The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1884-11-04 00:00:00

TRE DINNER.

The annual dinner tvAr place at the Crown Hotel
about four o'clock in the afternoon. and Wall very
largely attended. .t capital dinner WWI put on the
table by Mr and Mrs. k:yers, whore catering gave
great sawitaction. The chair war taken by Mr H S.
Senior, and the vice-cltair by Mr. Gilbert I. Grover,
and among those present were the Rev A. S. Little-
wood, the Rev. E. Dowlaud, air. J. Floyer,
Mr. H. R. Farquharson, Mr. C. J. Hantheo, the Hon.
Humphrey Sturt, Dr. E. M. Spooner. vloolsw.
Fowler, 0. C. Richards, E. 0. Richard, (secretary),
J. Ford, G. Galpin, J. Tory, J. U. Saunders, J.
Forrester, C. Cox-Bartlett, E. Cave, lien., 11 Thurs.
ton, jun., H. Ford, G M. Daniell. if. Barret, T.
Taylor, Jesse Taylor_,_ E. Cave, jun ,_ C. Bugg, J.
klayter, C. Strange. Herbert Senior, W. Litligow. H.
EYers, W. IL Atkinson, J. Hoesiter, W. Drake, J.
Drake. F. H. Saunders, H Tory, G. E. Woodhouse,
R. Lewis. J. Limning, H. Fuolces, jun., C. Strange,
J. Roger., W. bakes, J. Burt J.
_T. H Scutt, H.
Friend John Coate, k. Davis, J. liltrshall, J. floyt,
I'. Gifford, J F
J. Boys, F. Coate, G. S. Abbott, G.
Williams, R. Groves, H. S. Godwin G. Aubrey, W.
Bartlett, W. tioodridge, 11. Harvey, 8 Spicer, E.
Sims, R. Roger.. E. House, 11. Fowler, J. Keynes,
H. Drake, C. Pope. G. Warren,. T. Ensor, C. H.
Flower, C. Flower, jun., T. Frampton, and R.
Watts. . .

After the removal of the cloth the usual loyal toaata
were drank. with enthumaieu. .

" The Binhop and Clergy of the Diocese and
'-‘linisters of all llehommatiotts wgmsubmitted by
atr.
. . .

The RC,. S. Ltrueawo and the Rev. E.
DowLAND, of 'Tarrant Kvynestoue. responded.
Mr. U. Gauls proposed The Army, Navy, and
Reserve Forces.”
. .

