The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-05-13 00:00:00

THZ ZZPLANADZ.

The MAYOR rose to offer some remarks re-
specting the work that bad recently been
done on the Esplanade. He said that at the meeting
before last, in consequence of the report of the sur-
veyor, that the Esplanade required repairing, the
subject Pas referred to a committee, consisting of
Messrs. Drew, Hibbs, William Thomas, Rowland
Thomas, and Upjohn. The committee had net been
called together, but it seemed that after the last
meeting, which lasted six hours, three of those gentle-
men gave instructions to the surveyor—contrary, as
he was informed, to the surveyor's advice—to carry
out the work that had recently been done on the
Esplanade. Now, his object in noticing this subject
at this meeting, was that those proceedings of the
committee should not be taken as a precedent, and
not to give an opinion as to whether or not the work
that had been done was an improvement. His
opinion was, that if there was money available for
improvements, it should be a question for their con-
sideration what improvements should be made, and
he could point oat many improvements that it would
be desirable to carry out. First of all, he thought,
in the carrying out of improvements, they ahonld
look to the health of individuals. The three gentle-
men who had carried out the work on the Esplanade,
had expended as much of the public money in one
week as the whole Council had expended in one
mfinth for the last five months. He thought that
if this state of things were allowed to exist, neither
the Council nor himself could have any control over
the expenditure, nor be able to form any estimate of
what the expenses were likely to be. And he MO
told that only half of what it was intended should be
expended on the Esplanade, had yet been incurred.
What he understood were the duties of a committee
were, when is subject was referred to them, to
examine into the matter, and report the same to the
Board ; and that it devolved on the Board, where any
considerable alterations or outlay were required, to
consider whitikew the sum required should be
expended or not, lie TM Intr• the work had been

done without due consideration, and what he com-
plained of was, that the committee had not been
called together. Had they been so, it was a question
whether the work would have been-done; in short,
he believed that had all been present, those in favour
of the alteration would have beenin a minority. He
absolved the three gentlemen of any intentional
error in this matter, as he thought the thing
had been clone without their giving it that due
consideration they ought to have clone. He thought
that if gentlemen were allowed to incur so large an
expenditure without coming to the Council for ita
sanction, be, himself, was of little service in that
chair. He hoped that in future when questions
were referred to a eounnittin, they would not incur
any outlay before coming before the CounciL When.
' ever anything was proposed to be done, the Council
should be the judge of the question, and not three
members on committee.
Mr. DRKW said that when the Council last met,
the whole of the Committee were present, except
Mr. W. Thomas, who was attending the
funeral of Sir. William Freestun. Mr.
Upjohn wa, however called away. Mr.
Howland Thomas, Mr. Hibbs, and himself met to
consider the matter after the transactions of the
Council business, as they wished to see the Espla-
nade repaired before the arrival of the Yeomanry
Cavalry. They had the Surveyor in, and so far
from acting contrary to the Surveyor's opinion, they
took his advice, and were informed that the east
would be entirely covered by the material removed.
The Esplanade had lately been in a most dilapidated
condition, the horse pitchers had been so washed by
the spray of the sea that it was impossible to walk
over them and this asphaltum had for years and
years been in such a state that if persons
walked upon it they could not enter their
houses without first taking off their shoes
at their doors. Only last summer, a child could not
have walked on some parts of it without leaving its
shoes behind; and he had heard of 30 or 40 carpets
having been spoiled in consequence of walking there.
Great improvements had now been effected. The
pitchers and asphaltum bad been removed, three
inches of loam had been spread over the asphaltum
that been now put down, and over that one inch of
gravel. Every stone that had been taken away had
paid for the labour incurred in doing it. It was one of
the greatest improvements that had ever been made
in the borough, and all with whom he had woken
had congratulated them on doing it. He believed
the town would rather pay a penny rate than for
the Esplanade to remain in the miserable state it
had been in for so many years past. It was out of
no disrespect tolthe Council, or wish to i near expense,
that they had done the work, and although there
might have been some little irregularity in their
proceedings, there was as much difference between
the present and past state of thnapart of the Espla-
nade as there was between wallihig on a ,flint road
and a Brussel's carpet, and the Surveyor had
informed them that the cost had been covered by the
material obtained. . .

Mr. Hums stated that he at first suggested that
the Mayor should be placed on the committee, but
that he excused himself.

.--- -- ----- -._____.
The MAYOR : I am the chairman of every com-
mittee, and had this committee been called
together to consider the question, I should have
attended.

