The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-09-05 00:00:00

POOLE.

FORESTERS' GRAND DEMON3TRATION.
On Monday the members belonging to Coint
No. 3,210, of the Ancient Order of Foresters, held their
first public demonstration. During the artily pert of
the morning, the indioat on of the weather was any-
thing but trvoureble for out of-door r,le.rsure taking.
A few slight showers fell, and the clouds skimming
along in the air appeared to be full of rain. This, no
doubt, deterred many from a -distance coming who
would otherwise have been present. Nevertheles4 a
large number from the neighbouring towns did lint in an
appearance—more pu-ticularly of the fair sex. Toe
brethren met at ten o'clock in Hickford field, Longfleet,
whence they proceeded to church, accompanied by Eyeis'
celebrated champion brass bend an I theKio son brass band.
The Courts represente I, in connection with Court Unity
were, Court Unity, Poole, No. 1865, Court and Sanctu-
ary Rufus Southampton, No. 2039, Court Robin Hood,
,outharapion, No. 1559, Court Plume of Fr athers,
Weymouth, No. 3152, Court Perseverance, Portland,
No. 3532, Court Golden Arrow, Blendford, No. 3467,
Court Progress, Dorchester, No. 3108, and Court Ales- ,
ander, Wareham.

Melee service was held at Bt. Jam, s's Church.
There was a large congregation, and an impressive and
appropriate sermon was preached by the Rey. A.
Wilkinson. On leaving church the procession re-formed,
and as it passed through the streets thronged with
spectators there w..it a universal expression of approval
of the appearance of the spectacle, and of the quiet and
orderly manner in which the procession was conducted.
The dinner 'heir place in a booth in Herkford
and was admirably get up by host Collins, and the
waiters did all in their power to give satisfaction to the
gues's.. . . _ _ .

The chair was taken by E. Lacey, Esq., and the vice-
char by R. Hoskins, Etiq. On the removal of the cloth
the chairman proposed, in appropriate terms, "the
health of the Queen," followed by "the he,lths of the
Prince end Princess of Wales," and the rest of the
Royal Faintly.
The CHAIRMAN next gave "the health of the three
great branches appointed to defend our rights and
avenge our wronp—the army, navy, aud volunteers."
They all knew the glory which the army reaped for
itself during the last war with France, its crowning
victory being Waterloo. And though after that for
say. ral years it rested upon-the laurels it had won, yet
since then, when called upon, whether in the immense
regions of India, in the Crimea, or in New Zealand, our
soldiers had shown spirit of perseverance, the same
powers of endurance, and the same gallantry as our
army had shown in former timer. Our navy had
maintaiued the mastery of the seas for more than 100
years past. They all looked with pride on such names
as Hood, and Collingwood, and Nelson, and doubtless if
our admirals of the present day had the game demands
upon them as those who-e names he had men-
tioned, they would be found to possess an equal
amount of valour and ability in stratagetic manceuvring.
The introduction of gleam and of iron-clad vessels
had considetably altered the tactics of the navy,
hut, as we possessed the best arms, and the boat
iron in the world, he had no fear that our navy
be found to retain the same position as that which
had been maintained formerly by the wooden Willis of
Old England if brought in contact with a foreign foe.
Let them hope, however, that this would be many years
first. Probably, if they went to Portsmouth to-morrow
they would see the two most magnificent navies the
world ever produced. But they met, not as belligerents,
but to exchange courtesies of pi ace—to extend commeroe
inetead of exchanging guns. Hight that peace and
amity between the two nations which now existed be
continued, not only during our lives, but during the
lives of our children also. (Applause.) The other
force included in the toast was one entirely for defence
and not of offence. Although engaged during the
greater portion of their time in the busy affairs of life,
our Volunteers, if pieced man by man by the side of the
regular army, would be found to be the best marksmen.
We had, therefore, nothing to fear so far as the defence
of the country goes, for woe be to the invader of these
shores a ho should comes near the crack of our volunteer
riflemen. (Cheers.)

