The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-04-12 00:00:00

Eltiltsbirc.

PROPOSED RESTORATION OF THE SALIS.
BURY CATHEDRAL

A numerously and infinentially.attended public
meeting, oonvened by the Very Rev. the Dean, was
held at SaliaLury. on Wednesday afternoon,
with the view of nutmeg funds for the complete and
much needed restoration of the Cathedral Church of
the Diocese. The meeting took place very appro-
priately in the Chapter House, which, within the
last few years, has been very effectively restored, as
• memorial to the late Bishop Denison. The Lord.
Lieutenant of the County, the most hon. the
Marquis of Ailsesbury, had been announced to pre-
side, but owing to Me bolding of the Court at
Beskiughase Palace, his lordship was unable to
attend. Hie plain was filled by the Marquis of
Lansdowne • and among those present were the
Bishop of Eislishary, the Very Rev. the Dean of
Salisbury, Earl Nelson, Lord Heytesbury, Lord H.
Thyone, M.P., Sir F. H. Bathurst, Hart., Sir John
Naiad, Berk, Rt. Hon. T. H. Flotheron &moon,
M.P., H. D. Seymour, Esq., 11. P., M. Marsh,
Esq., M.P., A. Seymour, U. P., Hon. and Rev. 8.
Best, Van. Archdeacon Homy, Hon. and Von.
Archdeacon Harr* Van, Archdeacon Sanctuary.
Hon. and Rev. Canoe Gordon Rev. Premetor
Lear, the dignitaries of the Cathedral, • large number
of the clergy of the diocese, and • intmerous atten-
dance of ladies.
Prayer having been offered by the Bishop,
the noble Chairman briefly introduced the
husinem of the meeting, and than called upon the
Very Rev. the Dean to state the views which he
entertained, and the course which it was proposed
to adopt to moors die proper restoration of the
Cathedral.

