The Sun.
London, England, 1826-11-17 00:00:00

THE NEW WESTERN ROAD.

Friday last a highly respectable meeting of Gentlemen
and Farmers. of Somerset took place ut the George Inn,
Wedmore, for the purpose of inspecting a plan and exa-
mining a driiug the
meeting of a Bill drawn and submitted to 'e
meeting bY Mr. Tucker, of Langport, with the view of de-
termining upon the line of road to. be adopted, under the
sanction of Parliament, to effect this vast improvement to
the travelling British public. . JOHN .B.taitow, Esq., the
Magistrate, was unanimously called to the chair, and stated
the objects of the meeting; after which,
Mr. TUCKER exhibited the plan of the new line to the
meeting. The communication embraced the following
places,—viz. Latigport, High-Ham, ShapWick, Heath,
IVesthity, Blakeway, Mudgley, Wedmore, Crick= Elm,
Brittscombp Axbridge, and then to join the great western
road at Shut Shelve, covering a surface of twenty miles and
a half. The exeence of this undertaking is estimated at
0,000/., to be raised in shares of 50/. each and the sum to
be repaid out of the produce of four turnpikes to be erected
on the line of road; This sum includes the payment of
2,000/. to the commissioners of a certain road already in a
state of forwardness from Langport to King's Sedgemoor. •
Mr. Tucker then stated, that with the permission of the
meeting, he would read them a draught of a Bill which he
had framed for the accomplishment of. the object in con-
templation, leaving it to a Committee of Commissjoners to
slake snch alterations as the exigencies of the case may
hereafter require.--(hear, hear.)-7-Mr. Tucker then pro-
ceeded to read the provisions of the bill in detail.
PETER FRY, of Axbridge, understood that some
gentlemen, through Whose landS the line of road would
pass, had some time since intimated their intention of
giving up their lands gratuitously.
Mr. TUCKER submitted that that was not likely to he
done, as the lands through which the road' was contem-
plated had been estimated at about 100/. an acre.
Dr. SeEscEtt said, he would oppose the line of road
passing through Axbridge. In the first piece' the drove
which led to Axbridge, anti which was intended to be
converted into the new road, was only 20 feet wide, and
ott either side was a ditch, eight feet wide, and nearly eight
feet deep.
Mr. PUTER FRY.—If you stated four feet deep, you
would be nearer the truth, Eseulapius.
Dr. S:PENCER.—WeII, take it at fonr feet, even that
would. determine the fate of your short neck if you fell
into it. _ _ .

