1811.] Patriotic Sheriff.-^Answers to ^ueries^ 3^9 
House of Commons, in the session 1809;) 
I am desirous of saying no more, than 
that the trade being, by the Act of Par¬ 
liament, 50th George ftl. cap. 163, left 
open to competition, no danger need be 
apprehended from their exorbitant rea¬ 
lization : and, relative to “ the Spirit of 
Philosophy and Patriotism,” so elegantly 
alluded to by your correspondent, I beg 
to assure you, from positive and prac¬ 
tical knowledge, that, in unison with that 
praise-worthy, when not abused, object, 
self-interest, they have been equally 
active in furtherance of the scheme in 
question. 
In respect to the escape of crude or 
unignited gas, I know that that imper¬ 
fection, and the consequent disagreeable 
odour, is entirely obviated; and they who 
have enabled Mr. Winsor so long to re¬ 
sist the various obstacles which igno¬ 
rance, prejudice, and self-interest, have 
thrown in the way, are far from calling 
upon the country for the furtherance of 
their laudable and desirable ohiect, to 
furnish any of the “ countless millions” 
mentioned by your correspondent; de¬ 
siring, on the contrary, only to be en¬ 
abled, by the completion of their charter, 
to afford to their fellow-subjects light 
and fuel, together with tar-pitch and 
other most valuable articles, at a very 
reasonable rate; to his Majesty’s ex¬ 
chequer a considerable and seasonable 
supply ; and to themselves a renumeration 
and revenue adequate to the adrance 
of tlieir own capital, and remunerative 
of their scientific, patriotic, and per¬ 
severing, efforts and industry. 
Gabriel Gas-Light. 
Walworth, Oct. 2, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
S the investigation and developement 
of truth is one of the leading cha- 
r.icteristics of your Magazine, I feet con¬ 
fident you will aive an early place to the 
followitur facts, which are elicited hv an 
observation of your own, founded on a 
two-year old intbrmation of the gaoler 
of Horsham, and I believe some observa¬ 
tions in a provincial paper. To draw the 
attention of the public more completely I 
will quote your words, “ the attention of 
the public appears to be very properly 
drawn towards the extraordinary regula¬ 
tions of Horsham gaol. The editor of the 
Monthly Magazine w'as told by the gaoler 
about two years since, that no sheriff of 
Sussex had been to inspect it for fifteen 
years, and yet numerous sheriffs’ prison¬ 
ers were constantly confined in it,” Ths 
truth of this I am not disposed at all 
to doubt, but feel a degree of pleasure ii; 
informing you that it is no longer true, 
for that the present sheriff, Wiiiiaru 
Dearling, esq. of J3omiington, near Chi» 
chsstei's one of the worthiest men in ex¬ 
istence, and of whose be.nevolence vo¬ 
lumes might be written, shortly after his 
appointment personally visited Horsham 
gaol, and pointed out to the magistrates 
many important improvements, among 
which were an intended partition in the 
chapel, to separate the unfortunate 
debtors from tiie vile felons, who were 
suffered to mix promiscuously together. 
The order for its execution was obtained 
from the quarter-sessions ; but, since tliat 
time has not yet been executed, because 
a neighbouring local magistrate, whose 
name I shall for the present conceal, 
thinks that, the present regulations and 
customs having existed so many years, ifc 
is not w'orth while to change them. 
I would say more of the benevolent 
intentions and acts of the present high- 
sheriff of Sussex, who is a blessing to hi.s 
neighbourhood and connections, but 1 am 
not willing to give him the pain 1 am sure 
it would inflict on his worthy mind; yet 
one thing more of Horsham gaol must 
be mentioned, his javelin-men or atten¬ 
dants, copying his example, made up a 
purse a,mong themselves of a very hand¬ 
some sum for the poor debtors, then 
confined at their last assizes; and these 
gentlemen besides personally inspected 
the gaol as well as the sheriff; so that, if 
the next sheriff’ follows the excellent ex¬ 
ample of the present, (who has been the 
occasion of that public attention you so 
justly praise) the “ extraortlinary regula¬ 
tions of Horsham gaol” will continue to 
be reformed till no reasonable complaint 
against tliem exist. 
Chichester, Piiilo-justiti^, 
Sept. 16, 1811. 
To the Editor of the Monthly Magazine. 
SIR, 
NQUiSITOR, in your repository of 
September the Ist, makes the follow¬ 
ing queries respecting Dorchester in 
Oxfordshire : 
1st. V/hat Is the etymology of that name ? 
galy Whether the village of that name 
in Oxfordshire was ever a city ? 
odiy. Whether the church was ever a 
bishop’s see ? 
4 ihl 3 ^. Whether certain hills In the imme-- 
diate vicinity were the sites of a liomau 
encampment t 
2 T 2 
The 
