The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-10-01 00:00:00

Conservative Claims suMained ... ... 4
Conservative Objections sustained ... ... 17

THE BOUNDARY COMMIS'ION.

On Thursday morning last W. S. 011ivant,
barrister-at-law, and Colonel E. B. Hernias,. R. A.,
C. 8.. two of the assistant commissioners appointed by
the boundary commissioners for England and Walee
under the provisions of the Representation of the
People Act. 1807, attended at the Town-hall, Wareham,
"for the purpose of inquiring into the boundaries of
this 6xough, with the view to ascertain whether the
boundaries should be enlarged so as to include within
the limits of the borough all premises which ought
(due regard being had to situation and other local
circumstances) to be included therein, for the purpose
of conferring upon the occupiers thereof the Parlia-
mentary franchise for such borough."
Mr. Rowell, solicitor, of Wareham, attended, with
the view of laying before the commissioners a state-
ment in favour of extending the limits of the borough
so as to include a portion of the perish of East Norden,
whereby upwards of 70 persons would be admitted to
the franchise.

-21;.Ifarker, solicitor, of Poole, objected to the pro-
posed extention of the boundary, on the ground that
after having been fully discussed for many years, the
limit, cif the borough had been definitely fixed by the
reviling barrister.
Mr. Rowell then read the following statement :
" Under the Reform Act of 1832, Lieutenant Daemon,
LB, was employed by the Government of that day to
settle the boundaries of this borough. This he did,
In regard to that part of the parish of East Norden,
which was to be included in the boren4h in the following
terms :—' From the point at which the boundary of the
parish of East Borden meets the southern boundary
of Borden Park Wood southward along the boundary
of Norden Park Wood to the point at which the same
meets the Bherford Lake thence eastward along the
Bherford Lake to the point at which the same meets
the boundary of the parish of East Borden thence
southward along the boundary of the pariah of East
Borden to the point first described. These points left
a considerable space between the oommencetnent and
termination of the boundary of the borough, in fact
the points have been in dispute for many years. It
may be stated (referring to the Boundary Act) that
the point at which the boundary of the parish of East
Borden meets the southern boundary of Borden Park
Wood is placed by the advocates of an extended
boundary at • totally different spot from that fixed
by the supporters of • limited boundary, the former
contending that Borden Park Wook is • wood near a
place called Soppet's Barrow, and giving that
destination to what Is more properly called Borden
Plantation The former maintain that Bherford Lake
is the name of one stream, and the latter of another.
Which is the right view of the case it is impossible to
say; but the adoption of • boundary conterminous
with the whole parish of East Borden would have
an enfranchising effect? and a continuance of the limited
boundary &disfranchising effect. The extended boon-
any contended for prevailed from the first register of
1832 and 3 until 1842 end 3 being eleven years;
but in 1843 the revisingbanister, after bearing evidence
on both sides, and personally inspecting the localities,
accompanied by the Town Clerk and the agents on both
sides, admitted the extended boundary, which remained
unquestioned until 1854. At the court held in 1854
Col. Dawson (formerly Lieut. Dawson) stated that the
line of boundary intended was from the corner of what
some witnesses cell Borden Pork eastward towards
Itherford Bridge. In accordance with this evidence the
then revising barrister revcrsed the previous decision
and pronounced in favour of the restricted boundary,
and consequently disfranchised • considerable number
of persons who had been many years on the register.
It is very desirable to take advantage of the present
commission to rectify the admitted error; and, if the
whole of the parish of East Borden were added to the
borough, the number of voters would be increased from
the number of 13 on the present register to between 60
and 70, without extending the limits of the borough to
any further distance on the north side of Wareham
than they extend (at Bore Regis and Code Castle) on
the south and wort sides." . .

