The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-06-13 00:00:00

TOWN COUNCIL.

ii-iii;•yor.

MA°lei

A wan; of this Council was bald on Tustoday,
wilms tbire mire mama :—The Mayor (A. E 111•00,
Esq.,) In the chair, Aldertnsa Carton, Gslysin, snd
Orsoini Councillors A. Pops, W. Darden, Arthur
H. Hunt, F. Lock, 11. 'larder', W. Tiller,
G. Dana, it,. Gila Symonds (Town Clerk),
Henry ftmoode(Deputy Tows Clerk), end lir.
(Suresali Surveyor).
1110AIICITT OF 11011 T.

The Int baubles, wee to «milder the payment of
£lOO loan, borrowed under the powers of the Local
Lease Act, and the interest on the balance of loans
ontelasdist. The intend amounted to £37 46. 2d. eni
£l5 10.. M.
Mr. Ammon Loon : We have the money. I reppose
Dann Towt Mut : I am afraid int. We have
evereswn £ll its. 2d.
It =ed. however, that £72 had bees pad in
sines which gave them a credit of shoat L.
Mr. name Loot: I. there likely to have been
ml=more paid la sines that
Tow' Must : I don't know, anises there
asy rests cot pad.
Albanese Gault : How mach does this lams to be
pod
Tim Dm= Town Cutat : £2,700 remains to be
PeM

7111 FAIII VILLE,.

The following tender* were received for painting
the railings ',nod the Pair Field :—Mr. P. Barrett,
1514 1.5 a.; Mr. Metford, C 37 10e. ; Mr. G. Meader,
11.8 104.; sad Mr. H. Gotdd. C 45 54.
The sutetaathd difference isk the amouste ol the
dillerent tandem yea geaerally remarked on, rod Mr.
W. Darden nmarkei time wait be wee mistake
••••elion.

Mr. A. Poveyeaposed, sod Mr. G. Dam oroooded,
Gut Mr. Moeda% arida be oollepeed, eobJeol to ebe
samples of past being approval by the Borough

RESIGNATION OF THE TOWN CLERK
The following War woo rood bora Mr. Gila'
Symonds (Town Clark of the Borough) i

" Dorchester, lard May;
My Dew Mz. Moyor.—As ssy periods( merrier. at Tows
Clerk of Dorchester as sow okra oa IS year% / ford that
the time is 001101 whoa I Magid amble dm Tema Commit
to satrost the futon emuloot el their shaloipel stairs Is
/maw, sad aot at all improbably. shim Ira& I. Mar«
hrs.lsu you to Mho the opportasity of laying say rustie*.
um of my silos batters sa early 12014124 of the morperste
body. I mean You I darn tale title Mop trathout fall
oeusidarstioa and some regret sad I assure you I shell
always romember with grstatad• Me Madams sad amp
adoration I bare dorms ray tarn of odlos always reassived
from sassy mambos of the Clamed. se Well ss their
amorous sad oareeerved assfideaos sad support ia the
many important attestleas which hare sties daring sit
tarts of oda, —I Female, 0. 87111 AIDS. Town Clark.
Mr. F. LOOll : Canuot Me. Symonds be persuaded
. . . .

