The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-02-16 00:00:00

COMPLI ME DINNER TO MR. W.
M. 04, 4 T WILBER &IL

The liberal, am and its neighbour.
hood on Fridar - tertainod Mr. W. M.
Calcraft, who . -... sated the seat for the
borough, read. ..?: he end of last year
by the death e : ther, Captain Calcraft,
at • compllme ~ It was Feld in the
Town.hall, whi ~ be exertion of several
ladles of the ' :...'x darned, and • moot
satisfectory opt ` ma to gimp the greatest
gratification) • I. . . the tables by Mr.
Fearsley, of it • r: . Over 150 sat down,
and they were; Kr. Montague Guest,
mipporting why ','" t of the evening. Mr.
W. W. Calsralt .... aft, Be.. J. B. Lloyd,
Mr. John Pike. • liter. Mr. J. H. Beggs,
Mr. Daniel. Mr b .. H. Penton Mr. J.
Banton, Mr. 1 V plow, Mr. iranipton.
Mr. Mate, itt.. • Pike filled the Mas-
ao*. ".•:
. . .. . .. ...._ „..._ ,
commenced.

In preemie, I her Majesty," the
CHAIRMAN ohs is• 'amigo who ever yet
ruled over thir At the constitutional
•"

sovereignty to ::: , of eseelleooe and
power.. she Is ' ~ erse sure, all regret
that &lung tht 5 • had been unable se
heretofore to o .: in, and they moot all
participate in -- *lt that her Majesty's
adviser, Tumid o open Parliament in

persou—(hear, ....,.
Wilh regard :-.., 'Prinoege of Wales, the
CHAIRMAN NA. . all vie in doing honour
. . . . . .

to their names z.- bed and belo;-ed were
they by all 0 ...,.. me and Princess were
absent, al eh. - ngland on account of
~..
the health of t : ey would join, he was
..
convinced, in I . light soon return, and
that Eler Rays i kris, that benellt from
- - ... ,lirese.,
..!, I—(obeer4
. -. .

fore4u.. .
"Tee Army eornsarr, aad Volun-
teers" au thy CgAi who said
that shboash • Bret debt here rather

a lengthy arms %. really ;no that needed
but very few • t He was reading the
other day the r -4 man (now the Liberal
member for. : .4- I he hoped that some
... . .. . ..

day Europe wco heed that there would
be no need I r the army, the navy,
the militia, the volunteer.. He
himself wee et ; was s fsr distant one ; at all
events, in the pews* state of things. He considered
it Meet be septum( aaMdeetion to them to know that
all those branebee ere reedy to do their duty, and,
when called upon, •Ild do it efficiently. With the
toast be eoupled the sass of Lieutenant Pinion.
Lieutenant Psirrolliriely responded.

