The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-06-03 00:00:00

THE LAST OF THE BUDGET.

Few of our readers will ever forget the
memorable battle of Fort Sumter. The state of

anxious suspense with which it kept this country
in for a number of days was such that we almost

fancied we could heai the reverberations of the

terrible Dahlgrens even on this side the Atlantic

The expendire of gunpowder was so profuse
that everybody's eyes watered with the brim-
. . . . . _ .

stone in the air! the shots flew in myriads I
. . . . .. •

the. shells burst. exactly at the right plaC'e !. the

rockets were sent hissing- through the filmosphere
on their fearful mission of destruction ; and
great was the surprise when the smoke had
cleared away, and it was found that not a single
. . . .

soul had been hurt ! We all remember the edect

that terrible bit of fighting had upon our risible

faculties when the ree'ult v7as made known to us.
Some ill-natured critics more than hinted that

the Yankees forgot to charge their guns with

anything more harmful than powder—that the
shot and shells existed only in newspaper reports,
and that the sole object was to make a great
pretence of fighting furiously, but at the same

time to keep- care-fully out' Of danger. The
storming of the fort afforded a standing joke for
Punch for many weeks after Well, the battle
of Fort Sumter has had its imitators. On Friday
night Lord Derby marshalled an attack on the
Palmerstonian fortress. The great guns of his
party were levelled, and fired into the Minis-
terial !silks. There was an awful din, and a
_

good deal of. dust and smoke, but—singular co-

incidence—tbere was no more harm done than
in the famous fight. for the. American fort. The

attack was led ;n by Lord Carnarvon, who, by
means of a long array of figures, sought to
prefer a bill of indictment against Mr. Glad-
. . . . .

atone, who, by his financial polici was, "gradually
bringing us nearer to the fabled mountain, until
the moment was approaching when every bolt
. .

and every bar was —coming owut, and when the

ship must' inevitably collap;e, and fall to pieces."
Wonderful if truo, and if true, how awful! If

