The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-08-04 00:00:00

PROTEC7IO.V (If YiIPM: GIRLS.

A most enthusiastic and influentially immiorteti
meeting of male inhabitants warn held in toe Town
Hall on tionday evening, under the chairmanship of
his AVorship the Mayor, to petition Parliament for
such amendments in the Criminal Law Amendment
Kill now before Parliament, as may conduce to the
better protection .4 young girls. A requisition. an
which the ReVA. H. L Carpenter and E. Francis
took aii active work, was signed by clout $0
Wits, and was immediately presented to the Mayor, ,
',questing I to convene a public meeting. The '
response .4 the Mayor was at 011ee desirable and
practical, for in compliance with such request he
munislistrly convened the meeting. details of which
we now publish.
. . .

Suppi;rting the Mayor on the plathirm were the ex•
Mayor (Mr. Stittilli, Rev.. E. .1. L. B. ilen.lowe, S.
•S. lieddle, H. L. Carpenter, E. Franci.. P. B. Wellor
M ,
id ‘I kle..re. .1. A. Collin., If. Howell. F.
W. Marshallsay, and H. Kendall, and towards the
front were Messrs C. I:. Nantes, W. H. Chick, A.
Nfeeeh, C. Edmund., J. Beach, and other.. McKee.
%V. .1. Bain sent a letter explaining his sympathy with
the meeting and hi. inability to attend. The meeting,
which wam a very large one, appeared moot unanimous
throughout, and hailed the mentiments of the various
opeakeni with heartfelt appinume.
The NIA volt expressed hi. entire willingne** to mill
mit+ a meeting together, am it was a highly important
matter, lie remarked on the abominable atrocities
of which they had heard lately, and the neosnity to
use all our Mlldea V nu,. to eradie.te them. His
Worship milled on the rector .1 Bridport, who nrwed
a resolution, the effect of which is embodied in the
resolutinn we notice farther on.

. .
Mr. Hittratonit remarked that this meeting TAY
called irraappative of all grades of religion and polities.
(Hmt, bear.) What they had lately heard WU as
horrible s. It Wa. possible to hr. anti he had hoped
that the full details of these horrors should be pub•
lished as they had been.
. .

The rise, mem was 'es:smiled by Mr. HUTTILL., J P
who tni.t...l that the re...lntim). passed that night
would streturthen the hands of the Government He
nmeiyed a letter expeessite .4 syniputhy with
that evening's work from their Town Clerk. sAle
plauso.l
%IT .1. A. l'am.i.iNa supported the resolution. He
felt that the revelations Iliad.. recently had camped ilia
ears of England to tingle. 1111,1 it ti.. wed all to ,aim
themselves in array /10111 11.1 iMell it system. It woo a
pulite/A which rose above
.party isilititrn and theology.
l'arliaitient twist make CHUMP this,. ...Mil to paas the
neresmry acts. It WA. at only in lointion that
legialation siwh as this wait needed i it wadi required
in the provinces as well. Ile noticed that even in
their own btrrets on Monday nights the lor,eayslittfm
4114 well, disgraceful -Shear, hear' —and
prov.wative .4 it iiiii orality. Eici>. parent should do
all Ilmt is is sisible to ~it iloa 1; such • terrible evil
whiell ii .N. at tneir very doors.
The resolution was 111111/11i1111111•Iy CArriA.
TI,. Ikv K. 14. C.l Otritlill3t, NI. A., referretl to this
courage .4 that veteran philanthropist, lewd Hhaftes.
bury, in *ltch • wiwk M. this. The Nit .vaii
had showes nil this horrible itw which existed, and
what should Iw ;lone to tar. il,. s ictims. They
believed that tilt. raisin* .4 the age of pnituc from
15 to is wrathi meet with general confidence. If au
i• taken itwity an.l seditissl ler age it Wit• ii
felony, They Witliteill in their
it witrn i•Arelitlitily • w.ickjilig
iwt a.. Wadi for the young nem Mi for LIM. piling
a-Mural. EillitY•willig lillitiwll glad that such
hearty public sentiment existed in the matter, he
Imo ell that the followiiiir letision it forward,'
" That tlie following petition le signixl by the chair.
num .ill lwhaif of the m.i.t .1,4 Is. forward,' I,y
him for presentation to Warti,ll. Emi.Llll‘.llllwf
for this —To Ow honourable the u.ntiliona
of t ;rest Itritain and I tx.l.itel it, Parliament assembled,
the bitiithle letition inhabibutts .4 Ilrillport,
assemble,l iti their Town Ilan at it public attesting,
e,eivene,l by the Mayor, in compliance with is nuttier.
mt. end itillitential requisition, rhowetli that >lair
petitik,ners hay e Willi alill,,rnmot..4 the crones
perpetrated 1111 girls 111 tender age, att.l Of the hlllll/1.
of Ih.' law AO protect i 11... who most need its
safegniiril. That they learn with satisfaction that a
now your Hlistie which
extend,. the age .4 iina.s.ti.in to girls which attaches
t., th,. guilt .4 ...timers, imemeers, iwo•
~ urtswe... atitl brothel keepers-- which make. provision
n•pressi inintoral solicitation .ni the 'tart of use , as
well a' of within the Nletrepolitati police
district —a provision which; shoal he extended
tlinewli the kimpli u, ati,l which enables pan.nta
frivirtll,lll. to obtain w.trranta to search for girls con•
mailed for unlawful Ivo-poses. Th..r may, llowever,
that such parentrn or atutrilians limy be entitled b. AC.
CIIIIIII6IIY the Pelle/. Att 111 his searelt. Your
petitioners believe n.
that by raising the age of protection
fur girls the ' offences avast! the 'tenon Act ' of
1575 was a public benefit ; MR they earnestly hope
that your honourable Hllllll4. will 'mend the Hill now
before it, to as to extend this tw,teaqtion to the age of
la. Your petitioners regret the hindrance,. which
have delayed the enactment .4 this priiteathiirm nieweire,
and 'way your honourable .e H. to la it in the
levee:it assision. And your petitioners will ever (pray,
. . .

Mr. A. Sliter.ti 5..-conded, referring to this . most
horrible vice made imblic through the medium of the
Pall Mall iicurn,, and he trusted the evil wonld be
effectually checked. The object .1 the endeavour
toward this end was to let the am. of Protection be
raised from 15 to la and to obtain a search warrant for
parents ittlostartlis to discover those who WOIN)
under "11 The Bin lIPPInd to MU a. well