The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-04-19 00:00:00

THE RUSSIAN (JUN.
To tke Editor.

Dear Sir,—l am desir its of exonent ng myself. as being
one of those who advocated the removel of the Russian
1T
The corporation (or many of them) of Weymouth having
decided that the said gun be removed from it. present site
to a more secluded spot, it was sung wad by Mr. Alderman
Thomas it be deposited in the Caporation Yard at the
back of the town'. Mr. Alderman Robertson would like •
more befitting situation than a lumber yard, and thought
the Alexandra Gardens would be a hood spot; but was
overruled, as it was considered quite as conspicuous a
place as its present site. And Mr. Nangle was finally
asked to allow it to r..c lee is resting-place In the gardens
at Greenhill, the private prow, ty of Sir F.
m Johnstone,
and be, in his usual c iurtsoits anner, assured the Council
a *pace should be found for it, and by ingenious artifice
it should be excluded from the vulgar gess of an admiring
public. And this will be carried out, unless the rataluevre
raise their voices inside as well as they are doing now
outside of the Council Chamber. And they will have to
pay for this removal out of their roma I dropped my
head with shame, sod raised niy indignant protestation
against such a suggestion, and though gentlemen who sit
at home at ease know but little of the danger* and hard-
ships of those heroes who suffered privation, cold, and
disease in that cruel war. And the gun was brought
from a distant land to commemorate the victories of the
Englith braves.
"Move the gun I move the gun r is the cry of our
valiant ciouncillora Let not toe children and grand-
children of those who fought, bled, and died behold it
Of course, we live in more reformed times. And it may
be the Duke and Dothan of E bnburgh may see it, and
It may probably engender feelings that ought not to be
aroused.
Absurd; have not these two Mosques personages been
in Cathedrals where the battered and bloodstained
standards of gallant regiments bane from the walla
Are not the names of the battles inscribed beneath them I
Twaddle I Yes. Ratepayers it is truly a proper expres-
sion for you to utter; yet those who wish this gun to be
removed consider they are doing an act that will b
appredated by you. The next step I shall not be sur-
prised to find emanating from the wise once will be that
the town clerk be requested to write to the Mayors and
Corporations of every city and town, where guns of
a similar character are placed in prominent positiona,
such as Bath, Portsmouth. Southampton, Isc.. praying for
removal, and lauding themselves on the gracious act and
example set to other towns, by hiding the one gun at
Weymouth on private property to be encircled by rockery,
or other contrivance, ea that the obnoxious object may be
withdrawn from the gm of all foreigner,.
Should it be carried out in its entirety I would humbly
recommend the Council that an official document, amide-
soled on satin and scented, be rent to Alexander 111..
Emperor of all the Russia., informing hint of the fact.
Perhaps he would be inclined to present every member of
the Council who move in the matter, and adorn them
with the Imperial Arms on a set of shirt studs, also
acknowledgement of his sincere gratitude for their refined
feelings towards him.
Is the object in removing this gun to try and obliterate
the fact that England's bravest eons fought and bled for
their ?wren and country's honour. If so, I. for one, trust
theob *et willnot be achieved. Let thepeople of Weymouth
raise the war whoop against it,and exclaim "The gun is ours
—the town r and we,the ratepayerso porn the idea. So much
for the act of removing the gun to a private individual
land and hiding it from public view. Would any right-
thinking person like to we the medals adorning the breasts
of our gallant soldiers and sailors bid under their coata,
and not exposed to view, because the words Inkarman„
Sebastopol, au., are engraved on the ban; Or the inscrip-
tions On the monuments of Blake, Nelson. Wellington, and
other heroes in St Paul's be obliterated because foreigners
may apt to reed them. Such nonsense is deplorable to
, think of, especially from public men in Gib, the lPth
centnry.—Yours faithfully,

TI1011•6 S. WALLIS.