The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-09 00:00:00

Somersetobtre.

The petition to Parliament in favour of the ballot,
which was unanimously adopted at a recent public
meeting held at Taunton, has received the signatures
of 500 person, of whom about 250 are electors.
It has been announced that the cutting for the
Taunton and Watohet Railway will be commenced
in about a month's time. We hear that Sir Pere.
gine Ackland will turn the first sod on Easter
Tuesday, April sth.

Yso;ii..-IMunicipal—The election of auditorsand
asseasore for this borough took place on Monday last.
The following is the result :—Aasessors—Mr. J.
Codlaid and -Mr. Robert 121eake ; Auditors—Mr.
Joseph Penny and Mr. Uriah Burt.

PAVZIONT AT HILIMORD.—The TOWII Surveyor
has shown ne his proposed plans for making this
much•frNuented pathway less dangerous, and they
appear admirably adapted for the accomplishment of
that very desirable purpose; but there are two sides
to most questions, and, unfortunately, in this case
there are two diffinities,—we will not oall them
Insurmountable, but they will are of a very serious
character; one is that in order to lower the pave.
ment and raise the road, it will be neosesary to in.
terfere materially with the approaches to the houses
on the oppoaite side, particularly those of Mr.
Chant aid- Mr. Strong, and the other is that
the proposed alterations will cost something between
£l6o and £2OO.

MUTUAL IMPROVEMENT SOCIETY. —OU Thnrsday
evening, Mr. W. Kidd the Editor of K hid's Jmtrital
and Book q"-Vtattre, gave a lecture, on "Old Heads
for Young Shoulders.' Mr Kidd commenced by
vividly describing the " odd " ideas of happiness en-
tertained in the world, and remarked that a person
could not be truly happy if lie lived a selfish life: we
should live to make other people happy also. As
the fashions of the world were so outrageous, we
should adopt a fashion of our own, and keep to it.
(Hear, hear.) Happiness, however, was not an en-
tire and perfect gem; it consisted of many thousand
little pieces, all cemented together, and which he
could only compare to a number of streams flowing
into one river. How much delight there was in
doing little kindnesses secretly, and not letting
persons know whence they came. And this did not
repuire much money; a man might be genet OM
with only a shilling, and make himself much hap-
pier thereby than if he had spent it on himself. The
lecturer went onto speak in detail of the world of
commerce, the world of pleasure, the world of science,
and the religious world. He condemned the folly
of making gold the summunt bonum of human hap-
piness, and equally that of the votaries of pleasure,
whose life from beginning to end was a continual
whirl of never-ending excitement. And what
oddities they looked, when dressed as fashion dresses
them )Laughter) Where could that taste have been
formed that led our fair country women to disfigure
and deform all that God made so beautiful? He used
to be fond of shaking hands with ladies, but now it
was impossible—their circumference was so large.
(Laughter.) The scientific world he could compre-
hend. Their hearts and heads, their minds and
bodies were well employed. It was worthy also of
remark, that even in our courts of justice, gardeners,
and others connected with the pursuits of nature,
were seldom found. He lamented the sects and
divisions of the religious world; and condemned the
practice of thinking merely as other men thought.
Every man had an individuality; and that individu-
ality must be respected. We must deal with each
other gently, and when we argue, do so temperately
and forbearingly. Those who would be true philoso-
phers must carry with them a body guard of these
live worthies—Observation, Thought, Reason, Ex-
perience, and Common Sense; and thus supported
no one would venture to call the world a bad one.
Observation would show what was going on around.
Many persons walked the streets is if they were
half asleep, or working out some mysterious problem
in their minds; others were in a constant hurry;
and how few there were that took notes as they
passed of men and things, or who knew how much
pleasure and amusement it afforded. Thought was
the fundamental distinction of mind, the great work
of life. To work effectually we must think clearly ;
to act nobly we must think nobly. It was the hand-
maid of observation. Reason was God's best gift to
man, and man's highest attainment. It enabled him
to reflect, compare, judge, and decide. A man who
could reason would not decide upon impulse, but
await the evidence, and though knowledge was the
treasure of the mind, yet judgment was the treasurer.
Experience was said to be the best of teachers. By
it old heads were placed on young shoulders; and,
paying clue attention to the errors of °thew, we
were able to steer clear of them. Reason and com-
mon sense were twin brethren. Common sense was the
small change for which there was • continual demand
in our progress through life. Many a man had been
ruined by not being able to pronounce the little
word " no;" but common sense taught us to pro-
nounce it clearly and distinctly. (Hear, hear.) Mr.
Kidd next reverted to the philosophy of marriage,
and then to that of temperance, in doing which he
drew a facetious picture of young men, clerks in the
neighbourhood of London, beginning the day with
the short pipe, and smoking as they came into town
on the omnibuses —their clothes smelling of it all
the day after. Smoking was bad enough in the
evening, but when it begun in the morning it was
dreadful. (Laughter.) He went on to speak of
cheerfulness as highly conductive to happiness, and
recommended persevering energy in overcoming diffi-
culties. He spoke eloquently in praise of a natural
life, surrounded by country scenes; and, after some
remarks on the books of the day, condemning the
"garbage" which, as shown by every railway stall,
was so largely read, and recommending works that
make people think, and therefore strike deep into
the memory and understanding, he concluded by
some practical suggestions, drawing the conclusion
that true happiness lies in the exercise of obedience
and love to God, and the constant endeavour cheer-
fully to do our duty. A vote of thanks was given
to Mr. Kidd for his lecture.
WELLS.—Somerset Central Railway.—The works
on this line, from Glastonbury to Wells, will soon
assume a working character. The greatest work is
the Glaston bridge, across the Mere-road, together
with the erection of the station at Wells. About
60 trains, and plant. &c., are placed at Corley, for the
cutting to be made in that spot; the remaining por-
tion of the line will be nearly a dead level. Some
anticipate the completion of the line by next Octo-
ber.

