The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-02-17 00:00:00

A SBOTSBUILY.
ABBOTSBURY RAILWAY.

To eh* lid tor.

Sir,-1 have been anxiously waiting a reply from the
director* of this railway to the numerous charges which
O self-elected body of obstructionists (healed by two
solicitors, (me a non-shareholder), have brought against
thei
Like, as I suppose. mole other shareholders. I have felt
anxious, but the director, .tatement, which I have just
received. diepele the clouds, for a more crushing rejoinder
or one which, as I think, puts the obstructionist+ more
glaringly in the wrong, I have rarely read.
I think that when two lawyers put forward coca
enmity unfounded statements—so much calculated to
create alarm—as that the shareholders' liability in a
Railway Company is unlimited. they deserve to be very
Nevendy censured for their conduct.
Their statements are moat unjust to the directors,
alarming to the shareholders, and toast detrimental to the
Railway Gompany'a interests; and. I should suppose, are
clearly actionable, for they undoubtedly tend to depreciate
(and in fact do, for a time at taut), the value of the
e
shareholders' property. lam sorry to see that this
been overlooked by the directors ; but I hope it may yet
receive their attention and that of the shareholders at the
forthcoming meeting.
From what has been said at the irregular meeting at
Dorchester, anyone would have unplowed that the directors
had some personal aggrandisement or very improper
object in view in making the deviation which we all see
from the train at lirowlwey. Why. I think if the
directors had made their junction as that intended (iu the
face of what looks prime facie very much like a con-
epiracy to force good land bargains), awl, at the same
repo reed. a most objectionable line when a far better
one was ippsje.y, at , . coat by xis.eao. they would
have deserved, sad yllotahly have received the just
censure of all shareholders, the ointructionista included,
Perhaps speculators have been disappointed, and this
may be one of the reasons why this dreadful deviation
line, two or three hundred j anis bug, is not popular
with souse people. It is well known. too, that a large
landowner near revrey (whom Mr. Symonds repreeent.),
has ever had • very ainceredisli lied to the'line.
Are the shareholders to be friehtened aryl gulled into
ridieulous litigation for the benefit of the lawyers and to
the detriment—indeed the confiscation—of their own
property. in order to carry 4,ut the wishes of one, or, it may
be twn. slat ructionist landowners I
(letting a goods and passenger station at Broadwey,
when none could be made on the intended line, is not only
a public benefit, but is of great importance to the share-
holders, because the line will so get traffic which now must
we° by the r0:141 ether hi li,r,thestcr or Weymouth.
I think, therefore, that the eharelloblers should be
grateful to the directors for taking immediate action and
getting their deviation before other speculative land
purchases took place.
I can see, well enough, how difficult the directors'
position has been—eurrounded by enemies, anxious for
their own purposes to get at II weak point in their armour.
The directors ask for the hearty support of the share-
holders. They deserve it Mid assuredly shall have mine,
as I believe they will have that of an overwhelming
majority of the shareholders.
As to the nonsense talked about the directors mislead-
ing the shareholder', by stating that they had possessed
themselves of the land, when the reverse was the case, all
I can say is, their charge Is simply contemptible, and
should recoil on thole who made It.
/ should think there is about as much chance of winding
up the company (which is perfectly solvent), as there is of
winding up the Ilank of England. What -is twee the eons.
pony or shrrstors committed except teat of snaking the rail-
way carsply and disappointing land speculators and °Nome-
t ionists

fr;;r;der if the two or three noisy shareholders, who
make theanielves ridiculous at public meetings, have any
idea of the effect of what they call winding up the
company would le—aJways assuming that they readied
this stage! Those, like myself, who have paid up their calls,
who certainly have so further liability, and who rue,
look forward for a return upon their investimant, would,
in rife have their property in the railway confiscated.
Shareholders who have not paid their calls, would speedily
fied outthat they would have to do no—if only to pay off
the lawyers' bills, They would then have the melancholy
satisfaction of knowing that they had succeeded in
depriving even themselves of their own property
If, however, they think they will be relieved
by joining in the lawyers' hue and cry, they may, and I
ahall say moat twohalaly will, find that they will be
disappointed. That they would have a nice little bill f
rosts to pay and that they will, after all, have to pay up
their unpaid calls, is about as certain as that the sun rises
mit meta.
Untlgy any circumstances, therefore, the course I* hid,
the obstructionists suggest seems to be that of a kind of
ehareholdara happy despatch ; and a more than usually
oily suicide in order, as it would appear, that lawyers
may rejoice over a scramble for costa. The only crime of
which I ran find the directors guilty is that they have
committed the grievous sin of not having been born, bred,
and do •.iciled in Dorsetahire Mr. Syreoude ie a mat
loan; I dare say; but the chairman of the railway
company, who I learn as the Mayor of the nuportant
city of Bath, may passably be as honest and even as
respectable as Mr. Symonds himself!! It may be all
very well for this gentleman, when on the stump, to use
strong language and call this line a bubble scheme. I, at
least, cannot find the slightest evidence, direct or remote,
of such a charge. On the contrary, I lee much that
proves the bona fide+ of the directors.
They point to the fact that the coat of the line will be
less than was set forth to the public anal which was very
little indeed ; and they stick to their guns and say that
they endorse all that was set forth in the prospectus, I
quite believe them.
There is Irma ore on the line and we know what this
commodity Is doing now. There is valuable Portland
stone on the line only waiting for an outlet
Why cannot shareholders pull together and provide the
directors with the means of completing the railway and
making it, as I believe it may easily be made, a very
great success! Look what the mineral lines in South
Wales have done. Why should our virgin mineral
country not be developed)
As to all the fuminess about bringing the directors "to
account" for doing their duty in making the deviation, I
eau compere It only to the use of peashooters for the
killing of an elephant.
I ant mil a lawyer (Providence be praised) anal I don't
know the law on the subject of lauds outairk the deviation
limits, and the dreadful something which may happen to
the directors for making this line. But the directors may
take heart of grace. for if they have been at very naughty
ea to save the shareholders' 1:12,660, they need fear no
proceedings which the little busy bussing bodies may
taltit
Let therefore the self -oomplaent agitators brag ever so
much, do the tall talk, and empty their pockets; but tut
all sensible shareholders join with the rlareitTeTa in their
efforts to complete the railway.
A SU...REHM-DIA MHO HAS PAID UP MIS caw'.
Weymouth, February 7, 1880.
3111DPOZT.
SHIPPING Irratuoanca.—Arriosle : Tamar, Lova,
Portland, stone.
Evian= 00SCEIT.—The members of the Odd.
fellows' Orchestral Society, by whom the Programme
was efßciently performed, strove to their utmost to
ktiand delight those who had come to hear them.
they have of late Improved in no small degree
under the talented tuition of their oondoctor, Mr.
Stone, wee strongly and markedly evinced. The •
majority of the inotrumental, as well as the vocal'
selections, chosen from the most eminsut masters,
wean wanly iniaatied.

