The Telegram. — 1893-05-23 (Weymouth, Dorset, England)

SUDDEN DEATH OF THE BURIAL BOARD.  On Monday, the newly formed Burial Board met at the new burial ground to commier the bast mode of fencing the new, and of repairing the existing walls round the old ground. After a minute inspection, the board, which was a full muster, adjourned to the vestry room of All Saint's Church for the transaction of business. Mr. George 'Popp, chairman, said when they were elected by the vestry as a board it was for the sole reason that that was the only way opened to them, as it then seemed impossible to raise the money by voluntary subscriptions. Since their formation the vicar had received a letter from the Icelesiastical Commissioners stating that if the work could he carried out without the formation of a Burial Board they would give a donation of I'2o. To this the vicar added £lO on the saute conditions.—Alter a loug discussion, the board set to work to calculate what the total cost of the work would be, and finally arriveil at the estimate of £7O. The greater part of this was then promised as follows :—The Ecclesiastical Commissioners, £2O ; the Rev, Sir G. ft. Petherstone, Bart. (vicar), £lO ; Mr. Einnund Barkworth, LOP; Messrs. Ceorge Tope., £5 ; Thomas Homer, £5 ; David Drake, £2 ; John Hounsell, 10e ; Charles Paine, lOs ; leaving a further sum of £l7 to be subscribed—The board then came to the unanimous opinion that the taioney could be raised voluntarily without the expense or trouble of a board, sod it was decided that they should come to an end. The question arose, however, as to how that feat should be accomplished. A natural death seemed out of the question, they were not inclined to commit suicide, and the only way left them to get out of the difficulty WA/ to get themaelves killed. Suddenly, Mr. Chas. Chinn awoke to the fact that he had an horrible objection to a Burial Board, and by a document prepared then and there by the clerk to the board, and sigued oy him, caused an objection to he delivered to the churchwarden, who lankily happened to be a member of the board, that there had been something informal in the election ef that august body, and he consequently objected to their being any longer a hoard.—The board then found themselves out of a difficulty, and were just open forming themselves into a committee to carry on the work, when Mr. H. T. Payne, who attended the meeting as a repriblentanve of the press, reminded them that they had been elected by a parish vestry, of whom he was one, for the bunion of a burial board, and as they were now no longer a board he thought their only fair course was to again appeal to the pariah, which at length was agreed toe. During the meeting a diSCUMIOII on the vexed question of " Consecration took place, the only drawback to which seemed to be Me enormous fees charged, fees which Mr. Cole thought might be considerably lessened if the bishop was approached properly. Mr. Cecil Cox, who is a ratepayer of the village, and who had come to witness the death of the board, asked them to be very careful over the consecration ; perhaps, he said, they might get the Bishop to only consecrate to the depth of six feet; then, if they put Dissenters down eight feet they would be safely out of the way The board at length terminated a happy but useless life.