The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-03-21 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

So late am 1831, a boy nine years of age WM
hung at Chelmsford, for arson committed at
Witham, in the county of Essex. It is fortu_
nate for the boys who now put sand-bags on the
rails, to upset trains, that they are safe from
the extreme penalty.

As an instance of the lavish extravagance
with which newspapers in Canada use the tele-
graph, it may be mentioned that one complete
side of the Toronto Mail—nine large columns—
was filled on Thursday with a telegraphic
account of the dresses and details of the fancy
ball at Ottawa on the previous evening.

The reapect for the season of Lent is no doubt
considerably less than it Will a few generations
ago; but it would seem that the disinclination
to marry during these 40 days—or, to put it in
other words, to postpone the tying of the
nuptial knot till they have expired—still exists.
The list of marriages in the Tunes may perhaps
be taken as a criterion, and if so, this is certainly
the came.

An inquest has shown us that • poor man in
Bermondsey has met his death by treadirg on •
piece of orange-peel. He broke his leg;
erysipelas set in, and he died. This ought to
be a warning to the idiots who carelessly throw
orange-peel on the pavement; but it won't. An
Act of Parliament ought to make it a misde-
meanour to do this. For about half of the year
it is really dangerous to walk the streets from
this cause. Our legislators ought to see to this;
but de mininsia non curat fez, and therefore we
can only recommend the matter to the police.
Those lucky people who pay income-tax may
be interested in knowing that they are likely to
have an opportunity of increasing their contri-
butions to the national purse. A London even-
ing contemporary says it is rumoured that in
view of the increased expenditure contemplated
in the naval, military, and Civil Service
Estimates, and of the unlikelihood of a corres-
ponding increase in the national income during
the coming financial year, the Ohanaellor of the
, Exchequer intends to propose an addition of •
penny in the pound to the income and property
tax. This is slightly different from what the
country has been accustomed to look for under
Liberal rile; but there must be a distinction.
Probably an additional penny on the income-
tax would do more to bring the Liberals back to
power than even the blunders of the Ministry.

We are occasionally reminded that that much.
abused individual the common informer exists
in theory, if not in fact. At a meeting of the
Court of the Bank of England it has been stated
that had the Bank lent the Government the
money for the purchase of the Khedive's slaves
in the Suez Canal, an informer might have
prosecuted the Banks for three times the
amount, and obtained one half of it for himself;
so that this said informer would have pocketed
six millions sterling. We rather doubt, however,
whether the result would ever have been as
stated. The Government and the Bank would
somehow or other have managed to get out of
the scrape. A loophole would have been found
or made. However, this official intimation
seta at rest all disputes as to the alleged pro-
priety of Government applying to the old lady
of Threadneedle-street instead of to Messrs.
Rothschild.

If all Cardinal Manning's Indulgences had
the same moral tendency as that issued to
the Irish on St. Patrick's day, there would
be less outcry against their sale. The
Cardinal promised an hidulgentia Plena to all
who should abstain from intoxicating liquors on
St. Patrick's day. The consequence was that
there was less "wetting the shamrock" than
usual, and St. Patrick's Purgatory—as the lock-
up is called—was not filled with frolicsome Irish
to the same extent as is usual. The vigil of the
patron saint of Ireland was very properly spent
in holding Temperance Meeting in the churches,
and large numbers signed the pledge on the eve
of the day when they were likely to be caught
tripping. Cardinal Manning deserves credit
for his clever checkmating.

The success of the experiment of importing
frozen meat from New York has stirred up our
Australian cousins to go in and win on that
tack. Since the tinned meat has been found to
be only a stopgap, for want of something better,
Mr. NY. Most, who has spent a large fortune
upon perfecting a process for freezing the meat,
is about to send an experimental cargo of 400 or
500 tons to this country. Several stockholders
have applied to participate in the trial of the
first English cargo, the total cost of which will
be about £25,000. Careful statistic* have been
prepared which shows that, if 4ed. a pound can
be obtained in England, a profit of 25 per cent.
will be realised. This will be good news to our
working classes. The deputation on the subject
got little satisfaction out of the Duke of Rich-
mood; but it is only too plain that Europe
cannot feed us. Australia must, and will, if we
can only get over the preliminary difficulty of
preserving the meat during the voyage.