Mr. Bowan asked whether it was intended to pay
the expense out of the Board of Health rates? He
knew that formerly the Esplanade WM repaired out
of the general fund of the Council.
Mr. DnEw said the Esplanade belonged to the
Board of Health.

Mr. UPJOHN thought that before the work was
done the committee should have bees called to-
gether.
Mr. W. THOMAS said that had he been present
he certainly should have opposed the work being now
carriEd out.

Mr. DREW wal quite sure that the Local Board
bad often repaired the Esplanade, and as it was
a public road, it unquestionably belonged to them.
The CLERK said that the Esplanade always did
belong to the Corporation, and that they could not
take it under the Local Board, without going through
certain forms.

--"Mr. iiiiTsi believed that the Board of Health
would take possession of it if they wanted to put a
drain down.

The CLERK read some sections in the Act, point-
ing out the proem' required previous to the Local
Board taking it.
Mr. DEVENISH Nile the Local Board ever paid
anything towards it?
Mr. STROGALL Not for the last eighteen years.
If any bills had come in for the Local Board for work
done on the Esplanade, I should have reported the
fact to the Council.
The Mayon said that Mr. Drew had told them
that the material that had been taken up would pay
the coat, but if figures were ef any value, there must
by a great error somewhere. The money actually
expendrd on the Esplanade had been £57 11.., out
of that they had to take the value of the stone, and
if he gave them £lO for it, he was sure he should
give quite its fall value. In making this calculation
ha had allowed for 1,000 tons of atone, which was
worth £lO, and be was sure they would all agree
with him that that quantity of atone had not been
obtained.
Me. Wsuironn reminded the Council that there
was a shillala as their hooka that no work should
be done, exceeding .E 5 except by contract.
Mr. DEVRNISH thought the question rested upon
whether the Council had given the committee autho-
rity to carry out the work:

Mr. Hiiis believed it bad. There was a great
deal of conversation on the condition of the Espla-
nade, and there appeared to be an unanimous wish
that it should be repaired. one of them however,
contemplated that it would cost so large a sum.
They certainly thought the whole of the work might
cost,perhaps,£2o or £3O; but if they had supposed it
would hays cost what it appeared to have done, they
would not have given orders without coming to
Council. The improvement, however, had given
much satisfaction to the respectable portion of the
inhabitants, and in consequence of their approbation
the committee bad been stimulated in their desire to
finish it in proper time. If there had been irregu-
larity in this proceeding, they bad not made &job of
it for their own benefit. They had not derived any
pecuniary advantages from it.
Mr. BESANT : Nobody fancies such a thing.
Mr. Ditty said he should have opposed the
work if he had fancied it would have cost £BO.

The CLERK, on being again appealed to,
gave it as his decided opinion that the cost for re-
pairing the Esplanade could not be paid out of the
Board of Health rates, but from the general fund of
the CounciL

Mr, Diva Hall said tbe general fund was £224 in
debt already, and the debt we. annually increasing,
and if this expenditure were to be added, the debt
would be £3OO.

Mr. BOWZR said that the annual expenditure of
the borough fund was .£5O greater than the
income.

The MAYOR : On two or three OCCAIIIODS you have
misrepresented my figures. 1 stated that the income
of the general fund was £5O a year more than the
expenditure ought to be.

Mr. BOWER raid he did not tak• his figures from
the Mayor, but from the books, which showed very
clearly that the expenditure last year warn £5O more
than the income.

Mr. WILLIAM THOMAS was quite sure that the so-called
Improvements would ultimately be very injurious, as if
they again had each • heavy sea as they had the year
before I .st, the work would be washed away.
Mr. BOWER said the apron for preserving the wall
was laid down in 1849, and it was as good when it was
taken up as when first placed there. It was put there
for a certain purpose, &Ili it had answered that purpose
welL

