The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-04-15 00:00:00

WEDNESDAY.

Lord PORTMAN, in charging the Grand Jnry, ex-
pressed his gratification at seeing so large an attend-
ance of grand jurymen present, and added that he
was happy to be able to any their duties would be
light. This arose from the assize" having been so
recently held here, and not from any diminution of
clime. On the present occasion there was no
matter of great Effilitic interest, or important change
of law, Which required him to occupy their time;
bat he migkt_4whoireik that ~whO: weighed hese*
with him at*} Aft the nitighitrath-Lthe -ffifeculty, IT
he might use the word, experienced in satisfying
public opinion as to the sentences of prisoners.
There was no duty se difficult to any court as to the
apportionment of the sentence to the offence. The
law gave a large discretion to the judges and
justices as to the amount of punishment they might
inflict. He had heard considerable comment on
sentences passed all over-the 'country by the judges
at the last assize', lint pe was certain, that nothung
was so UnfOrillikate .11il4bat Oblic opilime Afield
be formed upon the pants of sentences without
possessing full evidence to enable them to come to
pet conclusions on the point. Those in this
comity weilld give the justice' credit for doing the
best they could under —the- very difficult circum-
stances they were often placed in. There was also
another matter which prevailed in public opinion,
which wan, that the sentences vaned, according to
the knowledge which some member had of the
particular individual before them. Now it was
always tthe wish of the Quarter Sessions that no
magistrate who had committed a prisoner should
take part in the sentence of that prisoner, thus
showing that they were exceedingly desirous that
the court should be quite free from the
bias that might have been adopted by the commit-
ting magistrate, from his knowledge of the case be
-
Am end that they should be guided solely by
the evidence. It was also supposed that the court
was more liable to receive information of private
character tbati the judge; but the same good feel-
ing existed at this court as at the maize., so that
the justices at sessions always acted upon the evi-
dence, without allowing any information which they
only ought to know through such a medium.
Therefore, so far as the due administration of justice
was concerned, every means was taken to secure an
unbiased sentence. His Lordship then referred to
the cases in the calendar, and dismissed the grand
jury to their duties.

TRIAL OF PRISONERS.
(Before LORD PORTMAN.)

Joseph Davis WAN charged with falsely pretending
that 27 lbs. of fat, which lie coil to Augustine Doniny
for beef suet, was good and fit for food, whereas in truth
and in fact it was totally unfit to eat. He was there-
fare accused of obtaining by this means the sum of
13e. 6d. by false pretences, at Buckland Newton, on the
19th
.March.—Verdict. Not Guilty. . .

Job Dyke and George Traver's were charged with
stealing 11 coal hap, the property of George Tucker, at
Bemninster' on the 11th March • and also with stealing
two bags, the property of George Bwatridge, of the
same place, on the 86h March.—Travers was acquitted;
Dyke, who had been eight times convicted, and ones
transported for four years, was sentenced to four years
penal servitude.
Thomas Henry A. Turner was charged with being
found In a cowshed, in the occupation of,Jarnes Burt, at
Mapperton, with intent to commit a felony therein.
The prosecutor had lost many fowls, and defendant was
found there at an unseasonable hour. —Sentenced to 4
months' hard labour.

Stephen Ma/plou was convieted of stealing 50 lb.. of
nuutgold warteel, of the value of 6d., the ineperty of

Edmund Andrews, of Belehalwell, on the 28th.—Four
tuonths' hard labour. _ . . •

Mary Burgin. was found guilty of stealing two pieces
of printed calico, the property of John Wareham, of
Wintchurch Canonicoruni, on the 25th Marsh. The
prisoner had had a bad example set her. His lordship
sentenced her to three months' hard labour, and said
that if at the end of that period she felt diSPosed to lif°
into • refuge, the visitors of the prison would do 41
they could for her, where she would learn her duty to
herself, her neighbour, and her God.
(Before Mr. Fi,ovisa.)
Jaws Lanus, • Sootehntan, was charged with aasault-
ing Henrg MIPOIII, with intent to rob bun, between
Wyk* and Portland, on the Bth March. He was also
further charged with assaulting, with intent to rob.
HerbertHoberts, on the Milne day and at nearly the
same place.—Sentenced to one month's hard labour for
the first offence and three months for the second.
Charlotte Ha;okine was charged with stealing several
artielesof wearing apparel, belonging to her mistress,
Louisa Brown, of Sherborne, and her mother, Sarah
Hawkins, was charged with receiving the same, know-
ing them to have been stolen. The daughter pleaded
guilty, and was sentenced to three months' hard labour.
..The mother wail aequitted. . -
George Mills was charged with stealing • brass kettle,
or boiler, of the value of 10s., the property of Hannah
Helyur, of ebideock, on the 20th March. Verdict,
Not Guilty.
The Sessions were finished about halt-past 3 o'clock.

