The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-01-11 00:00:00

ni4DTtil AND BUILDINGS.

HAIIHRO read this report
AL a meeting 14 the mean:Ottee hell this day :—Present,
the Earl of Etiott, Mr H. Williams. Mr 11. P. Oundry. Mr John
Ilryler, Captain Goodden, and Slr C Ilambro the bills for the
quarter ending Michaelmas were examined and found recelpted.
The bills for the quarter ending Christman; tell were examined
and ordered to be lab!. Brilges. tirtit Seal: gaol, CH Ss lid;
• fa 15. 4,1 ; house. £.l 8. &I ; Justice-rooms, An fa Sri;
Surveyor'. Wary. £51—g373 IS. ii; for works in hand,
£44 Is 4,1 —1417 Ins ; deduct balance in hand, £l7 19.
total teen Your committee regret to say that a new bridge
must be built over the River Axe to replace the old one which
has been entirely ilintruyed by the Mirada that occurred last
✓ummer &vend plans and tenders for bridges in Iron and
masonry have been laid before your committee, and having
considered these, they woul I recommend the Court to adopt
the plans of an iron bridge, which have been laid before them
by the County Surveyor, the cost of which he e.timates will be
about £I,IOO. On account of this sum I shall have to ask the
Court to grant £BOO at the next pensions in addition to the sum
of 11100 already asked for. Owing to the death of Mr King,
the contractor for the repair of roadways In the Sturntlnster
district, an estimate fur the mann work from Mr Taylor, the
district surveyor, has been obtained and scented The COM-
mitt.* and chairman for the ensuing year to be appointed."
With reference to the record room, Mr. Hambro said that
boles formerly made for the purpose of ventilation had
been stopped up some years ago, and they proposed to put
ventilating shaft, lie had received several letters from
magistrates, recommending Mr. Taylor, who it appeared
was the only persos that could be obtained to attend to
the bridges. At the same time he observed that Mr.
Taylor's estimate for doing the work wee somewhere
about .ClO in excess of what they had previously pall.
The CHAIINAN said that before the report was palmed,
there were some matters the court would wish to know
something more about. As to the record room, It might
be necessary that the plan should be approved to the
cusses rotutormis of the county, and on that condition the
Court would allow the work to he done. He also suggested
it would be desirable, if Lord Shaftesbury thought well
of it, that two or three magistrates should assist the Clerk
of the Peace to examine the records, because he had been
told there were among them a mass of paper, which took
up a great deal of room, but were utterly useless. The
examination should be made with a great deal of care,
and John Batten, who was an excellent archeologist, and
• very skilful man, would perhaps kindly lend his help In
examining these PsPent
Mr. Hail sin said the papers were in a very bad state;
but the committe had no evidence to prove they were not
In that state when they were put in the record room.
It was resolved that Ur. John Batten should be
requested to mist in the examination of the records.
The CsAtawas, passing to the matter of Axe Bridge,
said that was • very serious question, and the Court would
excuse him if he said they ought to take a very good
opinion on the subject W ithout the least disrespect to
Mr. Fletcher, he would say they found another bridge
had been certified by him lobe efficiently and satisfactorily
completed, vet the surveyor had not seen the necessity of
having land arches, to carry off any large flood of water,
and therefore he did say, and he must say it strongly that
the Court ought to have the opinion of morne very skilful
man, and while deprecating any attempt to lower Mr.
Fletcher's abilities, he would say, the opinion of some
more eminent man. He was convinced that unless they
had provision for land arches, they would not be able to
carry off the water in that valley when the heavy flood
came again, and he did not like the idea of spending
£l,lOO, with the chance of having the bridge all washed
away again
The Court resolved, in accordance with his Lordship's
suggestion, to take the opinion of some eminent surveyor
before completing the bridge.
The bridge and building colutuittee, Mr. Ilambro, chair-
men, were then renpnointed.

BROAD 1111.1 Del.
The Cixaic of the PIC4Cv then reel along report respect-
ing Broad bridge, On which the opinion of Mr. Cunningham
then had been askod. The history of the bridge was fully
gone Into, and it appeared that there was fou erly an old
dilapidated structure, heretofore repaired anrclnialntained
by Lb. late Colonel Bragg.. By the action of highway
bards in the neighbourhood, and with the 'sentence of
subscriptions and of the Court, the old bridge was milled
down and another built, but about 15ft. froru the old foun-
dations. The counsel examined the circuinstancea under
which it was thought to be •county bri4e, part belonging
to Somerset, and part to Dorset; and thought there
no liability on the county of Dorset to contribute to wttlas
repair of the part which was in Somerset. In consequence
the Clerk of the Peace recommended the Court to take no
further action in the matter.
The ellAllanon raid he had thought it best to ascertain
to what length the County Surveyor had gone in the
matter, in giving his certificate. lie had examined the
certcate, and he should be sorry to have to defend an
indictment with that certificate to pot I.efore the Court,
because the Surveyor certified that the bridge had been
built to his entire satisfaction, although the approach on
Use Somerset side was by an embankment, instead of flood
arches. Ma advice to the Court was to do nothing. They
must hope the bridge was sufficiently subetantial to hold
its oven for a considerable time, and that the coed sense of
the ewe who formed the Highway boards adjoining would
be sufficient to induce them to put the flood archm it
eree possible that by indictment they might be compelled
he pet the flood arches, because at present there was an
obanietton; but It was doubt/al wit, should prate the
ctment He asked the Court to allow him to see what
ieuld be done by • little friendly intercourse with the