The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-10-16 00:00:00

LIGHTING FORTUNES WELL WITH GAS.

A inblie osertiog of the ratepayers of Fortune's Well,
convened by requisition to the Churchwardens of St.
John's district parish, was held at Scrivens's Royal
Hot. lon Wednesday evening lad, It. fore the time
appointed for commencing the proceedings, the room
was completely filled, bit chiefly by persons not con-
cerned in the matter. They were residents above hill,
Cheailto•p, Cestletown, Spring Gardens, and other
portions of Portland lying without the district it was
proposed to light. The intention of many of these was
a hostile oppos,tion to the erection of public lamps,
sonic being under the impression that they would be
taxed for their orsintenance, while others, it would
teem, were bent upon frustrating all atempts at improve-
ments, though the cost would be to them utterly
This to some may appear a singular state of things, but
it 61 no less singular than true. Such is life! As things
were with our fathers so let it be with us, and so let
them be till the end of time, is the orthodox creed
of many.

The chair was taken by lit. G. E. ANDIIIIIII, who said
that he would much rather his place bed been fil'ed by
some one more competent, hut as they had elected hint to
preside over them, he would, in the outset, make one or
two preliminary remarks. Ile perceived that there were
many present who really bed no business there, as he
would presently show. That meeting was convened in
accordance with the provisions of an AM of Parliament
passed in the reign of William IF. for enabling parishes,
or portions of parishes to light, or to effect other tin.
provements, by the levying of a rate on the ratepayers
of sui h parish, or portion of parish, in which such light.
lag or improvement was to be carried out. The district
It was proposed to light, and of which due notioe had
been given, WIN that portion of the parish osile4 Fortune's
Well, commencing at Mrs. Frost's hours at the foot of
the hill, and continuing down the road past St. John's
Church, to the Portland railway station. Should the
measure be carried, the parties living on either side, and
whose only main or outlet was into this road, would
have to oontribute towards the lighting, and tio one else.
Thom, therefore, who were present, who did not live in
this district, had no right either to speak or vote upon
the question. Indeed, they had no business to be pre-
sent, they had no right to be there, exeept by imitrtesy,
sal for this reason they would not be gilled upon to
pay one farthing, either directly or indirectly, towards
the lighting. If parties living at Chisel. or Hing-rireet,
or Spring-gardens, or Manama or any other part of the
Wand, were to be called upon to contribute towards
these litho, it would be quite • different question.
It would be quite right and just that they should be
present anil be allowed to speak and vote; but as stash
WaS not die eiee—as they could not he called upon to
contribute a sisals farthing towards the lights, they had
no voice—no vote. They had, in short, neither part
nor lot in the matter. If It were proposed to also light
illy °thee district, or parted a district, then the parties
paying taxes for property lying within that district or
part of the district, would have • voice in the
matter, simply beestuie they scald have • monetary
interest in the matter. For his own part he
did not wink that Fortenat's Well eselasively should
be lighted • it. would like to see 411:11. pieced
where** (Puy were required. But be thought

they should learn to walk Wore 'they eameteneed
to run—icheers and Laughter). Thee, who were
ignorant the matter befole he loped now fully
understand it, and that they would act in • manner
worthy of their position as men and Portlanders—that
Moat who were not ratepayers in thst district 'mold
• ither quietly leave the room, or that hey would refrain
both from peaking and votiag. Thq ha Ino ',art or
parcel in the undertaking whatever, md if they did fail
t "chain from any interference wlatever, either by
word or re stare, he should he ander the neonnitY of
either having the interrupter put onto( the room, or of
sojourning that meeting. And ho would remind
them that the 'nesting, being legally convened, be
had authority und,e the Act, in theo f interrup-
tion, to adj otra the meeting, alai to eijoitrn it
from time to time teeny hoar or piece lie lose think
proper. A peewin who would not Is called upon to
contribute ha I no right to clitoriere ; but if there
were those present who would bo lolled upon to Gann'.
bute, who were taepayers within the nitrite. •ed who
thountat they would be unjustly Least it would be for
own' to stand up for II eir rights. N. mi.ht add. that
if it was eaniA by a ma) tett,' of tile me-Pelee, 01
the district that Fortune's Well shout, be lighb 4, they
could vote• rate for MIS one year. It warn for UM
meeting to say how muoli money 'hook he allowed for
the lighting. to elect a oertain nuinlarof gentlemen to
actin the matter, and to carry nut the lighting fee ow•
year. Nest year they would have to neet again, after
the publomtien of the proper notice, andl it would
then be for ills. to say wheth. r the lighting should
be continued, and if so, how much money should be
devoted to the purpose, to neelect their committee or
elect a new committee if they thong it proper. and so
on year by year. It would thus be been that if they
tried the experiment and it did not answer, or wag too
expenaive, they could an, year, by • vote of the ma.
jority, give it up. having made these introductory
remarks, We. Andrews read the requisition, signed by
three ratepayers of Fortune's Well to the church-
warden. ; and the notice, in sec odium. with the requl-
-6.100. given by the churchwartlene of this meeting.
A di•cuesion here erousd am to what houses were
and were not within the district.

