The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-03-05 00:00:00

EXTRAORDINARY MEETINO.-THE CAS
QUESTION.

On Thursday lasts meeting was convened at the
Townhall, by requisition to the Mayor, to consider the
grievances of the gas commuters. Them grievances
were four-fold—lat, the impurity of the gas; 211.11 y,
the *barge for meters; 3rdiy, the charges made fur '
more gas than was consumed ; and 41h1y, the supply of
• pa that drove the ureter round faster than formerly.
Captain l'a..wax, the Mayor. presided, and there was a
large attendance of the tradesmen of the town.
The MAYOR, having read the requisition, said he
should be happy to listen to any proposition any gentle-
man was prepared to orfcr on Use alleged grievance of
the gua consumers.
No one responding immediately to the call, for a pro-
position to he submitted to the meeting, it waa suggested
that the requisitionists should be called to state their
grievances to the meetiug.
Mr. J. E. Ito,BIENS said he should not have taken upon
himself to addrem the meeting at th.it early period bad
he not been called on. Had he been the only per.i.an
who ha.l found airy difference in the gas, he should not
have complained, as he should have thought there was
some dermgement of the apparatus on his premises,
but whin' he found that wherever he went there was
the mine general complaint, lie thought it was tiiiie to
steak out. dome time since the gas was very impure.
Now it was Imre. (No, no ) It was however deficient
in illuminating power. (Hear, bear.) He could not
himself get such • light as lie timid to have, and as lie
wanted, although he turned the burner.' on to their full
extent. There had also been • large iumeam in the
amount of gas registered by the rneteri, whilat there
we. less light than they used to have. The reason he
had signed the requmitien was to see if they could not
calmly and quietiy talk over the wetter and get their
grievarces remedied.
The MATok asked if any other gentleman had any
remarks to make.
Mr. JON,. JasEltls 130LIJITbty'll all burst presently.
Mr. SPOOIIIO4 on being called on, said that lie agreed
with the reularks of Mr. Ruben' that they were charged
a larger amount fur their gab than formerly, and got leas
light.
Mr. Sotogon Str —What 'do you consider your own
ov.rehargn ?
Mr. SINIONIS replied about 30 per cent, over the
corresponding quarter of the previous year, an.l others
had told him that their overcharges were the came. He
tborght, therefore, that as the complaint was so general
there must be ioniething wrong somewhere, especially
as the illuminating power was very bad.
Mr. egUitcg, manager of the gas works, asked
whether the extra amount charged was by oomputation
or by the registration of the meter.
Mr Sturman said he did not understand the taking
of the meter, but he inferred that the meter was takeu

