The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1864-04-19 00:00:00

DORSET COITNTY EXPRESS
DORCHERTER. TUESDAY, APRIL 19, 1854.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Mr. James Mackay, timber rnerehank of
Liverpool, is the inventor of • now elm, which
recently demonstrated, by a single shot,
to be a dangerous rival to all the artillery extant.
The trial took place at Crosby, tbo target repre-
senting a secti.n of the new armour-plated ship
Aginootirt. At a range of 200 yards a bell
weighing 1671h5. was thrown, with 301 h. of
powder, completely through the target, which it
so seriously shattered that it was rendered com-
pletely useless. The principle of all rifled cannon
appears to have been to allow all little windage
as possible, and to make the shot fit the groove
of the piece, taking from them a rotation in its
flight. Mr. Mackay, on the other hand, hits
conceived tho plan of having the grooves so
arranged that, while the shot fits closely to their
outer edge, the grooves are left open for wind-
age. By this arrangement the gas has to trlliel
some feet further than the @het, and in doing
this imparts a rapid and perfect "spin" to it.
Mr. Mackay in his patent also claims a pe-
culiarity in the wadding, which is of sawdust, ,
by which, at the rnovenient.of the first ignition
of the powder, the elasticity of the waddiug
moves forward the shot 'lightly ; the effect is
that the whole of the powder is burnt, and the
shock on the breech of the gun considerably
lessened. The target used at the trial had a
plate five-and-a-half inches thick, then nine
inches of teak, an inner "skin" of iron three-
fourths of an inch thick, then angle iron and
ribbing, and finally a backing up With timber
balks and supports 18 inchee thick, the plates
were stated, oh competent authority, to be the
best that can he made of rolled iron. The shot
was picked up abon t 82 yards beyond the target,
of which about 70 iron fragments were subse-
quently found within 100 yards.
The union of the private banks with the joint-
stock banks is all the rage now. Messrs.
Hankey set the example some months arm, and
are said to haVe cleared from one to two hundred
thousand pounds by the transaction. the
accession of the Masterman firm to the Agra
Company, is the latest subject of talk in the
commercial world. Mr. Masterman, who died
&Mae two or three years ago, was one of the
most respected of city men—to respected that
even the Liberal city of London returned him,
Tory though he w a. &sone of its representatives
for sixteen years. In 1841, that famous year
when eight candidates fought for the honour of
representing the first oommercial constattenCy in
the world, WAS returned at the bead of the poll,
with Sir pt. Wood as his second, and Mr.
Lyall and Lord John Russell as his two other
colleagues. Between the first on the poll and
the last of the eight, there was &difference of but
322 votes, Lord John winning by only nine.
In 1847 there was another Serve fight. There
were nine candidates, and seven of them bankers
or commercial men. That time the position was
changed; Lord John Russell was at the head,
and Mr. Masterman was fourth, _and only three
above his next competitor. The times are
changed sines then. A year ago a young
Ozonise, not unknown however in the world
of politics, was elected without a contest, for no
other man could be found to fight for the distinct-
tion for which twenty you's ago they fought,
not to say " bled.l' But they are not more
".hanged in politics thee they are in commercial
matters. Would John Masterman, M. P., of
35. Nicholas-lane, Lombard-atrest, and Knott's-
green, Layton, Rase:, the East-India Director,
the Deputy Lieutenant of London, have believed,
bad he been told 16 years ago that by the year
1864 the East India Company would be no more,
and still more amazing, that the firm of Master.
man, Peters, Mildred, and Co., would be no
more? We trow not.
The revolutionary storm is still brewing against
Austria. Venetia is said to be 411 a state of
siege. luformation 'has been received from
Bucharest, that 400 Austrian and Italian
refugees are collected on the frontier of Tran-
sylvania, and are waiting for an opportunity of
getting,unobeerved,into that province. The men
of action in Moldavia are said to be in direct
communication with the Stickler districts, and
Aestrian-Poland and Hungary manifest con
vulsive throes of a forthcoming eruption. On
the other hand Russian- Poland is as far off as
ever from being quieted.
Intelligence from Japan informs us that the
tea planters of Bechar have met with serious ,
opposition from the Rajah of Munipore, who
like over the adjoining province, and who is
kept in his position solely by the Covernor.
General's protection. Not only has be threatened
that be will put any Englishman to death that
dares to trade in his dominions, but he forbids.'
on pain of death, any of his subjects to sews
hit, Clair and work in the plantations The
planters are also often subject to incessant raidsl
from the thieves of the district. More than
£lOOO,OOO sterling is now invested in the
Canker district by a handful of Englishmen, who
are developing the resources of that country
with marvellous rapidity. It is hoped by them
that the Government will not allow the Raja
to injure them with impunity. The prayed§
of the plantain this meson are unusually good, a
fall of rain in February haring greatly
strengthened and improved the plants, sad the
largest orop ever grown there is expected.
The tory osanpaign against the Malt