to withdraw hie resignation?
The Miro' : I bops be will.
The Tows CLUX mid the tints had come when be
thought it was Prettynearly time for him to take thie
step. He had now in sad out of that roan, air
oruatipal sad deputy, for nearly 50 years.
Mr. F. Lon : But you are not worn out yet.
No, he was not worn Out, biz. SYMONDS continued.
There had been • good many thing* he had had te
battle with during the time he had been in office, but
b• award them if be did not feel lb. Deosseity for this
step he should not hive taken it. The confidence
which the Town Council had always placed in 61m had
been unreserved and generous, and be had always
found them support hbn in anything that be
believed to be right, and to had never advised
them anything but what he did believe to
be right, although there had been a remit
massy things requiring exardso, and to some 'neat
excitement, sod probably there would be others
adding again, Perhaps as • not very distant day. He
believed be was not quite worn out as yet, but still he
required • little more difficulty in gelling hie blood up
than he used to do, and therefore one was not quite
equal to that sort of exertion without a aerial* mount
ot corresponding re-action. He thought the time had
come when ha should reign, but he expressed his
earliest a now if • feeling were entertained by any
goalie/Dan around that table that be was what was
commonly called "driving • bargain." Is would not
, be comfortable in him to do that, aad osetaisly it
' would not be comfortable for him to continue to bold
office should en& a.ttsabee.tsetslaedbyypssues,
or that his resigastins was earthly provoked or
ludo:ea z... of the moiling. He made
Ike at the tints boot Lie, and bet
made It bemuse be believed he WM entitled to
It. He should not have made it at all
II be had not supposed it, and when the
Council looked bath upon a period of 50 years, or some
thing like, they would as. the salary that was
dud at that time had eerier been altered. He looked
bank upon • period getting on now for 50 yews, and
he felt that the time was come when • revision was
fairly to be considered. They need not do more than
look book at the athlete books to compare the work
that was now doing, or had been done in lata years.
with that which had existed in year. gone by. Take
the year. 1834 upwards to the year 1852, when he
beanies Town Clerk. Look also and see what was do
condition of ths town now, and look also and see
what they had don* in reference to other gervants of
the CounciL He felt he was not asking Asquith(
=reasonable ; be felt he was instilled in making the
application ; he should not have made it if be bad not.
For • grow many years peat he had felt that the
Town Clerk WU very much lees oompseessied than
other officers of the Town Council, who had not
(although he believed they had important duties t
pedant) the rewponsibilities he bad hal, and still
had. He asked them not to suppose that his resigna-
tion had been provoked, as be said just now, by the
way in which they had received that application, and
which it was quite competent for them to deal with
as they did. There was certainly one thing he did
feel—that the matter did not appear to him to have
been considered in the way be should naturally have
expected it would hare been. He felt quits as anxious
as they did for the protection of the ratepayers. It
was not for hlm t question a great many thlop they
had done which bad been very wetly to the rate-
payers • possibly they might have been uecessiry —lt
was nisi for him to say, it was in their pleasure; but
be could say the Waists of the ratepayers was not
lees in his mind than in theirs. Therefore, gentlemen,
11Iz. Sym .nds coax uded, I leave the matter entirely
In your hand.. Pleas* deal with it without Waren •
tg any idea that I an wishing to drive • bargain with
you, bemuse, of all things in the world, that would
be the most applies int. I could cot bold any offioe if
any gentleman entertained the notion that there was
such a cloaks on my part. I could not hold it under
those circomstences.
In the worm of a short discussion Mr. Sruosns
stated the late Mr. Stine was elected under the new
repine, when the salary was fixed at £5O, and it had
never been altered since.
Mr. A. Pops: When does the year expire?
Mr. STKORDs replied it was supposed to expire on
Nov. 9th. He apprehended, however, ha should boll
office until his eu carer was appointed. It was
necessary for him t do that, because the agenda
paper must be 'ivied. Supp AIM( they ordered that
the wor.fe " To appoint a successor" do appear in
the agenda for the next meeting, he apprehended he
should have to hold office till that time.
Mr. F. Loos enquired if the resignatioa of the
Town Clerkship Included the other offices.
The Tome Ct.= said he took it that the other cor-
porate offices followed with it.
Mr. Atrium Pops: I hope Mr. Symonds will be
induced to reconsider his resignation. (Hair, hear.)
Mr. Rosesr Harr: In expressing my feeling I
believe I represent the feeling of everyone t—a
feeling of very deep regret that the resignation of such
a devoted and valuable public officer has been tendered
to as to-day, and I feel sure that at the present time we
can 11l spare the valuable WieviCel of that gentleman,
who, for the past 30 years, ache told us just now, in
ably and worthily filled the office of Town Clerk. He
bas filled it we all know, with very great ability, and
In the management of the intricate badmen of this
Corporation. I feel sure I am speaking my own
feeling, and I ism sure the gentlemen sitting around
me, who have been aoquaintal with Mr. Symoods for
me many years. We must own he has conducted the
badness of the Corporation with extraordinary skill,
and with very great ability end inteWgenos. I think
, the present is not the time for this. There is • time
' for all of us, and there will be slime for all of us, when
we must thift off the harass. of public offices, but I
feel that the present time, and to-day. is not the time
to accept the resignation of our worthy Town Clark.
I hope and trust he will seriously reconsider his
decision, although I feel stye he has not hastily made
up his mind about this matter, but has calmly and