The Dian or SALliaoar mid, in the statement
which he was about to make, he should embody the
substance of the reports which had been reosived
from the eminent architect (Mr. Scott), under
whose advice they were acting. The Cathedral was
begun in 1220, and was completed in the com
partitively short sperm of 38 years. The tower and
spire formed no part of the original &sign, but were
added about 70 yearn later. The building, seat first
oame from the hands of the architect, terminated in
an open lantern visible from the interior of the
church below, and projecting about eight feet above
the ridges of the roof. The whole of the upper
portion of the tower and spire, added at the penod
mentioned, rested upon the hollow fragile walls of
this lantern, while in point of fact the entire mass
was ultimately supported by lour gnat piers in the
nave below. The oonsequecoe of so prodigious a
premiere had been the settlement of the sastalning
piers, and the crashing of the lard/len walls. From
the year 13137 downwards efforts had been made to
await the threatened destruction of the fabric,
and from time to time no fewer
than 112 strut& and supports had been
inserted with that view, betides the building of
flying buttresses, and the erection of two arches in
tbe nave, which seemed to oonnect the northern and
southern sustaining piers. The expedients had so
far answered the purpose. The stately pile still
stood, but they were told upon legal authority that
it we. a standing wonder. The pressure of the
vast superincumbent mans still continued, while the
the resuennos to it must year by year grow weaker
and weaker for decay and disintegration of the
materials from sheer lapse of time. As far
as Mr. Scott could aseertain from expert.
manta carefully made, the piers had remained
stationary since the last survey in the beginning of
the 17th century, nor did they appear to have
moved seriously since the close of the 18th century.
No great danger was therefore to be apprehended
from this quarter. The real ground of apprehension
existed in the premium upon Sb. walls of the lantern.
Indeed these walls liken drat viewed presented a
most alarming appearance. The south wall was
cracked in every angle, sad the cracks had re-opened
since the lent repairs. Nor was this all. AU the
: corner piers Were also cracked, and nuns of them
very seriesely. In truth the more closely they
examined the lantern storey, the more serious did it.
dilapidaticine appear, and the greater the astonish-
ment that the tower bad existed for so many
congeries. There wee nothing to ensure it against
a failure at say moment, and this was brought
move inipreively upon them when they considered
the near ormatrophe at Chigthester. The opinion
of Mr. Gilbert Scott cotrespooded with that of Sir
Christopher Wren, who examined the building in
HISS, and who was of opinion that if the ban& of
the lantern were dissolved the spire would spread
open the walls of the tower, and it would not stand
a angle moment Thom hands were of course
liable to nut and decay, and it was therefore of the
utmost importance that they should undergo a most
thorough sad swain' investigation, ma' he had
the satiefection of stating that in conducting
thane Investigations Mr. Scott would have
the assiatimee of an eminent civil engineer, a Mr.
Shields, who has had great esprienag in all iron
and meal work. (Hear, bear.) The greet problem
we. to strengthen the walle—he was going to my
the tottaing walls—at the lantern storey, without
overloading the pier below. lb. floor proposed
to sot upon the prima* laid down by Sir Christo-
plier Wren, of dealing with the tower as he found
it, and without putting extra tongs upon it—a
principle which could now be carried out, with the
aid of materials, which, in the time of that great
arobiratit were not at hand. Before beginning opera-
tions, however, on the tower and weirs, certain
preparatory works, such as tinder-pinning, and
effeeteally draining the foundations, and restoring
the itionework of the basement moulding, were
deemed by Mr. Scott to be absolution nmeq. The
fabric might be said to be in • bad stetsof repair
throughout, and without the reseeratioa of the
western front, and the beautifel northern porch' •
the exterior work wield manifestly be left incomplete.
(Hear, bear.) Prang into the interior, he sad,
nobody Gould survey it withoat deploring the in-
juries and ravages to which it we. subjected at the
note of the ltiet century. (Hear, bear.) Whether
they cosmidered its woriestiesl character, its style
of decoration, or its adaptation to congregational
nom, everyone meet admit bow grievously it snood
in need of amendment and restoration. True, much
of the spoliation it then suffered was now, alas I
irremediable; but the barbarous anomalies which
nor introduced, admitted of easy, though
perhaps costly, reparation. The speaker moored
into many of the details of the proposed
work, such as the re-arrangement of the stills, the
removal of the altar gorses, the introdnotion of
monied glass windows, and the warming of the
building, sod Wee proceeded to dial with the
quashes of es and We mods of providing the
seeersary sum which the Dean and
Charter had obtained from the Hoclegastiod Com-
missioner as part of the wasiderstre paid to them
in exchange for the copinglar property, was £10,000;
bat this wontil bray audios to execute in a satis-
factory manner the works which were already in
=The tower sad the other portions at the
ere still neprovided for, and the Dean and
Chapter had oameweently molar cm an appeal to
the diadems and the public. The total estimated
mat of the undertaking was between £38,000 and
4E4000, is addition to the £IO,OOO already ex-
=L They had no other resources beyond this
em, and they were meet anziemi that there
should be a compris sedersanding between them-
selves and the pair on this paint. In kaiser days
when was, was seeded for the Cathedral, it was
catatomary to convene a meeting of the Great Chspler,
and the rep Weir fends were rased bye voluntary poor-
rate mossesseet cis their refractive official Lomas
The Chapter nerds weir to show that those
amerments somermes sownsted to one Iftli of
the amount serail, rewired. Times, however,
were saw eltosieL The odes of mhos/1w was
merely baseeenhaoilseellee wanders of the poem.
ear,eheeeellar, treeeerer of the Cathedra The
eledememeohl et these dignitaries hed peened
the Rodeietioel Oemeleelooese, wills the "map
Woe a
whoasine stab, whir& Were St
tiabe the Ceileodral Aot peltnetB4o ;

