The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-07-25 00:00:00

1 gootalpion
geserilly

usual. The Rev. E. W. Pears, rector of St. Peter's,
presided, and there were also present : the Rey.
C. W. Bingham, the Rev. C. J. Bird, the Rev. F..
Lpdlow, the Rev. F. G. Motile, the.. Rev. J. G.
Viols, the Rev. H, a Miter, the Rev. C. J. Glyn.
the Rev. E. Headland, the Rev, T. A. Falkner, the
Rev. H. Pot, the Rev, E. Merriman, and the Rev.
P. Kent (the deputation).
' After singing, and prayer* the Rev: C. .I. Bird,
The CHAIRMAN RlPreased' kill grititnide that the
report to be read would show some considerable im•
provement on that of last year, and that there was eo
good an attendance. It appeared to him to be •
remarkable fact that the British and Foreign Bible
Society had only existed for 60 years, as it.
principles were as old as the Church of England. He
then quoted three eentenoes from the first Homily,
as setting forth the principles of the society, namely,
" Therefore, the humble man may search any truth
, boldly in the Scripture witlsout any danger of error."
" Man's human and wordly wisdom or science
neecleth not to the understanding of Scripture, but
the revelation of the Holy Ghost, who inepireth the
true meaning unto them that with humility and
diligence do seek therefore." "So that surely
none be enemies to the reading of God's word but
sooll as either be so ignorant that they know not how
Wholesome a thing it is, or else be so sick that they
bate the most comfortable medicine that should
heal them, or so ungodly that they would wish the
people still to continue in blindness and ignorance
of God." If those principles were more generally
acted upon, he believed that there would be greater
laterest manifested in the circulation of the Scriptures.
. The Rev. E. MERRIMAN, the hon. set., then read
the financial statement, and entered into an elaborate
examination and explanation of the same. The
financial statement:showed : -Collections at meetings,
itc., £162.. 6d. ; annual subscriptions, £2O 3s. 6d. ;
collected at Dorset County, Hospital, £4 Is. Bd.;
ditto by Mr. John Payne, laa 6d. ; box at S. W. 8..
station, Ps. 3(1.; Ladies' Association, £22 4s. 6d. ;
Young Men's ditto, £9 13s. 4d.; Atbelhampton
ditto, £2O 3s. 6d.; Backland Newton ditto,
£5 Os. 7d. ; Charmiusterditto, £3 le. led. ; Coryates
ditto, £8 12a. 7d.; Great Teller ditto (1863-4),
£2 9r. 3d. ; Maiden Newton ditto, £4 17s. 10d. •
Martinstown, Steepleton, and Winterborne Abbas
ditto, £2B Si. ; Puddletrenthide and Puddlehinton
ditto, £4 14s. 6d.; West Stafford ditto, £8; Woods.
ford and Tincleton ditto, £5 1.1.. 6d. ; sales at de-
priitory, £4l 165. 7d. ; total-£205 15. 6d. The
disbureements showed the fallowing statement :-
Donation to parent society, £152 14s. 5d.; paid for
Bibles and Testaments, £39 13. 7d.; ditto for
"Monthly Reporters," £2 Os.; salary to depository,
VS; incidental expenses, £6 19. sd. ; total-
£2os 15s. sd. During the year there had been sold
464 Bibles, 246 Testaments, 49 parts, and 10 psalm
books; total-769. The total amount received was
£23 9s. 9d. in excess of the receipts of the
previous year The secretary stated that
upon going to the bolt in the ladies' waiting
room at the South. Western station, it was found to
have been forcibly broken open, and the lose was
calculated at from 4s. to Is. But the Superinten-
dent said he would have iron bands piked round the
box at his own expense, winch would, it was hoped,
!prevent a repetition of tlte theft. Mr. Merriman
concluded his remarks by putting before the meeting
the importance of the tows association awaking to
new life, and the need there was for the villages to
be cultivated as regarded their interest in and help
to the Bible Society.
The Rev. C. W. Blueness moved "That the
report be adopted, and t the officers and com-
mittee be requested to 'nue their services for the
opening year." He ex ad that it was necessary
to pass such a resolution prevent the society from
becoming defunct in a I sense, and which, should
any legacy be left the society, miklit enable the
gentlemen of the long robs to stop the committee
from obtaining it. He thought it was a comforting
fact that the committee *mild present a better
financial report than did last year, and
he trusted their wee ' together that day,
and tbe interesting which would be
brought before them, • d stir up Dorchester
and the villages in the " urhood to contribute
more than ever to the 's funds. Toe jubilee
of the society, which was really last year, was then
pained over without petioles sad that he thought was
a reason why they should new make an extra effort.
The passing of the resolution was necessary, the
deputation said, to maintain the legal existence of
the auxiliary; but, when they B&W but 40 or 50
people could be brought together from Dorchester
and the neighbourhood to hear what the Bible
Society was doing, it appeared to him that there
might be reason to fear the society would die of
inanition, and that the traditional parson and
clerk would be left to carry on the work of the
Dorchester auxiliary. He had been absent from the
anniversaries the two previous rem, and in conse•
quence of a multiplicity of business he had been
unable to read the annual report of the Parent
Society with anything -Slat sere. He was glad to
learn from the Rev. P. Kent the previous day, that
with the exception of one country (Spain) the whole