WEYMOUTH. PISTOL SHOOTING. -At the
Borough Petty Sessions on Tuesday, Stephen Joseph
Waterman Seamy, of Prospect Place, RAlipole, was
charged with assaulting Frederick Caddy by fit a
pistol at him, loaded with peas, on Sunday
it appeared that a number of boys are in the habit
of an evening to assemble together in front of de-
fendant's house and using various means of annoyance,
besides throwing stones at the door and windows. On
the night in question they were at their usual game,
when a pistol was tired from Mr. Scorey's window.
The defendant said it was loaded only with powder,
but complainant said it was loaded with peas, and
that they tingled his legs. One of the witnesses
somewhat raised the risible faculties of the Court by
stating that be knew Mr. Scorey was going to tire a
gun, as the defendent told them as they were going
along towards the house, that Mr. Tizard, solicitor,
had given him leave to shoot them. Alderman
Bower, the chairman of the Bench, interrogated
defendant at some length after the French 'fashion,
but Scorey, under the advice of Mr. Howard, his
solicitor, refused to answer. The consequence
was the summons was dismissed.

ODD FELLoWSKIP NAIL, NOT PRACTUDI
Billets v. Binge :—At the Weymouth County Court
on Thursday the plaintiff, who is a publican in
Melcombe Regis, sought to recover the sum of £l.
4s. 6d. of the defendant, a carpenter. It appeared
that at the time an Odd Fellows' Lodge was opened
at the plaintiff's house, the defendant borrowed a
sovereign of Mr. Billeth for the purpose of paying his
expenses of initation, promising to repay him the
amount at the end of the week. Instead of keeping
his word, which is add to be one of the great
principles of the order, he not only never repaid the
amount, but repudiated his liability of doing so.
The 4e. 6d. was for beer which defendant had in his
own name, with a promise to pay, to enable him and
his fellow workmen to keep up the jollification of a
wedding ; and defendant now thought that the
persons whose health he had drunk, ought to pay
the expense. Mr. Judge Everett, however, took
another view of the case, and ordered the defendant
to pay the whole sum stiedifor in 14 days.
LOOKING AHISAD.—The Weymouth wasps are
already on the wing and bussing about, looking for
"golden syrup." They have been reading the" Signs
'of the Times?' during the last few days in the
Standard., which assures them that, in consequence
of the late elections, the result of Mr. Bernal Osbome's
motion on the state of the Nsvy, and Mr. Disraeli's
onelaught of the Budget on Monday night, a vote of
want of isonfidence after the Easter recess will place
Ministers in a minority, and that an appeal to the
country will be made. The popular belief is that
a few persons at the last election bought houses with
the money they obtained for their votes, and there
are scores looking out for houses on the occasion of
the next election. Don't they wish they
,may get
them

A LETTER CARRIER IN TROUBLE., —Tbeißadipole
letter carrier, William Walsh, has got himself into
trouble very foolishly. It appears that on Saturday
morning. Mr. Carey Reed, the post master of
Weymouth, made ups parcel containing a sovereign,
for Walsh to take to Charles, the keeper of the
. . . • . . . .

