The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-24 00:00:00

, looked I
? night
toting

a at itie
sung. Mr,
townsman,
a pislist

due your meet
enteb drlll elk
wit le be
Mims
. _

THE PROPOSED LIGHTING OF PORTLAND.

On Thursday afternoon a meeting was convened
for the purpoee of taking into consideration the
desirability of lighting the under hill part of Port-
land. The Rev. a Jenour presided, but, as the
time was considered moat inconvenient for labouring
men to attend, the meeting was adjourned until
Friday evening. This took place at Scriven's Royal
Hotel, sail was one of the moat nobly ones which has
ever taken place here. Mr. Henry Stone, of Chesil,
was voted to the chair.

The CHAIRMAN said he was greatly in favour of
having their district lighted, but he should like to
knew bow it waa to be paid (Chews.) Their
rating under the hill was now about
£4,000, and on the hill it was £2,000. Supposing
they were to light the under part of the bill what
bald the expense be? According to what he had
heard, the Gas Company would supply them with 50
lamps at £3 each, and that it would be £l5O. The
question was what would that amount to in the £,
aecording as they were at present rated?
Mr. ANGEL : lid. in the £.
The CHAIRMAN What will be the rating for 12
months.
Mr. ANGIL 74d.
The CHAIRMAN : How is that to be paid ?
Mr. ANGEL : Out of the ratepayers' pockets.
The CHAIRMAN The tap of the hill people have
no voice in the matter, hays. they ;
Mns ANORL
Ciameima z D Th Jgb under
the present system a rating. •
Mr. ANGIL I They will be lower by and by.
The CHA/RMAI4 said that was not the question;
they knew they were getting higher and higher.
(Cheers.) He knew a great deal more light was re-
quired than they had in Portland, but some people
said gas was not required. He had a proposition to
make, which was this, that be would guarantee
subscription of half-a-sovereign for the first 12
months in order to see how the scheme worked, and
if they found it did not answer they need not adopt
the lighting again. He sh&M like to see some;
other gentleman follow his example. (Cheers.)
Mr. ANOIL I have no objection to give a half.
sovereign, but I do not think that will be
sufficient.
The CHAIRMAN I Then we will pay two, and not
call upon the public, because I know there are
many poor people who cannot afford to pay.
Mr. ARGIL thought if the Chairman could point
them out, many people would come forward and pay
the rate for them. .
The Casinataia alluded to a document he had in
his possession, from which he said he gathered
that they had 220 paupers on their list last quarter,
and upwards of 90 person, „who were excused.
With this state of things harranted to know how
the lighting of Portland could be, paid for. He had
no objection to give fl, ati£it inhere were to do
tke same sufficient woald be raised to meet the
expense for the first 12 months. (Loud cheers.)
Mr. B. COMBEN trusted the meeting wolild give
this important question their best consideration.
He could not ooincide with the Chairman remSecting
the way he proposed to have the place lighted,
because circumstances often prevented a man frc.
carrying out his promise, and the money would thee
never be raised. The law had, however, provided
a course so that if a parish wanted to be lighted,
money could be provided. He thought if the under
• rt of Portland was lighted it would be a great
in to the public. In looking over the Act of
Parliament having reference to this matter, be
saw that a committee could give a certain
sum to the directors of the Gas Company
for lighting a parish for a-year, and more could not
be expended. Fir instance, if this meeting de-
termined to lay out £lOO, the Gas Company could not
go beyond that. The Chairman had stated that it
would be necessary to have 50 lamps, but he (Mr.
Comben) thought 30 or 35 would be sufficient.
Supposing this meeting was in favour of gas, they
could limit the Gas Company to £lOO. There was
also another advantage which the ratepayers had.
lie had not seen it in the Act of Parliament, but he
had his information from a legal gentleman, which
was this, that if the lighting dia not answer they
could refuse to have the streets lighted. By these
means they had the GAS Company Completely in their
power. The company had agreed to find them gas,
lamps, repairs, and a man to light the lamps at £3
per lamp, and the probability was that at the end of
twelve months, on account of the increased con-
sumption of gas, the price would be lower. In
some places it was only 31. 6d. or 4e. per 1,000, but
he thought the price they now gave, 6e., was
- very fair for a commencement effehr,--Itaac)-- 5.11
he had said before, if after the coinpeny bad
provided them with lamps, the majority of the
inhabitants could refuse to have the streets lighted.
He knew a great many peopte were both for and
against having the streets lighted, and this meeting
was therefore called in order that it might not be said
the affair was a hole and corner job. (Cheers.) lie
thonght the introduction of gas would be highly
beneficial to the island in many ways.
The CHAIRMAN considered that before the most.
Mg decided either one way or the other, s satsmitSse
should wait upon every ratepayer under the bill, in
order to ascertain their feelings, and then it oould
sot be said this was a hole and corner job, sod if
they were in favour of it he wished the project God
speed. He did not, however, think the expense
oould be limited, for very likely if fl(X) was stated
that would be £2OO.
Mr. Commit informed him that the Act of Parlia-
ment limited the sum to be expended, so that the
Gas Company (void not jump from £lOO to £2OO.
The CaeritmeN : Did you over know any Act of
Parliament without there being a hole to creep out
of it? Ido not.
said p

ktr. PIaiLISON, the manager a the gas works,
the company did not wieh to supply more lamps
than were required. If they supplied only 10 lamps
the charge would be £3 mob, sod if they.brid 20 or
40 the charge would be the same. TOogipgally
could not Marge them with 100 lamps irthey only
allowed them to Ont up 50, the Act of Parlimellt
was