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

WEYMOUTH.

ges and the prices demanded from the commuters, will
signify the Awn,: in the usual was." (Applause.) The
second resolution lie would move was—" That those
who are satiatied with the present arrangements of gas
charges will also eignify the same in the usual way."
SoLosieu Sts, in seconding his first resolution.
stated that he had been overcharged 10,000 feet of tali
in one quarter, •M., NAM instead of 44.000 cultic
feet. He went to Mr. Church, who eaine anti saw it
wax a mistake and rectified the error. Mr. Church re•
marked that the cense auence was not great. as if the
meter was overtaken in one quarter, it must be reuse-
died the next. This was true to • certain extent, but
how would it work? Suppose the inekr slopped the
next quarter? then the gas would have to be token on
the computation of the previous quarter which was
overcharged. (Hear. hear.) He wan authorised also t./
state, on behalf of Mr. Luce, that that gentleman WWI
overcharged £l6 for the last quarter's gas. lie thought
the Local Board of Health ought to step in and gams)
the interests of the gni consumer* by appointing a lifts

Inatactor.
Mr. Kout:sa naked whether the seine person took
Ilia metre ea usually took them ?
Mr. DLT uli,l uot know. When he went to the gas
house he asked where Lite wan was %slit, took the
meter, and Iv was informed that they all took t: em.
lie agreed with Mr. Rolls that the collector was one of
the moat kind, obliging, and civil men that ever lived.
If the Coila.ratioe would hut employ hi to tin y would
base no difficulty in getting in their rates. Ile agreed
with every body in everything they said —"0, yes, 'tie
very wrong, the gas is very had, they ought not to
charge for metera." &c. teat laughter.)
Mr. Omits aceo.:ild Mr. 111.1.'s second
and both were adopted by the meetieg.
Mr. Dittlw elpeed with Mr. Sly time the danger of
taking the meter wrong was, th .1 it night stop, and the
succeeding quarter be charged by computation accord-
ing to Hie uver•charged quarter. Ile ielerred to (be
consumption of gas at Ida private yeah...nee. 1.1, Victothe
terrace, anil stated that the overcharge iii one quarter
amounted to the difference betereen I9s. 31. stud £2 9..
He believed that the meter was taken correctly in Loth
inshmea, and that the difference was hy the
quality of the gas that was atlit theoluli it. Mr.
Church had sail they might a. n.I their in tees to Lon-
don and have them testa-el, hut it Wag Dot the meters
they were met to talk about, hut their gruevancea. He
would, therefore, submit to the macaw the followiug
resolution :—" That the Mayor, as aliatriiiaa of lima
meeting, and also al chairman of the Local Hoard of
Health. be hereby respectfully aolieted to *end to Dr.
Letliehy a sufficient quantity of gas to teat its purity
and illuminating power, and that the Local Board of
Health In take the neaessary steps to apimint an inspec-
tor of gas, in accordance with the i rovhlions of the Act
of Parliament." He undentood that Mr. Bunion was
willing to sell lulu gas workii,which might preclude their
establishing an opposition company, provided he did
not ask too much for Omni ; but if be did ask too much,
then they might obtain an Act for new works, lie
thought the taking the works or starting a new com•
pany might answer as at Dorchester. The coal.
delivered at the go-house Was about the souse as at
Weymouth. The price of gas Was 58. 10.1. per I,oooft.
with • discount in proportion to the quantitv consumed,
and the shareholders received a dividend of 9 per cent.
Mr. Roma —I don't wish to impugn anybody,—(Mr.
SLY—Certainly not —(laugliter)—but I is ,vs just had it
hinted to me that the gas company have lately been
using Raistock coals, because they are cheaper, when
other coals might have been got in this place. The
question was, Dad not this proposition DOM too late?
Might not Mr. Church have said to himself, "The-re is
a great outcry raised • we have burnt e ..... mon coal to
; put money in our pockets, and now we'll burn better
, coals." lie was told that last week better coals were

