The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-03-14 00:00:00

DORCHESTER FARMERS' CLUB.

.s being . and
division was preceded by a long rather
interesting discussion, the substanoe of
vbe given in very few word& The
of the Bill is to enable attorneys
to make relation to o
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to hand

The union of 1864-5 of this club was brought
to • close on Saturday, by its members partaking
of a dinner at the Antelope Hotel. The company,
however, was very limited. G. J. Wood,
Esq., the president of the society, occupied the
chair, and G. J. Andrews, Esq., the secretary, the
vice-chair. An excellent dinner was placed on the
table, to which full justice was done, and the wines
were of the choicest vintage. After the removal of
the cloth, and the usual loyal toasts had been given
and most loyally received,
The CHAIRMAN said he had the greatest pleasure
in proposing " The Health of the Mayor and
Corporation of the ancient borough of Dor-
chester,"—(hear, hear,)—and he bad the more '
pleasure in doing so because they bad the presence
of the first representative of that honourable body ,
of gentlemen sitting at his rigbt hand, the Mayor of
Dorchester. (Applause.) And he had still greater
pleasure and satisfaction in proposing such • toast,
in that they had always shown the greatest dis-
position to forward the interests of the neighbourhood
in which they lived, and especially that of the
agricultural Interest; and hearing, as they must
bear, so much said by them about alterations in the
Corn Exchange of this town, he had no doubt that
in their deliberations they would eventually fix
upon that plan which would be for the best interesta
of the agriculturists who visited this town. If he
might be allowed to say so much, he thought they
would agree with him, and with the gentlemen
present, that the present accommodation was not
such as they thought WM necessary for them,
speaking as he did on behalf of the elderly portion
of those gentlemen who attended the Corn Exchange.
For the young people it might not be of so much
consequence to stand oontinually on • stone floor for
many hours together as they did; but for those who
had certain occasional maladies in their feet, he
thought it was of consequence that they should
have a board instead of &stone floor. (Applause and
laughter.) He did not wish for one moment to
interfere with the arrangements which the Corpora-
tion of Dorehester might see fit in their wisdom to
make, but he would take the liberty of saying that
board would be much more healthy and comfortable
for the elderly portion of the farmers who visited
the town.than the present stones to stand upon, and
If they had more light overhead, so that those who
dealt in oorn—and it would be well for them to
recollect what • great merchandise there was in corn
in the town—might have sufficient light to deal
with, which was not the case at present. When they
considered that those who had dealings in corn were
obliged to go the windows for the purpose of obtain-
ing the little light which came in the Exchange,
but which were often crowded, it would be an
additional inducement for the Corporation to
consider whether they should not give them a little
more light overhead as well as a little more comfort
under foot. (Applause.) He had now to propose,
with the greatest cordiality and pleasure, the health
of the Mayor and Corporation of Dorchester.
(Cheers.)
The MAYOR (J. P. Aldridge, Esq.) said. he
thanked them, which he did most warmly, for the
very kind manner in which the Chairman had pro-
posed the health of the Mayor and Corporation of
this ancient borough, and for the kind manner in
which it had been received by the company. He
did assure them' at the same time, that it was the
anxious desire of that body to do all they possibly
could to meet the convenience of their agricultural
friends. (Hear, hear.) The question of the Market
House, which had been spoken of byMr. Wood, had
for a long time past been taken into consideration by
the Council with a great deal of anxiety. About IS
years ago, he thought wee the time when
the present building was projected, but previous
to that time it would be in the recollection of many
present that the farmers were in the habit of con-
gregating in the public streets. This was stated to
be a great annoyance and highly inconvenient to
them ; and if the present building, with its stone
floor, was considered prejudicial to the feet of the
agriculturists, sorely the street was much more so.
They pitied "the poor feet" of the farmers, and they
put their shoulders to the wheel, and at great ex-
pense—many thousands of pounds—caused the
present building to be erected. He simply
mentioned that circumstance to show that the town
had been anxiously considering the interests of the
agricultural community for many years past, and he
was quite aware, as were also the Corporation, that
