The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-12-15 00:00:00

K. N. Howard, Req.
" S'ilalW"ri'ol6°.'airtlandßaard, near' Weymouth."

The following is a eopy of the undertaking which the
Woods end Forests required Ur. Howard to sign on
behalf of the Board.

Portland near Weymouth, November,lB49.
Sir,— With reference to the notice which en clerk to the
Isle of Portland Local Government Board, I received 011 the
28th ult., from the solicitor of your department, with reinsert
to the removal by the Looll Board of gravel Pens the Crorm
Land near Portland, I not instruced by the Local Board to
state that they do not claim any right to the gravel or other
materials from the Crum Land, and to tnursralt, am I do here-
with, an enter of a:5, for royalty on the gravel already taken by
the Local Board.
am further to date that no more gravel or other materi•l a
will be taken from the Crown Land by or under the authority
of the Local Board, without your connect, and that if they
desire to take any gravel or other material., from that land,
wile:Won will be made for your permledon.—l am, eir, you
obedient servant,
The Honourable Charles Gore, len, &v.

The CHAIRMAN called on any person to make any
statement with respect to the matter, but no one

responded,
Mr. W. PIARCI remarking that the simple question
was is the land parish land or Crown land. This was
confirmed by the meeting, and a general wish was
expressed that the Chairman himself, who has given so
inuoli time and attention to the point, should favour
the audience with his views.
- ••