used.
Mr. DREW said that by the Act of Parliament, tbe
Local Board of Health could proceed to the gas works
by giving 6 hour.' notice, test the purity and Maud-
nating power of the gas, and if found to be deficient the
proprietor Was liable to • penalty of kW.
Mr. Pt/THWART, referring to the charge for gss
meters, maintained that he charge could not be en-
forced, since they hail been granted an long without
charge, without giving three months' notice. He cog.
pilled the propriety of forming a ouunuittee to carry out
the objects of the meeting.
Mr. Itoetes iiiimmted that a committee should con-
fer with Mr. Bunion on the subject.
Mr. DREW said the Local Hoard had communicated
with Mr. liurdon, and he stated the town was now as
well lie_!te.l as Regent-street.
Mr. YEARSLEY thought he had as much reason to
complain as perhaps most of them, hut he thought they
should first hear what Mr. Church had to say on Cie
subject. Mr. Church might complain that he had been
rather tight during the last quarter, and tiering* lie
would promise to give them better gas during the
next.
Mr. RANDALL complained of charging for laying pipes
from the mains to the houses.
Mr SLY—They always went right till Mr. Church had
the nianagement.
Mr. CHURCH said they also folt they were charged for
mule gas than they were previous years. His bodiless
was to ace the meters went correctly, and that all the
gas oonauinel was charged fur, and no re, lint mis-
takes were liable to be made, and if 10 000 feet too
much were charged one quarter they would he de,ucteil
the next. He was aatiinished to see members of Cs
Local Board present, when he had requested them re-
peatedly to appoint an inapector to test the gait, and had
even Offered to teach soy one they might appoint, how
to do it, or, if they were not sad-fied with that, lie
would pay for the party% journey to Dorchester or clay-
where to be taught. Ile mon:3nm I that the gva w.
purer than it WM formerly, and that its illumilieting
power WWI two candle, shove that directed in the Act
of Parliament. If the proviaiona of the Act were too
low, that wad not hi. fault. He Wad bound to admit.
and Mr. Williaiito would tell them hi., rem .rks when he
first tame here. that the gas Wee formerly very impure.
Mr. WILLIAMS—You soul the gaa was too good—the
words you Octal were" too good for the money.' (Cheera
and contuaion.)
Mr. CHURCH said there might be pure gas but of
inferior illuminating quality. and there might be very
very impure gas and ma good illuminating power.
A Votcx—Then give us a good light—How about the
me' era going too teat.
Mr. CHUItcH said it was impossible for the meters
to manlier mire gas than palsied through them.
A Voice—What is the vol t•sosp for, then!
Mr. Ctietteit replied Hist in cotionesence of the hard
water, the towers corroded, awl the soft map was to
prevent the corroaion amid make them work properly.
Mr. WILLIAMs said be hia.h hero appealed to by Mr.
Church iii reference to theses. On one ra.casion alien Mr.
Churth was in his house lie said "Thin is very rich gas
—much too good for the money." He (Mr. W.) replied,
the customers did not think it good. neither did be.
Mr. ROLLS proposed " Thove who pledge themselves
not td piy for the use of the meters without a iitw Con-
tract with tire Gas Company, and couvider the present
charge of 4a. per annum an unjust and up resaive, will
eignify the saute in tlei usual way by the holding up of
their hands."
Mr. Stiff seconded the proposition, and it was carried
unanimoualy.
Subsequently it Will proposed that • quantity of gas
should be taken my Mr. arOVIAI from the gas aupplied
that day, and preaerve it tube tested and compared with
the gas tested at the gas works, and that the Mayor be
restectfully requested to secure the services of Dr.
Letheby for that purpose.
A vote of thanks to the Mayor terminated the pro-
ceedinge

Snu. ALIVE!—We have often beard of such a I
thing as resuscitation, but we were of opinion that
the age of actual miracles was past ; this belief we
suppose we must put down either to our incredulity
or our simplicity, for we noticed Ili a late issue, that
the Southern Times had an advertisement of the
transfer of a life-assurance business from " Mr.
J. Hancock. deceased," to his son-in-law. We used
hardly inform our Weymouth readers that the
gentleman alluded to is alive and well.
THIS Ties.—We had very high tides the be-
ginning of last week, and at the ebb the water was
consequently very low—so low, indeed, that the
Weymouth and Portland steamers were not able
to load their passengers ou the pile pier.