world was at this moment open to the efforts of the
Bible Society. Yet there was one other spot (Rome)
in the centre of what was now a united kingdom,
to which they could not yet gain access, but Mr.
Kent expressed a hope that the society would
speedily be enabled to circulate the Scriptures there,
and then, he (the speaker) felt sure the Pope would
soon find Rome "too hot" for him. Although Spain
was sealed against the open distribution of Bibles, the
work was carried on socretly,and converts were made.
He had cou6dence that in time Spain would be open
to the Bible Society's agents, Who would have sup-
posed that we should have lived to wee the day when
there would be a Bible Depot at Vienna-up to s
recent period one of the strongholds of despotism
-
where last year 23,000 copies of the Scriptures were
sold. Some of them were aware of his long connec-
tion with the Dorset County Hrutpital. He was very
glad to find that £4 Is. Bd. had beencollected therefor
this cociety. He believed that vim was contributed
by the patients themselves. All connected with the
hospital were greatly indebted to the society,for there
the society's bibles were freely distributed. About
a year ago a poor Dane, • sailor on board one of the
ships at Portland, was brought to the hospital suffer-
ing from fever. Although the rules of the institn.
tion rendered him inadmissible, he was sure they
would agree with him in saying that the authorities
Were quite right in straining a point and admitting
him. He was kept as much as possible in • ward by
himself, and, by God's blowing, was treated with
success. He could not speak a word of English.
He had one of the most pleasant countenanoes he ever
saw, and appeared most grateful for every attention
paid to him. When they found he was • Dane he
(the speaker) remembered that a Danish Testa-
ment amongst others was sent him by the Bible
Society, and deposited by him on the shelves
of the Museum library. He went and got it, and
pointed out to the young man various texts,
which he folly understood, and the same was
done, and more efficiently he was sure, by
the matron of the hospital. Thus, through
the Bible Society, they were enabled to hold
spiritual communication with that young Dane,
which otherwise they maid not have done. He then
referred to the fact that the society circulated 21
millions of copies of the Scriptures in all parts of the
world. Some people he said, talked about bringing
other societies into competition with the British and
Foreign Bible Society. He wished other societies
God, speed but when he recollected that this society
circulated the scriptures in 170 languages and
dialect., and that no other society did so in more
than ten languages, be felt sure that he should not
live to see the old Bible Society beaten. He hoped
that they should all support it better as their years
grew less and as their opportunities for doing good
became fewer. He then spoke of the self-denying
- of Richard Enill, an agent of the London
....visionary Society, amongst the Finns, in St.
Petersburg, and concluded by urging them to work
with might whilst it is day, for the night oometh
when no man can work.
The Rey. PHILIP KENT, the deputation, next
addressed the meeting. He remarked that it was
several years Once he had attended a meeting at
Dorchester. The society, as a whole, whatever
might be the numerical strength of some of their
public meetings, was never so prosperous as at the
present time. He commended the hon. secretary
for urging the claims of the Bible Society in the
villages, and said he believed it was a groat blessing
to any village where it found an entrance. As to
funds, be observed, that the society had never re-
ceived more than it did last year, when £lOO,OOO
was contributed to carry on the great work to which
the society was committed. The amount received
for books issued by the society also showed an
increase. Looking from every point of view, they
were brought to the conclusion that God bad in
• remarkable manner blessed the work of the
misty. There was no particular denomination that
toed claim any special commendation in the work
er in its semen. As to money, God, whose was the
gold and the silver, had been pleased to put it into the
Wrii of the rich and of the poor too - and he believed
bit a far greater extent-the one out of abundance, and
the other out of poverty, to contribute the means
by which the work was carried on. As had been
mid, 21 millions of oopies of the Scriptures had been
put in circulation by the society last year, printed in
upwards of 100 different language., which was at the
rite of four bibles, or portions of the Scriptures, for
tansy minute of the year, by day and night! Thome
on whom rested the work of the society looked at
the difficulties overcome and the success achieved in
a-manner which could only be expressed by quoting
from the Book, "It is the Lord's doing and it is
marvellous in our eyes." At the present time there
was scarcely • distrait in England unvisited by the
society. He hoped that this old auxiliary, which
had done so much in times past, would continue
its aid, aye, and merease it. In many of the rural
se of England, • great blessing had followed the
a labours. He then presented some details
reference to the work in" the black country,"
en Birmingham and Wolverhampton. 8.-
nest to the foreign work aoccospliehod, his
` within the last 40 years five trillions of