The CHAIRMAN said this meeting had been *ailed to
take into consideration the claim made for E 5 by the
Hon. Charles Gore, the Commissioner of Her Majesty's
Woods and Forest, as royalty for 200 yards of shingle
taken from the eornmonable land, known as Short, con-
taining by the parish map 41 acres of lend, near the
Bill of Portland. lit, What does the Court survey and
the present grant express as commonable lands, the
principal of wh‘ch are Stud the very land in question,
Weston-street, Wide-street, Easton Lane-street, Down
and the Verne Common. "We also present that all
stone exported from the commons or commonable lands
doth pay 121. per ton. One moiety of such 12.1. per
ton belongs to the lord or 16,17 in chief, and the other
moiety to the tenanta; wail by ancient grants, and also
by one from her piesent most Gracious Majesty, we
have 11. per ton given us out of her Majesty's said
moiety, which makes her Majesty's part : . and ours
9.1. ;Auld all such stone as is for her Majesty's own use
is free, paying nothing, and likewise we that are
tenants for our buildings within the manor, take for
our use what stone we please, paying nothing and asking
no leave." Now this is plainly what the last court
survey states. Then it adds that all such stone liable
to such tense° aforesaid is accounted for at our courts on
the oaths of the ;anon' exporting the same, and the
duty paid to the Queen's receiver or his agent, and
divided as Wore mentioned, oar share 911. Qsaw's 3,1.
This appears to me to be a very great and important
tight and privilege, and too great to loth. Then again,
"we also present that persons who are working quarries
in the commonable lauds have a right free of any duty
or charge to place the stone or rubble arising therefrom
on any partof the weirs err übble ground in the commons,
or commonable lands or other parts thereof where the
stone has been previously worked out." Now Brother
Portlanders, it does appear to me that we are carrying
out the very principles laid down for us in the last
court survey, for we are depositing the rubble on the
high roach, which are commonable land- for our use and
benefit. The first claim made was for taking the beech
or shingle from the foreshore at the Bill. Mr. Howard,
the clerk to the Local Board, was instructed to write to
the Hon. Charles Gore, stating that • proper investige-
tion bad been mode, and that the said shingle or rubble
was taken from the commonable land known as
Start, and distant at least 250 yards from the
foreshore. With this explanation and facts the
Commissioners seemed satisfied. Now then comes
another letter making a demand for the sum of £5 for
taking the gravel or shingle from the Crown lend, and
a document or letter for the clerk of the Board to sign
on behalf of the members of the Local Board stating
that we will not take any more gravel or other materials
without their consent or permission—(" Oh dear, pretty
work that"}—which I understand means that the Com-
missionen of her Majesty's Woods and Forests are
claiming all our rights of the 41 serer of commonable
land known and called Stud. By the last court survey
in 1846. V years ago, and also from the grant from our
Gracious Queen of longer date, we are entitled to 9d.
out of every 12d. of tbe royalty arising from the said
commonable land. Does the Honourable Charles Gore
estimate this rubble or shingle doable the value of the
free stone which mat 121. per ton, and shingle at 24d. per
ton for their claim to amount to 61. per yard or ton?
This certainly must be • very great error on their pert.
It really appears to me that if there is any royalty
arising from the shingle or gravel, the same should be
presented to the wart in the usual customary manner,
and the iehabitants should receive their 9d. onto( every
121. the same as they do for the other stone. It has
been the custom from time immemorial to deposit this
shingle or rubble into the sea, and no charge whatever
as royalty WY known. We have lately been told that
the sum of £7O was paid by the Dorchester Highway
Board, they not knowing our ancient rights and prirl-
lege. —(hear. hear)—for taking the shingle or gravel
Irons the said oommonable land which the tenants and
inhabitant' of this island and manor were quite ignorant
of, and is it because the Highway Board committed
such an error that we should be bound to pay for their
folly ?—(" No, no"). Now, brother Portlanders, let me
ask you what some of you would have done 28 years ago
it you bad not the privilege of working the commonable
land at the Bill, this very land in question called (hurt,
when all other quarries ware stopped? You had
nothing then but the commonable land to work to
maintain your wives and families. That time may
come again—("True")- but I hope is far distant.
Then, again, we have only to refer back two years when
the Crown wanted to take away our oommoroalths rights
in Verne-street and Ryle. On this occasion their
eminent engineers, J. Coode, Req., the resideat engineer
of the Breakwater, and Capt. Tyler, of the Royal
Engineers, at the Verne Citadel, made their calculations,
and stated before the arbitrators that our rights were
y0461058-4' About E6oo")—but when they were fully
explained and our rights and privileges brought forward
in their true light, they awarded us with, other small
portions of commonable land they then took, the
sum of £2,775. Now let me ask you this question—if
committee then appointed had not persevered and
made the inhabitant's claim good, would they have
, received anything for it leertainly not. This meeting
has been celled to know the true feelings of theltewants
' and inhabitants on this very important queetion—
whether the Crown shall claim the commonable lands
as Crown lands, or whether wis shall defesid the pro.
&medley taken by the Commissioners to preserve our
encient rights and privileges. If you should decide to
defend your right., then comes the question how the
hinds are to be raised to defray the necessary expenses
that may incur. For my opinion there are three ways
by which this may be done. Ist, lieu can obtain from
the is-tutees • portion of the MOO or moo which is
thw laying idle in their heeds, or in the bank, and 1
ethaider it is the bona fide capital of the tenants and in-
habitants for their sole the and benefit, we could not
put it to abetter purpose than maintaining our ancient
rights and privilsges--(hear, hear, and a voice "Very
good.") 2nd, that a portion of 128000 rtheived for the
tenants aed commoners' rights for Verne-street,
Ice, and which ix now invested should be with-
drawn to defray the necessary expenses incurred. 3rd,
is whether • general rate should be made for the
purpose. The lath committee of five that was ap-
pointed to obtain our rights for Verne-street •
took • portion of that money received to pay the
expenses, and is not that fund Btill open for • similar
purpose, viz., of defending and preserving our rights.
In conclusion I should strongly recommend that a
memorial be drawn up for the tenants and inhabitants
to sign—and placed in the hands of the county members
to present to the Home Secretary or to the House ol
Commons, as. early as possible, so that our ancient
rights and privileges may be thoroughly looked into and
all existing *bum remedied. Speaking in the House of
Lords, 20th June, 1868, The Duke of Richmond
said, 'the noble duke had stated that the
ownership of the Foreshores lay originally in
the Crown but the Met might be mad mid of every