The death of Dr. Milman, the Bishop of
Calcutta, will be a sorrowful surprise to many,
and a matter of general regret to aIL Dr.
William was of the High Church type, as his
immediate predecessor, Dr. Cotton, was of the
Broad, and the previous Bishop, Dr. Daniel,
Wilson, of the Low. But it is a creditable fact
that, High, Low, or Broad, Church, all three
Bishops were examples of what the Christian
minister in a heathen country should be. One
of the drawbacks of the telegraph is that we
learn the bare fact; and this is all that we
know for some weeks in the case of the sudden
death of a high Indian official. Thus we knew
about nine years ago that on a dark night Dr.
Cotton fell into the Ganges from a plank, while
stepping into his boat, and was drowned. In
the same way, all we know of Dr. Milman's
death is that he was struck down with fever at
Rawil Kindee, where he died on the 15th of
March.

It is stated the police authorities of Sheffield have
at last taken what will doubtless be a decisive step
towards the putting down of betting on horse races in
public•houses. On Wednesday a notice was served
upon about thirty publicans, in whose houses lists are
exposed and betting is more or less openly carried on,
imforming them that unless the practice was dis-
continued from that day, their licenses would not be
renewed when the time for their renewal arrived.
(And yet Tatters:ll's still flourishes.]

There ii an old proverb that when a certain class of
persons tall out others get their rights; so it would
seem that when agitators come to loggerheads the

GREAT WESTERN AND BRISTOL AND
EXETER RAILWAY COIIPANIES.

public are let into the secret. The relations between
Kenealy, the Leonine, and his quondam bosom friend
Whalley, are no longer of that brotherly character
they were when in company they stumped the country,
dilated upon the woes of the ishing nobleman,
and made a nice little thing out o it. Calling atten-
tion in the House on Friday to the case of the
convict Orton, Mr. Whalley thus unkindly referred to
the Ex Q.C. :
" No one had sympathised with the hon. member
for Stoke in his persecution more than he, but that
very persecution hml conferred on the hon. member
for Stoke a great fortune, had made him a great
political leader, and had gained him a seat in that
House. Without Raying how that fortune was SPELLING BEE.
acquired (laughter) without saying whether his A second Spelling Bee in aid of the funds for the
advocacy of the GUIDO of the convict was judicious, or restoration of Holy Trinity Church, took place on
referring to his subsequent career, on which h. would Thursday evening last, at the Corn Exchange. Like
make no observations—flaugbter)—he would ask was It. predecessor it WU a great success and created a
it right to make the convict responsible fur the great is of geodnatured amusement. There was a
conduct of this advocate of hisl—(laughter). The good array of competitors, 28 appearing on the plat-
Lord Chaneellar and the highest authorities had form to undergo the somewhat trying ordeal of spelling
declared that he was guilty of every indiscretion and terribly outlandish words before a large and critical
unworthy of the confidence of the country, much less audience. To give the ladies due credit we must
of that of this unhappy man— (laughter)." remark they came out of it better than the other sex;
Now this surely ought to open the eyes of those who a little improving addition to the roses on the cheek
regarded vra perhaps Use
masculinen ealale
competitorsin one ort twow pin their faith to the ridiculous utterances of theinstances,Becker but as
member for Stoke. He has amassed abefre fortune,
Mr. Whalley says, and we can quite have triumphed in seeing that some of them were in an
undoubted "funk." The proceedings were relieved
of the twopences of people who are idiotic enough to
by the Town Band who rendered some pretty *elections
believe the Doctor and his ragged staff will so reform very creditably under the baton of Mr. J. Stevens'
the Constitution, that persons in search of a grievance, and there were also readings. There wasa capital
—like the inhabitants of a certain healthy region in audience including representatives of most of the lead-
America, who may desire to quit this life,—must lug families of the town and neighbourhood. The
emigrate to gratify their wishes. That Mr. Kenealy prizes were further well worth competition, for which
has been returned to Parliament is equally true; our borough member, Mr. W. E. Brymer has to be
but that he has become a great political leader, the chiefly thanked. They included a handsome flower
most unlimited imagination can ILtoily accept. In valeerin titr ''6emiletikt:rsofforteoliitidnigvery axpropriately con.
spite of this latter compliment Kenealy, the editor of
the villifying rag in which he abuses everyone and i
ere
everything menting respect, with a lofty assumption scuit x an elaborately
e nyksedtbthrackeere wt, a couple upplaletedofbibeool alidfoarithaecogenelaray-1
tion prize an inkstand. An ugly feature in tbe
of dignity that was positively refreshing, declined to first Bee had been advantageously corrected and
reply to Mr. Whalley's observations as beneath his inroad of a wooden spoon, the competitor who first
notice. This remark was received with much laughter; retired, received a pretty bouquet. The Rev. H.
but still the moist is none the leas that with which we Everett as before acted as interrogator, and the Rev.
commenced. jj,P. Bakes and Mr. T. M. Dron se reform. "Just

On Wednesday, in the House of Commons, this Bill
came before the Court of Referees on forita
Mr. Pemberton in the chair. A focus sksadi to appear
against the Bill in committee wag granted to the
Corporation of Bristol and others, and to the Loudon
and North Western Railway Company. The We 4
Somerset Railway Company obtained powers to appeal
against certain parts of the Bill which may affect their
interests.