letter box at Radipole, it being the amouilt that day
due for a quarter's services under the Post Master
General. With this parcel, Walsh had also a paper
which was to be signed by himself as having delivered
it, and by Charles as having received the same.
Ile did not return to the Weymouth post office as
he ought to have done after delivering his morning's
letters. Parsons, one of the clerks of the poet office,
asked him where the reeipt was. Re proenced it
signed by himself, but not by Charles. 'He was
theref we ordered to take It back and obtain the other
signature. He saw -Mrs. Charles, and asked her to
sign it, but she refused to do so, and kept the paper.
As Walsh did not bring the receipt, therefore in the
evening Mr. Reed went to Radipole, and
on learning that the packet had not been delivered,
placed the case in the hands of Supt. Lidbury, who
went to Waleh'e house and found him in bed. On
a chair by the aide of his bed were two letters that
had been given him to poet, but who gave them to
him or heWhe came by them he had no recollection.
-He was intoxicated then and had been all day,
and he bad consequently no recollection what had
become of the earns'. On Sunday night a female
servant to Mr. I, erris, brought the parcel in question
and two other letters, which she had found in their
garden. She had kept them thinking the postmm
would call in the evening when she would give them
to him, but as he did not cell, and a strange postman
came the next morning, she thought the best way
would be to deliver them at the chief office. It

seems that after Walsh had called at the house
in the morning, &gentleman asked him to hold his horse
fora minute, and that he, to do so, lay down the parcel
and two letters, and being already a little "Muddled,"
went away and furget them, and that he afterwards
went to see the hounds throw off. He was on Mon-
day charged before J. Ayling Esq., with the
offence, who remanded him till the followius
Thursday, that the authofities might be communi-
cated with.
CAUTION TO BOYS THROWING STORRS. —With
the exception of the abominable state of the 'treats,
and the frequent demands for -rates, for which
nothing is done, the greatest nuisance is the throwing
of stones by boys. You can scarcely walk
some of the streets without seeing these
missiles thrown in all directions. We are there-
fore pleased to find that the police have-taken the
matter up in earnest, and we would advise all parents
to warn their children against the practice. On
Sunday afternoon P.C. Bowring apprehended Henry
&anthill, a boy about fourteen years of age, whom be
caught on the Chapelry, throwing stones at the back
door of Mr. Skerry, baker. On being brought
before the magistrates the next day be was fined 55.,
and as his father refused to pay the money, he was
committed to Dorchester Gaol for seven days.--
On Tuesday two more boys brothers, named James
and George Collins, were brought before the magis-
tnites for A similar offence. —P.C. Bowring said that
in consequence of complaints being made by the in-
habitants of High-street that their windows were
being broken, Superintendent Lidbnry ordered him
to proceed at once to the Chapelry, and that be sew
the two prisoners in Trinity-place, at the back of
Trinity Church, throwing stones in the direction of
the houires.—They were fined is., and 4s. 10d. costs
each.
A FOOLISH Sruse. —Edmund Stone and Richard
Winter were on Monday charged with having two
ponies in their possession, supposed to have been
Stolen. About 10 o'clock on Friday night Sergeant
Brine and P.C. Marsh met the two prisoners in
Melcombe Regis, each on a pony, without bridle or
saddle. They were questioned where they sae them,
and replied that a man named Cox, of Portland, had
lent them to come to Weymouth for a spree. They
left it half-past nine o'clock, and were to be back at
eleven. The constablia did not deem the answer
satisfactory, and toek them to the station-house.
On Monday morning a man named Joseph Order, of
Portland, owned the ponies as his property. He
did not wish to prosecute the men, and said that as
he was late home from Bridport fair, his wife let
them have the ponies to meet him on the road, and
that they coming to Weymouth, instead of going the
proper road, missed him. The prisoners were of
course discharged with a caution about not to tall
lies on a future occasion.

, A CASE FOR ARBITRATION.—James Thompson
was on Tuesday charged at the Borough Petty
Sessions with having unlawfully obtained possession
of a carpenter's plane the property of Mr. Edward
Paull Mr. Howard appeared for the prose mtion and
Mr. Tizard for the defence. After the case bad been
commenced, a question arose respecting the4ndentity,
and the solicitors agreed that the point should be
referred to arbitration. The Bench did not appear
at all displeased that the case bad taken such a turn,
as there were a dozen or fourteen witnesses on both
skim to be examined, The summons was accordingly
adjourned for a week.

