second, which can dons be do without
&isthmu l
s Times on the subject, but the only notice eking the eye off the object observed. The instrument
taken of them was the "article" referred to. A third indicates the time in the ordinary way, appearing at first
letter was then forwarded, oontaining a refutation of glance as an ordinary seconds watch, but simultaneously
the implied censure passed by that paper upon us. With the pulling of a string, which passes from the
This last elicited a note from the editor, declining to . movement to the outside of the case, a clearly-defined
publish either of the letters (of which we annex copies) 4 dot of ink is deposiied on the dial, withoot in the
unleu paid for "as advertisements." May we hope Dightest degree affecting the time-keeping, and the
that you, Mr. Editor, will grant us the favour denied ink is so prepared as to wipe off readily."—Merning
by • paper which not only advocates a monopoly that Advertiser, 144 h June 1862. (Description of the
l' i
has, undoubtedly, done this locality much injury, but fie meeting at Wimbledon.) Benson's watches," per-
denies us the privilege of replying in our own behalf to ection of mechanism," are supplied at prices varying
the article which climes Portland tradesmen with the rom 3to 50 Guineas, in silver, and in Gold from sto
"unscrupulous" elsewhere. Can it be possible that 00 Guineas. Bensen's " Dlustrated Pamphlet." 2d.
considerations of a private character, or • disposition , post-free. 33 and 34 Ludgate Ili.U, IX, Fatd. 1749.