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Folkestone Chronicle 4 April 1863.
Town Council Meeting extract.
The usual special and monthly meeting of the Council and Corporation
took place on Wednesday evening last at the Council Chamber.
The Mayor said in opening the proceedings, the first business was to
receive tenders for hiring the upper part of the Sessions Hall.
There was but one, which he would read. It was an offer from Mr.
George Brickman.
Mr. Wightwick said he should move that the offer be accepted,
subject to the approval of the Mayor and Town Clerk as to the
details which were not named in the offer.
The Mayor suggested that it would be better to leave it to the
General Purposes Committee.
Mr. James Banks observed the matter had been fully discussed before
the General Purposes Committee, and he thought no restrictions
should be put upon the tenant, except the usual ones of wear and
tear, and notice to quit, &c.
Mr. Doridant thought as the High Street was already crowded with
public houses, it would be unwise to allow the tenant the privilege
of opening those premises as a beerhouse or public house of any
kind, and he had heard it mentioned that it was intended to open it
as a Roman Catholic Chapel. He was himself a Protestant, but he
would prefer to let it to be used for that purpose for £10 less than
to receive £10 more per year for the purposes of a public house.
Mr. Fitness thought sufficient notice – merely a board on the
building – had not been given to let it. He was of opinion it should
have been advertised to let, or better still, to be kept in hand for
the purposes of a museum.
Mr. James Banks thought it would be extremely unfair to the
gentleman who had tendered to do anything of the kind. He should
move that Mr. Brickman's offer be accepted, and that the Town Clerk
prepare the agreement, subject to a proviso that it was not to be
used as a public house or licensed dancing room.
Mr. Doridant seconded the motion.
Mr. Hoad wished to know what would be the cost of the proposed
agreement, and queried whether it would be a quarter's rent.
Mr. Harrison said he really could not tell. It would be the fair
charge for such an agreement as was necessary.
Mr. Boorn thought that as a Corporation they ought not to let it as
a Catholic Chapel.
Mr. Gambrill agreed with Mr. Boorn.
Mr. Wightwick considered that sufficient time had not been given to
advertise it, and he rather fell in with the idea of Mr. Fitness,
about retaining it in hand; he should move, as an amendment, that it
be advertised to be let in the local paper.
Mr. Harrison suggested that if this course was carried out, the Town
Clerk should be furnished with the heads of the agreement, to be
entered into by the party tendering to be a tenant.
Mr. Gambrill asked if Mr. James Banks would allow a clause to be
added to his motion, respecting it not being dedicated to the
purpose of a Roman Catholic Chapel.
Mr. Doridant, again reiterating that he was a Protestant, was
surprised to hear such a proposal in this room; at Rome, and in
Spain, and other countries where Catholics were dominant, they
refused Protestants to have places of worship in the cities, but
drove them, as it were, into the suburbs, or holes and corners, to
worship, and now they were about to do the same thing to Roman
Catholics in this free country. If this was carried out, they would
be acting precisely with the same bigotry that actuated the Roman
Catholic. He hoped they would do nothing of such a bigoted
character. If it was for a Jewish Synagogue, or any other place of
worship, he should support it. (Applause)
Mr. Hills hoped the prohibition as to music licences would not
prevent Mr. Brickman, if the tenant, from having a concert there.
Mr. James Banks said certainly not.
Mr. James Banks said he had been appealed to by Mr. Gambrill, to add
to his resolution, that it should not be used as a Roman Catholic
Chapel; he perfectly agreed with the remarks of Mr. Doridant, and
was surprised that the Council had gone out of their way to bring
this matter before them. If the Protestant Church could not stand on
its own merits, all the Corporation might do to support it would
have no effect. He could not consent to such a proposal.
After some further irrelevant discussion upon this matter, it was
moved by Mr. Gambrill, as an amendment, seconded by Mr. Fitness,
that the Council proceed to discuss the next business.
Upon a division, 6 voted for and 6 against the amendment, and the
Mayor gave the casting vote in favour of the amendment.
During the discussion on this matter, which became very animated, an
offensive remark was made by one member of the Council to another,
which it is not worthwhile further to allude to, except to remark
that the good sense of both parties will see the necessity of
offering and receiving a retraction of what was said.
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