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copies of the Scripture. bad been sold, with very
few exceptions, in France, and the society had spent
nearly a quarter of a million sterling in that p tr.
tinnier work. They could uot say what the effect was,
but they could scarcely imagine that the circulation
of rive millions of copies of the Scriptures oould
have left no impression on the minds of those who
had road them. But they knew that many had been
brought to a knowledge of the truth, and had
been made happy in this life, and prepareff for the
life to Come. iit warn witigrespecit to Belgium and
Abet lands. He then spoke of the importance of all
being ready for death, illffstrating his remarks by an
affecting anecdote; of the bliss of the vatted 4 and
the fact that the religion of the Bible is a blessed
reality. He expressed his belief that it was God's
will the Bible should be widely circulattd, and
commended the society to their sympathies.
Wherever the Scriptures were required there the
society had been ready to circulate them. When the
American war broke out the society offered £2,000
to the Bible Society at New York, but it was
courteously declined, as there was no prospect of
their contributions being curtailed. Subsequently
Dr. Rhodes, a chaplain in the Confederate army,
came to England and had an interview with the
committee of the Bible Society, when he begged
them either to give him or sell him ten thousand
Bibles and fifty thousand Testaments. After
disowning the subject for less than five minutes
the committee resolved to grant to the Rich-
mond auxiliary, which happened to be the
oldest Bible Society in America, 10,000 Bibles,
50,000 Testaments, and 240 portions of the Scrip-
tures. The Faders's, to their honour be it said,
though at first they declined to grant the COW
federates a supply of Bibles, subsequently sent out a
large number under flags of truce. It was gratifying
to know, also, that the Scriptures sent from this
country, all reached their destination. Finally, he
expressed a hope that the Bible would be the guide
of them all through life, that -they might repose on
It. blessed triiths in death, and at last enter upon
the peace which rernaineth for the people of God.
He had pleasure in seconded the resolution.

After a few remariu by the CHAIRMAN, the rela-
tion waa submitted to the meeting, and carried
unanimously.

The Rev. C. T. GLYN then addressed the meeting.
He referred to the remarkable fact that the Bible
Society in America had maintained its funds during
the late war, and quoted the observation of an
American Bishop at a meeting held reoen tly in London,
that the sympathy manifested by the English people
in referenoe to the assassination of President Lincoln
had created such a good feeling amongst Americans
towards the English that he looped the two powers
would become more and more united as the two
great Protestant countries. He then adverted to
the importance of the Society's work in India, after
which he proceeded to speak of the other Bible
societies, and remarked that missionaries of all
eocietipf had to come to the British and Foreign
Bible &clay for translations of the Scriptures. He
regarded the free circulation of the Bible as the best
antidote against the evils of Popery in any land.
Finally, he commended this society because it was
ready to seize every opportunity of introducing the
Scriptures into every country in the world.

