The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-10-09 00:00:00

earrtsponbenrt.

To the Editor of the Dorset County &prey and
.4 yricultus at Gazette.

SIK.—My attention ban been drawn to some
remarks in a recent impression of the Erpres• wish;
reference to the drainage works which have been,
lately executed on the premises of Mr. William,
Bonen, in Dorchester, and as suck remarlu are
doubtless intended to convey an impression that Mr.
11011.11 ha, been sacrificed for the benefit of other
parties. I beg, as one ef the patties evidently refened
to, to be allowiol to otate what I anisider and belie's
to be a true statement of the cute.
When the Congregational Church, and the Seised
in connexion with it were in progrees of bniklisg„.
their drainage, with reference to the public sewer,
then also in course of construction, was taken into
consideration. and, in accordance with the opinion
and plans of the engineer of the Board of Heoisk
pipes were laid in with a view of their future einem.
thin with the maia sewer running throsgh the
passage immediately adjoining Mr. Bollen's premium
and it was unquestionably at the time proposed that
that object was to i.e attained by passing underneath
the surface of the garden behind his house.
As doubtless many of your readers are well
acquainted with the locality, and with the fact that
the chapel and Mr. Bourn 's premises adjoin. I need
not .lo more than mention that the distance
from the chapel boundary to the main sewer referred
to is thirty three feet only, whilst the course sug-
gested by your remarks as the alternative lino of
sewer is 13s feet to the main, to say nothing of a
drain in that direct' basing to pass underneath the
school room, a plan which I think must be ;Omitted
to lie anything but in advisable one.
Ev,:ry one is, of course, aware that the drain es.
quirctl for the accotnniodation of the chapel premises
has been constructed at the expense of the persons
desirous to have the benefit of it, and had it been
carried out inconjunetion with Mr. Bollen as it ihoubl
have been for his sake, provision would have hmo
made in it for the drainage of his premises by the
introduction of proper juncti , and the expert
incurred by him would have been nominal only, as
compared with what it is represented he has bees
charged. Besides, the Public Health Act provides
for compensation being made to him for damages,
and if he had placed himself under the protection of
that Act instead of listening willingly to those who
adviseilliini to raise difficulties, not only would he
have hail compensation pail him, but be would have
saved himself the grossly exorbitant charge of
.t2l 54. 3d.. fur connecting the drains of his
premises with the maim; sewer. no part
of such premises being at • greater distance
than thirty-three feet therefrom— a charge,
be it remembered, equal to about lfis, per foot.
I think, under the circumstances, I may venture
to ask whether Mr. Boffin has not indeed become
the victim of pretended friends, untied of a mai-
fice for the benefit of others.
With many apologies for troubling you,
I remain, Sir,
Your obedient servant,
MATTHEW DEVECISH.
Dorchester, let October, 1869.