Dr. SPFSGEtt, continued.--The line which he would
respectfully: suggest would. .be to Cheddar, through Mr..
Long's and the Marquis of. Bath's property, and here he
must be permitted to observe, that the Noble Marquis had
offered to give tip his land for the purposes of the road,
free of expense.—(Great upplanse.)—One of the bridges
was, he: said, ' already made ; the approach to it was so
picturesque, that the traveller might fancy himself ap-
proachi»g ie banks of the Tiber. Those who were ad-
vocates for the road passing through Axbridge had nothing
but interest in view. . What, he would ask, could the
public.get at Axbridge ? : The only commodity to be ob-
tained there wag Jaw---(Loud hiughter)—and that was of
the -very worst quality, .What man, in his senses, would
not go out of the way to avoid law ?—(Laughter.)—He
(the Doctor) would admit tithst readily that it was high
time the lawyers of Axbridge should "mend their Ways,"
but they should not, with his consent, do so fa the expense
of the public,—(Loud laughter.)—The Doctor now pro-
duced
,a, plan. of road froth the borough of 'Wedmore,
across, the moor to. Cheddar, through Cheddar-wood to
Shipham, .Roborough-vale, and thence to join a new.,road
making at Churchill, avoiding a very,steep hill, ..Upon the
production of this plan, a young man asked "who, in the
name of all that is courageous, would venture uyon a road
cut through Cheddar-wood ?" " rejoined Dr.
Spencer, "any body except .one with a weak head and
nerveless heart, such ux you."-(l.oud laughing.)—Dr.
Spencer continued, the whole line from Wedmore to
Churchill woulci embrace.. a distance of only Live iitilru. seven
furiOUra, Six plrtiino, and tern chains. The best possible
materials for making the road were near at hand; it .would
avoid stupendous hills, and be the means of civilising the
miners and inhabitants at Shipharn, who were provethia)ly
distinguished far darkness and semi-barbarism. The cio
eminence of no less . than 85 carts ping out of Cheddar,
laden with vegetable* for the Bristol-market almost every
night, the saving of distance and hills, were Aj; subjeetb
which he threw down fearlessly .for the consideration Of
the meeting oind although the other line of road would be
of more advantage, to him and- his neighbours, as far as
private interval were concerned, yet having seen
vertisement, in, the Bridgewater paper, . signed " Peter
Fry, solicitor, Axbridge,' setting forth that an Act would;
be applied for to Parliament, for' lighting, widening, and
improving 'the borough of Axbridge," he suspected that
Alt this would,be attempted in the same act as that which
emowered the making the road : he was therefore deter.
millet to resist it, for it never should be said that he sup-
ported private against public good.—( Loud applause.)
Mr. PET.", FRY denied that the people of Axbridge pos-
sessed any sitc,lt mercenary views, and added, that be had
not sanctioned any advertisement couched in the language
alluded to by Dr. SRI-nicer.
Dr. SPENCER.—Here .4 the paper (producing and read,
ing it) for paving, widening;' and improving the streets of
Axbridge. . (Hear.) - •
Mr. Psnit Elm—You said " lid filing."
Dr. SeENcEn.—That is one of your quibbles :-..here
is
the advertisement, signed by yourself—l myself I:
4. I, Johnny Horner,
41 : Sitting in a claim',
Eating ChrOtutas pie,
1, rutin my thumb,
• :,•• PuiPti out a plum,
1, And old, what a toy: am I 1" (Orest laughter.)
So it was (continued Dr, spencer) with .Mr. Fry, who
• .
popped in the advertisement, thought nobody would see it,
and thus congratulated himself:—
" 1, mysolt, 1
I Peter Fry,
~I' ingeed the pie
Oh good boy am 1 !"—,(Oreat laughter.)
Mr. w ARDs seconded Dr. Spencer's amendment,
• which, upon being put, was rejected by one hand.only.
A committee was then appointed to examine the new
line of road, and to r.,?port thereon; and thanks having been
voted to the.ehairmali, the meeting broke up.

LOGIC:A L FA L L AcIES.--,A fallacy may be com-
pared to Kane adulterated cotopouna : it consists of
an ingenious mixture of truth and falsehood, so inti-
mately, blended, that. the falsehood (in the chemical
phrase) may be said to lie held in solution: one drop
of sound logic is that test, which immediately disunites
these, and snakes the foreign substance risible by pre-
. "hating i
t to the bottom.-I—Copidesion fax Logic,
Aincyc. Met.
-
DOVER, night we experienced
storm of wind and rain. At one
heat an almost unprecedented
part .of the town, Iliggin-street, at the 4Uttkirt,on the London-
road, dt,tring the night the wider canoe down from the hills be-
hina, and
restraint, collected in the small hollows, and et length burst
through every
and rushed in a torrent through the
street ; the grates of the common sewer soon became elielted, acrd
the watchman failing to alarm the neighbourhood, ,er procure
aseistenee, most of the cellars were inundated to the ceilings. The
whole of to-day has been spent in pumping, out the water, and
hailing.the cellars with buckets. The inconvenience suffered by
many faiuilies is immense, but the- real damage done is compare_
Hussy trifling to what might have been expected. As the wind
blew right ou shore, it was feared intelligence from sea would be
of a inebinelinly description. The only accidents which have
reached as as yet are, that part of it tmichiug-boat wrecked, has
. been washed ashore On the coast ; and two d the sate description
of vessels were Wit morning on the rocks at Ctlaia in a very pre'
carious situation. On Sunday last, when the Duke of Devon--
shire arrived, the Cellector cif Customs waited on his Grace, in
Ilia capacity, to inspect die luggage; and the domestic,
to whom was intrusted the showing of the packages, instead of
declaring what each contained, presented the keys, which were ac-.
eroding* all made use of, andthe usual search wan gone through,'
when about 1600/. worth of contraband pride were seized in the
Inoue. More goods were amongst the luggage, for which
duty was paid, the duty on which 'amounted to ROL It is to be
hoped that his Grace will applaud the honest vigilance of the col-
lector for the faithful discharge of his duty.