The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-10-19 00:00:00

THL LIGHTING OF FOITUNI9II WILL.

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The next busiwes was tn consider • memorial from
ratepayers of Fortune's Well with refsronoe to lighting
that part of the island with gas.
A very respectably signed memorial— the one to
which we referred last week—was presented DI favour
of the lighting.
!dr. A. SCRIM& said it wan not the memorial of the
principal ratepayers. Neither himself nor Mr. White
bad been consulted about it, and they were two of the
principal ratepayers of Fortune's Well.
Mr. CROCICIR •tatied he was informed that the
memorial was drawn up by Mr. Milli-dire, and left
at the Bank for anybody that wished to sign. There was
DO canvass.
Mr. A. riceivss said some ono bad been rcand and
called upon • choice select few.
Mr. T. GIBBS said ho had just had a memorial put
into his hands. lie could not nail it • very reit
looking one; but hero it was. Ha then produced •
funny sheet of yellow paper, of quarto shape, thickly
written over with name& atd Nod to he " front the
select few.... It objected to lighting the •treetis of
Fortona's Well, at the expense of the ratepsyers.
A large majority of the names appeared to he thow
of the smaller ratepayers; but Yr. T. GIBBS did not
think those poor people 'load be distressed to pay for
gas.
Mr. A. Scum said 20 people had to pay half the

rate.
Mr. B. Flatten, to Mr. A. &riven : Did not you
have a better piece of paper than this in the house,
captain?—(lioghter4
Mr. A. IIiCRIYU declared he had nothing to do with
the memoriaL
A quizzical discussion took pl•ee over the writing,
which was declared to be rather like Captain Scriveo a,•
but he persisted that he had nothing to with it.
Ultimately the dissuasion returned to the subject of
Ps-
Mr. W. flings said there always ware thOlis who
preferred darkness to light, and if they listened to
every one that opposed it, they should never get gas.
Ile wondered how it was that other pleas could afford
to pay if Portland could not. Talk about being •
century behind( Why, they were • disgrace to the
age in which they lived ! What we. thellonrd for, if
not to carry out improvements? Who were the people
who objected? Ile had nothing to say against one of
Dem personally ; but what property did they campy?
There was not half the rateable value represented
in
the second as in the first memorial, nor one-afih.
Mr. E. PEARCE considered that lighting with gas
would coodum to the safety of life and property. Why
should they keep it bank because a few people who had
nothing to lose, chose to send in a trumpery paper like
that.
Mr. A. &Riven made some remark about "paltry
people that wanted to do their business by lamplight."
Why did not they follow his example and put • lamp
In front of their house.?
Mr. OOLLISS fe•red if they allowed the special district
rate to be made, they would have to pay it out of the
general rate.
Mr. W. °IBM: What are we for? Dissolve the
Board at once, if we are not to Garry out any improve-
ments. We eighteen have done nothing that could not
bare been done by any single member. We have given
the Surveyor directions. but we have carried out no
provements worthy of the Board. Now there is •
memorial sent in asking us to carry out an improve-
ment. and we are not to do it ! Dissolve the Board at
once I Let us go about our buainesa !
Mr. A. Sutton : And a very good job too—
(laughter.)
Mr. COLLINS: If they like to take the charge upon
thenrolves we do not object. But this Board does cot
want to he troubled with the collecting of a +pone'
tiotricit rate, while there are those who object to pay it.
The majority of the names is against lighting Fortone'd
Well, Co of course all those will object to pay tie rote.
I am perfectly agreeable to allow them to light Fortune's
Well, provided that the Board does not not have the
trouble of summoning defaelters. When that street
was lighted last time, I for use objected ; but we were
toll it would he paid out of a special district rate. The
street WIS lighted. flee rate-priyers signed the bill, and
it was paid out of the general rateP.Yene U"..Y. 1
should like to see icy way clear as to the money being
paid, before lighting the atreet.
After • good deal of further dig...torsion,
Mr. W. (inns pail it was all very well for Captain
Sariven to ray " Why don't they do as I have done, put
• lamp h fore my doper But what he wanted to know
was—had he raid for it?
Mr. A. SZ.RIVEN, rising astonlahed : What ineinua-
Cons do you make, Mr. Gibbs? Do you ask me if my
lamp is paid for I say " Yes, air, it was not pat
there till the money was pa'.l !"
A Vows: Ah ! Mr. Gibbs means the Public lamp.
Mr. A. &RIVEN said itste-ad of making a rate of
MI, it would be is good deal more to their credit, if
they spent • good deal loss.
The I'H.aisM.ts I should recommend that you pro-
pose that the scavenger be discharged for the next six
months.
Mr. It. Lax° said that if the Board would not make
the apecial dirtriet rate, it could not be collected, for
It would not be legal.
It woe tuggestod that the lighting be paid for by
suboription.
Mr. J. C. LINO seconded Mr. Gibbs's proposition that
a special dirtriet rate be made for tho gas.
Mr. A. SCRIVEN proposed all an amendment a direct
negative, outisidering that all the ratepayers ought to
be consulted beton, the mernorali•ts came to the Beard.
Mr. T. Glens seconded the amendment.
On a division there appeared
For the Amen? meat.
Mr. A. Scriven.
Mr. C. Hinds.
Mr. R. Bansora.
Mr. 'l'. Gibbs.
Mr. S. Pearce.
Mr. B. Collins.
Mr. B. Sermon.
The Board, therefore, decided against the making a
district rate for lighting Fortune's Well.
NRW TELRORArIi WHIZ&
A letter had been sent from the Post-master General,
asking for permission to erect poets on the Board's pro-
perly for telegraph wires to the different post-offloos.
The permiselon was granted,
Mr. W. 011118 satirically wiring if that was an im-
provement or not, and Mr. COLLINS good-humouredly
replying that the Board knew how to make improve-
ment.; when they had the money.

For the Gar.
Mr. .J. Loo.
Mr. II Lane.
tlr. W. Gibbs.
Mr. F.. Pearce.
Mr. R. B. &riven.