The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-23 00:00:00

HORRIBLE PRACTICES ON THE WT

AFRICAN COAST.

The Cape Coast Caudle cerrespondeto of the lfasseheepse
esseniien writes :—" Attention Ii being drawn to the mama
kind of savage cruelties being Perpetrated at Port Novo,
• place within • few hours reach of Lagos by lagoons.
About a year two it became known theta series of human
eeriness had been made there by the King on his coming
into power, to satisfy the wants of his prideceirors in the
other world. A resident at Port Nero at the time has
told me of the horrors which he himself heard of and wit-
nessed, though f ' were warned not to leave their
houses. The fu customs laded nine days, and each
day the chief event was the slaughter of people sent to the
defunct kings At times he could hear the cries of the
victims—' Help me, help; I am being killed : white man.
saws His : but no one dared to assist, and the poor errant..
disappeared with their murderers in the thick shades of
the fetish grove, where the cries of the victims were soon
silenced by the club and this knife Some were tempted
to go into the grove under the idea that they were to be
honoured by taking part in the rites. One young man
of about twenty, my informant told me, was asked by •
caboceer, or chief, if he would take • horse to the grove
which the caboceer wished to present to the kings, and
told him be would find plenty of amusement there.
friend saw him go, and haring arrived at the entrance of
the grove with the horse he stopped. He was there
red by one of the principal chiefs, and inside he met
the sons and slaves of the chief executioner armed with
swords and clubs, who quickly murdered the unsuspecting
victim. The 'lndies of the court' presented a young girl
to the defunct kings to sing and dance before them. She
too ICU token to this grove, and her shrieks and cries
resounded in the air—Help me, help me, Ote pa nal o, they
are killing me.' The poor creatures cry to the white man
to help in. but the white man there can do nothing:
and their only hope lies in the ay reaching the ears of
the people of England, who will then insist on an and
being put to these abominations, carried on within sight
of the British flag."

THE AGRICULTURAL CHILDREN'S ACT.
The repeal of the Agricultural Children's Acts which
forme part of the plan of the Government Education Rill,
will probably be no surprise to the authors of the former
mauure. When originallY carried, in 1572, it was con-
fusedly an experiment. and in one respect, no doubt, it
must be allowed to have disappointed the expectations
that were formed of it It was asked at the time how the
law was to be enforced without the intervention of
inspectors, and It was replied that in every village there
would be plenty of people ready to take that office on
themselves—the schoolmaster, the clergyman. and those
busybodies who are to be found in most country places,
and who are generally only tea glad to make themselves
of some importance. Such, however, has not turned out
t. be the case. Neither the clertruan, not the wheel-
master, nor anybody else has shown any alacrity in help-
ing to curs out the law, and the consequence is that over
three par of the country It has been systematically defied.
In some countries the magistrates have instructed the
. . . _

i.aiWeiriiii-iWiTspZiors,—Mil-Zer7tia:"Ca;l;;;;; dc76
the law has been obeyed without difficulty. But the
example set by these districts has not been generalir
followed, perhaps because the local authorities IMO
waiting to see what Gavernment would do: and ths
result is that the Agricultural Children's Act, for all the
good it does not in the large majority of parishr, might
just aa well lot be on the statue book. Lord Sandon's
Plan. in some reePorta has the merit of simplicity. No
children under tan year. of age are now to be employed in
agriculture at all. And no child between the age of ten
and fourteen is to be employed without a par from the
schoolmaster, simply certifying that he has fulfilled the
requisite condition. Whether he hoe qualified by attend-
ances or whether he has qualified by proficiency will be
nothing to the employer, who will simply ask him for his
labour pass. The test of proficiency is to be an adequate
knowledge of reading, writing, and arithmetic. The
attendances are to be 250 days per annum during each of
the five previous yeara. The effects of this will be, in
Lord flandon's 'admen; to make parents as eager to
send their children to school al they now are to keep
them away front it; and ha regards this provision, he
says, as the key of the whole bill.

A couple have Just been married at the liocitch town of
Paisley whose united ages amount to 131 foam
Bram OF GDAYKDDIowas. —Tbe operatious of the
Toxteth Burial Board, Liverpool. have been somewhat
impeded by a strike of graysdluera, and some of the rnen
have been summoned for pracdiiag intimidation towards
substitotes who have been engaged-
-13,400 Conga or Airreete, ColosoginNin, AND DIIIOIDEAS
Of TEX THROAT AND Luilos, RILDUNATIc HYMIUCALA
Nehytitte, AND HURT CONTLADMA IT DL LOCOCICS
WATERS
itsvn PUDLisaiD TIM rwateli
ncerrim - The benefit to society which how resulted filx°
the discovery of medicine,., however, far greater
than thew show, as many thousands of Curie are
effected and not made public. Dr. Loomis Palisade
wafers are sold by every medicine dealer, in boxes, at
prices from 1.. lid. to sees to meet the arcurostances
of all ranks. Be careful to see the name in the Govern-
ment Stamp.
Tan Ham —For 40 years Mrs. S. A. Attaet WOOLD'S
Rant ROM"' has received the ceenceendation and
favour of the public. It has acquired the highest place
that can be ontelned fur any moderate eubwiwiee.
contributed to the adornineet of tens of thousands of
1774rwh0 have the proof of its serviceable character.
poiNtietly mew and restore the sad natural
Weer eAriy. waits, end faded liar. It will strangthee
amid Invigorate the Hair, stop its falling, and induce a
hoslihy luxuriant growth. No other preparation can
praises the lame beneficial result Sold by all Chemists
ansi=ersitoblty large bottles, tis. Depot, 114 and 116,
. Landon.