but even those would also piss in course of time, as
verandas occurred. Moreover, in this Cathedral,
the grime income of a canon was only £5OO a-year,
whilst that of the dean, which warn redacted to much
lees than half its former value, was oow .ClOOO a.
year, half of which lie received from the capitular
resecurcee, and the remainder from the commissimers
in lieu of separate estates attached to the deanery,
and now vested in the oommissionets by the Aot of
1640. Nor could they supply the necessary funds
front other sources. The total Manna of the lOan
and Chapter now amounted to only £4,440
a-year, on which there wee a tiled annual
charge of £2,300, namely, .C5OO for the
dean, and 400 for each of the four canons. The
remainder, £1,040, was directed by an order in Coned'
to be applied to the sustenatcoe of the fabric, and the
maintenance of the graeral ratahlishmeot of the
CathedraL After making dus allowance for this latter
object, they were only able at preout to eel apart
,CSUO a-year for the febnc, and this coin was not likely
to be greatly enlarged fur 30 or 36 years, when the
property now under lease would cows into full
poseaccion. Circuoutaneed then, no they were, they ,
bad no slierna:ire but thus to •ppeal to the public '
for funds to esiable them to hand down this glorious
temple to those who should come after them, not only
uhlinpaired but ismovated, and, is some measure at
least, restored to its ancient beauty and grandeur.
They did not shrink from their respousibilitios, but for
the foil at:compile:bluetit of the undertaking before
cisere they were bound to invoke the sympathy of all,
whether clergy or laity, who were animated by all
that was noblest and most beautiful in art, dedicated
to the highest and holiest purposes. (Applause.)
Tho WILD Mogul. or SAL/BMMy proposed the first
resolution : "That the coedit:hat of the Cathedral as
described in the statement of the dean renders it
neesesary that steps should be immediately taken with
a new to its complete repair and restoration. Thellight
Rev. Prelst., altar expressing his deep and earnest in. terest in the object of the mmting, said then, tab no
jealousy existing on the part of the parochial clews,
that tie funds rate ti on behalf of the Cathedral ought
to be appropriated is the restoration of many of their
parish churches, for they were anxious that the object
alsoeld be •oodmplished, and in proof IN Untamed the
fact that there was a elergymos present who had made
an application on behalf of his own church, sod had
also applied for fun& in aid of the CsthedraL His
Lord-to apoke the interest taken in the matter by
his pre , ant alleded to tbe restoration of tins
Chapter House,which was designated by the Ist. Prince
Consort, when he visited it, to be a perfect restoration.
That wee a tribute to the memory of the late Bishop,
and it showed an earnestness on the part of the in-
habitants of this county to Effect that object for which
they had then ..seuchhel. He alluded to the restorrer
lions at lily, Llandati, Wrilhi, Hereford, Chichester,
sad 86. Pail's, nel and be was confident that fun&
scold he rained to carry oat what was proposed. His
Lordship al.. .coke of the erroseous impreadoe that
fun alert? 064 Ite reference to the emolument. of the
dignitaries of the C.thedeal, and stated that they were
nothingeq nal to what woven:ally believed. In reference
to the nsisiug of the sum required, he indented the
ereetion of Wilt., Church at a metonymies by the late
Lord Herbert; and the restoration of Sherboroe Abbey
Chumh.for which Mr. Dishy provided the fonds. With
such examples befo e them he was satisfied that the
restoration of the Cathedral would not be delayed lor
the want of funds, but that there would still be seen •
determination on the part of the people Mgt'', the best
to God. (Applause.)
Mr. BOTHElltre EMMA? seoonded the resolution,
and *sprawled his regret at the former seversuoe of the
Diocese if Salisbury,by the •nnexation of Berkshire, to
the Dwane of Oxford, and that of the northern part
of Wiltahire to Vie Dioome of Gloucester and Retrial.
True, they had got Honorablee in return, but still the
diocese is gasified was not ihbabited by a rich and
opulent population. They had not amongrt them men
f colossal fortunes made by trade by soy of those
wonderful appliances which abound in the north ; but
they were for the most part quiet country gentlemen,
with a moderate income and considerable demaeds
upon it. (Laughter.) Their great Wainer in carrying
out this work should be not to I,ok for su
of large amounts,but to endeasour to enlist the sympa-
thies of the many. He thought the work ought to be
taken up in every parish throughout the diocese, and
he felt persuaded if this were done, not only 6.10.000
or £40,000, but 018.000 or 6:100,000 would be raised if
required. He thought the Dean had compietic4
anowered the quibbled, andobjeetions of those who said,
"The tower has stood 500 years. Why should it not
stand 500 yearn longer?" And the only point he would
urge wee that the greatest care should be exercised
before anything was done. He had great conAdenes
both in 111 R. Scott, and the civil engineer who would be
assciated with him ; but still the committee who would
be appointed to administer ths funds should remember
that they were acting under • serious responsibility,and
they ought not to allow • single stone to be touched
until they had fully stalled themselves that no mi.-
chi. f would arise in the alderetion. (Applause.) Uth.
work should be carried out in • manner cerreroadine
with the restoration of the Chapter Hoc oci hot.
there would be • grand jubilee of the inle
diocese to celebrate the *rent (Apple°.
The tresolution was put to the meet,
unanimoo.ly.
. . .