The CH mum" the mid the nett toast was the toast
of the evening, as it ma that of the pistol the even-
ing- the health of guitlemao who when be earns
there a month ago h. bad hoped to have left sitting a.
member for the health —(hear, haul—end he could
mare them that it pre him the greatest satisfaction
to have been able o be resent that day, and to
propose this toilet, /f • kinder gentleman, • more
worthy man, of as CI more downright, honest,
upright prineiples to had
in his life -(laught, and cheers) He was as
well known to them Ito him, end be should not there-
fore make him blue by preaching any more soMpli
Manta to his fees. le was sure from what he bad sass
of the Liberal partyin Wareham, that though they
might have been (fleeted—sod they had been 8o
belor•—they were !writ dialkor enert—(heer, hau)—
and be did sot think 11 could better liken them than
tea cork in a glom o water whisk, try to push it down
as you might, woultm.ne to the sarfaee—(applsuse).
The Libersi party Ii the town woeld take no denial
There were • Owitincey wee la this world who by
reverses of fortunealkd been stirred up to increased
aetivisy, which u • rule generally resulted in • more
glorious victory sod swore Isiatins one, and if they, by
their protest reveres were urged on to greater effort,
they would, be was awe, when they should haw,
another opportunity, naeceed in returning Mr. Caleratt
es
their member, mak seat them would be more last-
ing and be swore It him for ever —(bear, hear). It
was not his duty oryt his wish at that dinner to launch
wit upon any postal subjeet, but se it was an
°cession when whop they might be allowed le toisek
upon their own- steal private political opinions. and I
when be must say dallied it all their own way,be should
simply congratulate tom upon the confidence they bad
shown, by trying to atom • Liberal member to support
Mr. (lladstone, in tie present Government and It.
leader. Mr. Gladitose, he thought, so fore. he had
gone, deserved the rested prides at their hands, for
the way in which 1. had formed his cabinet; they were
men of the moat preerdnent ability—nun meal to any,
excelled by none—hear, hear). They had beard a
great many things Lboot insincerity, and people toying
they would do thin/ which they had no intention when
they came into alio to carry out, but be could not help
thinking when be tgued with himself that if when
man first started a 4 statesman, should form an opinion
upon certain thingrit would be • great wrong that he
sboaM be hound breafter to abide by orbo be made
the glare of those views he first entertained when he
mitered his polities We—(bsar, hear). There was not
a statesman of the present generation or of that which
was gone bad paged sway at the mine point of political
horison am he fret sorted; eash and all most °binge as
surely.. the world half. Mr. Guest then concluded
by expressing • he that when Mr. Calmat again stood
—which he trustrA 'mid not be very long first —he
might be retureel at IDS head of the poll. (The toast
was received with tremsidous sheering.]
In reply Mr. V. Y. CLIAIIArr. who was warmly
greeted, mid: :AMOS sad gentleman, be was
glad to be able to my ladies—(mer, hear)
could assure them that in rising to return
thanks or the very kind way in elfish they had drunk
the toast, and for the too tittering terms in which
the chairmen had imposed it, he need hardly tell them
that he felt unused diffieulty in expressing his feelings.
lie felt very deeply the great compliment paid him in
asking him to dinner, and he experienced the greatest
pleasure in meeting them at the hospitable board. He
um quite aware tint it was not for his own sake alone
It. sompliment was paid him, although their kind
feelings had on sooty ocassions been shown toward him;
but partly for the sake of his assoastions with Hemp.
moos, where for =rimy years his father had proved him-
sell a true Liberd in hearts. well as politics, by hia
behaviour to bin poorer neighbours—(hear, hear, and
shears). He pawed the observation because some
peek had been trying to say very different things. But
ambler resew ot all le felt to lis was that to the buit
elation he had represented the Liberal partr—(latssn).
Thar were not seeeemful but it woe sot their fault. All
.1 1.. to Wareham did their best, worked bard. and
M• 00117. and embed themselves to the utmost,
row to eskr own pseessal irooevesissos

