The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-10-03 00:00:00

THE FLAGS AT THE PIER.

Before commencing the business of the police-court
on Thursday manakin, the Mayor said he *boob' like
to ask • question respecting • statement he had seen
in the SAcrhorse Journal that morning—that a person
belonging to the coastguard WAS rent to haul down a
Bag from the post at the Pile-pier. Was such a state-
, mint true? The cuperiotendoot of Polio,: I have
not beard so. The Mow r I heard on the contrary
Is was not true. Di snort had been true lam sore the
authorities of this town would n.,ver have submitted
to such • gross insult. The whole conduct of this
man is before the Admiralty, and I have written to
the Town Clerk the following letter, which is open
for the inspection of the town. I cannot think for one
moment this statement is true. Toe Mayor then
handed the reporter of the Journal • letter which his
Worship had a.ii.ten to the Town Clerk, on which
the reporter assured his worship he hal been informed
on the spot the statement was true. The Superin-
tendent of Police: The tows sergeant says the flag
was hauled down. Mr. Roberts : I should not write
such statements without being int ,rmel as to their
truth. The Mayor: I am sure you would not, but
Ido not think this can En so. Why, the man must be
a candidate for a lunatic asylum. In order to solve the
question the Mayor sent for Mr. Cox, the c Aloc•or
toile at the pier, and, on his making h s appearance, the
Mayor said: Is it true that any omo came on the end
of the pier and pulled down the II or which we have
caused to be put there? Mr. Cox : Yer. The Mayor:
What lithe man's name? Mr. Con: Mr. Perry. The
Mayor: Who is that man? Mr. (Jon: The chi-f boat-
man at the coastguard station. The Mayor: When was
that Mx. COI : Last Friday was a week. The Mayor:
Why was that not reported tome? Mr. Con: I did not
know at the time it was pulled down. Ihe Mayor
Did he pay any toll? Mr. Con: No; he came to the
lower end of the pier in • boat. Toe Mayor: What
right has he there? Issue at once a summons against
him for the toll and try the question. You ought to
have reported such • thing to me. Is this man out of
his mind? Don't you allow, Al long as you are the
collector, any person to commit such an act as this
again • if so, your situation will be in jeopardy. No
man gas • right to pull down such a flag. Is the man
out of Ms senses? I have asked you the question—he
dil not pay toll? Mr. Con: He landed from a boat
and wk..' it I had a right to host the flar, and I said
I had. The Mayor : You ought to have smt for •
policeman and removed him from the place. What
came of the flag? Mr. Cox: He I,ft it on the form.
The Mayor : And did you fetch it away? Mr. Con:
Yes. The Mayor: Hoist any flag by toy orders. Mr.
Hoboes : If the man comes again send for • policnnan
and take him in custody. The letters on the subject
are as follow :

"Doer Sir, —I think it • gra' presump noun set for ear
man holding the simple position of a roli.eornmissloned
diaer to take upon hicuself to write to the Mayo. and C tr•
poral ion of thin Borough 'ease:tins' that wears dying foCi
contrary to law. ' and thyt he gives us notice that it mu.t
not again be hoisted. In other words, ,betytiog to us. It
shows tl, ignorance as well as the presumption of thy
man, and then he couples with it • threat that if it is hoiated
again it wculd be. his duty to haul it down. Fancy this
Individual taking upon himself not only to diet ite, but to
threaten, ant then tell, no what to do unless we have a
grant. The whole thing is such tutrage to gout taste, as
well sa intuiting, that I must request you to bring the
matter before the Admiralty, in order ttat such a man by
removed from this totality, or at least that a satisfaet .ry
as well as (Luther ortolacy be given. I should be wanting
in the dignity of the odic° of Mayor of this town if I
allowed it to pus. There is no knowing what much •
potion may do next.
" Yours faithfully,
"it. N. IIOWLID. Mayor.

"To the Town Clerk."
Him Worship also writes to no thno :
Dear Eith—Unt.l reading the Sharborna Journal of
to-day I was ,not aware that the flag at the end of the
Pier had been actually lisub,l &awn. I send yin a letter
I had written to the Town Clerk, the c,intents of which
will ,peak for theroselvee, and I mud tisk you kindly to
publish it in your next number. I should be wanting in
my duty to my fellow-townsmen if I allowed for one
moment such an Moult on our town to pass unnoticed.
I am,
Yours ti
R. N. HOWARD.
Greenhill House, 28th Sett-tuber, 1882-