our readers will consult the advertising columns

of the sporting press, they will discover a long
array of prophets, every one of whom is eager
to give the public such information, for the
merest bagatelle, in the shape of a quid pro quo,
as will inevitably lead one to fortune. One I
The time is certainly gone by when any ad-
gentleman, for the paltry consideration of ten
shillings for the Derby and twenty shillings for vocacy is required for the support of agricultural
the whole season, is ready to supply trustworthy associations. Two hundred and fifty years ago,
information as to "what to back for the Liver- old Gervaae Markham, in his book "recording
pool Steeple-chase, Two Thousand and One the most true and infallible experience of the
Thousand Guineas, Chester Cup, the Derby, beat husbandmen in the land," says that he was
Oaks, and all the spring handicaps." Hen is of opinion, that "as touching the master of the
chance for the wise and the prudent, who have family himself, learning could be no burden, but
not too good an opinion of their own judgment if we speak as touching some especial servants
to accept the advice, even at the small cost of in huabandrie as the bayilffee, the under farmer,
thirty shillings, which may secure a plum for or any other ordinary. accountant, it is not much
them in return "Remember," says this pro-
material whether they be acquainted therewith
!
phetic soul solemnly, to a sceptical betting or no, for there is more trust in an honest score
public, "Remember Ben Webster, Kettledrum, clmulkt on the trencher than in a cunning
written scroll." Of course farming could not be
and Elcho, sent out from the first, and adver-
tised as absolute winners on the morning of the expected to make much progress under such
race." We have often wondered, when there teaching, and such teachers the farmers had for
are so many guides to success, that there should a great many ages. The farmer advanced only
be so many elongated countenances as are always step by step from the dark ages of agricultural
to be seen on settling days. Perhaps they are knowledge ; and even when he began to feel his
the pig-headed, self-opinionated denizens of the feet, he was so tied and bound by the old Tory
sporting world, who insist, in spite of all reason school of precedent and tradition which had been
and all experience, on having their own way. handed down to him by his forefathers, that he
Lord Carearvon, and the other "great guns" supposed he would never be able to cast
which were levelled at the Minieterialists, seem off his leading strings. We all remember
chiefly aggrieved that Mr. Gladstone has not when those who took protection from him
rivalled the major prophets in the preciseness of against his will, and told him he would be better
for
his financial vaticinations, nor arranged for a the riddance, and thrive more than he had
thumping surplus at the end of every year. It thriven before, how very angry he appeared.
is usual with the betting oracles to refer to the "You may know your own business," said he,
fulfilment of past prophecies in guarantee of the "and I know mine. Don't teach your grand-
fulfilment of those which their concocters are mother to suck eggs." But he is wiser now.
ready to utter respecting the future. Lord Car- Indeed, the farmer seems as if he got on better
narvon, imitating the seers who advertise iii the under the free trade which he so much dreaded,
sporting prints, in like manner referred to the than does the artizan, or the manufacturer; and
financial policy of Lord Derby's Government. the principle has now some of its staunchest
It was an unfortunate reference. The Duke of suppotters among the agriculturists. Free trade
Newcastle, who replied to the attack, showed that has, in truth, knocked the crutches away from
not only were many of Lord Carnarvon's figures under the farmer's arms. It hes taught him
inaccurate, but that he had sacrificed a vast self reliance, and compelled him to avail him-
amount of truth, correctness; and justice to the self of all the teachings of science; and all the
pleasure of indulging in an oratorical effort, helps that it can give him. The farmer of the
The noble Duke said, " With reference to the present day is in numerous cases a good chemist,
attack made on my right hon. friend, Mr. Glad- well acquainted with the component parts of the
stone, the noble Earl will forgive me for saying crops which he grows, and studying carefully in
Vast, after the pains he has evidently taken with the cultivation of his laud how he shall best
his figures, I am surprised at the many restore to it those qualities of which it is de-
inaccuracies he has committed. I can at once prived by particular plants. Moreover, he is
no longer bound by the tradition of his an-
detect great fallacies, and I cla uot say unin-
tentional unfairness. But while my noble friend cestore. He is more fully alive to the necessity
was unfair to Mr. Gladstone, he was—l don't which exists for doing his best to increase the
produce of his farm, and thereby provide food
know how to characterise it, whether fair or
unfair, but certainly he was most wonderfully for the people. And when he shall have broken
off a few of the remaining prejudices—and the
mistaken with reference to his right hon. friend
—Mr. Disraeli—who was Chancellor of the day is not far distant, for old Toryism is fast
Exchequer under the noble Earl opposite. He going to the doge—he will have broken down the
barriers which at present exist between the rural
Bays Mr. Gladstone inherited from his predecessor
that flourishing state of things which population and that of the towns. The Dorset-
enabled him to obtain a surplus in the following shire farmer has got the credit, in the London
year. But my noble friend has entirely press, to have been the last to move. Whether
forgotten the circumstance under which he left the charge be correct, or false' it is not our
office. We did inherit something from our pre- intention here to argue, nor does it much signify.
decessors ; we inherited their expenditure, but If the allegation be correct, one thing is certain,
not the means of paying it." The fact is, Mr. that when lie did commence the onward progress
Disraeli. the great sporting prophet, had calms- he ran faster than most of his competitors. It
lated on half a million surplus, in which, however, is true we have two Tory members to one
by some extraordinary species of legerdemain, Liberal; yet the Liberal, to the honour of the
was converted into a deficiency of upwards of county, was placed first on the poll, and we shall
live to see the day when all the members for the
three millions ! Lords Overstoue and Grey were
the next to attack the ministerial stronghold, county are Liberal. Are we asked for a
Lord Overstone certainly expressed his sails- proof? We nee it in the signs of the
e times. Toryism is standstill-ism ; Liberalism
faction respecting our "bloated armaments
which Mr. Disraili had deprecated a few days is progression; and where is the county
previously, but confessed that his "feelings that during the last few years has progressed in all
were lacerated, and his confidence destroyed at things agricultural so much as the county of Dorset?
seeing the stores and ammunition in the arsenal No more convincing proof could we have than at
at Downing-street going to a fearful waste." the West of England Show that was lest week held
He condemned what everybody else has praised at Wella There is a tradition that on a certain
—the treaty with France. Litigious gentlemen occasion a vessel was chartered to take a quantity of
are said often to hoard money for a lawsuit, and Portland stone to America. Sufficient stone could
Lord Ovenstone wishes the Government to have a
Chancellor of the Exchequer, who shall always not be obtained, and the cargo was ultimately made
up with Dorset cheese. It so happened that there
calculate to a certainty as to the outgoings and
incc of the nation, and so base his calcu-
were numerous rata on board, who during the vmrge
were pressed for food, and they ate the stone in pre-
lationa as to be enabled to lay by a surplus fe ce to the casein production of the Doreetshire
yearly to meet the exigencies of a little war daTea Things are vastly altered now. For orgene-
whenever we may be called on to fight. His Tatham pass Bemeraetsbireobeese eh beenhasexalted
pitrdship maybe a very prudent man himself— as the beet that En d could produce, yet even in
,ao doubt hichil ; botomforlignatelp, the Honse---thie raspier if* eertied'of the !Alm: Ta

in-1859-60

mings