The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-10-14 00:00:00

SERIOUS CHARGE AGAINST AN
_ _ ASSISTANT OVERSEER.

At the Borough Police Court on Tuesday, before
T. Abbott, Esq., and J. E. Robens, Esq.
James Pa,sons, the assistant overseer of Wyke Regis,
who did not appear, was charged with the non•pay•
ment of the sum of LAOD 4s. 2ed., the certified balance
due from him on account of poor rates collected by
him, and which he has failed to account for.
Mr. G. B. Welsford said : I appear in this case on
behalf of Mr. Trask, of the Somerset and Wilts Audit
District, in which the Weymouth Union is situa-
ted. As the accused does not appear, I shall apply
fore warrant to be issued.

-
The Bench peMed the application, and a warrant
was acrdingly issued for his apprehension.

CHURCH OF ENGLAND TEMPERANCE
SOCIETY.
. _ .

The winter session or the Holy Trinity branch of this
society was opened on Thareday evening by a public
meeting in the Weymouth Coffee Tavern. The attendance
was large and infitieutiaL The Rev. J. D. Addison was
unfortunately unable to be present, but in his absence
the chair wee taken by the Rev. W. S. Sbuttleworth, the
Secretary. There were ids oath. platform—the Worship-
ful the lloyoe O. Z Eliot, Zen.), Rev. J. Stephenson
Moral Dean), Rev. H. Baser (Vicar of Ramsbury), Dr.
Lash, Dr. Nathan, and o..donel Lox, R.R.
The Camellias said than were on the books 41 members
under clam A, and 48 members under dam B, the former
being those who were called the "temperate" members,
and the latter the total abstainers, making altogether 81
adult members. They had elm &few younger persons on the
=but he never premed children to join. He bad
ore only 15.8 present on his children's book. He
could easily swell that number op, but be did not so much
care for that. They took them la at 16 at an age when they
were roalrsted by thc Church, sad considered to be old
enough to confirm tisk own vows and promiess. That
ism time enough, and a good time be thought to take this
additional one with this special object in view. He did
not take any pledge from any young children, but if they
liked to join they oould.
The Karon, is tbe course of an exceedingly temperate
address, said he knew perfectly well what wretchedness
and calamine.e followed la the wake of the drinking
habite of the people of this country. He quoted the
instance of • workhouse in London, where there happened
to he • very sensible sat of guardians, who showed their
MOO in WO WO • rh•Y bud sou* into the subject of the
elect of alcoholic drinks, and had ciAns to the conclusion
that alcoholic drink was not essential to life, and was not
I matter of importance in the way of food to their bodies.
It so h.ppe.od there wea a doctor appointed at the union
where them guardians had authority, to whom they pro-
pounded their ideas, and they found in him one who
Maid to their views, and entirely sympathised
with the.., and an they determined to try the
experiment and see if the theory could be carried Out Of
not. This was • large union, but the guardians did not
lay down • hard and feat lb.; they did not say they
would act strictly on teetotal principles and would not
alba any alcoholic drink in the ii on, but the doctor
said U he thought it was essential for his patient. to have
spirits no medicine they should have them. A month or
two since • report was publiabed of the first year'. work
and its results. Before the new system waa tried the
drink bill for the onion waa between 4:800 and COO for
twelve months, or rather more than fil • day for each of
It. inmate& Last year the &Usk bill was only IS 1.58.
Rat they might way Tee it is all very well to knock off
that from the poor people, bat how did they get cm r In
comparing the death rate of that union with one similarly
situated In Loadvn, where the drink bill for the same
period of the year amestated to sea, a. egrets', £8
In the other, it wee teed the death rate in the latter was
only Wpm thememill et the Inmates, whilst In the other
I It urea IS per thouseed.se that the other unfits had reduced
their death rate to I.ld But there was stall a more extra-
result arising from
thisregress. Is this union
:stag old lona, who had been bedridden there over J
periods extending from one to seventeen year., and during
all the time these old ladles bad been bedridden they bad
had their beer had sometimes brandy m well every day.
became It was thought necismary for sustaining their
feeble power" in their old age. When the new doctor came
he said " Well, to any out our theory we mat stop this;
I don't think it is " was done, and In
twelve months army one bedridden old ladies
itet up well, began to work again, well's(' about, and not
on. cared to stop in bed any longer. (Great laughter.)
He had no doubt If the same prem.* was tried throughout
other unions a great many bedridden people would be only
too glad to be up and about their work. It might be said
" Why don't you try this in the Weymouth Union r They
were doing so, and fortunately they had • doctor there
who oolocided with this view or the matter, and wee •
gentleman who had spoken at similar meetings to to.
present In Weymouth. He had told them kis experzonn
and he was most careful indeed ails the amount of
which be allowed his patients, and there was not a union
in the whole of linglaad where the inmates were better
01, healthier. or mere thoroughly cared for than in the
Weymouth Unarm. The Meanies of theee SO ad Molds
improved, they took in more solid food, the bread con-
'empties imrsaiesd, and they became healthier and
stronger. Seek • fact se that went • long way in his mind.
Here the tees was thoroughly tried &mama • copulation
of ease OM or MO people, under the most trying
stmees, and had proved that alcoholic liquors were not
seamary for heal
The Rev. H. Rama then delivered a long and interest.
log address. There never was • time in the history of the
country when such meetings were more needed than
they wen now. It was not because the sin of
latemperance we. greater, but that the facts oar
owning Intemperance had been brought to light
a way they never were before. Take the mere fact of I
that Ira great report brought out by the Convocation of 1
Canterbury, then there was the second report from the
same body, and last of all there was the report of the
, House of Lord. °Malta,' on intemperance. which!
' embodied three large volumes of evidence. In this report '
they had the facts brought Ware them in • way they had
/NOM been before, and that greatly incremed theirrespon-
sanity. There eras • wonderful &Hermes of feeling now
to what there wee • few years ago. In the Met Synod of
&Haw,, five or six years ago, at the particular request
of the Bishop of Salisbury, and with his distinct sanction j
and approval, he moved that there should be • branch ofJ
thri society established in the diocese It was inst with
decided °Mosinee, but directly the lamellae Wee over.
several the most prominent members came to him and
asked him to being the matter forward &gab. He did..
and they now had not only • branch of the society, but •
Board of their own to superintend it. The society was
growing rapidly lathe diocese, The Osetral Committee
at Salisbury had persuaded three Archdeacon:us to
establink its own metal commingle, and the mark was
bow mdelip but iamb carried oa. iambus.)