correctly.
Mr. CHURCH—Before you make charges about an
overcharge being inside, you should be satisfied that
the ileum had been taken according to the readings of
the meter.
Mr. B.OIICYII—I *apposed that the person who took
my meter was • truthful man.
Mr. Cituncei—But the beet of men are liable to mis-
takes. (Disseprobatiou, and "every case is the same."
Hear, hear.)
Mr. Dam said they must bear in mind that there
were different qualities of gas, and tl.at one description
of gas would register ninth faster than another—a thou-
sand feet for example of one kind of gat, though of
purer quality but of inferior illuminating power, would
register less than 500 of another description of gss,
although impurer in quality and of greater illuminating
power. In the present litigants, the honesty of the
person taking the meters was not complained of, but the
register went round too fast. When it did not go fast
enough, the manager of the gas said it was • care for
computation, and he thought now it went too fast he
ought to say the WM. (Cries of "bravo"—" that's
good.)"
Mr. JOHN Jgegtes Rothe said this was not a party
grievance, but a general grievanos throughout the town,
anu he feared they could not help theinselves.
Mr. Semi,,ilLT —I don't know so lunch about that.
Mr. Rothe then referred to the formation of the pis
works by Mr. Barden. The original object that gentle-
man had in view was two-fold—first, to gain jumularity,
and secondly, to give Weymouth the benefit of that
enlightenment which was necessary to establish its re- COUNTY PETrY 13kNSION8.
putation as • first-rate watering-place. He had to con-
tend against • little litigation, such as might have been „, •
LOWNISALL WEYMOUTH Tuesday, Feb. 26.—Before
"'• and •
expected in a quiet town like Weymouth (Isughter), „ ~
and was in consequence put to some considerable en-
panes, as (river-Thames fashion). he was compelled to InstsuntilnaTlON,—Johis risliteick v. Widints
make • tunnel under the backwater. The price oi gas Titmapnm. Jolts Hurdiwy, Joseph Uaisife. ileary Rams
was originally 14.. per thousand cubic fent, but the bent, Richard deilt. W Winn; Rowe, ant Mu.'-
price hod been reduced by degrees till it was now re- Mew Sfewurt were charged with creating • disturbance
duoed to ss. 61. ; a 'Tice they would not grumble at on board the Mysore ; and mutiny under the 243 sec,
provided they got good article. But the gas was very articles 4,7, and B.—Compleinant slated that lie ‘.a•
bad, and they had a right, therefore, to grumble. He master of the Mysore, bound front London to Rio
agreed with his friend Mr. Helens, that the gas hail Janeiro. He put into Portland Roads on Tuesday night.
less illuminating power now than formerly, but he Feb. 21st, between 4 and 5 o'clock froin stress of
could not agree with him that it was purer. The fug weather, and to clear the pumps. On Mini's/ morn
that the gas gave • crone light was a proof of its bib- big, Feb. 25th, about 7:20, in consequence of coin-
purity. If they never went out of Weyinciuth they munication from Thouias Penry, the mate. he were
might perhaps fancy that the Weymouth is. was the into the forecastle and whet the seven prisoners. who
hest in the world, like the man who thought his otin formed the whole uf the crew in the forecastle. whim
buy superior to all other boys but when they went sere their intentions. Harding reibed that lie did no:
into other towns they saw tl'uo vast difference. He intend to proceed in the ship, as she Mll,l not scasortii,
hail often had strangers in his shop, and the almost —or words to that effeet —and that he would not he ot
universal exclamation was, when they cense in after any service if he did go to sex. Raiubert and Snell
pa was lit up, " Dear me. what bad gas you have made similar replies. Witness then ordered Buell
here!" Jewellers hiid gone to great exwnee to put Rowe. and Stewart on deck to pump the Ono out. The'
new windows in their chops, that tlieir goo& might not did as he ordered them. Wither afterwards heard th,
be spoiled by the badness of the pa. But in addition elate ender Sued and Rowe to loo•en eats. Row.
to suppljing thine with • bad article, the gas company replied 'we are going with the men," meaning the
had now resolved to charge them for the use of tiesr other defendants, and the three went into the forecastle
meters. TI-is no reasonable man would object to if they where the men were, and none of them did any •
were supplied with • good article; and had timely notice work. He gave defendants in charge of the pale-
been given them they would have borne it with the yesterday afternoon about 4 o'clock. He had hod iii.
fortitude of wen. (Lsugher.) The late Mr. Dodson. vessel surveyed by Mr. Br-sot, • shipbuilder, and Mt
while mansgisig the works, had never charged for them, Daniel Roberts, a shipmaster, after the men were give.
and the gas sum-lied by hiui had given 111/oil general in charge. In consequence of informatiou he went int.
satisfaction that the consumption in the town had ben the forecastle and found the bulkhead of the forecast.
greatly increased. He next referred to the extra broken down on the starbuant site which led into tli
charges that had been made. showing that there must be bold, and on going in lie found a cask, which ha.
" something rodeo in the stale of Denmark," and read originally contained a down of bottled porter, wiih on
• letter sent by Mr. Church to Mr. Kent, the proprietor head stove in and bade-hewn bottles gone. &up.:
of the billiard rooms, threatening to cut off his gas bottles, similar to these in the cask, werestrewn shoe
unless Is. per quarter was paid for the use of the he forecastle. The Captain produced the artirlee, th
meter. as for Mr. Church's collector, he was one of defendants had signed to go to Rio Janerio, thence t
the wag civil and obliging men that ever existed—he Belie., and back to Peinhrulie.—The mate comberidia
could not he mons so led he been umnufsetured fur the the captain's evidence, and 'puke of several other uu
exhibition of 1851- (Laughter.) In coisclusion, Mr. rages defendants had been guilty uf.—Mr.
Beset
Bolls moved the am resolution—" That persons who proved that the areal was perfectly seaworthy, and to
teesi.ter the edatteielletiea al the Gas Corspany is is se bee* committed the defeadacts hir It woad imprison-
-51111441/410r7 maid won witty al the meek With hard lehtetr.