The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1871-08-01 00:00:00

14SCIU1

good friend 'wits Hired at IThlteshureh (Hr. H. 'rookie)
—(applanse). They could hardly hope for the time
when the Prince would honour the Dorchester Agricul-
tural Society's show with a visit, though it was possible
ha might come to Dorchester next year to the Bath
and West of Eogland Society's exhibition —(applause).
But whether he mime then or whenever he did so.• he
was quite sure the men of Dorset would greet him with
that loyal feeling and hearty appreciation of his excellent
qualities which he fully dreerved7(applause).
In giving " the army, navy, militia, pommy, and
volunteers," the CHAIRMAN said England was justly
proud of her army, for it bad served her, not only faith-
fully and devotedly, but with victory unexampled, he
believed, in any other country. They must turn back
over many pages of history to find • record of our army
having mimed defeat. It was true there might be
times when the army was driven back for the moment
by the weight of superior numbers, and when it might
under the pressure of circumstances have had to retreat
from some country, as it did onto from Spain under Sir
John Moor,; but, when they finally retired from it it
was with the laurels of victory around them at Comma ;
they might have been driven back, as at Affghanistan,
but there came • day when the English colours were
again predominant and pointed to the watery over
that country. He believed without exception for •
very long thne pest the British army had not suffered
defeat. The navy was part of our own home, he :night
almost my. We took the deepest interest in all that
concerned it—the loss of the" Captain" was an instance
of the way in which anything affecting our navy
bushed the very heed of the British people—(hear,
hear). When we heard that one of the finest ships of
our fleet was ashore near Gibraltar everybody was
deeply affected. Happily that alarm pared away;
but under all elreumetances and in all elimes,the doing
of the British navy were always followed by us with
Intense interest, for we looked upon the navy as the
strength of our country and the pride of our kingdom.
With regard to the other forces, it was like drinking
one's own heath, for many of them had served in one
or other of them in some capacity. He believed while
so engaged they tried to do their ditty, and that three
who did not belong to the reserved forces appreciated
their honest and earnest endeavours—(applestee).
Qearter-Master GRIMM replied for the yeomanry, and
Lieutenant HONORS (3rd D.8.V.) for the volunteers.
The CHAIRMAN then proposed the Bishop and Clergy
of the diocese, referring to the fact that the Bishop is
about to bramble a conference of olermy and laity to
con#der important matters affecting the diocese, and
'eying the clergy lived amongst oil and we knew how
devotedly they fulfil their high duties. With the
toast he associated the name of the Bev. E. W.
Pears.

The Rev. R. W. FILM said it was now 10•130 years
since he was first permitted to join them at their
annual meeting, and he certainly was very much sur-
priaed and he regretted the fact that ho was alms.
He had done what be (veld to persuade some of his
brother clew to come and meet them on those ocrea-
stone o did not wish to have all the honour to him-
▪ 'though neon years had passed away, and
he had not missed • meeting when he could help it,
he had never had the slightest cause to regret in any
way attending—in fact every year he had felt greater
pleasure in being present: and, eertairsly, their kind.
nets, and the way in whisk they received his name,
showed, at any rata, that if they could not get any-
body better, they were very gicd to have him there
as their chaplain—(applauso). With regard to the
toast, it was very true as Mr. Floyer had said, that
there were • great number of clergy scattered over
this 'parody inhabited twenty, for the parishes were
small, and would be difficult to combine. But the
clergy had done work in the way of education which
bad not been appreciated. Farmers had hid one or
two very trying seasons—times to try the temper and
patience ; but they seemed to bear it very cheerfully,
and, if he might judge from the present occasion, with
period resignation. But bethought they might yet have '
a more trying mason—that they had something to fear
from inspectors from London—and not only inspectors
of cattle, though they might be nnisanoe enough—
(laughter and applasure)—for he thought they miOt
dad something worse In inspectors of schools. He
had thought • great deal on the matter, and he felt it
would not only be the greater expense insured by
the large machinery that will be employed—which was
the modern and poUte name for • vast number of jobs—
but the Increased outlay necessary Irons the fact that
boys whom they wanted at work on their farms
would be compelled to be at school ; and In consequence
of this their parents would not only be without the
wages they would have earned, but the farmers
would have to pay for such schooling, and probably
• little more to the father of the boys as well to make
up for his loss of their earnings. He believed it would
almost revolutionize the whole system of wages and
farm labourers. He mentioned this as • good subject
for the consideration of their Farmers' Clubs. Hitherto
the clergy had borne a very large share in the expense
of the education of children, but had not always had
credit for it, indeed sometimes farmers had been a little
jealous when the clergyman had wanted a boy to atteni
school when they would have had him at plough. But
the parsons had done • good deal of work which would
now fall on the occupiers of lend. However, he hoped
the new burden. for educational purposes would be
adjusted as fairly as possible, and that the carrying out
of that measure would interfere as little as might be
with their asoupations. He reminded them that the
clergy were employed in a particular work that is never
appreciated by the world at large, and which woe not
understood till it was often too late. Flo again thanked
them for their kindness, hoped thsy would get over
this tremendous visitation of Inspectors of all sorts,
and begged to drink to the good health of all present—
(applause). _ . .

• -- - •
The OILHULISI proposed the Lord lieutenant and
magistrates of the county, mentioning esally the
efforts Lord Shaftesbury is making on behalf of the
brickyard children.