PORTLAND.—Tnic VERSE FoarrnmiTioNs.—
The America battle between the Merrimac and
Monitor, which took place off Newport News in the
beginning of last month, has quite revolutionised
all preconceived ideas with regard to ,onr coast
defences. Hitherto large sums of money have been

voted by Parliament for-wooden ships and atone forts,
but this has been arrested. The land fortifications
at Spithead have been anspended—perhaps for the
ultimate diversion of the money they would cost
for the immediite organisation of an iron Beet. And
if the Spithead fortifications have been stopped, even
at the expense of compensating the contractor, the
probability is that the additional works it was
intended to carry out on the Verne this year, which
we believe have not yet been contracted for, will not

,
be proceeded with, or at all events not to BO great
an extent as was proposed. It is time a vastamount
of additional work must be done here, under any
circumstances, but the feeling of the House of
Commons and of the county At the present time is,
thatevery exertion should be conoentrated on the iron-
plating of our present men-of-war or building new
iron-clad batteries for home defence, as well as
building large sea-going vessels of the clam of the
Warrior. We are in for an iron age, and the govern.

ment and the country have recognised the fact.
Even the works at the Breakwater Head have been
stopped for the present.
Am v. licwarctr.—At the County Court at
Weymouth, on Thursday, the plaintiff, a earpenter,
brought an action against the defendant, for thy'
recovery of £ll, for work and labour doh°, and
material, in the repairs of an old hones. Both
parties were represented by solicitors—Mr. Howard,
for the plaintiff • and Mr. Hill, for the dielendant. ,
The defendant tiati paid the plaintiff £5 since the
summenses had been issued, and had paid £1 10s.
Ito Court. It appeared that the plaintiff con-
tracted to do the repairs of a house for £6 10a, and
that when some portion of the old place WAS pulled
down, it was found that other work, not before seen;
required doing. The work Was done, and deien.
,1 dant charged .C 4 10s. for the same. The defendant
I disputed theaccount, as he considered it all belonged
to theonticct, and hence this action. The demi,
dant alp -called a witness who said he heard
plaintiff say that he took the contract for £6 10s.,
evil that he would get a pound mere. The Judge
gave a verdict fur tha,dikteadoust. - - - -- - •

IRE COST OF TRAINING BOYS POE TUE NAVY.
—An official return bieued a few days ago, states the
annual cost of each boy brought up for the navy in
the training-ships to be £178.. 9d.; to whisk ere
to be added he wages par annum of £92.. 6d.;
and the victuals per annum, amounting to £l9 fie. .
so that the total cost per annum is £45 17s. 6d,
About 2,500 boys are continually in training,"
distributed over five ships and four brigs. The boys
are taught, besides seamanship, the practice of
gunnery, the three R.'s, and the elements of
geography and history.
EVERSHOT. —At the County Hall, Dorchester,
on Tuesday, John Allen, a mendiciant, who stated
that he came from Beaminster, was brought up in
the custody of P. C. Florence, charged with bogging
at the above named place. The constable stated
that he apprehended him at 11 o'clock the night
previously, having found him knocking at the doors
' of some of the residents, and refused to leave, and
observed that he had in the previous part of the day
relieved him. The unfortunate individual was
committed by the presiding magistrate (E. W.
Williams, Esq.) to 14 day's hard labour.
WAREHOL—LaNteme.- -The road by St,
Martin's church presents a disgracefnl spectacle. For
a want of A wall to protect the side of the road, an
immense quantity of mud and earth has slipped
down, projecting many yards over the carriage way.
To a stranger entering by this road the old town
must seem ma state of rottenness and decay; which,
we are happy to say, is really not the case. Perhaps
we are better than we look, no thanks to those who
ought to keep St. Martin's Pitch in proper and
decent repair.
CAROLS FACTSRY.—MaSSYS. S. Spicer & Sons, of
North•street, are appointed agents for the sale of the
beautiful candles which are now made at the works
at Northport. In appearance and lasting qualities,
these candles, we firmly believe, will be found superior
to any thing of the kind yet manufactured.
New SenooLeoost—On Thursday evening, April
3rd, the choir belonging to the Independent Chapel,
assisted by two friends, gave an evening's entertain-
ment of vocal and instrumental music. The follow-
ing was the programme :--" How beautiful upon
the Mountains ;" "Praise the Lord, 0 Jerusalem
"I will lift up mine eves ;" " Dens Misereatur ;
"Saint. and Angels join in concert;" "Kyrie ;"
"Now pray we for our country ;" Gloria: "In
Jewry is God known • " "Hallelujah Chorus
" Nun° Dimittis ; " "God Save the Queen." 450
persons availed themselves of this very pleasant
evening's entertainment. Every piece and every
part were well sustained by the choir, and we hope
as this is the first concert ever given by them, it will
be followed by many others. The profits of the
evening will be devoted to the improvement needed
in the room, to adai tit for lectures and music for
the next season. The admittance fee was mode-
rately low—the reserved seats 6d., and the back
seats Id. for each person.
STIIRMINSTER NEWTON. Our primitive
little town has been subject to a species of degrade-
Ceti within the last few weeks in the shape of bribing
and corruption. We do not intimate that our free
and independent voters will he subjected to the loss
of their valuable franchise, for the nature of the case
does not partake of such a venial offence. Some of
our teetotal friends have been bribing the navvies
who are at work on the Dann Central Line, by the
offer of a shilling each to many as choose to become •
disciple to one of the Zodiac emblem.. The value
of the amount appeared so suspicions that the majo-
rity looked upbn it as a government decoy, but we
are informed that some few accepted the bribe, after
which tail retired to the Red Lion Inn to treat
their resolution, or to use their own words, to give
arit tfirtita- ".Moral courage," by imbibing sundry
pie:Alen' of their favourite beverage, not forgetting
to vociferously toast the health's of Father Matthew
and Sir John-Barleycorn.
POOLE. FOLIC& —On Friday Mr. Henry Whitty
and Isaac Marsh were charged before the Borough
inkistrates with stealing copper from the Jimmy.
They were discharged with &caution. George White
and James White were fined Is. each and costs for
being drunk and disorderly at Longfleet.
, ORURO! PASTORAL AID SOCIETY. —The annual

