The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-11-06 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH MUNICIPAL ELECTION.

Eleven candidates stood the ordeal of an election
contest for the wen vaciincies in the Town Council.
The proceeding+ were marked by • degree of liveliness
which would not otherei.e have been the case. by the
recent animated discuseione on unitary matters, for
through that the "compact" was broken. and candidates
were brought forward on an "independent bests," yet
"operation." in the "sugar market" were eery difficult
to be effected. . . _

... —......---
Throughout the morning the polling in both wards was
languid, but as the day advanced considerable excite-
ment obtained, and during the Mat hour of the polling
a great ntah was made.

DILCOMBI REGIS WARD.
The members retiring through expiration of °Moe
were Moira Leo., Maunders, Harper, and Coacher ;
the latter having left the town was of course not eligible
for re-election. Messrs. Luce and Meanders presented
themselves to 6,11 the vacancy they had vacated. There
were also Merors. Betts, Darling, 8. Brown, and R.
Commina, **pliant" for the four mats, the latter put-
ting forward for Mr. Coacher's recency, by whom he
was ousted at • former election. There mu also an
extraordinary vaccine', to fill, occasioned by the election
of Mr. Harem alideman. For this Mr. Harper and
Mr. Chalker were put in nomination. Hera Lace,
Meanders. Harper. Hailing, and Bette. had a joint
committee room at the Golden Lion Hotel, while Messrs.
Commina, Chalker, and Brown, sought accommodation
at the Crown Hotel. The poll opened at nine at the
Guildhall, Mr. J. Milledee being the ward alderman,
and Moan. G. Read and It. Reynolds the assessors.
At four o'clock the Ward Alderman said be would
attend in his place the following morning at half-past
nine, and declare the result.—Mr. Wallis said he was
requested by several voters to ask that the voting papers
be pat coder seal until the morrow.—Mr. Milledge, in
reply, said that the Town Council had thought proper
to appoint him ward alderman, and be would do his
duty. —(heat, hear).—The assembly then separated.
At halifimat nine on Friday the ward alderman and
the assessors took their seats. On the opening of the
donee the hall was speedily filled. The proceedings
were comparatively of an orderly nature.
The WARD ALD AAAAA thanked those who attended
the poll for their kindoem, their good humour, and the
rorrent in elsiek they deltwor,d lobeir votes. H.
stated the result of the poll as follows, and asked the
elected candidates to be as brief as possible in their
address* :—For the ordinary vacancies: Boling, 283;
Cominina, 268 ; Betts, 247 ; Lam 244;; Maunder., 241;
Brown. 201. For the extraordinary vacancy: Harper,
201 ; Chalker. 192. He, therefore, declared Messrs.
Boling. Commies, Belt*, Lam, and Harper, duly
elected—(cheers).
Mr. Beaux° said he thought be should Lave been in
time to hear the declaration of the poll; but the ward
alderman was very punctual, which MY • good trait in
his character. He (Mr. Berlin() found they had done
him the honour of placing him at the top of the poll, and
he thanked them for it. He would accept the conal.
Inlay, and do his best for the good of the town hear,
Lear). He thought it would not be amuse if he referred
• little to the election of yesterday. He knew the course
of conduct he had adopted had been the muse of alienat-
ing • 'treat many of his friends and those who would
otherwise have voted for him. People did aot like what
was called the compact—l' no, no"). He would there-
fore 'eve them • history of the compact Ile must lint
of all take ahem back to the eve of the last general
election. The eve of a general election in Weymouth
was, without any exception, • "black eve"—(bear hear).
The time came to about eleven at night, and it was
found in many cases nembers of voters, and amongst
those persons more advanced in position - yes, Mary
street tradesmen with plate glee windows, were found
to be saying "give, give"—(hear, hear). About eleven
a message came from the ronservative camp, saying
"This will not do; we must have a compromise. A
menage was returned from the Liberal camp, saying
"It will not do; we must have a compromise. But let
it be fair ; let us have it not only in general elections,
but in municipal mothers.. welL"—( voice: " t was
a disgrace to them.") They would bear in mind that
the four outgoing councillors at this time were all from
the Conservative camp. Tho answer was, "very well;
we will not only have a oompromin in regard to •
general election, but we will not pat forward more than
two men at the next municipal election"—(laughter).