deliberately gone into it. lam thankful to hear from
him, in explaining himself, it was not in eessequselee
of the neslution passed the other day, and that he
wag not provoked by that decision to tender his re-ig.
nation. I hope and trust, an he has worthily filled the
office for so many years, and he has not to plead
ill-health or old age, se he is, I think, as well ithis to
conduct the senior of the Corporation, if not better
than ever, that be will npocconider his re-
signeition, and be induced to retain It for law yearn
to cocoa (Bear, bear.)
Alderman Gams : I had hoped he would have
been here, whom I should call the "Father of the
Corporation," but, in his absence as the senior
member, I may any I have had the honour of sitt4ng
here for 31 years, and I feel I cannot allow an oppor-
tunity of this sort to pass without expressing how
deeply I regret to hear such • proposition as has been
submitted to us by Mr. Symowde, and especially
under the present difficulties that surrounds us. Iran
bear testimony most cordially to what Kr. Hunt has
GAM I can say at all times, as he has expressed it, we,
m sitting her. se members of this Board, although so
many have passed away, all feel that Mn. Symonds
hai done his utmost for us and for the interests of the
town at large. ( Hear, hear.) Under all these oircum.
dances I hope be will be led to a ciontinuareas of the
°Mos, or at learnt that some arrangement will be made
whereby he can, even if he eddies to release himself
from the active ditties of the °aloe, remain as our
nominal adviser, and give us advice whenever we get
Into any difficulty, and whenever we feel his long
experience will materially assist QS. I trust it will be
so. Of course, on the other hand, we have no right to
Insist on • gentleman who has served us no long to
continue to serve us to the utmost of his time, but
under all the circumsta,oee, we hope and trust Mr.
Symonds will me some erg of ranking some arrange-
meat. The Council, lam sure, will be glai to meet
him, and retain the yak:Wile cervices in coajunttion
with the amistanee he may require. (Hear, hear.)
The Mseos sthi during tllO few years he had bent •
member of the Council-11 or 12 years—be had always
h.d the greatest cinfidence in the judgment and the
sound practical sense of Mr. Symonds, and it was
with feelings of vary great 001 TOW that he received the
letter. He hoped some arrangement would be made
by which they might secure his services, either by the
appointment of a deputy, or by ante means of that
sort, which would enable him ti continue his POO,
practical advice. They had berielitted by It very
much and they had derived very much good, tor
which they were :so much indebted to him, and they
earnestly hoped he would aeoept that assurance of
their high tiopredetion of his good sense and sound
judgment. (Hear, beer.)
Alderman Gennoar quite endorsed all that had
fallen from the Mayor and Mr. Galpin with retard
to their Town Clerk. He had beau in the Council
20 years and could bear testimony to the great kind-
ness and assistance Mr. filymouds bad ever rendered
to the Council; and more especially could he speak
of the two years daring which be (Alderman
Gregory) held the office of Mayor, for during that
me he had received from him the greatest amistince
tid kindness. Therefor*, he much regretted his
retirement and trusted some arrangement amid be
made' as Mr. Galpin had suggested, which would
meet with the wbbes of every member of that Council.
(flew, hear.)
Mr. tintonce said they might naturalltexpect be
found • difficulty—and • eery great difficulty—ln
resisting the appeals that bad been made to him be
such kind and generous terms. As he had saki before,
be meld not hold office with the idea of what was
celled "driving a baresin." That would not be
oomlortable to bitumen. It certainly would have been
anything but nomfortable if be thought such • belief
was entertained by a gier's gentleman around that
table. He was Tarp messes—quite as anxious now as
ever he felt in his life—for whist might be termed the ,
rood of the toes and the roper mediae of the
busbiese of that Corporation. There had been It
great many temporised quentiocs, daring au tenon of
office, but he did not look forward, with a great ,
"twilit ci pleasure, for there were • greet
many questions looming not Ten 7 far It the
distance, which would be matters of anxiety
and trouble in days to come. On that
•••:•lut befell quite al anxious as he ever felt in his
life to render say assistance* to the Town Council for
the promotion of their duties in the interests of the
town, as well as in their OWD interest.. It was aa
awkward thing. as President Lincoln said, to swop
horses in crossing a stream, and it waS also • r'l7
ands:skalds thing to shift their executive at • time
when troubles Were miming. It was on this accouut
be felt a greater difficulty thew be should otherwise
feel in 1001111111 the ewe& SW bed been mile be Ws.

He would ask Wm to let the matter tterdiolte
would wgi
ain ve the raather his serious
(Rear, beer) As Yr. Rent vary properly put le.
evellbxl.t must be iespared to throw off their harness,
sr be 'impend to have their harness takes off in some
way or other, and he thswititt it was about thee for
him. Re could not look forward (althounbe Lima
God, his health was very good as a whole) to be their
legal adviser for many years more under any drawn-
stances; but, at thy rats. as long as he was spared,
whatever his position in reference to the °mach might
be, be should allfsfu entertain the feeling that he had
been treated with the gres confidence by them, sad
he should carry into prlvat, life the feeling that he had
serer had an unkind word mid to him by any member
of the Town Council, and during the whole of his long
term of Aka had always been treated with the most
generous confidsnoe—in fact, the Town Council placed
themselves unreservedly in his bends. Under these
circumstances be would ask them ti allow him time to
reconsider the question which had been raised, and let
him sae bow far h could, with satisfaction to them
and with comfort to his own feelings, do that which
essensd to be the very general wish on the pert of the
gentlemen around that table. (APPlam. )