BURNHAM.--The New Pier.--This undertaking,
we are credibly informed, will, with the line of rail-
way to this place, be opened for traffic in the oourse
of next week. A line of steamers we understand,
will ply between various ports of Wales from Burn-
ham. Vessels of large tonnage will be enabled to
lay close alongside the pier and unship their cargoes,
whence they can be easily transmitted to any part,
as the railway is laid down to the very verge; by
these means the long, tedious, and dangerous pas-
sage up the Parret to Bridgwater will be entirely
avoided, and a direct line will be opened from South
Wales to all parts of the West of England. A gen-
tleman from Cardiff visited Burnham last week to
make arrangements for at once putting on a new and
powerful steamer from that place, whose speed will
average 15 knots an hour. It will ply twice daily.
He stated that the sum of £7OO was wanted on this
side of the Channel to be invested in shares in the
steamer, otherwise the company would put one on
themselves. The Cardiff people were ready with
their share, and he only waited for Burnham, which,
of course, is secure, for the inhabitants have proved
themselves ready with money to any amount to
promote their rapidly increasing and beautiful water-
ing-place.

EAST BRENT.—Preaentation of an Address to
Archdeacon Denison. —On Friday, when the Von.
the Archdeacon of Taunton stepped out of a railway
train from London at the Highbridge station, he was
met by • large deputation of yeoman and inhabitants
of East Brent, principally mounted on horseback,
accompanied by a band of instrumentalists, headed
the cavalcade and the procession of pedestrians, who
marched to the station to the most joyous sounds.
Mr. Goldsworthy presented, on behalf of the inhabi-
tants of East Brent and others, an address congratu-
lating the rev, gentleman on the termination of the
suit Ditcher v. Denison, and complimenting him on
the Christian spirit he had displayed during the four
years over which the action had extended. The
Archdeacon made a suitable reply, and his remarks
were received with tremendous applause.
ISLE BREWERS. —We feel pleasure in announcing
the appointment of H. Dummond Wolff, Esq.,
son of the Rev. Dr. and Lady Georgiana Wolff, of
this place, as private secretary to the Earl of Mal-
membury, who has succeeded to the office of Foreign
Secretary in the administration of Lord Derby. In
1846 Mr. Wolff, then 16 years of age, obtained a
clerkship in the Foreign Office, which was promised
to him by Lord Aberdeen, and confirmed by Lord
Palmerston, on his taking office, in consideration of
his father's noble and philanthropic nndertairing to
Bokhara' the particulars of which are so well known.
Through this merited promotion Mr. Drummond
Wolff obtains an adelitional salary of £2OO • year.
His aged father continues vicar of this place, a living
worth about .6150 per annum, and he has since his
induction built an excellent parsonage and school-
house, with the help of his publication; and he now
contemplates the erection of a new church also,
with the araistanoe of his friends, who have already
subscribed upwards of £2OO towards it, the old
church being so much dilapidated that little or
nothing can he done towards its restoration.
SFIEPTON MALLET. —During the pest week up-
wards of twenty men have been employed at Town-
send, cutting the new turnpike-road to Bruton, and
the road from High-street and the station. The
former will be on the ascent, as it was carried over
a bridge near the station, under which the rails will
be laid at a depth of seven feet below the present
surface. The road is in a straight direction with the
High-street, and the station will be about 200 yards
from the Townsend. The bridges are in • forward
state throughout the line, arid there are only three
more to be built on the whole works. The barns
and outhouses in Compton-lane will be pulled down
and a new road made to Compton, from the turnpike-
road now in course of construction.