And they did only put forward two men from the
Conservative camp; they nominated Mr. Lace and Mr.
Maunders —Mr. Liam, the largest hotel proprietor in
the town, and one who, if taxed, would be taxed
heavily indeed. They also put forward Mr. Meanders,
the representative of • large commercial fine - the
Steampacket Company; and he contended they were
both fit and proper men. Than the Conservative ramp
sated up to their very word ;in only putting forward two
proper men they acted up to the letter and spirit of their
compact, and he had no other coarse than to join with
them. They obteined no good men as they maid and,
and he felt himself honoured in going with the four who
had been nominated. He was not by any means ashamed
of what he had done. Hie own conscience did not con-
demn him, and am long ache preserved his erlf.respect
he did'ot care that (mapping his fingers). Lest week
he took a very prominent part in the meeting held with
regard to the drainage of the town. He would potion
done so if he had not entertained strong opinions with
respect to the matter. Be should not have ventured to
oppose Mr. Hawksley, a gentleman who had a large
reputation and knowledge respecting town drainage;
but having his own views he would just state them in a
few words. The question of drainage in Weymouth was
altogether a question of °Wall. What Mr. Hawkaley
wished lode was to concentrate ill the sewage in one
particular spot in the Backwater and let it out at certain
levels of the tide. He dared my that might have done;
but it would be a very expensive emeern, and be
thought he could give them something very much
better. Before stating this be would ask them what
was the sewage of the town It was compose I almost
entirely of water and vegetable matter; the mineral
matter was very smell indeed. He had the highest
autliority in the land—that of Dr. Letheby—who
said that if the sewage was kept covered with water,
it was not only not hurtful, but formed positive
food for an immense army of little earivengert Galled
iefasoria, who oonaumed it, and who in their turns
became food to larger animals. Hie plan was
to deepen the Backwater, and let the water cover
the whole of the sewage, and that the outran
should be always oovered. The oudall should be taken
into deep water, and then they would never bear
any more about the sewage. If the sewage was allowed
to he exposed to the atmosphere it would become
corrupt and smell; but if covered with water there
would be none. In this way the drainage would be of
great advantage to the town. He thought the most
simple, and indeed ocly plan, was to form some com-
prehensive scheme for excavating the Backwater,
placing what was excavated monad the sides. They
would at once get immediate amelioration, and what
was taken out of the Backwater could be used foe
making land for building purpoese near the gas house.
Thus in a little time, sad by a moderate expenditure,
they might get a beautiful dry walk around the Back-
water, and in the winter a drive for those people who
visited the town. As he wss now in the Council, he
should take an early opportunity of bringing such •
scheme forward. In conclusion, he again thanked the
elector' for the position they had placed him in, and be
would endeavour to discharge the trust reposed in him
—(cheers,.
Mr. COMMIS said this was the fourth time he had
been returned as • Councillor, an honour for which on
the present occasion he tendered them his thanks. His
life had been before the town for 40 year", and his sets
in the Corporation must have satisfied the bargemen,
°therein they would not have ameba him again
(Mplame). Ile should follow the same course again
, —(renewed applause). With respect to Mr. Berling'•
plan about the backwater, he might say he had had that
piss in his shop window eve veers ago. As their worthy
alderman had said them to. "out it short," he would
oiilysayhelatesdedtodohieduty;lf he did not, lilt
Woo Pm hint eal---(applatupe).

