The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-04-07 00:00:00

MR. NORTON AND THE POOLE TOWN COUNCIL
MEETING.

To tAt Editor.

Silk—Alter all the spleen and abuse of Monday I
presume there will come a calm. Certain couneilloni
must feel considerably relieved, and it is a note.
worthy fact that the only subject which can draw and
keep a full house for two hours and a half is the
splendid opportunity afforded by Mr. Whitworth's
lett,r—nnt much to discus it, but to abuse me.
• .

_
.ifter all this scurrilous spluttering on the isirt /if
open enemies and false and treacherous friends
what has been done? Simply a flat (very) denial to
niy charges ; but denials are not proofs, and the very
vehemence with which they wen made goes far to
prove their correctness, for if the assertions of the
Council were cornet, surely such abuse and hitter de-
nunciations were entirely superfluous on the part of
such a dignified body.
I was asked for proof of the statements contained
in my last letter to you re the drunken policeman,
and my atviwer then I now repeat without one shadow
of fear—that the whole of theme statenients are to he
bound in the official books at the police station. As
there is this official record of every we therein named,
to ask in. to prove these entries is to doubt the
correctness of records made by the person under
wles.e notice the incidents were brought at the time.
I hold that they must he believed or disbelieved, and
repeat that not one of them wa.4 ever brought
before the Watch Committee, although other numer-
ous cant. which had been dealt with were brought
forward on Monday to make the public believe that
my statements were false, whereas' they were
altogether different capes.
The Mayor said I had broken faith with the Watch
Conpaiittee—l have no faith in them at all. I said I
did not want to see the books for publication, but fir
investigation. On perusing them I found the entries
and omissions to be of ii very serious nature, and I at
.inee twilled the attention of the Watch Committee to
them by letter, which the Mayor could not find, but
fortunately I have a pri.ws copy dated last year. This
letter was maid by the present :Mayor in my pnwence,
and was treated with contemptuous silence, not a
remark being made, and other business was at once
pr. weeded with.
i. the Watch Committee thus declined even to
entertain the question for a moment, I felt it to be
my duty off- r they refused to investigate, to publish
the facts, which were all correct, and which I arlh..n.
I'. WM' as strongly as I ever have done, and am quite
willing to stand or fall by my aseertions, as I consider
my cause to be too good to damage it by a sinftic
w hick I an, not prtparell ti kIrOVV. The
minor portion 41. my chaigisi marked Knob, I can
In we by fifty witnesses, but they certainly don't think
I is,., going to exisse 5o lensing to the contfonelY,
vulgar abuse, boycotting, and spite, to say nothing of
persist:ll injuries, which I and my witnesses have had
to submit to in the face of the boasted "ample pro-
tection' provided by the Poole Bench !
I conclude by saying again that if an inquiry is
held by an impartial person with power to enlivens
witnesses, and to give certificates 14 indemnity to ouch
witnesses as may by their evidence criminate therm
selves, that my charges will be proved. I am quite
willing, if they are not, topay all costa and to apologise
as humbly as even Mr. Budge may desire.—Yours,

JOHN J. NORTON.