meeting of the subscribers and friends of the above
sociaty was held in the Townhall, on Monday
evening. J. Gosse, Eaq., presided, and the meeting
was addressed by the Revs. G. Morgan, E. P. Blount
of Lytchett, F. W. Hepworth, and G. J. Kelly,
who attended as al deputation from the society in
London. The subscriptions in Poole during the
past year Isad•not amounted to.£lo. The Rev. J. G.
Kelly explained the objects and workings of the
society, which he represented in a clear and able
manner,,,expressing a hope that the appeal made to
them, would be the means of greatly increasing the
amount of subscriptions in the town of Poole. The
society has for its objeet the assisting of over-
worked clergymen, by grante, enabling them to
engage curates and scripture readers, that all com-
mitted to their charge may have the gospel preached
to them. A collection was made at the close.
SHERBORNE.—Parry SIEPSIONS, April 3rd.—
Present: J. F: Falwasser, Esq., L. G. St. Lo,
and Rev. J. Blennerhassett.—Henry Crocker sum-
moned Harry Ayles, a farmer of .Purse Caundle, ;or
refusing to pay him wages alleged to be due to him.
—The magistrates, after hearing the evidence on
both aides, dismissed the case.--Eli Abbott, Mark
Verily, Matthew Bartlett, all of Yetininster' were
summoned by Henry Collins for stealing wood from
a plantation at Yetmin ' ster the property of Mr.
' Batten. —Mr. Fear appeared for defendants.—Can-
tinned, and ordered to pay expenses.--George
Scott, landlord of the "Three Elms," at North
Wootton, was summoned by Superinpindent Lewis
. . . . .

. ,
for keeping his house open during Diviue service.—
Mr. Fear appeared for defendant—P.O. Wren de.
posed that he visited the house kept by defendant
on Sunday, the 30th of March, about half-past
eleven, a.m., and saw a person come from the back
door with a jug of beer in his hand, and carry it to
a stable, that on going to the stable he found several
other men there drinking.—Convicted in £l, in-
cluding costs.— -Thomas Toogood was summoned
by Superintendent Lewis for riding in a wagon,
without having reins.—Ordered to pay expenses.
--The Surveyors of the Highways for all the
parishes in the division attended to verify their

li:counts for the past year. Overseers for all the
parishes in the division were also appointed at this
meeting.