Cocoszt. Con had been free* occuPtad by
ticwar thought. The Mayer had given 'bum • 4."4!1t
fact, which bad occupied his thvoghts, via , those 30 old
ladies. He should like to know what basalte of them
(Laughter.) But apart front that he could mot help admir-
ing the boldness of the Mayor, and consrateisting the
swiety at having euch a hold man on their side. Out of
pitch a large meatier not even one old gentleman.
(L•oghter.) He, therefore, hoped the ladirs present
would resolve in a body to vindicate their own cans., and
wipr off the aspersion on their character—for thme 30
represented the Wit* la goneral—try becoming teetotaler..
(Liiighter.) A great accusation like this most be mat by •
very radical cure, and be proposed that curs.
If they could only get th• ladies on their eide
the question was settled. (Uear. hear.) He had seen
is ti va Standard • critique on Mr. Bremen's recent
work "Labour." and he would quota a remark from
the work, which was as follow.:—" K sland bee nothing
to fear in the long run, so long as she ens sustain the
power of labour, the power of her working people. which
is greater than any other nation in the world." But Mr.
Brassey also made this remark "Keen English labour
surfers great disadvantage on account of the habits of
intemperance. If she could only gct rid of this intemper-
st.os we should haTe nothing to fear as • nation from the
competition of the whole world." (Hear, bear.)
Kr. Rosin, said meeting as they did that night,
beginning as they did the campaign forlthe pressiathimmon,
ha believed all present were mu at heart with them in
order to help them accomplish the great object, which
they had at heart, If everyone in their several spheres
were to become mismoneriee in the work, extending the
infloenos of their example around them, who knew what
each might do in saving the fallen? If they could, by
their own example, bring others who were in that dreadful
state, to which they had been brought by intanaperanx—
if they could bring such out of the depths in which they
were found, it would indeed be • great happiness. He
orsed them all to do what they could to stem the tile if
intemperance—not say "Am I my brother's keener!" but
rather ask " What can I do to remedy this state of
things?" (Applause.)
The Rey. J. Stwriumion addressed the meeting Tery
briefly and expressed his strong approval of the objects
ol the.society.
. .

Dr. Lusa thanked the Cheirman for the me which be
had made of the room. Ile wished G•nt speed to the Wey -
mouth branch of the Church of England Temperance
Esaietr. (APPISaaa)
Ti.. mooting oaacluded in th• usual way.