The Doxology having been sung, and the blessing
pronounced, the meeting terminated. A collection
Simi made at the door, amounting to £3 6s. bd.

The evenihg meeting was well attended. After
the usual devotional services, the Rev. E. W. Pears,
the chairman, made some introductory remarks. The
Rev. E. Merriman then read the financial report
given above, at er which addresses were delivered by
tbe Rev. H. Fox and the Rev. P. Kent, the depu•
tatien from the parent society. The collection at the
ems° amounted to £4.

ease would lid tlitetteterthr. Imperfect, abd would
probably rather produce ddufuttion than at all facilitate
the iimuiry they would have to nide, His lordship
then r,cpieded the grand jary to take in the first
instance, what he might term the ordinary cases of th 6
Anises, in order that the Court niight proceed forth•
with with that business In taking this case in any
other order than lad would probably impels business,
and that course would not at all prejudipi the CMS
for the prosecution, inasmult as he had reason to
suppose from what had taken plsei elsewhere that the
Case would not be taken here, but be tri d at the
Central Criminal Court. His lord.hip then direct A
their attention to an Aot of P Moment passed lad
! +don, which affected their duty as magistrate,
o
Migh,probably they were all tolerably familiar with
, or, 28 Pict. co it That Act allowed the procedure in
'Criminal oases to be assimilated to that which previously
estiate lit Nisi Prins ft* the trial of dvil caose, There
*ere also various sections which assimilated the law of
etoidk-nee in civil ease to Hist in caries of oritninai in.
spOT. He earnestly hoped that this change,' might be
productive of benefit,—that if might still further tend
to the attainment of that which was no dohbt the great
object of judicial investigation, the atiottriainiug of truth,
without infusing into criminal procedure any of those
htated attempts to obtain verdicts which naturally
occurred in cases of civil p-ocedure. But their
course sac clear with reference to this and all
other acts of the legialature—t6 glee them the fullest
effect intended by the legislature. His Lordship then
dismissed the grand jury to their ditties, oft& espresaing
I his satisfaction that there was so large an attendance of
'stand jurors.

TRIALS OF PRISONERS. "
T RIFT AT 1) .RCHRSTER.
Sophia Wellman, 30, charwoman, was indicted for
stealing three yards of calico, two pairs of stockings,
and one pair of socks' the property of Robert Wellman,
'.l Winterhorne St. Martin at Dorchester, Jtay lit.
Met rooks prow:Sited and Mr. Carter defended. The
jury, after a long consultation, found prisoner guilty.
'Several previous convictions were proved against her.
She was sentenced to 18 months' hard labour.
ATTEMPTED MURDER AT PORTLAND.

