The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-08-28 00:00:00

,scotlaub.

Tut QUEEN IN Sormvuu. On Sunday," says
the Calvlusian Mercury, "the Rey. 1/r. Curd, of
Glasgow, Waa the preacher in Crathie church. The
Queen, the Prince Consort, the Princess Alice, Lord
and Lady John Russell, Sir George Grey, and the mew-
here of the Royal suite were among the audience, which
was largely swollen by strangers from llallater' Braemar,
and placcii further distant. The subject of discourse
was Paul's edam. to the Athenians, from Ada, seiith
chapter, 16th verse, und onwanls ; and the discourse
itself wit,, characterized by great power and subtlety of
thought. as well as remarkable eloquence mid felicity of
diction." . . . .•

Rog lIALUoRAL To ISERLIN.—An interesting ex-
periuient was recently made to obtain • direct
telegraphic communication between Balmoral and
Berlin, • distance .4 nearly 1,300 miles. A short
conversation took place, the telegraph clerk at Balmoral
informing the Berlin clerk that the Balmoral time was
2 pan., the clerk in the Prussian capital replying that it
had just struck three, and that the signals were as
distinct as if the dista..co had been only a few ini:e•
The electric telegraph wires are now extended to
Balmoral for the service of the Court during Her
Majesty's stay in the North.
WHoLgtiALE IineuGLING.--filime time ago the Excise
authorities in Aberdeen became aware that illicit spirits
were made and sold in that city to a pretty considerable
extent. They were unable, however, to detect the
smuggler or his place of operations, and it warn not till
an active officer in Dundee, happening to be at the rail-
way station there, ascertained that certain casks taken
I from the Aberdeen train. and invoiced as containing
neats'-fuot oil, were actually filled with whisky. Fol-
lowing this clue it was soon discovered that a period
• named lluncrieff, who carried on • large and active
business in the making of oil from the feet of cattle and
various aorta of fatty preserves, was the delinquent, and
a number of casks of spirits were found on his premises,
and in cellars rented by him in other parts of the city.
Nu still could, however, be detected, and it was surmised
by the officers that Muncrieff, who was evidently a very
clever rogue, used much the same utensils and appara-
tus—namely, a handy little ste.sui boiler, with nicely
fitted minima pans, Sm., for manufacturing the whisky,
as he required for makinghui.s oil and preserves. This
secrecy continued for several weeks, when at length •
neighbour visiting the preniises, with which he had
formerly been familiar, remarked that the stable was
evidently growing less in size. On this hint the officers
acted, and were rewarded by finding that Aloneria
hall built • false wall at the end of the stable, enclosing
, an ap..rtineut entered by a secret door in • loft, between
! lour and five feet in width sod 12 in length. On
I descending iiito this vault, to which not one ray Of days
light could gain admittance, the officers unsde • capture
of a most complete and ingenious apparatus for distilling
slants, consisting of a sunk "back," or tun, capable
of conteiniiii; several hundred gallons of wash; a low-
wine recciver, a worm with the requisite water-cooling
contrivances, and a still made to hold some )gallons,
with furnace, Lc., claire. All this building aud fitting
up Iluncrielf must have executed single-handed, having
only for his rosilhoite Lis wife, a stout energetic
woman ; for no person in the quarter, thickly
populated though it is, and the t:ustonilionse
and all its machinery within a few minutes' walk,
ever heard of the operations or suspected that spirits
were manufactured under their immediate noses. In
the meantime Moilerieff had tied, but his wife and a
porter, who denied all knowledge of the whisky-niakiug,
were apprehended and fined in the sum of LW each. His
I OWII whereabouts also came out shortly, and being taken
! before the justices lie was mulcted in a like amount with
his partner for "taking or driviug away illicit spirit.*
from his premises," the routine of the Excise authorities
not permitting the major charge of manufacturing the
spirits to be then pressed. The fine was instantly paid,
fur Monciieff. it is presumed, must have made a pretty
round sum of money by his bold venture. His *till has
been in operation, it is th,ught, newly a couple of years,
and, as lie could vend his illicit goods at prime cost and
free of all duty, the returns cannot but have been hand-
some. On Wednesday last the Exciae authorities having'
gut the principal charge prepared, Mot rileff wad on that
day ineteted before the Justice of Peace v:siurt,Aberdeen,
un nine various counts as proprietor 14 the still in lines-
tiou, and custodier of a number of casks of illicit spirits.
He hod, however, taken advantage of the interval, and
when called at the bar did not appear in person, ILeig
answered fo nrby a agent. The full penalties eh
against him amended to no lees a sum than C1i,900, but
the justice% having sustained several of the objections
urged by Moncrietrs agent, the amount was reduced in
tumid° to rt,nuo, and finally mitigated to • fourth,
0475, with expenses of prosecution awl conviction. As
the concealment .4 the siuuggler—certainly the boldest
in his wry who has been detected in Scotland for a long
period—is not known, and as he took care to remove his
savings from the bank previous to absconding, it is
not likely the penalty will be forthcoming. The still
and other utensils are to be publicly dispeeed of.

Mr. and Mn. Charles Matthews are engaged for the
dramatic season at the Theatre Royal, Brury-lane.
Their engagement at th liaymarket Theatre terminates
at the latter end of September.
Mr. Tapered, the late ineuiber for Banbury, died at
Margate on Monday. Mr. Tancred sat for the borough
of Banbury for upwards.of • quarter of a century, being
find returned when that borough was "opened" in 11432
and resigned hie seat before the last dissolution of Par-
liament from age and infirmity.
A meeting of working men was held at Westminster,
on Friday week, fur the purpose of considering a scheme
or establishing a provision store on the principle of
mutual co-operation. The proposal was received with
great favour.