Haan' GALL—On Saturday evenings violent gale
sprung up from the south-esst. A quantity of
wreckage was cast up, supposed to have belonged to
the fated vessel which was run down in the channel
about a fortnight since. On Monday morning it veered
to south-west, and a tremendous sea was the result.
The water rose considerably in the vicinity of the
harbour, by reason of the heavy storms.
A Nlorigt Huse:mem—Richard Guppy, labourer, in
the employ of Messrs. Fry and Sons, marble masons,
was charged at the instance of his wife Sarah, with
cruelly ill-treating her on the Bth inst:—Prorecutor
said her husband came home, and without provocation
assaulted her " right and left." She exhibited the
marks of his affection in a striking manner; her eyes
were black and swollen, as well as her face, and her
head much injured.—Two months hard labour.
Scccenerrt ENTMITAINIIINT.--At the National
Schoolrooms on Monday evening the last and best
entertainment of the season was given When the
programme opened there was scarce standing room.
The Rector presided. The Rector and Mrs. Henslowe
have been !singularly happy in their choice of subjects;
and with a good corps ,d vocalists and instru-
mentalists, they have not only aimed at providing
enough for the money, but that variety of programme
which is simply essential to the pleasure of a large and
varied assembly of people like that which congregated
on Monday night. Several fresh faces and voices were
introdeca., and the owners were quite equal to the
occasion, gaining warm and enthusiastic applause.
Milts Taylor and Miss Samson gained encores, which
they well merited, and acceded to the loud request of
the audience by coming again to the front. Mr.
Dunn of Beaminster, gave two capital songs, and we
i trust t will not be long ere we hear him again. Mr.
A. Samson's song in character was warmly encored.
"Regulus to the Roman Senate" was delivered by
Master George Evens with wonderful accuracy and
distinctness of articulation. Master Evens showed an
abundance of precocious talent., for he is but a child,
under tuition at the Bridport Grammar School. At
the termination of his recitation he came to the front
like an old stager to receive the meed of applause he
so richly deserved.
Tows COUNCIL.—At a meeting of this body held on
Tuesday at noon, the desirability of putting the Town
Hall under complete repair was fully discussed. The
Mayor read a specification of the work required to be
dene. The premises which are in a dangerous con-
dition, will be at once seen to, under the surveil-
lance of the surveyor, Mr. F. Cooper. It is expected
that the space of three months will complete the work.
An arrangement for decency was decided on, and not
a whit too soon. Mr. W. E. Turner applied for lamps
to be placed in the vicinity of his houses, recently
erected on the banks of the river Asker. People who
wanted tenancy complained that there were no lights
there. Referred to the Watch Committee. BilLi to
the amount of 1.34 4s. 4d. were ordered to be paid.
DARING ROBBMIT.—At theßorough Police Court on
Saturday, before J. T. Stephens, Esq., (Mayer)
and ex-Mayor, Haekiek Wisk,as, carter, &c., in
the employ of Messrs. Turner and Son, was charged
with stealing a bushel of oats value 3a6d., the property of
his master, Mr. F. Turner, on the previous day.—Mr.
F. Turner proved that he sent prisoner on Monday
9th inst. to the stores in Gundry-lane for two sacks of
oats to be sent to East-street. He came back to the
the shop for an invoice. Witness then sent him on an
errand to the store, and meantime examined the
waggon which prisoner left outside the shop. There
he SAW a bag containing a bushel of oats. The bag
belonged to him (witness,) and he communicated with
the sergeant. He had never authorized prisoner to
take oats or any goods without orders. Could swear
to the bag.—Ganis Hyde, landlord of the Railway
Tavern, East-street, said he ordered a bushel of oats of
prisoner on Saturday last. He brought them on
Monday saying he wanted the bag again.—Sergeant
Gale said he went to East-street about 5. p.m. on the
previous day and saw prosecutor's horse and waggon
in the road opposite the Railway Tavern. Prisoner
came out with an empty bag under his
arm, which he placed under the seat of the waggon.
Witness asked him what he had taken in there. He
replied nothing. Witness left prisoner with a constable
and went into the house. The landlord told I • he
had left a bushel of oats. When witness asked him
what he thought of that, he replied "Oh yes, but I
should have told master of it presently."—The Bench
considered he had a good master, and it WOA a ease of
breach of trust.—Sentenced to two months' with hard
labour.