wkilY to their own personal loss, who by lb ir
adherence to !heir ptipeiples had, as an Irish-
man would say, gained • lose, by being kept
out of things which in other Years they had bad,
especially in other parte of the borough. Still they had
all struggled for the pond of the liberal cause ; wee
not a question of whether they should retnin Calcraft
Of DIAX ; but Whether OT not they should return a
member to uphold the rause which h id done so much
for them, which had given then, cheap bread, cheap tea,
cheaper as, sad taken away the religinue
ro thit the Nonconformist. to far as the Stmt. was
concerned, now stood on a perfect equality with the
very heat churchman going. The Liberal party bad
done math, too, for education, making the atteniance
at school in no way dependant upon the attendance
at church or chapel, but perfoci ly free and open
to all—(hear, bee,rl. That wan the warty and the
cause that they all struggled to support and maintain,
by trying to mend • representative who would support
the Gauss of program and liberality, instead of returning
a gentleman, who, though he might be a very worthy
gentleman, had not done eery mien for the borough,
and who when in parliament Sever voted for anything
for the good of the country— (bear, heart. In feet, he
very seldom voted at all, and when he did, he always
voted the wrong way—(laughteir, and cheers). He
believed Mr. Drag once made a speech in Parliament,
and that was about his own property, objecting to the
widening of a footpath near the Wimbledon camp, for
the good of the public. He was a)wayeagranst any
rublie imprneement ; and it we to keep him out and
to support Mr. Cladetone that great efforts were made
in that borough. It was as their repreeentative in that
struggle that he felt they had invited him there that
night. They were beaten, he was sorry to say, by
large majority, Now it was somewhat curious to note
the terults of the last two elections. In November when
his brother was •roorlidoto he was returned. one month
later when he himself wss a candidate the Liberal party
were defeated. At first sight this looked as if a chthp
if ethdidates Ind brought about a change in the result,
but on eons ring more cloaely into the matter he did
not think that he seed take that to himself. It was
attributable entirely to local esiosealto the landlords
and peat people at home who made thorn/elver. very
[Mt abroad, and who exerted themelaes to 4'ra utmost
firths return of Mr. Oral. They knew that if they oils
DO effort, and if left to themselves their tenant, could
have supported the Libel,' party as they had done upon
the Bret occasion, so at the second el. ction they made
themselves extremely bogy and through their agents,
the people who let their bosses or collected their rents,
or their bailiffs, were unceasing from morning to night
in 'canvassing those who were in any way their
dependents, bolding out promises to those who should
vote for Mr. Drag, threats against tines who should
not. All Wit of course must have a great effect upon
many people, end numbers had told him they bad voted
the way they did not like but they could not help
themselvea. Them were the reasons that had brought
about the change, and not the fact that the Literal
party bad became weaken, d or had gone back ; rathir,
he thought, that they might congratulate themselves
that the Liberal feeling had shown itself an strop( in
the ont-ot•the-way borough as it had thromh 'at
Englred, acetlapd, and Ireland. They had fuily
earned the right he Considered Mean therwelves worthy
members of the great party lifhich had lately thhievo:l so
triumphant • sumess the equal of which had thathely
ever been known before, and which had &Mein from
ruses perhaps without a mini el in the ripe nf
bietory. It bad been brought about by Mr. Dieraeli
himself, who, though so frequently beaten, had refused
to yodel, inasmuch as he said he bad
the voice of the people with him, and
was the popular man, and his party the
the popular party; but what had the result shown?
Not that he had proved himself the popular man, but
that sack a elope of Commons bad been returned that
be did not dare to face it as the Prime Minister. Such
an ooerarrooce as that of a Prime Mini•ter dissolving
Perliament, and sallies another together whom he was
afraid to face, be did not think had ever before found •
place in the annals of the nation—(hear, hear). They
now bad Mx. Gledstone and • Liberal ministry—(chears)
—full of distinguished men. Mr. Gladstone had not
confined himself to the narrow circle of large influential
ruling families, who had done, no doubt, peat good in
their time, and whose descendants they might hops
would do IN mush good in the time to come . he had
enlarged his borders end selected men who hid no family
influence of any sort to recommend them, but who for
many yaps had proved their devotion to the cause of
progress and freedom, by their speeohec their talent,
and their ache. Amongst them first he would mention
the name of Mr. Bright, whom all, whether they agreed
with him or not, must own wadi one of the most con.
'Wait of men. Foe years he bad been advocating the
saute of Reform, and the lowering of the franchise, and
It really seemed that by degrees they were easing to his
views—most things that be bad advocated had been
carried, and he had no doubt the others would be'
Again they bad as regarded one of their most expensive
departments—the Admiralty—a Government pledged
to economy. How far they would be able to retrench
he knew not ; if they coold reduce the expenditure
without impairing the sfileleney of the army or navy or
the other branches of the civil service, they would
•coomplieh a useful, but what at the same time
appeared to him a diffieult action; at all 'yenta, if they
did DO it would affect their pocket, and, therefore.
appeal to their beerts—(laughter). It was a benefit that
they could not bat acknowledge that they had at the
head of that department Mr. Childers, who for many
years had made sweetie" upon and bad devoted himself
to the difficult and complicated acaounta of it. For the
Home Department they had Mr. Bruce. • great man for
education; they might, therefore, hope that educe.
tion would be brought home more chiefly to the
scattered population', that were at present with-
out an opportunity of importitig to their child-
ren the rodimedta of education. Eduostion was
eminently an essential ; they might be oertain that
if they heel, two Andrea, we wino we. odoooted 'Ad
and arithmetic must beat the cabin who could not—
(hear, hear). Briefly alluding to Meier. Cloachen and
Lowe, Mr. Caloreft said that he did not think that with
inch • government any one need be afraid that the
interest of the people would suffer. Speaking upon the
matter of Ireland he continued, it !seemed unnecessary
to dilate upon that subject. Mr. Gladstone was • very
ingenious man, but he thought it would require all his
ingenuity to solve that question. He bad lately read
the speech of a bishop, who had oome dinrat from
Ireland, and who had recommended that Ireland should
be dealt with after the manner of a certain showmen, '
who had been questioned as to how he dealt with his
" happy family. "First of all," that personage was
reported to have said, "1 feeds 'em well, then I treats
'cut well, and then if they fights, I wallops 'am well''
—(laughter). Probably the bishop hose more about
Ireland than he did, but for his own part, he should
think the less "walloping' the better—(hear, hear). He
was in favour of treating them well, and feeding them
well, and he was inclined to think, it erne • very good
way of getting on is thieworld, land that if that course
led been punned towards Iceland men, yaps ago that
that country would at the present moment have been
more loyal and MOTO friendly teemed, them. It had had
unfortunately very troubled times, but since the last 100
pan it had been improving and now as they were
treated in a more liberal manner he trusted that in a
few years they would see Ireland as prosperous and as
contented and as loyal as any other part of Her
Majesty's dominions. The disestablishment of the
Irish Church would be thought go • long way towards
removing one of the just grounds for complaint the
Irish people had against this nation—Omar, hear).—Mr.
Calcraft then once again thanked his hearers for having
supported him at the late election and congratulated
teem upon the fast that Wareham itself had not turned
from its principles, one mote tots being polled at the
last election by the Liberal party than at the first. Mr.
Gladstone had said in one of his speeches that some
scheme must be devised for protactins the voter. How
that was to be done, not being Mr. Gladstone, it was
not necessary for him to say (A voice: The ballot) very
likely it would come to that At all events he thought
the way in which their own election had been conducted
by the Tory party was a very good argument in favour
of it. Mr. Wald t oonelnded by proeog "The Liberal
manse in Wareham," coupled with the name of Mr. W.
J. Pike, whom he warmly eulogised for his consistent
support of Liberal ptinctiples--(ebeers).