The CHAIRMAN said they had heard the requisition to
the churchwardens, and the notice given by the church
warden. for convening this meeting resit. end be
thought that the not point was to ascertain who were
the ratepayers within the distritt. Thosie living in the
neighbourhood would then know whether or not they
Lad or h d not • right to be present to speak end vote.
Mr. THONAS GIBXS asked if all who had pro, erty in
Fortune's Well were entitled to vote.
The Cli• 111111 A N : Not nelese they are ratepayers.
Mr. GIBBS thought it very hard to have property in •
plass and not to be allowed to vote.
The CHAIRMAN. for the guidance of all present, reed
• list of all the persons residing in Fortune's Well who
would have to contribute. Tbe list was copied from
the rate-book by the oollector. Any of those whose
names but been read were entitled to speak and vote,
and be others.

Mr. EDWARD WAY (rsther warmly): I should think
that any person who bad property in the place, whether
be pay. rates or not, is as much entitled to speak as you
are. . . -

Here considerable confueion &MO% brieMy among
those residing out of the distriet.
The Cithiausi said that unless they paid attention to
the *hair he should be under the necessity of adjourning
the meetinv,
Mr. Bowls said he should be 'shouted, if he were the
originators of this movement, to try and impoee addi-
tional rates upon ties poor man.
Mr. EDWARD War: I mean to my there are many
places that required lighting more tli.n Fortune's Well.
This is a king of • plat* to them. Look at King-street,
Chisel, and other places; why lights were wanted there
ten Haien more than in Fortune's Well.

.
The cliAlawAw : Theo light thing. I would I.ke to
see the whole island lighted. _

Yr. Czeurroraza GIBBS weld Dot understand wb•
..4 to set himself up as the constituted authority as to
what should form the district, one could he conceive
where the line of demarcation should be drawn.

The CHAIRMAN said he had read the list of the pro-
perties that it was proposed to constitute the district.
An I now the question was, should the district be lighted'
He might remark that the Gss Company were willing to
light the district for £3 per lamp, and said if the rate.
payers of Fortunes Well had that part lighted, it mould
not injure the ott.er parishes. If they wanted lights, it
was perfectly competent for them to form • separate
district for themselves. He for one rrrrr wished to
force • tax upon people for any purpose, if they were
unwilling to submit to it.
Mr. EDWARD COMBEN said it was not for his benefit,
and it those who wanted cos pay for it.
The CHAIRIIAN said he did not want it to benefit him'
eel?, but for the public.
Mr. THRESHER believed that many had an iinpression
that if the gas question were carried, those who lived '
out of the district would have to contribute towards
the Fortune's Well lights. He perceived that the
calculations of the rental to be taxed was L'2,555. Was
t:)at all included il2 Fortune'. Well?

—...---- -
Tie Cesismstr mud the list he had read yielded the
rental mentioned. They had this on the authority of
the collector of poor-retes. . . .

Mr. B. Come& read the clauses in the Act referrirg
to the point, its showing that property out of the
district could not be rated for lixliting the district. A
great deal bad het.n said that it would be • tax upon the
poor man, but thefrating of oottagee was exceediegly low,
asol by far the great bulk of the burden would have to be
borne by the ahopkeeepete. A pottage would have to
pay 4d. or perhaps Si. per 9u for the
Surely that was not a very apnoea harden.
Mr. Ilivolt•esh thought that no preliminary meeting
inch as that on Monday evening ought to have been
held, and concurred in the remarks made with respect
to lighting the other parte of Portland. He believed
that something like Mk lamps would be snekeient for the
whole place under the hill, and if they bad proposed to
light the whole island theisi would be no opposition.
. . . .

—"The CHAIRMAN raid that Mr. •not
present at the commeneemeut of their proeechngs ;
end he was evidently ignorant in rented to the fact., or
b. outild not have made throe remarks. The very thing
Mr. Ilindmarsh recommended wee propoeed last year,
and won rejected. . .

Mr. HI;IDVAIRSH salerd why tip,' wanted to compel
people to light d they did not want lights.
. . . . .

-converssiion ensued resrectin• his b. lei
present at i meeting held last year. After some inter-
ruption. and remarks from the chairman,
Mr. JOlllll War said he didn't onnaider they had English
fair play at all. Because he didn't pay poor rates in the
district he was told he had no vote.

