The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-02-15 00:00:00

Somtrsttsbirt.

YEOVIL TOWN COUNCIL
DEFALCATION AND DISJIISIAL OP THE

SURVEYOR.

On Monday week the usual quarterly meeting of
the Town Council of the borough of Yeovil was lield
in the Townhall. Every member was resent, the
defahastion of the Town Surveyor having invested
this meeting with unusual interest. An anonymous
handbill had been issued, inquiring what the I:Outlive
Committee had been about, and who were the audi•
tors, and tailing upon the ratepayers to arouse them•
wives and express their opinions There were not,
however, more than half a•dozen ratepayers, not
members of the Council, present.
TUe Mavor (R. Tucker, Esq.), in opening the pro.
ceilings eon) he did not know whether he ought to
asenne that they were all in possession of the eir•
cumotances that had occurred since they last met ;
he would, therefore, enter into a short detail. By
virtue of an appointment the Special Committee met
on Friday week. and they had not linos assembled
before it WAS Illtilllated that there WAS a iiefiCilalCy in
their funds, and that the balance of the surveyor
dnl not accord with the figures.
Very little was thought about it at the time, one or
two members considering that it was merely an
error in the figures which could be set right the next
day, and that there could not be such a serious deti•
ciency as 1.350. There were, however, those among
that committee who were not quite an credulous, and
they expressed fears that something was radically
wring. The whole evening wee spent in discussing
the desirability of amalgamating or dividing the
offices, but no conclusion was arrived at At that
meeting, and it WAS determined to meet a4ain on the
Monday following. Immediately before that meet.
log an individual called at his house and, describing
himself as an accountant from Bristol, said he had
been sent for by Mr. Williams ; that he bad gene
into the accounts, and found • deficiency of £3.50.
He (the Mayor) thought that was a startling fact for
him to communicate to the committee. The current
of their tlieughts was rather changed ; and they had
to consider what was the best course to be adopted
meter the circumstances. They again went over the
same ground they had on the previous Friday gone
over, but they had a more important affair to due
cuss, and that was how this deficiency was to be
made up. There were many nuoiries made as to
the security, but the meeting broke up without
corning to any decision respecting the matter, ex•
cepting that the Town Clerk shoula be authorised to
communicate with the Guarantee Society. This he
the Mayor) believed had been done, and on the
following Friday they again met and came to the
conclusion which the Town Clerk would read to
than.

The Town Clerk then read the resolution which
was passed at the meeting above referred to. It was
to the effect, that under existing circumstances the
council should be recommended to appoint a person
temporarily to act as collector and surveyor in the
place of ?dr. Williams until a competent person
should be permanently appointed. It was also sug-
waited that one person should continue in the two
offices, provided a sufficiently competent person
could be found.
The Town Clerk said be had received a letter from
the Guarantee Society, which he would read. The
letter requested that a detailed statement should be
made, and that the person now in charge of the sur•
reyor's furniture should continue to hold possession
of it for the company. With regard to the money,
he (the Town Clerk) thought it would be forth•
coming in about three months' time, after due inqui•
Hee had been made.

Mr. Alderman Bide said a similar thing had
occurred to him two or three pars ago at Shepton
Mallet. Ha had discovered that a clerk hail com-
mitted robberies to • similar amount, and he was
guaranteed by a society in London (it might be the
same society for what he knew to the contrary),
they were instructed to get the accounts made up;
aim+ was done, and after waiting about three
months they got their money, and they were then
further instructed to Wave thy matter in the hands of
the Guarantee Society wh, wulil proceed against
the pertain who hail robleal them. (Hear, hear.)
In that CAM the clerk's employers were not the
parties robbed because the inoney was repaid to
them ; but the Guarantee Society were the loosen,
sod therefore it was left to them to take what pro.
eeedings they thought proper against the man. Ile
thought it would be good policy to adopt the same
course in this GM. (Hear, hear.) In saying this
he would appeal to the whole Council that lie had
not shown the least disposition to favour .Mr.
; but that, on the contrary, he had for the last
thow years said many things against him and his
nanagement, soil, therefore, on the present occasion,
he could very well afford to say nothing. (Hear,
hear.)
The Town Clerk having announced that the next
subject for consideration was the steps to be taken
for the election of • now officer, • long conversation
ensued, in the course of which Mr. Hill said a person
in the town hail offered to do the surveying for .t5O
• year ; and he WU a person who was competent to
draw plans.
The Town Clerk suggested that a graduated salary
should be given in the event of Mr. Hake not renew-
ing his contract, when the surveyor's work would be
increased ; and he would be entitled to an increased
salary. . .