--t.;:fis;nei 111-clew, in returning thanks, said he was
afraid the army was not quite at the present time
what it used to be. Perhaps when the reserve scheme
was fully carried out the army ought be more edicient
than it was in its present transitory state. (Hear,
hear )
W.trrawhuse name was also coupled with
the toast, responded.
nç
ur,,htli
6u al, lion
g his iriiiagom:CiTstthaSr Ali et
the magistrates
n t hgieri uTwt yhr
performed
uaftereap.
their duties in a thoroughly conscientious manner,
referred to the difficulties under wheat the farmers
Laboured at the present time in the cultivation of
corn, and said there was 110 doubt that when the
farmer .Id his wheat he not only got no profit, but
of tan had to sell at a cousiderable lots. (hear, hear.)
There were two reasons why they could not grow
enough corn in this country to teed the population.
It was like the man who had twenty-one reasons why
he did not tire a salute, the first of which was, because
he had no gun. (Laughter.) The first nsasou why
they could not grow enough corn was because they
had nut arable land enough; and the second reason
I was, because they had not enough sunshine. He was
I sure the farmers had bad very little done for them
lately. They had had the Hares and Rabbits Bill.
' and the repeal of the malt tax, and there was one
I measure which had been passed which, he believed,
would du a great deal of good—the Contagious
Diseases (Animals) Act. There was one thing which,
at the next election, the farmers would insist upon,
and which it would be the duty of Parliament to
attend to—the rexidjustment of local taxation. (Hear,
hear.) He would not go into politics, but he wished
to say that he did not consider that the House of
Lords, which was an assembly of eminent men,
would have its position weakened, or would be dune
away with, because it had had low and degrading
abuse levelled against it by a small band Of irrespown.
Isle agitators. (Hear, hear.)
Mr. kloint, in responding, said he felt great
pleasure in replying for Lord Shaftesbury, who
throughout his long life had done all he could to
benefit those who cause within his reach. After
eulogising Lord Portman for the excellent manner in
which he had acted for the good of the county, and
the ability he had displayed in the odice of Chairman
of the Quarter Sessions, which he held for upwards of
years, Mr. Floyer referred to the lightness of the
calendars at the Quarter Sessions now-a.days. That,
he thought, WM one of the good signs of the times,
and in these days of depression he liked to make the
most iif any good signs he could find. (Laughter.)
He and his brother magistrates had only one wash so
tar W. their public duties were concerned, and that
was to discharge their high office with care, vigilance.
and Justice between man and man. (Applause.)
Mr. C. H. FLowea proposed "The -health of the
C..unty Members." gentlemen who, he said. had
tried to the best of their ability to do what they could
for the hour and credit of the county of Dorset.
(Rear, hear.)
Mr. J. FLAMM, who was received with loud and
prolonged cheers, said he and his two colleagues
had—as Mr. Flower had kindly stated—always been
anxious and earnest in their endeavours to fulfil the
duties of the high office with which they had been
entrusted; and, speaking for himself, he could assure
them that, .3 lung as he had the honour of represent-
ing the county, he should continue in his endeavours
to do all he could tor their god and interest. (AI..
plaused Mr. Flower had said that in the course of
time vacancies would arise in the office of county
members. When those vacancies would happen
they did not know, but whenever they did
occur there would be some satisfaction and
comfort in knowing that they would not have to go
' hunting about England for somebody to fill the places.
(Laughter.) Ever since he began his political tight
with many of his ohl friends under the banner of the
late Lord Derby he had always had rather a leaning
for home produce. (Laughter and hear, heard
Whether it was beef or mutton, or whether it was in
the matter of selecting a county repreeentative, he
liked native growth. (Laughter.) He thought that
wiaen they were about. to 6b3131..1 a ['wale sersant it
was a good thing to know what sort of a man they
were likely to get —(hear, hear)—and he thought that
owing to 3113rne peculiar circumstances they were
particularly favoured in that respect in Dorset. Ile
did not know how inany of his good friends were
coming forward to my. "When the old fellows are
done with we shall be very glad to fill their place,"
but there was comfort in knowing there were men
ready to con,, forward when a vacancy occurred.
With regard to the bill er bills for amending the
representation of the people, he did not know that
they were measure., upon which there was much to be
said by him. Ile did wit see that there was any
cause for thinking that things would be very different
in the llouse of Commons in this respect from last
session There might be some further discussion, but
he did not think that there was any doutit but that
the Bill would go up to the House .f Lords ; and then
would come the tug of war. (Hear, hear.) The
House of Lords last tune did not approve of the
measnre that was sent up to them; they thought the
question should be ih-alt with in a different fashion,
and the action the Lords took put a stop to the Bill
at any rate for some little time. And what did the
Loads meet with because they did that' Why, they
met with unmitigated abuse. (Laughter.) They
were attacked in all parts of the country by men who
did not hesitate to say that the Peers had better be
got rid of altogether if they could not do what the
people wished. (Hear, hear.) He (the speaker)
did not go in for setting the House of Lords up
against the sovereign will of the peiple ; but still
the duty of the House of Lords had always been
considered and still was considered by most wise men
to be to put a little leek upon the Government flywheel.
(Applause) And he thought the Peers ought still to do
that when they had to deal with great constitutional
measures which would alter the good old English con-
stitution a great deal. (Applause.) The last exhibb
Con of disapproval .in the part of an eminent man
was the other night at Birmingham, when Mr John
Morley, in his speech, said he was against any second
House. He might, however, say that what they
Issiked at in politics was practice. N.i doubt sir.
Morley was a very clever man, but the ipiestion was
whether he w,. a man of gee) sense. He asked
them to remember that France had got a Second
Chamber Then there was America, which was not
a very aristocratic country or country where landlords
or farmers were in any particular favour, but that
country had a -lecond Chainb•r in its Senate. He
did not think public meeting* against the House of
Lords were popular in Dorsetshire—(hear, )mear)—for
they did not run on that line. One reason why they
in Dorsetshire were attached to the House of Lords
was that they had got two such noble examples of
that Hollla in the county. (Applause.) They had
in the county of Dorset two of the oldest members in
the Howie of Per,, namely. Earl Shafteshury and
Lord Portman—(cheers)—and where would they get
better general legislators than those two noblemen had
been (Hear, hear, and applause.) It was contended
by those who were against the House of Lords that
the Lords had no business to throw out the Reform
Bill or to say that a Redistribution Bill should be
brought in before the Franchise Bill was allowed to
pass. But teL him ask them this—Was it not right
and fair for the Lords to say to the Government. " We
wish first to see what et of • Redistribution Rill you
are going to give us? (Hear, hear.) Speaking
further on the proposed redistribution scheme, Mr.
Myer said it would be a serious thing for Dorset to
have five of its ten members taken away. He
did not want to see the towns put against
the country, although in I)orsetshire the towns
and country places worked together be-
cause they depended mainly upon the agricultural
district. He felt anxious on this, because they knew
how the Liberal party, or the manufacturing party,
had treated them in tunes past, when in the House of
Commons they had endeavoured to get a small
modicum of relief of taxation in local affairs. He did
not think that the Franchise Bill—granting that it
was now beyond discussion the labourer should have
the Franchise, and he did not think that question was
beyond discussion—was altogether an unfair Bill.
But he did not know what the Re-distribution Bill
would be. Of course it was not the business of the
Opposition to give any credit to, or put any belief in
the Government. Their business was rather to suspect
and to watch the Government, and take care that
they did not do more mischief than they could help.
He thought that the Redistribution Bill would require
a good deal of vigilance on their part If, however,
the Government would put forward their Re-distribu-
tion Bill before the House of Lords had accepted the
Franchise Bill, then he should be glad to see them go
an with the consideration of both of the Bills. (Hear,
hear.) He thought they would do wisely if (bey
could see their way to make as good Bills as they
could of the Bills which would be before them; and
if the Lords could see their way to get reasonable
terms from the Government, his opinion wee that they
would do wisely to accept thee. The Government
would be before very long upon their trial efore the
constituencies, and what a general election would
result in it was very difficult to may But a
very remarkable letter from a Liberal peer
appea ed in the riots a few days ago, in which the
writer expressed a good deal of what he (Mr. Floyer)
and many others felt. Lord Londwiborough, the
writes of the letter, said that in his opinion the
Government had no mismanaged the affairs in Ireland,
at the Cape. and in Egypt, that he should be glad to
see a Conservative returned for the borough of Scar-
borough, in which bomugh he had a good deal of
influence. He (Mr. Floyer) did not think there could
be any question that at any rate the early nwhage-
meat of Ireland by the Go, erument was great Iwo
management. In eouclusioix the speaker said Ms
opinions had not been formed hurriedly_ or lightly. Ha
had no peaty to serv• excePt 114 gQ"WAI6 141 14

dad no desire except to do that which was best for
the country. He had long enjoyed their confidence,
and that was the greatest pride of his life, and he
hoped that as long as he was their member ha might
till enjoy it. (Cheers ) Other toasts foUowed.