John Heap, 27, soldier. was indicted for unlawfully
attempting to ghat. kill, and murder Rebecca Heap, at
Portland, 15th ApriL Mr. Pfooks prosecuted, prisoner
was undefended. Prosecutrix, who is • mulatto, stated
that she bad been married four time. in India, before
being merried to prisoner, about ail years ago. Prisoner
with his wife, occupied an apartment at Portland
barracks. On the evening of April 15th, after prisoner
'bed been to his officer's room, he returned apparently
very vexed, and said, I allow you threepence
• day to support yourself. He then went away for
bolt-an-hour, and on his return he said to his wife, you
shall not have four threepences from me, or three three-
Ipenoes—none at all. Afterwards he said, I'm for guard
to-morro*, I leant to clean my things. He then took
his rifle and pouch, and began to clean his rifle. She
saw him go to t.ke a cartridge from his pouch, and pre-
vented him, saying, I see what you Willi to do. He re-
plied, you are too wide awske for me, vrowtati, bat be
sure, I'll kill you to-night—you'll be dead before morn-
ing. She then took from prisoner the ride and pouch,
and put it in it. usual place. Prisoner then got some
letter paper, and wrote two letters. As she reload to
post one of them, he made her burn it. Prisoner, sub-
Frequently, began to clean his rifle again, while proacu-
trix made her bed on the floor, being afraid of her
husband. Soon after he got up sharp and said, there
is something working inside me, and that is not right.
When prosecutrix had made her bed, she sat down by
the fire. He then came near her, and, se she said, put
the candle on the mantle-piece. She said, why do
you want to scemy face to well to-night, and replaced the
eandle on the table. He then said, lam your husband,
end your well-wisher husband, and I have a regard for
you and love you. The two bugles thea sounded, and
she told him to go and answer to his name. He said,
Theas time enough, and I'm going." ~,He then took
two steps backwards, took up the gun, pointed it at
prosecutrix and fired it. She saw what he was
about, and f.-11 down on her left side. It
made a hole in her cloak on the shoulder.
She shouted "murder." He tried to load the rifle
again. She went up to prevent him, and said don't
do it, and what'e passed I'll take aa a joke, when he
aught her by the throat, and knocked her on the floor
She scrambled to the door, and shouted "murder,"
when Private Sculley and Sergeant Hayes came up, and
he was taken to the guard-house. In cross-examination
by prisoner, who had a number of papers in his hand to
which he referred: I did not go out to get the letter
paper because I feared you might injure yourself. I
did not go and report that I was afraid of you because I
thought I should be laughed at and made a fool of.
You did not leave the room to go to Private Rowe's
room. I did smokes greed deal Wore I married you
ip India but lam now obliged to leave it off. I 00111-
plained to Captain Malan, at Devonport, that I
had no clothes or boots to wear; it was a proper
tmplaint. Capt. Malin in a way abused me. Private
Satiny having deposed to going up on hearing Mrs.
Heap call murder, in answer to his lordship, said,
The married soldiers were allowed to keep their rifles
and ball cartridge in their rooms. Sergeant Hayes
prbved ordering prisoner to the guard-room. Prisoner
told him he did not intend to shoot his wife, but only
to frighten ber. He also spoke to finding one cartridge
missing, and another broken as though it was about to be
used. The sergeant also proved that the ball had passed
through the wooden partition about 2 ft. 9 in. from the
ground, and into the other married men's apartmenta.
Superictendent Underwood spoke to apprehending
prisoner. On the road to Weymouth barracks prisoner
said it was all his wife's fault. —Prisoner being asked if
he Ind any witnemses to give evidence on hit behalf called
Captain Malan, who, in answer to prisoner, said: The
size of your room is about 14 feet long, by about 5 feet.
I am not certain whether there is a chimney piece there
v not. I remember in 1862 or 1863, at Devonport,
Heap asked me to report her husband to the ooni-
officer, for not providing her with proper
I spoke to prisoner, and in her box in his
se, was rt very good pair of boots, which had
_ her pentagon more than a week. I eu
her to the commanding officer for lying. would not t
believe her on her oath. There were rooms on either
, sida of prisoner's, where the woman mold have got as-
fiance in a minute if she bad needed it. After
egamining the cloak, witness said, I have had eleven
tglottehdoleisatin miyhcilovtebr,..anwnd Ipdon'nterbetvLany bsulLert
six years. I know that the proseontrix has been once
or twice threatened with being turned out of the
barracks, and she has more than once left her hatband.
Before leaving the box, the Captain remarked that pro.
secutrix had said be abused her; he wished to say he
did no such thing. His lordship explained that prose-
cutrix did not exactly say he abused her, but she seemed
to think that be had not exactly done her justice in
regard to the boots, which she said she had got by wash-
ing. Mrs. Rowe, the wife of a soldier at the barracks,
was also called, and spoke to prisoner being in
her husband's room, April 15, from 8 to 8.15. p.m.
Mt. V. 1). Lawrence, governor of the county gaol,
said prisoner had not appeared to be of a sruel dis-
position. On the contrary, he had been very kind in
attending or s the sick in the infir-- - Prisoner',