The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-09-10 00:00:00

THE PORTLAND GRANT MONEY.

To the Editor.

Dear sir,—With a singular mixture of tondyion,
arithmetic, and theology, your correspondent " Port-
lender" seeks todivert the attention of the public from
the real issue in this controverny. It Is not a question
of respect or disrespect to the trustees. lam ready to
pay deference to any man to the extent of his or rite,
but I should be disloyal to my manhood to feign a
respect I could not feel for men who, being in a position
of trust, do not fulfil it in the spirit of the deed ap-
pointing them. But I very much fear "Portlander" is
one of thoee" worthies" (!) who dances attendance at •
certain place under the hill, and has his reward in OS
and £lO, which he " hears " toadies get. But enough
of him. lent free to admit that the average yearly
amount of the grant money, as slated in my former
letter, was inaccurately drawn, and that £594 54. is the
right sum. And then " Portlander" says "it is not
necessary I should know how the money is expended—
all the trustees have got to do is to use it 'for the
benefit of the inhabitants.' " That is just where I
disagree with him, and I venture to say that
the great majority of the inhabitants are with me on
the question, and common sense is also, Can any
reasonable man believe for one moment that our
gracious Queen, when she renewed the grant at the
commenoment of her reign, ever intended the spar di, g
of the grant money—some £6OO • year "for the benefit
of the inhabitants" should be left to the caprice of one
man—for that is the actual position at present? No,
it eannot be thought so, and I trust that the inhabitants
will not let this matter red till the Local Board—the
only useful authority in the island—has the control of
the money. Theo we may aspect to see improvementa
made in the inland without canting new burdens on
the ratepayers and a tide of prosperity set in forte
Want each as now appears wild dreaming. " P 0...-
leader" suggests that • deputation of the Inhabitants
should go to the trustees, "in • miner meaner,"
' and he lays much stress on this going In • "proper
roanoner." I suppose he means " with bated breath
and whispering humbleness," but that is not my idea
,of the "pr per manner" of going to men
Ito get our rights. Long enough have we been
I content with intimating to them our desire to know of
the disposal of the grant money,
_end they have main-
tained a contemptuous silence. What ought we now to
do? Flea the old fearless spirit of the Portlanders died
I out? Shall we tamely submit to have our wishes in a
I matter eonceraing ourselves regarded as lightly as the
surf that beats on yonder shore? If so, alas poor Port-
land; thou art fallen, fallen how ? How say you,
men of top o' hill, men .4 under hill? I wish for •
reply. Your correspondent enforces his proposal of
going to the tramlines in • "proper" manner, by advising
me, that thereby I should be "only doing my duty in
the station of life to which it has pleased God to call
me" Now, sir, I small incapable of enteric,' upon •
theological controversy, and to do so would obscure my
I present purpose, but I do protect ngainst the nonsense
' of that sentence, which seems now to be echoed about
the country in all directions. It is high time •
doctrine so derogatory to the Almighty, and so
disastrous to the best interests of sinful men was
exploded. More than two hundred years ago the
" right divine of Kings to govern wrong" was put away
for ever in this country on that fair morning when poor
king Charles L found himself before Whitshell with big
head off —ensues the Irishiem and now this poor theory
of God telling men to this station of life, arid to that
seems to be nearing it, end. Doubtless, it is • plessant
thing for men in authority, and men of wealth to plume
themselves with the thought that they occupy those
position, by • direct interposition of the thyme will,
but a rational man will look at some of them and be
smeared that if God had anything to do with selecting
the men for their positions, be would have made • very
different choice. Then the poor man and the down-
trod en:' does God call him to that position! I should
say not. And the thief and the murderer, are they
called likewise? for if the answer is in tiro affirmative
in one ease it roust be in the other. No, sir, man is
placed here with a free will, and for his actions he will
have to give amount. This has led me far away from
the subject of the grant money, bur I do treat that we
shall determine, whether webs,' the smile or the frown
of the trustees, to ascertain our rights, and then man-
fully to assert them—Yours, very truly,
BARNUM'S LOCAL FRLIND.