-
Mr. IRli)O Le proposed the health of the wanly &Rd
borough members, coupled with the name of Mr. J.
floyer, M.P.

Mr. JOHN PLOT'S, M.P., said: I thank you very
sincerely for the gloat honour you have done the
county and borough members, and I am sure they would
be very much gratified if they knew what • warm recep-
tion you gave the mention of their names. When I
last met you, this time twelve months, we were just
thinking of the great war that was in its commence-
ment. We have passed through a year such as has
certainly never fallen to the lot of us before. There
may be one or two amongst us who can just remember
the victory of Waterloo, but even that was not a mat-
ter of the vast character and totally unexpected result
whilst: has marked the yearjust closed. I believe that
in the history of man there never was a succession of
such wonderful victories as attended the invasion of
France by Germany. Since the time that the king of
France gave up his sword to our good king Edward 111.
or the French monarch Francis I. became a prisoner at
Pavia, there never was such • :sentare as that which
took place at Sedan, never such • surrender as that of
Metz never such a siege as that of Paris, and I doubt
if there was ever snob an insurrection as that of the
Commune against the existing Government of Franca.
These are events which have all passed before us in
the year jest gone by—reckoning it, as I think I may
do upon mush an occasion as this, with our agricultural
year. You have watched all these thluze with intense
interest, I need not, therefore, dilate upon them; and
you have regarded them, not 'imply with interest as
affecting your own affairs, as they must needs deeply
do, but with that sympathy which I trust Englishmen
always feel for tools suffering fellowisreaturee, and
sympathy not exhibited merely in words bat in
good substantial deeds, such as I hope will cement
more strongly the feelings of amity and good-will between
England and ?ranee - (applause.) Bat when I have
met you on these occasions, it has been my custom,
with your ladulgence—and that because you are pleased
to drink my health and acknowledge my servioes as
one of the members of the county—to refer to what has
taken place in the last session of Parliament. We
have had, as in previous years, two &rest measures to
consider—the Army Bill and the Ballot Bill. As to
the former I shall not trouble you at length, because I
candidly confess that I do sot thoroughly understand
the re-organisation of the army. It is to a great extent
a professional matter' and by professional men it is
best understood and treated, But though I have felt
that difficulty in considering what may be necessary for
the re-organizatlon of the army, I certainly am not
one who has thought there was no room for improve-
ment • and, however highly I value the army, I have
felt this, and believe you will scree with me, that
whatever is done should be so earned out as to give as
little reason as possible for dissatisfaction or real
ground of complaint to the officers or the men—(ap-
plause). We are, as I have said before, proud of our
army • I believe there is as good material—perhaps
betteimaterial in our army than in any other in the
world, and it would have been an unwise thing for
England, although it involves a large question of money,
to have given any ground of dissatisfaction to those who
have served us so faithfully and so well—(hear, hear).
I will now pass for a minute from this Bill. to the
other great mama of the session—the Ballot Bill. I
am whens alsaat con fresh f m the heat aqd the dust
of the coned to trust myself to go at length into that
question—l may run the risk of trespaseing over the
Uwe I have always endeavoured to mark out for myself
—that as long as you drink my health as one of your
county members, in referring to political subjects I will
treat them without party spirit and In such a manner
as to give offence to no man—(epplanse.) Of the
Ballot I would say that however or wherever it may
be needed elsewhere, it certainly is not wanted in
Dorset. They say it is required because of bribery and
corruption. It has Aiwa,' been • source of the greatest
pride to my mind to represent the county of Dermot,
and for many reasons; but perhaps for no one more
than this —that jam one of the members for tho county
by your free—l had almost said unsollcdted—but cer-
tainly onbought votes—(aheers). There was never dur-
ing the twenty-fire years that now with some intermis.
sloe I have had the honour of • seat for the county
et Dorset, one id:pence expended that I am not willing
bopublish in the face of the whole world—(al)omm). As
for intimidation, I think the men of Dorset have too
much respect for others, and I am sure they have too
mush respect for themselves, for • moment to think
that any intimidation could ever be practised with any
:meows upon them—(applause). In addition to those
measures there were two others of considerable import-
anee placed on the table of the House. One was for
the improvement of local taxation and administration.
There were, I believe, some good provisions in that
Bill, viz., amalgamating the mode of collection and
other minor points, but it had one great, and, as it
appeared to me, overpowering defeat, in that it did
not deal with—indeed, it hardly touched upon that
question which I know has been considered by many
of you to be of great Importance—the bringing within
the assessment for local taxation and rating property—
large and important property which now for local pur-
poses does not contribute one farthing—(applauee). The
absence of such a provision was to my mind fatal to
the Bill,and so without any regret I saw it withdrawn.
The other measure was for regulating licensee for the
selling of intoxicating liquors. Some ci my constituents
have done me the honour to consult me on this [moor
tacit question, and I told them, and all I have seen
since confirms me in the opinion, that there is no doubt
a very strong feeling pervading • very important and
powerful part of the community that a great deal of
the misery and the mime that exists in the country
arises from the *massive us* of intoxicating liquors.
There Is at the sante time generally, and I believe, a
very strong feallng,that theme who have embarked their
property—and a very large amount of propel*/ has
been embarked in that flees—shall not be sufferers
any own Shia sabot possibly be avoided by any