would

The OHAIRMAIS sett proposed, "sitcom to the
South-Western District of Forestry." Perhaps of all
the plans that had been devised, or of all the societies
that had been formed for the advancement and the
welfare of the•working classes, whether oonsidered in a
moral or social point of view—of instilling into their
minds the principle of self-support and independence,
none had ever been found so well adapted as the two
great societies of Foresters and Oddfellows. Both these
societies had the same objects in view, namely, to bold
out to each other the hand of amity, to sympathise with
each other in distress, to relieve each other in sickness,
and ti aid their widow's and orphans after death. He
did not know that there could be any better earthly
motives to excite men's minds to band together than
these. Both these societies had taken a strong hold
upon the hearts of the artisans, the mechanics, and
labouring men of England. And so greatly had they,
by the carrying out of their principles, gained upon the
good opinion of all classes, that large numbers of the
arisiostracy and gentry in this country had come for-
ward to aid them by their countenance and assistance.
Perhaps there was no society which had increased in
numbers so largely for the last year or two as the
Foresters. Other societies had increased largely, but
the Foresters, by their exertions, had. between the
13th of August last year and the 15th of August
this year, increived 5,000, so that their number now was
37,000. And he believed the society had increased
nowhere more than it had done in the south-western
district, and, to come nearer home, nowhere
the south-western district had it increased so mush
as it has done in the town of Poole. He had
the privilege of saying that he had been a Forester ever
since Forestry was first established in that town. The
society then numbered throughoutlhe kingdom between
30,000 and 40,000 members. The first Court established
in Poole from some oircumstanoee, broke up, but
Phoenix like, out of it had sprung the present two
Courts. Court Amity commenced with but few
members, but it now numbers upwards of 300 members.
Court Unity, whose first public demonstration they
were that day celebrating, was formed some 18 months
since by 11 members: Now they numbered 150. There
were therefore in Poole no lees than 45'0 Foresters. This
be thought was a great deal to say for the success of
Forestry in Poole, seeing how large a number the Odd-
Fellows, an older society in the town, also possessed.
Now, what did these large numbers say for the labourers
and mechanics of Poole? Why, they proved that the
men of Poole were made of the rirht sort of stuff— that
they were determined, by God's blessing, to be free and
independent of extraneous charity. They wished to
look out for themselves against a rainy day. Their
desire was, if vi,ited by sickness, that they and their
families should be still able to maintain their inde-
pendence. That Was a noble motive. How strikingly
did such societies as this contrast with that
rascally society which Mr. Tidd Pratt exposed before
the Lord Mayor at the Mansion House in London the
other day. The object of that society professed
to be to assist the working man, whereas the real object
of its promotes, as was clearly shown by Mr. Tidd Pratt.
was to rob the working man of his few hard-earned
penes. Now what weld more strongly urge the work-
ing man, than such an exposure, to join such approved
societies as Foresters and Odd Fellow,? They knew
that whatever might heppen they were secure. The
various Courts and Lodges were banded together to
repudiate every notion that they could ever fail. The
other evening he WAS at the Good Intent Lodge of Odd
Fellows. Hitherto they had paid five pence per week,
and received as sick pay 10a. out, but by thrift and
economy—by well managing their affairs, their funds
had no increased that now they have been enabled to
increase their sick pay to 13s. per week. And they would
be safe to continue this increase, Now what the Odd
Fellows had done, Court Unity might by-and-bye be
able to do if they were industrious to secure a large
number of good healthy members, and be careful in the
msnagement of their funds. He might remark that
collaterally with Forestry was another society, called
the Shepherds. A Forester could become a Shepherd,
but no one could become one without it By joining
thie society they paid in 3d, per week more, and received
13.,, per week more out in sickness, s circumstance
worthy the consideration of those who were, while in
health earning their four or five and 20 shillings a-week
and could afford it. The chairman concluded by pro-
posing the toast. (Cheers.)
Bro. ASHBY, district officer from Court, 2,039, ac-
knowledged the toast. He said that it was with feelings
of great pleasure that he addressed them on that occa-
sion. It was a duty they owed to themselves to their
families, to each other and to God, that they should
make a suitable provision in matters of this life against
the time of need t and how could they, as working men,
do this better than by combining together as they did as
Foresters? He had listened with great pleasure to the
excellent remarks that had fallen from their chairman.
But geeing how large the number of Foresters was in Poole,
looking at their proeeesion, be had
. .

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