Mr. HOWARD said that they could not undo what had
beon done, but if he understood rightly what were the
functions of a committee, unless special power was
given it to carry the work out, was to report to the
general body the nature of the work proposed, and the
estimated cost of the expense, and that the work should
not be performed till it had been pro./osed, seconded, and
carried by the whole bodlein the regular order. Then
they had gone toast expense of £5O, while there was on
the books • minute to the effect that no work exoeeding
in amount the slim of £5 should be done but by con-
tract. It appeared to him that the proceedings had
been full of irregularities. It appeared to him that the
Mayor should have been the principal party to have
called the meeting, he being by virtue of his office the
chairman, and having the casting vote if the numbers
were equal, instead of which neither he nor two other
members of the committee—being half the number of
the whole—had been consulted in the matter. No one
supposed that there had been any jobbery abent the
matter, but the proceedings were most irregular, and
should not betaken as a precedent for the future.
Mr. DREW said the opposition existed only around
that table, and not out of doors. They had expended
money from the Board of Health rates on that
promenade all the year round, and he confessed that
when he came to the meeting that day, he expected he
should have had • vote of thanks from the Council, and
• piece of plate from the town; but it was new thought
to make an impediment of the matter.
The MAYOR asked Mr. Drew to explain himself,
Mr. Dacw replied that the Clerk now raised an
objection that it was impossible to raise the money front
the Board of Health rates, whilst he (the Clerk) had
previonaly paid hundreds of pounds under similar dr.
cumstances.

The afiyon said be mild not allow of such irregu-
larities to go OD without bringing the matter before the
Council.
Mr. R. TIIONAS asked what was now to be done?
He bad no wish to proceed irregularly, or to spend a
birthing not sanctioned by the Council, but it was quite
evident the remaining portion of the Esplanade required
to be done.
Mr. Danis said, so satisfied were the Committee that
they were acting right that had it not been for the atidc
of the tide in preventing their obtaining the material,
the whole of the work would by this tun* have been
done.
Mr. HIBBS thought this discussion ought not to have
been raised as it was not the notice paper of the busi-
ness tube transacted.

Mr. DREW hoped the reporters would not insert the
discussion, at he did not wish to place the Council in •
minority on this subject in opposition to himself. Mr.
Hibbs, and Mr. R. Thomas. A rate to meet the
expense would be only • penny in the
Mr. ATLING: You can't get the money from the Local
Board.

Mr. DREW: There's no such word as "Can't" in
the Council. What is " Can't" to-day is " Can" to-
morrow.

-C;onnoil then pea:ceded to the regular beakless ea

the notice pipe?, and after the Council bad resolved
itself into a Local Board of Health, on the motto, of
Mr. Drew, it was agreed that the committee should he
allowed £3O from the rates for proceeding with the
work on the Esplanade. The following resolutions
were adopted :
.. . .

" Tina& witt:th rate be ordered for ; Melemnbe
Regis contributing £262; Weymouth, £5O; Wyk.
Regis En ; end Radipole, £15." _

77-That tenders be itivited for repairing the landing.
stage near the Old Rooms, according to plan and spec.
dcation produced at the meeting.
"Thai the drawback of Is. 4J. per ton be allowed
on coals taken from the stores, provided the sertificates
produced to the treasurer be signed by the purchaser
or his agent, and the toll collecter.
"That a register of the different securities given by
the Corporation on the different funds be made, and the
Town Clerk be authorised to call on the different trait.
reel to produce their securities."
"That the wharfage of wheat be reduced from three
lislf-penee to one penny per quarter, and that the wharf.
age on apples in bulk be from one penny per basket to
one penny per bushel, from the 24th June next."
The memorial from the ratepayers in St. Alban's
Row, for the laying down of • sewer was declined.
The MAYOR said these small memorials were getting off
all the ratepayers for drainage. It would be done when
the town had been decimated by cholera.--Mr. DREW
thought that they should take the " bull by the laons,.
and lay down • complete system of drainage, doing •
portion at • time, which might afterwards be united.
The tenders for repairing the street in St. Alban's
row were, W. 11. Williams, £159 155., and J. Peach,
£125. The latter named was 'Tented.

The SURVEYOR was instructed to prepare &speaks-
lion for repairing Great George-street.
The report of the committee appointed to consider
the communication of the solicitors to the trustees of
the Johnstone estate, caused ED animated dieettesten,
and the following reaolation, to be transuiitted to
Messrs. Cords and Williams, was agreed to
memorial from the inhabitants to the Mayor, very
numerously signed against the carrying out of the
drainage scheme, being in exiotenoe, and no coaster.
feeling having beets expressed by the town, the Board,
in the face of this memorial and without any expression
of feeling to the contrary, de not consider themselves
justified in entertaining • general drainage of the town,
but will endeavour to meet the requirements of the
trustees astir as practicable."
. . .

Some other busmen of minor importance was trans-
acted, and the proceedings terminated after sittiag
hours.

COURT OF BANKRUPTCY, LONDON, MAT Bra.