11r. Whitby thought if they had a good sur-
veyor, who would devote all his time to the otlice.
they should have to give him .t:lntl a year.
Mr. Denman then moved that £l3O • year should
he offered to a competent surveyor and collector,
whosbould devote his whole tune to the duties.
Mr. Phelps asked Mr. Llemaius if he meant a lint-
man for £l3O. (Laughter.)
Mr. Denman: We do nut want • gentleman, but
• good working man.
Mr. Whitby was of opinion that they could get
the work done well for less than • £lOO • year.
If they advertised for • surveyor to the town only,
they could get a man for £OO a year, and they could
get a collector for £4O a year.
Mr. Muumuu said that Mr. Vining not being a
surveyor would employ such prams as would he
c.umetent to do those things_ which pertained to the
character of engineering. Me believed if they had
waited a little longer tin their affairs were put right
they would have -be= in • much better position to
decide upon the question* than at present. In his
i °pinion the bed course to be adopted would be to
Plloe the affairs in Mr. Vining's hands, and let him

get things in good order, for two or three mouths;
and then thy would be better &He to form iul
opinion both as to hie merits or demerits, and on
thu question in general. (Hear, hew.) They woubl
then, he had no doubt, be able to set on foot plans
which would give general 'alio/action. (Hear.
hear.)
In reply to a (Insertion put by • member of the
Council, the TOWII Clerk said that the only resolu-
•iona Cll.llle to were that. Mr. Williams sl ii lsi
dismissed ; that Mr. Vining should be temporarily
appointed ; and that the oirices sl Id be amalga-
mated pn.vided a suitable pcnion should be electc4
to undertake thou.
The subject then dropped, and the Mayor pro-
ceeded • ith the other business of the day.

Tarvrox. —The earth over a portion of the main
sewer in Silverstreet, sunk a considerable depth on
Saturday. A wagon which happened to he passing
at the time, was precipitated into the churn, and
vu with difficulty extricated.

On Sunday the annual sermons on behalf of the
Taunton Benevolent Society were preached at the
Temple Chapel. Upper High-street. by the ltev.
Leach. The chapel was well filled in the morning
and evening, and collections which realised a good
sum were made.
We understand that the Hon. W. F. Campbell is
about to stand for the representation of Hythe. and
will receive the support of the liberal party. The seat
will be vacated by the return of the present member
Sir John Ramsdell, for the West Hiding. No other
candidate has as yet been announced for the
borough.

BOARD Or HKALTII—TIII VACANT SCRVEYOR-
SHIP.—AbOIIt 40 =R11111.04 offered themselves for
the vacant appointment of surveyor to our Board of
Health. Seven of the candidates were selected on
Thursday week to attend a meeting of the Board, to
be held on Thursday, when the election took place.
(holy two persons in Taunton applied for the situa-
tion, both of whom were connected with the work
of the new Shirehall, and prior to the commencement
of those works, were strangers to the town—the per-
sona referred to are, Mr. Jewell, late clerk of the
works, and Mr. Gill, late foreman of the works,
the former only was amongst the 7 selected
candidates. The Wary of the surveyor at the com-
mencement of the Board was £l2O a year, and the
surveyor then had the duties of inspector of nuiaances
to perform. The latter office was subsequently trans-
ferred to Mr. Stuckey, the collector of rates, and a 4
the duties of the surveyor had somewhat diminished,
when the late surveyor, Mr. Corfield, was elected,
the salary was £6O a year. Now the salary has
been raised to £l2O. and the new surveyor will be
required to devote his whole time to the hoard, but
he will only be required to act as surveyor. The
following are the 7 candidates and the num-
ber of votes they received (—Armstrong, 16 ;
Forma, 14 ; Jewell, 13; Roper, 12; Hargrave, 12;
Pugh, 9; and Lang, S.

