The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-12-10 00:00:00

District Otto.
—4.—
wio uotna. . .

COVlrrf eloonr.-71-; court WM held on Thursday,
but no case of public interest was heard.
Doer:Dos ro rye Wlntonen lIVIROAIT.-O. B.
Stephenson, sp., his recently sent • donation of £l5 to
the Royal Ddlressre.
The Corporation has at last decided
upon the piala on which the Rings are to be laid out.
Th. plan AMID possesses all the IMOSSeeryliajuneta for
pshire pleiiiinre ground., and the most Is made of tie
low material at hand. Bat so long as the Corporation
been dallying with the whole affair, that the plans are
gow of no lorries except in perspective • and the cold
weather having set in the whole satiation appears
likely to be shelved till some future period, no knowing
when. The Council having ecoepted • munificent gift
under certain conditions from • gentleman who
occasionally visits us ha the winter, now feel themselves
placed in an awkward position; and are something like
the poor Rajah, to whom some one has presented an
elephant, mad who Sods he can neither send It back nor
keep it ountottably. To make the parallel complete,
the Town Connell have the Rings., but have not the
funds to carry out the project. To do the thing
properly will oast at least £l,OOO, with the addition of
£lOO per annum for new Gower; ken. and a man to
look after the ground'. The lateness of the season
Genes most opportunely for the Corporation. The
planting season is past. This may be so, but it is quite
possible to re-form the grounds, and have • WOO velvety
lawn interaected with paths, and • band stead placed
In the centre, even if no Sower-bide are made. If we
saw the Council doing this we should really believe they
meant carrying out in earnest what they have led ns to
septet, mid what they are In all honour bound to do,
so soon as the, have • favourable opportunity for doing
so. The plan chosen is one designed by Mr. Norman,
arehiteet, of this town, and we may say the design Is
*baste and meets all the necessary requirements,
pienly of pathway is gives without encroashing too
much on tho ter/ A centre plare is provideli lov the
bend, ant provision made for an awning, she!, or some-
thing of that kind to shelter from the blase of the
stmtner son, or showers at all periods of the year
WIIMneTE GAS : ARIBITILATIOS alltrt-
mmi.-0% Wednesday morning, • meeting was held at
Ike 0 fed- the purpose of an arbitrament
between Use Weymouth and Melcombe Regis and
Weymouth Consumers' Gas Companies. Mr. cergeant
Tiaye• presided as umpire the arbitrators being Mr.
T. it. Harlow an I Mr. A Penny, who attended for the
purpose of hearing the arguments of counsel, and the
examination of witnesses. Mr. Davidson, Q
instructed by Mr. Howard, watched the case on behalf
of Mr. W. W. Burden, and Mr. Lloyd, Q.V., instructed
by Mr. J. Tisard, appeared on beha f of the New Gas
Company (Limited). 'at eleven o'clock the gentleman
went to the gas works and examined the premises,
returning to the “uildhall about half-past twelve
o'clock. Mr. 1 !avideon, QC. °petted the proceedina
of the slay by reviewing the clauses of the Act of
Parliament obtained by Mr. Burden in 18-4. The
Weymouth and llelcombe Regis Gas Company was
incorporated ti-ler th •t sc. t but he would show th 4
its provisions hail never been carried out. The gentle-
men whose names were incorporated in that Act with
with Mr. Bunion, paid nothing for the shares alloted
them; they exercised no control ; no statements of
account" were ever furnished; and in fact nothing
-whatever was done. except that the gentlemen met
ones: a year and dinel with Mr Burden. So things
went on until 1866, when the new company filed • bill
(avinst which Mr. Bunion petitioned), and which
reeei.ed the Royal assent this tear. This Act gave I
the new company powers to purchase the gas work. of
Mr. Hanlon, and they anoordinely entered into posses-
sion on the 30th June, 1867. The learned gentlenne
referred to the great number of years that Mr. Mentos'
had carried on these works at • 10-s to himself, and
accounted for this fact owing to Weymouth not being
its a very flourishing state during the years preceding,
and immediately following the opening of the railway
in this town He however opined that had but little
to do with the question before them. They had to
decide what was the present value of the worse, and he
also claimed some consideration for the future prospects
opened up to the new company. The examination of
witnesses then commenced—Mr. Robert Church, who .
had been lessee of the work* from 1859 to June 1867,
was examined, touching the various alterations and
improvements made during these year. to the works.
He entered into details as to the number of new mains
laid down and their various sires. The capacities of
retorts, purifiers, exhausters,ake , for the manufacture
of .as were given, as also the profits and working
ecpenses during the twelve month. from March. 1866, t I
March. 1667. The profits of any year were not over
£600: the sum was not precisely stated owing to the
fact that all the boos unnected with the works had ;
been burnt on the day the new comonny came into
possess on. A lot of details uninteresting to the public'
were given as to the sale of coke. lime, brew, tar, its.
Thi• witness said the works were in very good condi-I
tion in June last, and he considered the works could I
be made to yield • supply of gas 33 per cent. '
snore than usually manufactured, lie thought
a good annual profit could be made by the new
company. A lengthy crou-examination by Mr.
Lloyd succeeded relative to the disappearance of the
books, the illuminating power of the gas, &c. Mr.
Frederick Waters was then examined. He stated that
he had been engaged for the past five years by Mr.
Church, as clerk, and that he had kept the books
connected with the gas works for that period. The
hooks were placed at Mr. Spice's disposal when the
*want was made between Mr. Bunion and Mr. Church.
An abstract of the accounts was then made and which
lie prodomml. Tho whole of the hooks. invoices, cheque- !
books. Ice., were burnt at his suggestion on the day that I
Mr Chinch gave up possession of the works.—At this j
stage of the proceedings the court of inquiry adjourned I
resuming the next day at the Royal Hotel, when Mr. !
Waters was subjected to • lengthy cross-examination
as to the disposal of the books and the motives which
induced their .le.truction. —Mr. W. W. Bunion was
then sworn, vel spoke to commencing the gnu works in
the town ;to his connection with Mr. Church, an-I
the award made this year by Mr Spice. He carried
on the works for many years at an absolute loss. Mr.
Church took the works as •lessee, and was to hand over
two-thirds of the rental and /40 per cent, from the public
lamps r Thomas Crocker proved that the meter book
for 12 months from March, 1866. to March. 1867,
amounted to v 4,832 12s. Id. —Mr. Robot ..pice was
exainined as to his previous award Estimated the Valet
of the works at .55,210 17s 6.1. thought that in
anwher three years the consumption of gas would
increase from 30 to 40 per oent and that if worked
prop rly the stew company might male • profit out of
4s 61 per 1000 cubic feet. —Mr. Hawkesly bore
favourable testimony to the value of the works. it
thi st ere the proceedings closed —On the following d-y
(Friday) the examination was resumed, when Mr.
R. N Howard, who had been collector for the gas
works under Mr. Hunlon for the put five years,
produced extracts from the cash book showing the
re ,eipts from meters and public lamps since he year
DOR and also the v diets sums , money forwarded
from time to time to Mr. Baal 51 n Church as
their shires of the profits The matters occupying the
jinni, hag days were raised, and fr -opient quos ions put
to the foregoing witnesses. The proceedings terminated
on Friday /or the present.