The Vic.' CHAIRMAN responded, end in the coarse of
• Very able spew& contended that Wereham, like the
rest of the country, was really Liberal.

Mr. H. G. CALLOW'r nest proposed "Tb. m.yor sod
Corporation of the Town of Wareham." eoupled with
the name of Mr. Freeland Filliter—(oheers).
Mr. Fu.crra briefly seknowled thecompliment, and
assured the rompenv that • bettor mayor newer
presided over the town, nor one more amnions to do him
duty end the beet he could for the town—(bear, beer).
He concluded by proposing "The health olLadyCaroline
Calcraft"—(cheera).
Mr. W. IV CaLcitarr briedy acknowledged the tout
on behalf of his mother, and armed the company that
Lady Caroline took the deepest interest interest in every-
thing °annealed with the wailers of the town.

"The Trade of Wareham" was next proposed by the
CE1•113IMI, coupled with the name of Mr. J. H. HAMA,
who ably responded. "Itue Lodi's" was responded to
by Mr. LEWIS WILCOX. The health of the Chairman,"
was proposed by Mr. It G. CALCILAYT, who expressed •
hope that on some future oceasion they would here the
satisfaction of seeing Mr. Guest returned to Parlia-
ment by • part, if not by the whole of the county./
Dorset "The health of Mr. Waren, sea.," was ,
cordially received.
Alter Mr. Guest left, Mr. FRISLAND FTLum rose
and said, that he very much wished to ask those
present to join him in drinking the health of, and
wishing well to, a gentleman present amonut them
this evening, who had very much contributed to their
enjoyment—bed come from London expressly to attend
this important meeting—who held a very important
office in the Baird of Trade under his chief, Mr. Bright,
who, be (Kr. Itillitar), knew well from others, who hat
the honour which be (Kr. Filliter) did not enjoy of Mr.
Bright', intimate personal is:quantitate wee as
extiemely amiable, kind hearted, honest, honourable,
and sagacious gentleman—who really deserved all the
good opinions which had this evening been espreee.4
about him. He (Mr. Filliter) minutely hotted e 66 Mr.
Bright would long enjoy health and streestb to fulfil his
meant office of President of the Board of Tends, and
that Mr. Henry Caleraft, his private secretary, would
lee/ (at least till be rot • still better oaks) be his
private seerstary. He begged to give the health of his
friend Mr. Henry Caleraft with three times three.
[This toast wee ressived with very made enthusiasm,
and the cheers were hearty glue led off by Kr. Beggs
who had been celled to the chair after lit. Guest had
Wt.]

Mr. HOST CALOR/JR replied in a capital and MMus
speech one of the beet of the evening; and one honest
voter prment exclaimed. "We wish we had you
oftener amongst us to tell us what is night "
Some singerdfrom Corfe and the Wurebana drum and
fife band contributed to the pleasant manner in which
the evening was spent.