The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-04-16 00:00:00

NOTES OT THE WEEK.

After • long series of something very like Inunilia-
tions on the Reform question, Mr. Disraeli has
entered the Easter recess triemphant in • division
on the only principle of his Bill, which he declared
vital to its oilstone* and that of the Government.
By a majority of in a fall house, the principle of
basing the franchise on persona rating has been
emphatically eonfirmed. This is • great victory for
ministers ; but it is scarcely a Conservative victory,
inasmuch as • number of the Cooserirative party—
the most Conservative of the Conservatives—voted
with Mr. Gladstone, with • different ultimate obl,eCt
of course, but equally to defeat the radial !Wale
of the Government Bill. IT the Bill could have
survived such • defiet--whlch It is plain it could not
have dose—the nekt ranted would have shown •
very different division.liet from that of Friday
' sight, The Radicals would have proposed • ill
rating qualification, while their recent Conservative
and Adellamite allies would have stood oat for at
least so high a cpialifloation as U. But there is
no further opportunity for slob divergencies; and
when Parliament retailer to the consideration of
the Refom Bill o'a the 2od of May, it will only
have to make the hest cl the measure on the
prirreipin to which it has committed Itself. As for
the minor details, the Cabinet puts itself
entirely in the bends of the House, and it is
I not anticipated that say hitch will ottcur even on the
point of • lodger friusebies The general opinion
seem, now to be that the Bill wit pees, and that the
government hs• obtained • froth lees, of power.
It Is becoming more and more evident that that
pobtical nondescript, the lodger, must not be ex•
chided any longer from electoral privileges. The
class embrace, all professions, from the clergyman
to the oostennonger. There isnot a statesman, how-
ever eminent, or • professional man, however talented,
but can point to • compeer occupying "apart.
meats." Lord Stanley, we believe, is nothing but a
lodger, and it would be easy to enumerate hundreds
of similar instances, every one of them testifying to
the anomaly which elands' a man fr ,rn voting
simply because he does not rent &house. It has been I
said that lodgers are often more intelligent than the
landlord whose proud privilege it is to possess • vote.
The fact needs no special proof, inasmuch as it is
visible in every borough in the United Kingdom.
He who keeps the house, and makes money by
lotting out the best rooms of it, rimy bean intelligent
person, politically as well as generally; nor do we
say he is not. All we say is that those whom he
entertains at so much • week or so much • quarter,
have much more leisure to devote to national am.
corns, and are as • rule—not to put too fine • point
on it—quite as likely to use electoral pnvtleges to
public advantage. When one refiects oil the vast
number of lodgers of all sorts and conditions, most
of them being in every way well qualified for the
the duties of eitieenship, we oenno, tbinh it politic
that they should be left out in the cold. Mr. Disraeli
pleads principle as an treat!, and be was unwilling
to spoil the syroloetry of his measure by departing
from the personal rating qualification. His raison
would kIAY• been weightier had he added to it the
feet that • lodger qualification is difficult of arrange.
meet There are only two tests, we believe—the
old ones—money and residence, on which the lodger
franchise must be based. It is tindesirable, of cane,
to include mere itinerants; and Jost as nriadviseble
to bring in those who do not come up to • certain
standard of respectability. The limes, however,
might be drawn In both these directions sufficiently
definite to be practicable, and the principle need not
be despised because it is incapable of universal appli
cation. With regard to such a franchise being com•
placated, and likely to give rise to endless sepervislon,
it must be remembered that free government and
free institutions would be very lightly valued if they
could he had for the mere asking, or enjoyed without
some amount of responsibil4 and trouble. But we
have no fear fee" the machinery if once it be set in
good working order.

The subject of Ritualism and the vagaries of some
of our Bishops in regard to Church OOTSOIOOIC4 cam*
before the Ilmse of Lords on Tusaday. The Marquis
of Westmeath presented several petitions, including
one signed by 17,188 women, &pinta titualistio
praotioes in the Chord) of &gland, and he read
from one of them oharges against the Bishop of
Oxford for oonductiog a novel, unauthorised, and
superstitious service for the dedication of • bell in
Hampton Church; against the Bishop of Salisbury
for using • similar OBTIMIODiIii lbh • bell in Sherborns
Church; against the Bishop of Gloucester and
Bristol for loangurating • new order of Church
mioisteis other than those authorised in the Prayer
Book and against the Bishop of Chichester for
attending a special woke in his Cathode In con-
nection with the presentation of • putor staff, and
for holding a highly oblectionable service for the
consecration of a lady warden of • Traotarian sister-
hood. The Huke of Marlborough defended the
Bishop of Oxford, and complained of the unfairness
of bringing forward such • question when the
Bishops referred to wore engaged on their oonflrint•
lion tours. The Marquis of Westmosth, in reply,
said that be had brought thy nutter forward because
it was possible that a Royal Commission of inquiry
would shortly be issued, and h• mouldered that it
would not be entitled to confidence if several of the
Bisbope, and especially the Bishop. of Oxford and
Salisbury, were membert of it.
Continental affairs sum to be in a very auntie-
factory stato. Than are several mines ready to be
sprung under the feet of lb. nations, and the most
menacing of thou is certainly Laxemberg. Not
that such a petty territory is worth disputing about
in itself, for • population of 200,000 can add nothingl
to the greatness of Pianos or of Germany t,but it '
is just bore that German patriotism and French
jealousy, in both of whisk outiments pride is
largely intermineed, are likely to come into
collision. In the French Corps Lagialatif on Mon-
day, the Marquis de Moustier read the following
statement :