THZ COILING ECLIPSE. —Although the eclipse of
the sun of March 15 will not be actually total, it will
be so near an approximation to a total eclipse that,
did the moon's apparent diameter admit of it, less
than 10 seconds of time would suffice for the entire
obliteration of the sun. "13aily's bead." will, of
course, show themselves, and it is very possible that
the oorona, or " circle of glory," which surrounds
the sun in total eclipse will be seen for a few mo-
menta, &Moe it has been visible more than half a
minute prior and subsequent to the totality. The
appearance of the rose-coloured prominences, or
"red flames," as they are usually termed, is more
doubtful. In its track acmes England the central line
of eclipse will approach very near Start Point on the
coast of Devon, but will not fairly land on British
ground after its long sweep over the Atlantic until it
reaches Lyme Regis, about a mile west of which
place it should first strike our shores, according to
the prediction. Start Point will not be more than
tiro miles from the central eclipse. From Lyme
Regis the central line passes over Rattisoombe and
Burstook, and about midway between South Perrot
and Crewkeme into Somerset, in which county it
will pass by Misterton and East Chinnock, near
Yeovil, Marston Magna, and Castle Cary, to Bruton,
whence it runs up the line of railway to Witham Friary,
and crosses it into Wiltahire, about two miles east of
Frome. The railway from Yeovil to Frome is
throughout less than a mile and a half distant from
the oalculated path of the eclipse. In Wiltshire the
central line rum midway between Trowbridge and
Westbury to Caine, and them:* by the Swindon
Junction Station on the Great Western Railway to
Highworth, and over • corner of Berkshire, about

midway between Lechlade and Farringdon, into the
county of Oxford. The central line near to which
the greatest degree of darkness and the more iin•
posing phenomena are to be expected will cross the
Great Western Railway close to the station at Swin-
don, which will accordingly be the most accessible
point for those resident in the metropolis who may
wish to view the eclipse to the best advantage; and
at Swindon the magnitude of the eclipse will be
somewhat greater than higher up the central line.
The unprofessional observer will find advantage in
leaving telescopes at home. The phenomena which
require their aid are not certain to occur in this
eclipse, and while he is looking for them he would,
undoubtedly, lose the best view of those far grander
appearances on the earth and in the heavens which
have especially rivetted the observer's attention in
great eclipses of the sun. A few coloured glasses
varying in depth of shade will be useful in watching
the successive phases of the eclipse, but he will need
no other assistance.

THE INCUMBENT OF HORFIELD.—The Bishop of
Gloucester and Bristol has refused to consecrate a
new church just completed in the parish of Hortield,
a couple of miles from Bristol, by the Rev. Henry
Richards, the incumbent. His lordship states that
some time before the death of the late bishop Mr.
Richards consented to the formation of a new dis-
trict for the parish of Horfield, which was to be
liberally endowed by the Horfield trustees, and of
which the bishop for the time being was to be the
patron. Shortly after the appointment of his lord-
ship Mr. Richards withdrew his consent, alleging
that he could not allow a person holding the reli-
gious views of his lordship to nominate a clergyman.
Mr. Richards afterwards built a church, offering to
endow it with £4O a pear if he should have the pre-
sentation, but to this the bishop would not consent
for the sake of the see and the proposed new district,
for upon the first vacancy in the living of Horfield
the new district will be amply endowed by the trus-
tees and the patronage preserved to the see. The
bishop says that the church can be used for Divine
worship and that it can be consecrated and the dis-
trict formed whenever Mr. Richards carries out his
original agreement.