.*--r7'f.> 7 ;Pt*,

before the battle," the Rev. H. Everett had a short
say with reference to some criticisms that have
appeared in these columns. He stated it had been
objected the practice of asking the same word of more '
than one competitor, gave an advantage to those who I
followed which the first had n 4 wt. The incontro.
vertibility of this he evidenced by abandoning the
plan. Then he complanined that a letter had appeared
under • nom-de-pi time, imputing to him —unfelt-neat
We fancy the rev, gentleman misunderstood the letter
of our correspondent; the unfairness complained of
was not an intentional one on his part in the conduct
of the Bee, but unfairness so far as related to the
exclusion of spellers whose rendering was clearly sup-
ported by recom ised authorities. However the rev.
gentleman eased his mind by calling his supp ~sed
detractor " • coward "—a preceedure somewhat savour-
ing of the old legal axiom, when you have 3 bad ea"
abuse the attorney on the other side—and the business
proper of the evening commenced. The way in which
a Bee is conducted is eo well-known that there is no
necessity to burden our columns with a description of
it. The competitors included several ladies who had
competed at the former bee, that gallant son of Mars,
Sergt Murray, a schoolmaster, and Mr. Roberts, of
Weymouth, our representative, whom contests at
Weymouth and Portland has proved it would take
one all his time to place hors-de-combat. The first to
succumb was a young lady who knocked out one of the
"i's" of 'satirist" and filled the vacancy with a "y-;
this was scarcely "y" me on her part, so she accordingly
became possessor of the bouquet. Another f the fair
sex showed her unacquaentance with a Belgravian
mama's accomplishment, and failed at " manceuvre."
"Orang-outang" frightened a lad. A lady put a
ruled
into sempstress," and was first of all
out, but as she was supported in her
spelling by a recognised dictionary she remained,
the Rector then stating it was his intention
that where this Irani,' be shown it was not to count a
failure—the very course our correspondent suggested.
The failures then became general, perhaps the most
original spellin being that of another lad who
rendered' gewgaw," "gougaw." A reading by Mr.
Cunnington relating tea courtship in • balloon tried
the patience of the audience who seemed to fancy not
only the courtship but the marriage ceremony and the
honeymoon might have been nearly got over in the
time. After a fond farewell had been bidden by
several other competitors, a lady spelt " phthisis,
without the first "IL" but to IMO • vulgarism "almost
before the words were out of her mouth" she corrected
herself. The Chairman put it to the referees whether
it was to be allowed, and they gallantly. amid the
cheers of the audience gave her " the benefit of the
doubt," of which she availed herself to such good
purpose that she ultimately took a prize. When
the ranks had been reduced to nix competitors-3 of
either sex, a break occurred, and Mr. Flint obligel
with the trial scene from Pickwich, a too favourite
selection of amateur readers. Mr. Flint, if he did not
rival Toole, however got through it very creditably.
Words which it is not necessary to recapitulate, cleared
three of the spellers, leaving Miss Taylor, of Dor-
chester, Mr. Roberts, of Weymouth, and Sergeant
Murray. Miss Taylor had thus become entitled to
our Member's prize, and it was handed to her amid
well-merited applause. It was also intimated that this
did not debar her competing with the gentlemen, but
this she declined, leaving the remaining laurels for the
others. "Metempsychosis" finished the soldier, who
after three hard tries at it, gave it up. " Psychologi-
cal " was then easily got through by Mr. Roberts who
thus became the winner of the first prize. With a
consideration he has shown on more than one occasion
he declined tc take the first prize but gave his military
competitor his choice. The biscuit cannister was
therefore handed to the sergeant, Mr. Roberts took the
2nd prize, a bracket, Miss Lock took the 3rd prize,
Miss Taylor (sister to the lady who took the first) the
fourth and the fifth, a lad named Dean. On
looking over the prizes it was found there was none
for the fifth, but the churchwardens promised to give
one, and the Rector announced it should be " a rare
good 'un," amid laughter. Nfr. Jameison as usual
elicited applause by his reading; and after the conso-
lation prize had been competed for by the 17 defeated
candidates and awarded to Mr. Cunnington, jun. the
National Anthem was played, and the proceedings
lended. We believe about £l5 were taken at the doors.