"The Emperor bas ordered me to ineqoaint you with
the einnimstances in the midst of which the queetion of
the Grand Duchy of Luxemberg has arisen, and to
inform you of the actual sitnation of that affair. The
French Government, impressed by the deep oonvictiou
that the real and permanent interests of France lie in
the preeervatieo of the peace of Europe, is only
actuated in its international relations by thought. of
sonsiliation. Therefore, the Government of His
Imperial Majesty hu not spontaneously mind the
question of the Grand 1311ohy. The doubtful position
of Limburg and Laselnherit brought forth a communion.
tion from the Cabinet of the H.gue to the French
Governioent, and the two Sovereigns were the. celled
on to exchange their views on the possession of the Grand
Duchy. These exchanges,bowever, had not yet taken any
official character, when the Cabinet of Berlin, advised
of the disposition of the King of the Netherlands,
invoked the stipulations of the treaty of 1839. Faith•
ful to the principlea which have oonstantly guided our
poliey, we have never thought of the possibility of that
acquisition of territority bat on three conditions
namely, the free unseat of the Grand Duke of Lexam•
berg, the loyal examination of the interests of the Great
Powers, and the will of the population manliii= by
universal soilage. We are, therefore, d' to
examine is eeneert with the other Cabinet. Europe,
the clauses of the Treaty of 1839. We shall bring to
that investigation the moat entire setae of conciliation,
and we firmly believe that the peace of Europe will not
be shaken by that event."

The reading of this document was followed by •
prolonged senution, which subsided on the rising of
Tillers, who 'speared a hope that, ocessideriog
the very serious nature of the communiCation which
had just been made, the Government would see the
propriety of rapplying the HOO/O with fall informa-
tion. M. de Moodier declared that there was DO
correspondence to produce. N. Ensile ()Meier map-
ported M. Thiele' demand for papers, and pointed
out that the document which had just been read did
not mention prusia, or only referred incideutally
to that Power, whale aggressive attitude he dwelt
upon with marked emphasis. N. tiouher declared
that no papers could be produced, as none existed.
The question was as yet in an embryo erste, and bed
been made the subject of any "pearl commousioa.
bons. However, notice had been given of several
interpellationa, and if the House manotioned these
interpelLations, Una he might fled it necessary to
enter into fuller explanations. The bureaux to whom
the interpellatimis were referred, resolved that they
should not be tothorimed. During the day • most
severe panic prevailed on the Paris Boures, remelting
in an aggregate fall of seedy si per cent, a fall un-
precedented except on the eve of war. Conaideraide
escitstninst prevailed also among the public at large,
and fears were generally caressed that Fracas was
drifting into war with Pruema. These apprehensions
were increased by the rumour that Marshal Mao-
°whoa had been summoned by telegraph from
Algeria; that an ultimatum, "couched in energetic
terms," had been addressed to Prussia relative to
the fortress of Luzienteerg ; that retain °Moses of
the Staff had been sent to the Rhine; that Marshal
Prey bad been ordered at once to take the command
of the camp at Chalons ; that the Duke de Gramma.
French Ambassador at Vienna, bad bar summoned
to Paris; and that a loan of 300,000.000 t. was about
to be tamed. On these and other rumours of an
equally serious character the ifositeur maintained
Owlets silence, but the Minister of the Interior
lent to the Prefers of Department a telepsphjc
despatch declaring QM whet wee reported about an

idtinua.,ins was devoid of foundation. On Wednes-
day Clus Moniitur dg Soir, in its bulletin, attar
referring to the declaration of the Marquis de
, Monatier in the Corps UgisWO, said
"The public may net persuaded that France will
know how to recoils& the etiaetioise of the national
dignity with the interests of peace and with every erinti•
meld of Moderation end justice."
On 'Thursday morning rumours were current that
the reserve bad been oalled out, 044 that General
Palikao had issued warlike order of the day. In
the evening these ranintre were denied. The Duke
de Grammt arrlited in Paris on Wednesday from
Vienna. It is said that Russia and Austria have en'
preened the same opinion relative to the Treaty of
1839 and the Loreumburg question as that &heady
expressed hy the English Government, via. , that the
dissolution of the Germanic Confederation hawing
put an end to the engagements contracted through
that Treaty, theeo.eignatories of it are bog authorised
to address any observations to the King of Rolland
with referents to any detiaion *hb he may think
fit to take with regard to Unlimber& It is ale,
said that that the question which France inteods
to submit to the Powers who signed the Treaty is
the right of Prussia to keep a garrison in the fortress
of Laxemburg. There are two addresses to the
King of Holland, circulating in Luxemburg for
signature, nne soliciting the annexation of the Grand
Dnohy to France. the other, praying his Majesty
to allow Luxemburg to remain in her present poei•
ton. kleetings have beets held to eaveral of the
principal towns of Prussia protesting against the
annekiticiti of the province to France, sad at • large
twisting bald in Berlin the following resolutions
I were passed