H. Atkinson. of Blandford, acting I
with Mr. Rowell, said that from 1832 until 1845 the ex. I
tended boundary of Wareham was held to be tho correct I
one; but the revising barrister (Colonel Dawson) revised
the decision previously come to, and said the extended
portion was not included. On referring to the register
of 1840, when the extended boundary was in force, he
found there were 63 voters, whereas now there were
only 13, and, in addition to that, new houses had since
been built in the parish, so that. if included, the
number of votes would be increased to 70.
The Chairman : Do you not think the revising
barrister intended to contract the borough?
Mr, Harker said the revising barrister put that con-
struction upon the Act, from the evidence before him,
that the restricted boundary wss the correct one. Thet e
was for several years very considerable dispute, and he
believed the facts were then investigated very fully
before the revising barrister, and the decision some to
was that was the real boundary which at present exists
On the other side it was contended that the whole of
the parish of Norden should be included.
The Chairman said the objection which would at
once be made to the proposition made by Mr. Rowell,
was that the borough was already so extensive, and
that its area was so great in proportion to the town
Itself. The question was whether the schedule
in the old Act intended to embrace that pariah.
If the revising barrister went into all the facts,
he did not see that this was a proper occartion for re-
opening the dispute.
Mr. Harker believed the original drawings of the
boundary commission were inspected, and after that
inspection the conclusion was arrived at. The dispute
went so far that it really became necessary to set out
the boundary, and the revising barrister came and told
them the limited boundary was the one be meant to
set out. This was supported by the facts, and the
decision was come to. The surveyors employed at
the time were exsrained, and went over the ground,
and their evidence also supported the limited boundary.
Mr. Atkinson said some of the people in the pari•li of
Norden voted for eleven years, and at present it was
curious that the boundary took in all the heath exoeo
that portion of it where the populatim resided on Ow
edge of the parish. Thus all the population of the place
were outside the boundary of the borough.
CoL Hamley said they could not go into the disputed
question now ; that could not be settled by the Court of
Common Plea.. The question was simply whether the
boundaries were convenient as they now are, and the
oommissioners could not go into the disputed question
—they amid not entertain it. The Court of Common
Pleas was the regular tribunal for settling these
electoralidisputea
Mr. Atkinson said their grounds for wishing to
extend the boundary was that the borough would
then include the whole population of the parish,
whereas the restricted boundary excludes them. There
were now only 13 voters in that parish, and nine of
these were in the immediate vicinity of Wareham. The
alteration proposed would make an alteration of nearly
70 voters.

-Th-e-6liairman : Is it not an acricultural population,
having no common interest with the trade of She
borough!
Mr. Hacker replied that such was the case.
The Chairman : Then I do not think you would be
able to show good grounds for the extension, because
it is • rural population. The best argument was
whether they were following • well.known boundary or
an arbitrary line.
Mr. Atkinson said the only dispute was to the names
" Mord= Park" and "If orden Plantation." Some
call it one and some the other; but he urged it was
one and the same place. It was a curious thing to
take in a lot of heath, and while they increased the
acreage of the borough, to leave out the population.
Mr. Harker said the question was legally fought, and
the Commissioner decided that the restricted boundary
was really correct.
The Chairman said the Commissioner' attended to
decide whether the boundaries should be extended,
and not to consider what was the construction of the
Act of Parliament that defined them.
Mr. Atkinson: Quite so, sir. That is the reason
why we submit this statement to you.
The Chairmen did not think they could take in the
rural population, unless it could be shown that there
was a manifest grievance in not extending it, and he
thought it would hardly be worth their while to pre.
pare a statement of that kind.
Colonel Hamley said, unison it was really for the
benefit of the borough itself, as well as the excluded
parish, he did not think the Commissioners would
take it in.

Libman remarked that there would be an
WOW of 20 county voters under the new neform Act.
The Chairman said they would take the clansmen* sad
submit it to the Coenml.sioners It wsia gumlike of
Interpretation, and he could t coincide with the view.
rand He thought the pon;ulatioll woc iwigratii°,bna4 ;
hrredperli:red"dofhtehelaw non.trrirancli•Lhy these
coo think
the Commissioners woum take it in, thilid- --... lea
It to the proper tribunal, and my they the Court
ut
oPec to Yon.
This ooncluded the Miaow, which we. creative 0/
little or no public interest.