Mr. Beers said he stood het. ee them as se untried
men, and he had been told in the letegrairt that he
"should have to wait &little longer." He had, however,
to thank them that morning as an untried man for the
trust they had placed in him in oonAding their interests
—which were thoroughly identical with hi own—to his
care for the nest three years. Be wou'al attend the
meetings cf the Council regularly, and woald endeavour
to study the economy in the town funds, but he would
not spare the pence where he saw many pounds could be
seved—(applause.) lie wan not a NI•11 of talk, but lie
hop d hia votes would please them during the three
years he was in offi,e, and that as a new broom lie
should swe-p ni clean that they would be glad to have
him back again at the end of three ye es —(laughter.)
In concluahin, he said he thanked them once again for
the position in which lie was placed, which WAS all the
more gratifying to his feelings because he Ind not asked
for a vote. He would do his bait in his new position,
and endeavour to deserve their eontideace--(applause.)
Mr. S. Blows. in response to several calla. *aid he
was proud that his brother burgesses had placed him in
such a position as to show him that there were 200 honest
independent voters in Westmeath —(applause.) When
lie considered the host which has been raised up against
him, and that every nook arid corner in the town had
been raked by cooncillers to carry their clique, then he
maintained they had achieved • noble victory indeed—
(cheers.) They indeed achieved a noble victory, because
the clique was broken—(renewed cheering.) That did
a gentleman. and • member of the Council, tell him last
night? He said "Brown, I did wrong, forgive
me. I did t with my eyes Ant and my hands tied."
Theme were the sort of men they had in the Council.
They found they could mot early independent men
themselves, and so Liberals and Conservatives went
together hand in hand to buy the indepeedence of the
votes —(cheers : and a voice) "[doubt it;" "Nonsense,"
"Stuff"). Talk about bnbery and corruption, whereS
did they come from? Why from the lawyers' offices—
(bear, hear, OAR a voice: "That's it"). In bye-gone
days they had pocketed the whole blunt—(l4oonm)
and when they law that their craft waa in danger, they
said "we will now act the dog in the manger. We will
form a tromped, and the if we can't choke down the
throats of the town four men—two and two, mind—
without any choiee of the town."—(laughter and cheer).
Whether they were dogs or blaeklegs, whatever they
might bo, the town must have tlnna —(voices : " We
won't"). Gentlemen stood up. professing themselves to
be liberal*, but there were three parties in the town.
There were the Independents, Adullamites—(lanibter)—
and the true Conservatives. He respected • true Con-
servative, and should always do no when they were eon.
Distant, but he never could respect • coalition between
Conservatives and Liberals; beaus,, they weld not
unite together inept for the purpose of trampling them
under their feet, and thrusting down their throats the
four men put forward—(hear, heir, and cheers). He
reseeded a tine Conservative although ho himself
was • Liberal, and not &thawed of his colour.,
He thanked them for the honor done him,
because he considered he had a claim tothe vietory.
He did not want the gown, and had never aspired to it,
but only coon forward at the last hour to save the town
ti e disgrace of beide trampled upon—("Bravo," and
cheers). At last, however, there were 200 honest
voters in the town, and if the papers had not been
played with, and other names put down, the state of
things would have been different. He begged to thank
the worthy alderman for his impartial conduet, as rilso
the police for theirs (Ithghter) but he could not
thank the Town Councillors for their impartial conduct;
men whom be had fought hard for. He could not
thank them for he found he had been nourishing • nest
of vipers, which had stung him for once, but it would be
for the last time.—(loud applause, and cries of "Hante
them, name them").
Mr. CHBLILIR, amidst much endures, briefly returned
thanks to three electors who had voted for him.
On the proposition of Mr. R. Commute, seconded by
Mr. S. BROWN, • vote of thanks was tendered to the
Ward Alderman.
Mr. MILLEDOR, in reply said they must allow him
thank them for this additional mark of respect they had
paid him by receding a vote of thanks for his conduct
during the past day. He hoped his conduct had been
such throughout life to obtain the respect of his brother
townsmen, and in this instance he bad done no more
than his duty, but hut done it to the letter—(applause.)
The proceeding. then terminated.