The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-12-26 00:00:00

THI C MIN/RATIOS( DID rd.

Mr. G. atm introduoed his motion to appoint
committee to examine the detail' of the various debta
due from the Corporatiou, and compere the same with
the minute books. He asked whether any list of the
Corporation debts had been prepared and was informed
that there was not. Mr. Eliot supposed this was owing
to the illness of the Town Clerk, and continued that it
Is very important for the public that the committee
should be appointed. He swished the committee to take
a lilt of the debts and tampers them with the books,
so as to satisfy every one that these bebta bad been
incurred in aceordonee with the orders of the Council
as entered in the minute-book. The Council are in a
very inciniar positron ; for they hod now before them
an approximate list of debts which bad been asseumulat-
log for the last 15 or 20 years. Certainly the origin of
the debts bad passed out of the knowledge of the public,
and their history was forgotten. He certainly thought
it became the Council to look into the matter; the
public demanded it, for they heard it asked on all sides
' What is this money owing for ?" It was the Council's
duty to investigate the matter, and it would be a great
asasstanee to the Towa Clerk, in putting forward a
schedule of all these debts, that the committee were
satisfied they were rightly incurred. A third party
was also concerned—themselves, He was sure they did
not all know the history of these debts, for when he
was first no the Council, some of them were already of
long steadies. The commit,' should go seriatim into
the history of the debts, and satisfy the public that they
are clearly and plainly due, and have been incurred in
• legal manner, lie proposed " thst a committee, c in-
sisting of ttio Mayor, Mr. Alderman bfilledge, Mr. Alder.
man Tiaard, Councillors Weisford, Thomas, Eliot, and
BAG, be appointed to investigate in detoil the various
debts now owed by the Corporation.• and to report
thereon to the Council." This would be a matter of
considerable labour, so he hoped those who undertook
to serve on the committee would be prepared to devote
their tima to it. He might perhaps be allowed to
express a hope that this state of things will never
occur again. He could not understand why the debts
should be permitted to accumulate, nor why the Cor-
poration should not have from the Town Clerk every
year a etatentent of the legal expenses incurred. Even
supposing they should unfortunately be again involved
in a law.suit, they ought to have • statement of expenses
as for as possible every year. They were now under
the burden of scow:Mated debts, but he hoped. those
who might be sitting at the Council table in 1891 would
not be milled upon to enquire tato the debts iuourred at
the present time.
Mr. Wetaroun seconded. Ile wished the ecenualltee
to ascertain the different objects for which each debt
had been incurred, and the liabilities upon each fund,
No doubt the committee would find that everything bad
been incurred in a legal moaner ; but he thought the
committee should enquire fully, and he trusted that, as
110,ell as they were appointed, they would get to work.
The MAYOR said it ought to go forth to the town
that Mr. Meagan had been a very great assistance to
the Council by advancing large sums of money. There
really was no money to pay elf these debts before, and
It it wos the re,son why the bills were not presented ;
and if Me. stegg ill h t.I nit ouleancul to in ,u.y from
thou to.timi, they waist hare noun, to • dead lock.

Mr. /Mei; moCion was the oarried mem COX.
ran fun nrwmver,.. MILD fIY mt stsr wwwww .

Mr. ELIOT in moving to appoint • oornmittee to
arrange with Mr. Sharron for the reiteration of the public
documents in his possession, said this waa simply •
formal motion, for at the end of the year all the cont.
mittees went oat of offici, and this one had not Wolk
re-appointed. He was extremely sorry they had had no
interview with Mr. Sharron, for through unforeseen
crcoinstances the committee bad rot been called to.
gether. Tao subject was mentioned three or four
times ' • but each time something prevented.
Mr.TALDIT bad seen Mr. Sharron • day or two ago,
and he said he would not give up the papers, and should
take no farther trouble about them —he had quite
made up his mind about that.
Mr. ATLING asked if these public documents were
really worth mural!
Mr. Ronan said Ur. Sharron had been offend £3OO
for them.

.-- --
Kr; ELIOT said somo time ago he bad an informal
offer from lir. Sherren, what be would not mention
now, bat there is no reason why Mr. Sherren should
withdraw from that offer new.

Mr, GROVES said he had on several 01:1311.610114 been
favoured with a sight of these doeumews. They are
exeeediegly Interesting and very valuable, end he would
like to enlarge the powers of the omimittee and that
they should enquire into the cirournstanees attending
their loss.
HOWARD said the Corporation papers had
isconinnlakd to such an extent, that a committee wee
appointed to examine which were of valn3 and whieh
not. These were among those disc srdeJ, and they
were thrown aside, and kuoalted about in a stable as
waste paper, until they were taken ease of by Kr.
Shorten.
Mr. Arms° said they were not thought of any vidne
then, end why should they be now?
Mr. GBOVLi Vita it was only in oonsequenee of the
, ignorance and carelessness of persons in those times
that they were not valued, lie had seen • single
document which was very valuable, and it is exam&
ingly disgraceful that It should be out of the possess-
ion of the Corporation.
It was remarked that only a portion of the documents
would be recovers& as a bushel basketful of them had

17se:;;;;;t1i for jib-LT' fires and putting up-.01-I;d7es.-
Mr. TllO YLS had soon among the documents one
which showed that • hug, postka of St. Mary-street
had been leased by the Corporation ; upon that pro-
perty expensive buildings hod been erected, and he bad
never been able to learn when the Corporation became
dispossessed of it.
the following motion, made by Mr. Eliot. was
seconded by Mr. Groves, and carried —That a (Alumina
consistiog of the Mayor, Mr. Alderman T.xtrd,
Councillor Groves, Simpson and G. Eliot, be appointed
to have an interview with Ur. Sharron, with a view
to getting possession of the •:orporation papers now
in Mr. Sherren's possession, and at the same time to
report how the Corporation became dispossessed of
them.