'That this meeting declares that Luxemburg mast
never be separated from Germany. That it is the duty
of the German people to insist with all their strength
upon this province belonging to Germany. That the
union of this province with Germany must take place as
soon 114 possible. That any propoml for the votes of the
Intaldiants of Luxemburg to be taken is to be on.
hesitatingly re!ooted."
Diplomacy has been, however, invoked to settle this
resod questiou without reenctirm to the Eorrible
arbitrament of war, and the France of Friday
evening says
Tile Powers consulted relative to the treaty of
, 1839 are endeavouring to r..move, if possible, from the
I pending difficulties that character of gravity which may
*id...A to them in eonsequence of sertain extensive
claims and national susceptibilities. The prineipal
object of the cousinanicatlons which have been
exchanged is mid to be to discover a eninbioatioc eel.
i.ulated to Calm the suroeptibilities of France and p'm
erre Europe from the eventualities el war,"

It is to be hoped that so desitible • "Combination"
may be found, bat there appears to be felt a strong
undercurrent of uneasiness on th• subject; so
ntrong, indeed, that fits *ple would be surprised
tu beer of war being declared nett %Peek, notwith•
.landing .he solicitude of the French Emperor for
the success of the Pans Exhibition, and the fact that
he does not yet possess a convenient number of
Chassepot rifles for commencing hostilities. Such •
war must be • terrible calamity to all Europe,
including thia country, not to mention the oonti.gra•
tome to which it would probably give ries elsewhere,
asp :daily in European Turkey.

Our **puts with Spain remains unsettled, and
the Mediterranean fleet has been dispatched to
Cadiz. Touching the Tornado case a communica-
tion has been received from the Spahish Govern•
went, wlsish Lord Stanley says is not altogether
satisfactory, though he diva not tegard it as
necemaarily final or oonclusive.
Llts purport may be
itiferred from • statement dude by tit Spanish
Minister fOr Foreign Atkins in the Senate, that "the
Govetninent of Spain would tense the rights of the
nation and the decision of the Spanish tribunals to
be respecttd." While, as to the more important case,
the seizure of the Queen Victoria, which was an
utterly lawless and unjustifiable act, no reply bat
been vouoheafed to the iritneatues forwarded by the
British Government. But Spain may be assured
that neither high.sonoding words in the one case,
nor reticienee in the other will enable her to evade
the demand bur Government has made for justioe.
The piracy of British vessels and the maltreatment
of our countrymen iequire that reparation be
afforded and apology be made, and the attitude of
qu'et ditermination the British Government have
assumed will we trust very speedily Indues the
Staniar& to make the required coneeselons. This
result seems to be indicated by the Prance of
Friday evening, which weeds " that the difficulties
which have admen between Ragland and Spain have
entered the domain of pacitld negociations," indeed,
to what other source of a settlement can the Spanish
Government appeal, for their utter powerlessness.
render" their entering upon a war with this country
most unlikely, unless it be done out of sheer wanton.
uses, an eventuality which would probably be
opposed by the people of the country. The presence
of the British fleet of Cadiz will probably bring the
Government to • sense of their critical position' and
induce them to confess the errors they have made
and give compensation to those they have wronged,
A scheme is now before the Government for
taking over the management of the telegraphs of
this country, which—according to the new nonstitn.
dotal daily paper, ne Da*—ordy waits until the
Reform Dill is out of the way. The capital at
present involved in telegraphs, amounts to nearly
£3,000,000,a0d the Government scheme contemplates
an ezpeoditure of £10,000,000, to be devoted to the
buying off of the present ebtreholders and debenture-
holdei s„ and the development of a edema of postal
telegraphs in all parts of the kingdom. Among the
improvements which have been suggested at the
General Poet-office are the opening of numerous
sub-offices in postal district.; the lowering of rate.
to an almost nominal sum, and rendering them
uniform ; the issue of telegraphic etamps ; the pro.
vision of efficient stales ; acid frequent periodic as
well as express deli, , the leiter eetailing a
slight additional coot, although when the arrivals of
telegrams coincide with ordinary deliveries, the time
occupied in transmission will be reduced to •