The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-07-25 00:00:00

J.!!

At the Borough Police Court on Friday, the Miami
said: Gentlemen, before commencing the business of the
Court. I wish to refer to what appears to me to have been
a very extraordinary series of questions put from this seat
:;bich I now occupy, and I must say altogether differ
frotu sea, tatementa coming from such a person. I
maintain in the dischua: et my duties as Chief Magistrates
of the borough I have done under the .;ircumstences what
I ought to have done, and I think at any rate before the
Chief Magistrate of a borough is attacked behind kis
back—whatever feelings he may have towards me
personally, he ought to have given me some intimation.
a the facts of the case, there will be another
opportunity goin,; 141,4 the cuestioa.
r. Dim,/ : AA those rinanrlO 111/eIY to OiO PeA4O,IIY. I
m think I shall call upon Mr. on. to show that wee
jimmied in saying what I did. He told me had applied to
the Mayor, who gave him no shame for redross.
The Kann : You said. "No answer."
Dr. Daze,: Ile told me had stopped you in the street
and made a complaint to you, not only as one of the
Council, but also as a magistrate. I now ask Mr. Dunn
to state what he knows about the affair, no that the public
may know. I wee perfectly justified in asking if the
magistrate's clerk could suggest anything by which digging
for bait could be stopped.
The MAYOR: I object to this matter being carried any
further now.

Tken you stop Mr. Dunn from making this
LAI I do.
Dr. Dasw That is very witisfaetory to me. I thought
this was an open court where any citizen was allowed to
make • complaint to the magistrates, and I have yet to
learn how the Mayor can prevent it.
The Msroit : The Mayor does not object to any citizen
coming and making • complaint but I do object to any
magistrate requesting people to attend to make a state-
ment. hay it is ultra their duty, and not &proper course
for them to adopt. Lot us proceed.
Dr. DILZW The responsibility lies with the Mayor for
1404 Z si a citizen who wishes to make • complaint
t: Minn : Do you come here to make •
complaint ' " •
Mr. Russ : I do, sir.

The MAYOR: After the business of the Court is over, I
shall be glad to hear what you have to say.
Dr. DRZM : Then you detain him whilstall the business
is done

--fII7IIIAYOI, to Mr. D111:111: Will you kindly wait
Mr. DUNN No sir, I could not wait.
The MAYON : Then we will hear what you have to say.
r. DUNN : I have an application to make that men
should it-,1 ke allowed to go and turn up the black, land hi
front of my bduse ind Augusta Place. Almost every one
there has made a complaint to the Card in reference to
it. Mr. Robens is out of town or lie would lutes been
present to-day. I have lost two families myself because I
could not disabuse the people from thinking it wee swami
matter, and it is • duty to the town as well as to Dip&
that I shoed come and make this known to you. The
sand Is turned ttp in hundreds of places, and is a great
nuisance and injury to the town. I don't make this com-
plaint personally ; bat I think it is a duty to the town of
which lam a heavy ratepayer. I don't wish to persecute
anyone; but in justice to the rate-payers, this not
be allowed longer.
The MATOR: Do you make any application against any
one

Dues: Certalnl) not.
The MAYOR: Sitting here as magistrates in the die
-
charge of our duty, it is not our place to inaugurate
proceedings; but if any person makes an application the
usual course is to go to the Magistrates' Clerk, and if there
is sty difficulty raised there, we as a Bench would be
most happy sad willing to hear it; but our duty as
magistrates Is to 'keep -oirr eyes blinded, to hold the
balances evenly between all p•utim 40 skaw no personal
feeling, to know nothing out if the court, and to be
guided by facts as brought before us. In any matter
affecting the Corporation the Town Clerk is the proper
person to apply to, unless it is a nuisance, when the
inspector of nuisances is the party to see.
Mr. DONN : lam very much obllgM to you. but I think
you might have told me that when I asked you about it.
I do not take this up personally; I am suite innocent of
any party spirit, 60 that I hope you will not feel it in
that way. I merely come here as • duty I owe to the
town and to myself. I have no feeling on the question.
I spoke to you in the presence of Mr. Roberts, and you
said you had no jurisdiction in the matter; you said there
was a bye-law made, and you could not alter it.
The MAYOR: If you recollect, you spoke to me in the
Victoria Hotel on the day previous to this extraordinary
statement being made. In reply I told you there was s
resolution on the books of the Council by which any
person was forbidden to dig bait at less than 10U feet
from the wail, and I had that morning given Mr. Vickery
the strictest injunctions to see that enforced. I did that
In the presence of the Town Clerk, and as Mr. Vickery is
hero he will corroborate what I say, and 1. gave him
further instructions still; I told him to use every possible
means to induce people to go right out to the water's
edge to dig bait. I have had the sand examined, and
an, informed there is not • partial of smell from it.
Mr. DUNN : I do not mean to say there is.
The MAYOR; I wish to ask Mr. Vickery if I did not
slr.Vicemtr ; Yes, you gave rue instructions to see the
boatmen, and I did, and they agreed to go beyond the 100
feet The place where they were digging was 117 feet
ell, so that they could not be touched.
Mr. Deux : They might as well dig close to the wall as
only 100 feet off. I do not think a distance of 100 feet
will meet the case in any way. The heaps are a perfect
eyesore.
The ilsloll : Last July I either moved Or strenuously
supported • motion to get a resolution passed that no
person should be allowed to take bait from the Front.
*Her it was moved *gentleman, whom I will not name,
came end very strongly impressed upon the Corporation the
great injury which would be done to the poor fishermen
If such a resolution was carried out. A great deal was
made of the poor fishermen, and in consequence of that
a proposition was carried that they should he allowed to
dig bait on the sands at • distance of 15) feet from the
wall. That resolution having been carried in direct
opposition to nay wishes, I am now only diecharging ml
duty in carrying out the resolution of the Council, and I
think I am not to be charged with neglect of duty.
, Mr. Dues: The distance of 109 ft. will not meet the
cam. If you want to keep the poor flattennen alive you
must bring visitors hare to give them something to do.
TIN Maros agreed with Mr. Dunn, who wtin reins:iced
that the diming for bait had become • perfect nuisance,
and the latter then left the Court,