A few days ago a gentleman, believed to be of very high
Vending. and of course ti he fully acquainted with what
he was talking about, striated the c ;Hector of the Pile- '
nier toll., Mr. Ca at • two when either the White
Ensign, the Union Jack, or one of them, were flying from
the staff at the rod of the Pile-pier, and asked him if he
knew that for flying( that flu he was liable to • penalty of
£5OOl Mr. COI replied that heal nit know but that they
were allowed to fly it on land, that he hal flown it in the
presence of captains sod admirals of the Royal Navy, that
Prince Arthur had posted it whit- II un, as had Admiral
KR_ IL the Duke rot E linliurgh, and the Prime Minister
t at landed on the Pier not far oil : Vitt the flu had been
flying all the sorniner, and hail nen— le-n noticed before.
The gut • loan wiled the flog sa..l'rgal. and on Friday
the C ised ctnie over and haul ol the flog down, Mr.
P,-rry, the Chi.f Officer, Info-nail g Cx, who thanked
trio, but 0. mt•ked—vrhether inwerd'y or outwardly we
don't keow—thst he noel not I are t•irso the trouble, for
he (Mr ('ox) would have hauled it down himself if he had
known in time. Mr. Perry ehq iired who was the collector's
employer, and was referred to Vie Town Clerk. Mr.
Perry, u Chief of the Coastguard, Alen wrote to the Town
Clerk. complrining of the use 0' the Union Jack
and While Ensign, and stating that, according to the
Queen's ReautiVions, they could not be used except a
grant had been ina le for the purpue. Mr. Polly Hooper
hut og brought the mettle to the no ice of the Mayor and
C rpoution. went, to the Chief Ottleer, desiring htm to
draw his et tuition to the particular Q. 10110.11 regulat on to
which he referred, and ales to the Lords of the Admiralty.
stating the circumstances, among other things that the
flag had been 113 WEI fnr many years on the Pile Pier and in
the Gard, a., ant ,45 inn to be Wormed of the special Act
of Parlitnie• tint' which the Chief ()Blur ac•ed.
Thl mere. p in lens of acute mI,Of ary put forth the follow-
ing VOI,I '-el elat itnent :—" English and French colows.
a•ntitetusn• as. bun aflor I-1 to the
✓e•identt etri OISIIOr. at IV/multi by th, flues flown in
the ettlT at th • end tif the pier, which belongs to the
Municipalite For wome tins, past the white ensign of hie
Mnjestya fleet not the Uniin Jack, which is the fighting
flog. anl which Mil perttins specially to the admiral of
th, ricer, hove adorned the entrance of the harbour, to
the mut semen t of t-tre who know that a penalty of .C. 500
was Ineorred, even by those who assisted in hoisting (hi
shove Bus without proper authority and warrant. Her
NI *jute' verse!" and the admiral of the fleet alone cso fly
Vie UM iii Jerk proper. • white to•der being wiled for
the use of this du by the Merchant Service for signalling
OW, The used the white ensign has by special warrant
f the A lintrslty hems granted to those member+ of the
Rual Yacht Squadron who own yachts of a ceitsin aixt
mid who blue applied formally f r this warrant No
Whir yacht owners have this priviage, hut to various
other yacht clubs hos tho A. imtrilty grant al warrant. to
fly the blue ensign ot her MUssty's ft es, withoit which
wurant thou nein( it hew the runt penalty as those
flying the white en•lgn. On Monday lint 'ho Coastguard
• fliclala informed the municipal authorities the taw of
thou eutigns and flags cold not be psrmitted, as beiag
wawa the reculations laid down in the ureic, book.
Answer was r t wend to the eustgurird (hot what du
they pleased should be hoistet. It was then intimated If
the pr hilt,. I nut wi iiiaplayed a b-at's crew should
be sent nit t • haul them down and coulters t • them. Now
comes the best, or rather the worst, part of the story, A
French ensign was hoisted in lieu of those culture that
were fueled to the chief authority of the town. It is to
be htped thou lulus of Radicalism and distutt for all
Put pei tains (OR ,yllty Oat are so common in the present
age did not prompt the authorities of Weymouth to fly
the French ensign at a deliberate insult to all loyal sub-
kvits who agl, ry in that branch of her Majesty's strvios
whose flat had been so unlawfully flown. tYlist roust
have turn the act .nts moot sn.l feelings of • F-ench sib.
loot at vein) he French Republicto ensign flying ox the
offl flirtattlf nf an Engliii) p-rt I Let as all hope this
ocrurreno was unintentional ; but in any can let us also
hope it will nit happen again.
" AL

" Weymouth. 11Ith Reptomber, 1592 "
nig het had Y. nit t ire rip red by the following lettur,
received by out TOlllll Clerk :
'' Str.— lam comieunded by my Lurds. C nint'ssi'mrre
of the daml.-shy, to acknowledge the recrld a your
frtter of h I It husk, encloeing c pv of • le ter da'ed
15th idensfrom theehiel Officer itf the Coast 13 turd at Wert
moth, respecting certain filo flown on the I' or in Wey-
mouth II isrbuy, and in reply I am to acqnsint y u that
the Chief 018 ter of Yie Curut Guard has no autlinfity to
interfere with any flam hoisted on shore.
"".4. Turco.
" I am, B.r, your Obedient_ Sery
__

" Polly Hooper, Esq., Town Clerk's Oaks, tuquin."
It only renriina to Iv .-id that while the e.illeotor
remained in doubt. he, by nay of dc irating to I' or Hod,
hoisted the trico!our A note in the Skiff inq G.: *l'd laso
diseases of Om mytterlims gentleman'. imam s oot