The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-11-10 00:00:00

11 V Eutcnon,

Alderman Corium called attention to the proceedings
at the late municipal election, and moved • resolution
pointing out that the nomination of burgesses without
their knowledge or consent pots the borough to unneces-
sary expense, and suggesting that the legislature
should be petitienesl to amend the law so as to
require a candidate's written consent to make a
nomination valid, and to iinpose the penalty of Mot.. on
• candidate who failed to obtain one-tenth of the votes of
constituency. lie understood that out of mere mischief a
burgess was induced to nominate one person, and, before
the paper was sent in, three others were added, which
rendered a poll neeessarv, and put the tows to an OXPCIIIIO
zla (The Town flak : About £l5), Well,
even £l5 was too tutich to pay for such nonsense. He
wished to call the particular attention of the people out
of doors to the penalty they have to pay for flume idle
nominations. lilt RSA meant to contest n seat, all fair
anil right—fight any eanilidate they liked, hut a mere idle
nomination got up at a publie.house gossip—(the Town
lerk : Fr a glade of grog) is a disgraceful thing—niear,
hear). It inflicted on pimple the nuisance of having their
names brought before the public, and then being
apparently rejected with disdain. It was too had. Trailer
the Ballot Act there ma, no mere nominating of a man
and then letting him " for, when one more
Inl4 n 1111 l Mate.' than then: were seats to he filled. the
Ballot moms had to he printed, and all the machinery
provided for a regular election, which involved consider-
able esisome, linden those circumstances he thought it
waa ill-Onside that the law should he amended; but his
chief object was to call public attention to the matter,
that such pnmeedings might be discountenanced for the
future- -thear. hear).

—Alderman GaLprt remarked it was a great Annoyance to
iielividuals And also an expense for them to issue hand-
bills stating they were nominated without consent; and
then when the numbers of vocau were published, it
appeared to those bevond the borough thet only three or
four would vote for them. It was mean.t of annoronCe
whieh if carried to any extant would prevent respect46lll
men from going into the Council at all--fhear. bean,
Mr. STMONPS said the nominator toll hint he signed the
paper without knowing anything about It.
Mr. VEnNol, while concurring in the object of Mr.
Comnhs's proposal, took exception to inflicting the penalty
of posts on a candidate who did not receive one-tenth of
the votes of the constituency. He thought any burgess
who consented to be nominated had • perfect right to
submit himself to the constituency.
Mr. Coaxes said he did not stand on that: his only
desire was to ventilate the subject in order if possible to
discourage idle nomination..
Mr. VERSON suggested there might be persons it was
ilesimhle for the good of the town they should elect even
without their consent.
Alderman CoMllm submitted his motion in the follow-
ing amended form :—'That a practice existx in thin and
other Municipal lormighs of looking an idle nomination
of candidates for the without their consent or
knowledge, and with..ut in) sorhs intention of contest-
ing the seats. That by this Ira-ti-e the Borough in put
tat conliderable and wholly iinueeess.ry expense, and that
it is desirable to call the attention of the burgesses to this
fact ; and further. that it would be well that the law
should he amended in such manner as will check this
pritftic!."

Mr. I.2ra naked the actial expenge ,1 an election. Ire
ha,l hear,l say it wa; Ilnly C.. 1; but both £l5 and .C 25 were
tuentione.l.

.....
Tho Tow:i riga): stid the principle was tip:. AROIR
Mr. linone4 .aid the pritetice complained of required
r.oue retualv, and he siergesteri that Mr. Coombs amuld
draft a petition with a view to its presentation to Parlia-
ment kr the ioemlier for the borough.
Mr. Cooties thought thAt would not be much use unless
some municipal BM were before Parliament. But the
great thins was to discourage idle nominations. He had
not the slightestdesire toles:en the liberty of the burgesses
In regard to fair and intended contests
The MAYOR understood that the matter wan Included in
a Bill before the House last seasion, but there was not
time to consider it.
Mr. TURNRlsecondel the proposition, and it woe carried
unanimously.

.
FOOll, %MS.
Attention was called by Mr. Loot to the poivilbility of
certain fnotinthe being interfered with by the laying out
of the land between the South Walk and the South-
Wester, railway for building, and suggested the matter
should receive the attention id the Council.
Dr. A LIM OOP. mentioned that the road sketched on the
Plan was abandoned, and instead the Duchy would make
a frooNl roai tn the bottom of South-street to the railway
bridge. I e ivreil the Connell, from the conversation
he had had 'tit Mr. Iferriott, that the Purity hail no
11.,
wish to interfere with any rights or conveniences of the
inhahittnt& .

..... _.......—.
A conversation mined. .and it seemed to be the general
desire ti ro-oik•rate with the Duchy lo carrying out
arrangements for the imitil.ll AI lv:ititage of their temmts
and the inhabitants of the borough.

?DE Ngw FLIR PIRLD.
Dr. ALDRIDGE inquired if any ,•teps had boon taken to
g..t pewee...ion of Beggar's Keep, now that the lease of
the obi fair field had lausetk
The Towe (lieu said that about £1,400 would be
received from the insuntnce office on the policy of the late
Mr. tem!, and that he had arranged equiteMe terms for
the surrender by the occupying knout (Mr. Shepherd)
of Beggar's Knit)).