The Blandford and Wimbourne Telegram. — 1884-10-17 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

BALLAM AND ME. NORTON AT THE WESLEYAN ScisuonuuooM.-4 teMparance meeting was held at the Wesleyae Seho iiroom oe Wednesday evening lest. when Mr. G. Wright, jun., Presided. A long and amusing address was delivered by Mr. D. Ballam, and in the course of his remarks he referred to the " qtp.ct S. ings-on at Poole." Funny place was Pole; the only reason hi c 'tit(' account for in was that it was a town and county ui itsee—(lenehter)—and he only hoped there was no ether like it in England, Rehrring o the reeent de Won, at the sessions, he sail the Dorche -ter Magier.Les appeared to think the P ees magi-tr....es did n,;. snow their duty, and did not know anythieg abont whet their own people wanted, su far as the " swipes" were concerned. He erne posed they would new send the Poole megeeeates home and give them their discharge. (Laughter.) Wonderfully clever peeple these magistrates in Dorchester and in the locality. He believed some of them were members of Parliament. He only hoped God Almighty thought better of them than he aid. They only came down and listened to a few lawyers, counsel, publicans, sae brewers, who were wholesale murderers, and then they gave a decision against those who were living on the very spot and knew all about it. If that Was the law he booed the time would soon come when it would be abolished. He thought they hail better have no laws at all than these. What, he wanted to know, did the lawyers about here kn iw what we s wantel f -r the town of Poole? He knew their magistrate; had been fools. Now 0119 of thus Poole brewers fancied he ought to be on the Board oi Guardians, and he himself was one. So he sail to him "You are a pretty fine fellow to be on the Board of Guardians, when you are making paupers, criminals, and lunatics ; you are a disgrace to the Board, as you are a wholesale eiurderer. that was Mr. elersten. So when they got to the Boardroom another brewer came in, and Mr. Marston said "Another wholesale murderer," and he (the speaker) replied " Yes, don't you think I am going to eat my word because you have got somebody else." They said it was all very well for people holding erroneous opinion i to say this, but be said "If he can prove he is not I Will give him 50 sovereigns for any charitable institution in Poole," and he ha not been alter it yet, ant he knew where Dan'l lived as well as anybody. (Laughter.) He shonid be &shame I of himself to have done as ti use magistrates had at Dorchester. It was a diogrees to any board of magistrates to grant licenses against tee decision of the people, If he bad his will he would turn everyone of them out, wed put a lot of women in their place—(laughter)—and if there was then not a better state of things in a year he would have everyone of them put ini.o the Union, and lt,mt on skiliy all their lives. (Renewed laughter.) Why women could not make themselves such fools if they tried to do it ; and if the members of Parliament could net do better, why let them send SOMO women in their places. There was a terrible evil in th.dr midst, maul in the coarse of further remarks he urged them to do what they could to suppress it.—The Chairm an said there was a gentleman present who had imperilled both life and fortune in the temperance cause, and he asked him to come forward and make their acquain'anc7,—Mr. Norton, who was cheered on making his way to the platform, said it would be very unwise for him to attempt to make any lengthy remarks, b2causie as they knew, legal matters were pending, an I it was a well understood rule that no person shotill ventilate euestioes that were at the time before the magistrates. Therefore, he would not touch upou that point at all (to the manifest disappointment of many present.) Ho then delivered a few general remarks on the temperene question.—A vote of thanks to the Chairman, Norton, and Mr. Ballem, proposed by Qeartermastere Sergeant Manning, and secendeel by hie Davis, ic eladed the proceedings. Aweeete