In answer to M. S. DATER, the CHLIRMAN said he
tuld not tell. Tne ratepayers would vote the amount
thry would allow for lighting, and the committee, or
rather the inspectors, as they were termed in the Ash,
would levy a rate acoordingly.
Mr. ELLIOTT said hi + name was read on the list for
Fortune's Well, but did not reside there, and wished to
know if he was liable.

The etwucui eotlid not take noon him to my. The
eollector of rates had prepared toe them • list of persons
wham names were on the rate-book. If any ono was
rated. and the party considered that he had no right to
pay, all that be would Save to do would be to appeal.
In reply to Mr. Elliott, the CHAIRMAN said that it had
been computed that if they had 12 lames, theft:et would
be £l6 • year, and that • 4d. rate a year, or a penny
rate • quarter, would realise forty odd pounds.
Mr. B. COMBIN considered that • 41d. rate or a sd.
rate • year would be required.

Mr. R. Eworr said he was now taxed to the amount
of lc 21. in the pound for poor rates, sod surely that
was enough for any poor man to pay, and after making
himself known to the Chairman, who had never seen
him before, but bad beard of him,
Mr. C,onagn proposed that the district of Fortune's
Well, from Mrs.. Frost's house at the foot of the hill to
the Railway station, be lighted with gas. It was the
main thoroughfare of the Wand, it was • growing
place, and might to be lighted. 'the principle portion
of the ripens/ would fall upon the largest ratepayers,
and therefore it weld not be said that the shopkeepers
wanted others to pay for their Imperil.
Mr. ROBBIILL seconded the proposition, and said it
was • step in the right direction. If they had a smooth,
level road, perhaps there would be no necessity for
lighting, but as the road was so uneven there would be
the greatest improvement ever effected.
Mr. li. Stove wished to says few words, to which
the Chairman objected, as be was not • ratepayer.
Mr. Edward COMBIX then moved, and Mr. K R.
VAT woonded, an amendment to the effect thet For-
tune's WeU be not lighted with gm.
The Rev. J. T. 8111/1111001 maid be had no desire to
obtrude himself on their meeting, but he would like
grit to remind them of one general principle, that when
any plan included • large area, the proportionate expense
woo considerably lees than if oonnord to a smaller on*.
Therefore, although he did hope that his friends in For-
tune's Well would be &Ida to eery out their scheme for
lighting, yet he hoped the improvement would not stop
there, but that the whole island would be lighted. To
carry out the scheme it would amount to only • few
penoe par quarter individualy.

Mr. ILsocurea was not opposed to gas lighting, bat
Its thought they all ought to not in °fluent together. If
they lighted Fortune's Well, which least required light-
ing, it would no was, than no lights at all. To go out
of a well lighted street into the dark rough bye street.
was as bad u going out of a well lighted room into the
open air on a dark night.
_

The Caataxau @aft] he had already reminded them
that last year it was proposed to light the whole place,
but that the inhabitants almost to a man set their free
determinedly against it. Pothers if those people ...the
great advantage of public lamps by the lighting of For-
tune's Well they would be led to adopt it thermal...
The whole could then be lighted.
The CaiIIMAN, in reply to Mr. ILLUCtr., said it was
proposed to have 12 lamp..

- After some remarks u to the rale to be made for
lighting Fortune's Well,

The CR411111.1, sod Kr. K. Commit both seid it
would take a 4d. rate.

After some further discussion the Chairman put the
resolntion and amendment to the nicotine, and pro-
ceeded to take the names of the voters for bad against,
in writing. A variety of objections were urged ea to
this mode of proceeding, and the Chairman adjourned
the meeting till the following afternoon at three o'slock.
On the following afternoon, Mr. Andrews took the
chair at three o'clock. About 40 persons were present,
about three-fourths of whom were voters. After read-
ing the sections in the 3 and 4 Wm. IV. cap. 90, under
yid& the meeting was convened, he reed the resolution
end amendment, and put the question to the vote, when
19 hand. were held up in favour of the resolution for
lighting the district, and 11 against it.

_ _ -•-
The CHAIRMAN said the resolution could not be
carnal but by • majority of two-thirds of the voters.
The resolution was conarquently lost, but any one
voting in favour of the resolution oould demand a poll.
The Hey. IL JUOUR then reed the following :—War
Um undersigned, being dee duly qualified iatepayen
being entitled to not am mentioned in the Act before
referred to, demand a poll of ratepayers to vote upon
the ptestion as to whether Pis Act and provisions there-
of, or any part thereof, shall Fe adopted in the district
if Fortune's Well, referred to in the notice hod requisla
lion lent to the churchwardens." (Signed) Abram.,
fictive°, Henry Comer, Henry Rumen, Hertholomew
Comben, and J. C. Thresher.
The CHAtßmair than further adjourned the suesting
till Wednesday evening next. wham be would he hig a
patties to ley when the polling thoehl telee pleat.