The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1860-08-21 00:00:00

order of the 14th April, 18.19, was repealed. On
Thursday the Stamp Duties Bill, the Excise
Duties Bill, the Customs Bill, and the Defenca
of the Realm Bill were read a third time and
passed. lu committee of supply, on the vote
for the British Museum, a discussion was raised
by Mr. Danby Seymour on the propriety of
opening the Museum in the evening for the
convenience of the working classes. Mr. Walpole
promised to bring the subject und..r the notice
of his co-trustees, and the Chancellor of the
Exchequer expressed himself favourable to the
proposal. The House went into committee of
supply, when Mr. Cardwell moved a vote of
£272,000 for national education in Ireland.
I After a long discussion on the national system,
the vote was agreed to. The East India Loan
Bill was read a second time. On Friday Lord
Fermoy called attention to 'the atrocious custom
of King Dahomey in sacrificing 2,000 persons in
accordance with a barbarous custom. The G overn-
ment replied they had done all they could to pre-
vent it, but feared that their interposition would
be ineffectual. Lord Palmerston stated that
measures had been taken to procure the libera-
tion of the Christian women who had been seized
by the Druses, but as many of those unfor-
tunate creatures had been sold into slavery, it is
feared that these humane exertions will have
only a partial effect. On Saturday, in a Com-
mittee of Supply, was resumed, the discussion of
the remaining estimates, which embraced various
subjects of considerable public interest, the votes
completing the Supply.
A despatch from Naples announces that the
King, at the suggestion of the Court party, has
declared that city in a state of siege, and the
Genoese journals announce the unopposed dis-
embarkation of Garibaldi with 8,000 nien, near
Reggio, on the night of the 10th inst., but there
is at present no confirmation of this statement.
Garibaldi himself visited Naples on the 4th
inst., and had a conference with the principal
inhabitants in reference to his future proceedings
on the mainland. The Count of Syracuse, the
uncle of the King, and the refugees whom the
electors are preferring as candidates, have openly
declared themselves for the annexation of Naples
to Piedmont. —Accounts from Constantinople
state that Kurchid and Achniet Pacha.s, the late
Governors of Beyrout and Damascus, who had
been sent to Constantinople by Fund Pacha,
have, at the earnest remonstrances of the
Ambassadors, been sent back to Syria to be tried
by a mixed commission. A conspiracy has been
discovered at Buyukdere, near Constantinople,
the object of which was to plunder the
embassies.— Despatches from Syria announce
that Fulad Pacha had arrested the principal civil
and military authorities and nearly 800 other
persons of importance, and had threatened the
Lebanon with fire and sword if the Drug°
Sheikhs did not surrender in two days.
Damascus and Aleppo were tranquil, but the
Mutualia had pillaged Baalbec and plundered
the Christian inhabitants. Prince Daniel°, of
Montenegro, was shot on Sunday evening by a
Montenegrin exile, and died on the following day
from the effects of the wound.

A REVIEW of public affairs just now presents an
aspect almost as gloomy as the prevailing

weather. The financial and political condition

of India, the singularly complicated and unset-
tled state of the Continent, and the prospect of
a commercial crisis, are all matters for very

grave reflection, and require much prudence,

_
much forethought, mid much sagacity in those

great heads of departments, to whose judgment
the guidance and regulation of these great
public matters are entrusted.

The enormous deficit of the In-Eau Exche-
quer, reaching nearly seven millions ; the vexa-
tion and discontent occasioned by the operation

of some of the taxes which have been levied;
fUld the disposition to rebellion, which, even
yet, is said to linger among the natives, are in

themselves not unreasonable sources of uneasi-

neas and apprehension. The Arms Bill seems to
be fruitful only of mischief. The Indian tribes,

in the provinces which were so lately the scenes

of revolt, persist in concealing their arms ; and
while letters from officials in that part of India
strongly insist upon the continuance of the
Arms Bill, the extension of it to Europeans is
strongly deprecated. Then it is affirmed, upon
very good authority, that "without a thorough
disarming in every presidency and province a
s)cond mutiny is not only possible as a fact, but
likely to be for a time successful." Here then

is a dilemna of no common and trifling character,
which is much aggravated by the angry feeling
which has arisen on account of the Income-tax
Bill, and the measure for imposing a license-
tax upon trades and professions. These several
sources of discontent have the effect of widening
the gulf between the natives and Europeans;
whereas the tendency of Indian legislation, and
the forbearance and respect due from one to the
other ought to be such as are best calculated to
bring the two peoples into permanent harmony
and peace.
With regard to continental affairs, much un-
certainty prevails as to the precise steps taken by
GARIBALDI, and the actual lIIIIRSIIII3 of success
which has attended his efforts. These items of
information, however, must be supplied in a
short time, when the actual position of matters
must be known ; but, in the meantime, the
relations of Austria and Prussia with the pro-
gress of matters in Italy is becoming a subject of
much speculation and some anxiety. The move-
ments of the German Princes, especially what
is called the "good understanding" brought
about at Toplitz, tend, it would seem, to jeo-
pardize in no small degree the action of the
principle of non-intervention, and thus to ren-
der a European war more or leas probable as
the result of the dealings of Prussia with
Austria. In order to make this quite clear, it is
necessary to say that it was at first asserted and
then denied—both upon excellent authority—
that Prussia had undertaken to guarantee the
remaining Italian possessions of Austria ; but it
now turns out that this denial was only a quali-
fied one, yet it is qualified in such a manner
that the Austro- Prussian scheme is to all intents
and purposes intact : for we find it stated that
"so long as the conflict is only between Austria
and Italy, Prussia will observe the principle of
non-intervention, but if other Great Powers
interfere, and thus violate that principle, Ger-
many would not hesitate to support Austria in
the maintenance of the rights guaranteed to her
by her treaties." Why, it is plain from this
that Prussia will admit the interference of
Austria in Italy, but if any of the Great Powers
interfere with Austria then Prussia will support
Austrian pretensions in Italy. So much for the
adhesion of Prussia to the grand principle of
non-intervention—of leaving Italy to settle her
own affairs. Austria believes herself strong
enough to maintain her footing in Italy ; and
Prussia evidently thinks so too, and begs that
Austria may be left alone to work her will in
that country, now gloriously struggling for inde-
pendence and liberty. It remains to be seen
how far the dominant spirit of Austria and the
weakness of the German Princes may yet
embroil Europe, with the best desire for peace
and the settlement of Italy.
In addition to all these clouds in the political
horizon, which are evidently very clear to the
perceptions of our own Goverumeut, the state
and prospects of the trade and commerce of the
country seem to afford but little relief from the
sombre aspect of affairs in general. The great
cotton interest is known to be struggling with
difficulties. Heavy shipments have been made
of goods to India which are not paid for—
cotton bills are in pawn—foreign and colonial
markets are glutted—and there is a cessation in
the consumption which must react upon the
markets at home. Then, as to the crops, the
weather has been such as to endanger very
seriously the security of the harvest; and if it
should continue much longer as it has been,
there will, we fear, be only too much truth in
the trite observation of a contemporary, "the
crops will be past praying for." Our usually
large supplies of grain from abroad have this
year been considerably exceeded, and the
demand for foreign grain has necessarily occa-
sioned a considerable drain of gold from, this
country for Ow payment of it--getracting, as