HISTITIMUIT moved that s•
immediately entered into which mig
instalments during Iva years, forth. p
ingoo the works proposed.
Mr. H. D. titrwous sthooded the • eet.!
expressed a hope that another applie r. • be
mule to the Hoolimiastioal Coinniimir • th"
sonsidared oneht te repair the lath* ‘,..,•• •
public the power of decorating it. 1.6 .
inhabitants of Dorestaltire I. felt site i,..red 1.. i•
they were placed in postheston of • v•ci..,
that they would be very willing to the je
view.

--LOrd NdLeoS Welly proposed tl .^ .ail. • •
appointed to receive subecriptiout,
obit:eta of the meeting, to oonahrt of 41 ,r •
moo and geotleulen, the Lord-Lieut., . ,
the Marquis of A arstrory, the Lord-Lieutenant of
setshire, Lord Shatesbury, the Marquis of lenedoses,
the Lord Bishop of Salisbury, Mr. Bothwell
the member, for the .Ay, (Mr. Marsh and
Beckley.) the lk.aa and °Napier of the Cethedral, the
Mayor of Babsbury I TreesursraVen. Archdeacon Har•
table aad Mr Attwoorl ; Secretaries, Mr. J. Hassey and
Mr. H. A. Middleton.
Mr. kl•itau asoooded the motion.

--------
On the motion of Mr. T. F. GIOVB, seconded by the
ILATOI OF 8•LISIBUIT, • vote of thanks IVY ••••ided
to the Marque of Ltodaidowne for presiding, which was
duly acknowledged.
The subscriptions promised before the close of the
meeting amounted to newly £6,000. including the
following :—The Bishop of Salisbury, £100; the Dean
of fialiebutry, ZOO ; Mr. M. H. Marsh, ILP., moo ;
lb. B. Hamilton, £5OO ; Mr. F. Attwood, ; the
Lorl-Lieutenant ol Will., two ; Rev. Preoentoe Lau.
£150; Vim. Archdeacon Homy, £110; Bay. Osseo Fisher,
h:130; Hon. and Rev. Canon Gordoe, £150; Yen.
Archdoseas Hurtable, £2501 Mr. Maelocald, £100;
84 B. Hulse, LTV ; Mr and Mr.. B. Byezetk, £100;
Bey. G. P. Okesuip, £100; the Chancellor of the Hs-
obequer, OW; the Queen's Advooate (Dr. Phillimore)
Is.; Lord Braga Bruce, £25, to.
Many more subsenpeioas were promised alibi close
if the meeting.