WeLim—Society for the Protection of Property
and the Prosecution of Fe/one—The report of this
society for the year 1858 has just been issued, from
which it appears that the sum of £76 15e. 3d. stands
invested to their credit, and that 31 members have
renewed their subscriptions for the year 1856. It
also embodies the following resolutions of a meeting
held at the Townhall, on January 19th, 1859; the
Hon. and Rev. Canon Brodrick in the chair. That
a subscription of 3e. be called for from each member
for the ensuing year to keep up the funds of the
society. That the Treasurer's Account as hereunder
stated be allowed, printed, and published as usual,
and that the officers of the pest year be reelected
for the ensuing year. Mr. Hobbs', the Treasurer's
Account. —Received :—Belance in band at the last
Audit, .C 5 9s. Id. ; I:ash received of 31 members
and one arrear, 154. lki. ; total, £lO se. Id.
Paid :—Secretary's messengers for the year IKSS,
£2 is. Oil. ; printer's bill, I Is. 6d. ; hall-keeper,
31. lid. ; postages, stationary, &c., for the year,
b. ; balance in hands of the Secretary,
£lll6l. 7d.; total, .£lO 54. Id.

Witumouit.—Alelunelody Suicide. - An inquest
was held on Wednesday week, before B. Fry, Eau,
coroner, at Panborough Inn, in the parish of Wed
more, on the body of T. Ward, aged 71, a pen-
sioner in the receipt of lad. per day, living at Bag-
ley, who faimmitted suicide by cutting his throat,
and stabbing himself in the abdomen with a razor, ,
causing his bowels to protrude. According to the
evidence of his wife, it appears that on Friday night
week, her husband, whu was much her senior, re-
tired to rest at S o'clock, and both went to sleep, ,
and at 9 o'clock she was awoke by hearing her hus- •
band cough ; she got out of bed, and her daughter,
a girl of Ili (who slept in the same rooni,) struck a
light, and they found deceased sitting on the side
of the boil, the fluor covered with blood, and a razor
lying on the floor. Deceased could not speak ; the
neighbours carne in, and Mr. Ford, a surgeon, was
sent for, and was promptly in attendance; he found
that deceased's throat was cut in so frightful a man•
ner as to leave no hopes of his recovery, and if lie
had attempted to sow up the wound suffocation
would immediately have been the result. On the
following morning that gentleman discovered a
wound in the abdomen, from which the bowels of
the deceased protruded. This evidence was con-
firmed, tic & certain extent, by the Rev. %V. William-
son, of Thiele, and the jury returned the following
verdict:—" That deceased died from injuries received
from his own hands being, at the time such injuries
were inflicted, of unsinuid mind." The most re-
markable circumstance attending the mum is that the
injuries were inflicted on the 28th January, and he
lingered until the Ist of February.
Cogan Sy. NICHOLAS. —ln the night time of
Wednesday, some dogs did great damage to the
sheep belonging to Mr. James Wyatt, of Woolhays
Farm, in this parish. Twenty ewes which had not
lambed were attacked, and out of that number only
eight reniainiel uninjured, two were found dead the
next morning, and three have since died, and the
remainder are greatly injured. It appears from the
tracks that there were three dogs, and one of them
must have been of large size, as the wounds in the
neck of all the sheep exhibit marks of large teeth.
Every exertion made to discover the animals has as
yet proved ineffectually, The sheep are watched
every night, and should the dogs pay another visit
to Mr. Wyatt it is probable they will get a warm
reception.

klosvewrox.—A fire happened in this village on
Thursday, in a combing shop, in which was a
quantity of flax, the property of Mr. Bendel!. It
originated from a candle, and made a great blaze,
but assistance and plenty of water being at hand,
the building was saved, though the contents were all
destroyed. Mr. Randall is, we believe, insured.
CnEwittaxx.—Three of our club. or friendly
societies—the "Victoria" the "Amicable," and
the "Swan," have disbanded during the past
week, having completed their allotted term of seven
years. Their accumulation of funds amounted in
the aggregate to £2,512 13s. Ifid., which was
, divided amongst 34i8 members. We understand
1 that three new societies are already formed, and
that they bid fair to exceed the former ones in
' numbers, with improved rules. It is very desirable
and quite necessary that a reform should take place
in the system, that they may become actual benefit
I societies.