the present building was unfit for the purpose for
which it was erected. (Applause.) It was planned
by an eminent architect, but certainly by a man
who did not know much of the wants of a Corn
Exchange. As far as appearance went it was an
elegant building, but one certainly not adapted to
the wants of the agricultural interest. The
Corporation had, as he had said before, many conver-
sations with respect to the erection of a new building,
one more stilted to the requirenienta of the age, and
for the comfort of agriculturista. They had not as
yet hit upon • plan which would give satisfaction,
and at the same time remove all the obstacles which
had been suggested by Mr. Ensor and others, but
they were in hope of erecting a building for all
time ; at least one which would meet the require-
ment. of the town for many years to come.
(Applause.) They did not want to erect a
building to accommodate their agricultural
friends for 20 years, but to erect one which
would not only be an ornament to the town
but be of great utility for many years to come.
The Corporation made a mistake the first time, and
were now anxious not to make a second, and should
be very careful before they went to work again not
to make • similar one, but erect such a building as
would satisfy and gratify all those parties who were
in the habit of attending their corn markets. These
were rapidly increasing in importance, and as
the Corporation of the county town they were
desirous that they should have a building adequate
to the wants of all. He had been in conversation
last night with Mr. Hall, an eminent architect, a
gentleman who took • great interest in all their
public buildings. In the coarse of conversation he
(the Mayor) suggested to him what was required.
He said, "in the first place, we want to afford better
accommodation to our butchers, and to persons who
bring vegetables to the market, but at the same time
we want to accommodate the agricultural interest,;
and if you could give us some scheme that could
combine both it would be well received, and would
be of great importance." They all knew their
butchers' market wan in a bad site, and they could
not expect persons to attend in such an inconvenient
place; and the butchers complained that they could
not sell their goods to advantage. They had told
him that if they could come aid sell their goods
where they used to, they wenkl come in greater
numbers, but being placed where they were they
did not consider it worth coming for at all.
Formerly there were between 30 and 40 butcher.
who visited the market, but ROW there were not
more than three or four, all because Lf the incon-
venient Situation in which they were placed. If the
Council could re-arrange their present building so as
to accommodate not only the butchers and others who
attended the market, but agriculturists generally,
by erecting a large and commodious Corn Exchange,
they would be only too anxious to do so. Mr. Hall
had suggested a plan by which the present building
could be altered so as to meet the wants of all. He
(Mr. Hall) thought the present building should be
converted into large butchers' shambles, having a
pathway in the centre leading into a Corn Exchange
behind. He (the Mayor) thought such a scheme
could be readily earried out, and if so, there would
be • vertical light, and great attention would be
paid to the tender feet of their agricultural friends.
The building would be like the Crystal Palace, and
one, which he thought, would meet the requirements
lof all time. It WAN the anxious desire of the
Council, and had been for many years past, to do
their utmost to promote the interests of the agricul-
turists in the neighbourhood. They knew it was a
. town which depended upon the support of the
agriculturists, but independent, of that, they had
the strongest attachment to them, and it was their
greatest wish to do all they could to accommodate
them. (Applause.)
The CHAIRMAN asked if he might be allowed to
add one word to what he had already said, and he
did so became of ths encouragement the agricul-
turists had met with from the representatives of this
borough. The hint was this. First that whatever
accommodation might be provided for them in
.future, he thought it would be more acceptable to
the agricultural intermit generally if it were kept as
near to the present spot as possible. (Hear, hear.)
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might be allowed seats, and perhaps the
I
Pro- corporation might go so far as to provide them with
the a table and the news of the days. (Applause and
1-, laughter.)
_ _ .. The MAYOR replied that in the whew° to which
solicitor, he had alluded the present frontage of the Corn
, hurt 250 Exchange would be preserved, and there would be
nor had an agrees at the other end, at the North Square, so
be left plat there would be two ways of entering it.
-- The illoil•Ctiatst{att bamourotvity ongeetecl sbst