The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-08-22 00:00:00

ANOTHER DOSE OF. THE. REVALENTA

BILITANNICA.

To the Editors.

Ours certainly is an age Of inventions, and)
very proper too that it should be so. For what )
with the strikes, the cholera, the murrain; what
with crime, drunkenness, and misery, we must
needs all put our wits to some good account.'
Brown has no doubt that the ball hot will
prevent many disorders, and cure almost all
the rest. He says: "Whoever would have
thought that our chronic and old crank, electoral
distemper, that was considered past curing,would
find a remedy so complete, yet so simple and
cheap as the Revalenta Britannica P"
My husband recollects reading that an English-
man once offered to increase the British forms
by several thousand men, withont any extra
pay whatever; and that was to give a musket
to all those sergeants who then had only a cane.
Thus the present Government might again drop
the cane with advantage, and the cat too, besides
doubling the numbers of free electors without
any expense ; in fact, killing several birds with
one single stone!
All diseases of the constitution arise from the
impurities or the poverty of the blood. When
the blood is up through heavy taxes and rates,
or when we have not sufficient pay or food, we
are told that we can meet and petition. That
seems very fine on paper; but Broun says,
meetings end with empty sounds and stomachs,
and petitions kindle no other fire than the public
stoves, or are returned to the grocers or paper-
mills for the penny journals, (which remind us
of lxion's wheel) to form, perhaps, fresh pee,
tions. But, the ball hot will rescue from the bag
a deal of waste paper, for, if members do not
attend to public grievances, of course they will
soon get the seek themselves. Meanwhile, and
no mistake, we are mile-represented, and it is the
actual minority of Englishmen that forms the
majority which rules them. Well! I never
thought of it before. Brown tells me that out
of 100Enghshmen there are hardly eight electors,
and out of those eight more than half forget the
public interest for what they think their private
one, or think more of the public-house. Of
course the nation's birds are in the bush, while
the canvasser's bird is in the hand or on the
mantlepiece. Bye the bye, whoever invented
canvassing I should like to know I Very likely.
the great deceiver, the insinuating serpent that
tempted our grandmother Eve. All honest
people dislike canvassing, and try to escape by
the back door. Only those like it who expect to
gain by it. Indeed, says Brown, canvassing is
as improper as visiting the judges before or
pending trial. For electors are judges too, and
must decide from principle and justice, and not
from personal appearance or prayers and offers
of the parties. Canvassing is then another word
for undermining the electors and making them
prevaricate.
Neither can Brown understand how it is that
John Bull, who is so touchy about confession'
and popery, should so tamely submit to con-
fessing his votes to his delegates, and his affaira!
to his tax-gatherers. That makes him mad
(Brown, not John Bull). Of course, he jokes
also about it. The reason is, says he, because
candidates sad publicans don't differ much from
the Vatican by canvassing, canting, decanting,
and emptying canteen, decanter, vat and can;
but, as Spurgeon says to his sailors, "All your
cons will prove leaky, you can't be saved !"
Indeed, one can't help laughing at the ale-auctions
called elections.
However, we can in our mind's eye see the
day when canvassing will be dispensed with as
well as sugar-candy, when every respectable tax-
payer shall have a vote and a control in his
eountry's affairs, and read the same in News-
papers become clearer and intelligible WO?
Methinks, what a blessing it will be for all 'Cir
to read of every improvement wherein we shall
all have a voice and a share—especially in rain-
proof, and well-drained houses, with fresh air,
purewater, and wholesome food, and now and
then laughing at the patience of our elders for
suffering themselves to be so long bambooed and
bamboozled by both mammon and gammon. Then
we will truly be free, healthy, and happy, and a
pattern to all the world.
MARY BROWN.

THE MEETING OF THE FRENCH AND
ENGLISH FLEETS.
Our Channel squadron had rather a rough passage of
it on Monday week; but, nevertheless, arrived safelyat
Cherbourg at half-past six in the evening, and received • i
hearty and noisy welcome. Irons the Route, the
citadel on the heights, the batteries on the Digne, and
the guns of the ships in harbour, poured forth their
loud welcome; while the echo was caught up on shore
by crowds of people who clustered like files on the piers,
jetties, quays, steamers, and every available spot of
standing-zoom. The Magenta, the Heroine, and the
Flandre, three Freaoh irenclads, met the English
.quadron. The entrance of the British squadron—the
manner in which it rounded the Digne and took up its I
position--is said to have been a marvellous display of
seamanship. A correspondent describing the event says :1
"The poor Royal Sovereign was, however, • mystery ,
to the French, being in form and rig, and against the
repeated wishes of Captain Coles, the counterpart of one ,
of tbq French harbour chapels. Standing on the roof
of the Casino, where the better class of the Cherbourg I
people were in force, I was amused with their remarks
--the general impression being that as Englishmen,
r when at home are a religious professing people, it is
their custom on going abroad to take a church with
them." The appearance of the crews excited the
liveliest interest and admiration amongst our foreign
friends. On Tuesday, which was the day of the
Emperor's fête, and of course a general holiday, no
business being done on the Bourse, the occasion was
celebrated with great splendour, notwithstanding the
much regretted absence of the Emperor himself, and '
also of the Empress and Imperial Prince. The preps- ,
rations for the fête had been long-continued, and were
on a costly and dazzling scale. Numerous promotions
and nominations in honour of the occasion were pub-
lished in the Monieenr. Paris was crowded with strangers
from all quarters of the compass, who had come thither
to witness the festivities, but the elements would not be
propitious even in honour of St. Napoleon. A dull
heavy morning ushered in a drizzling afternoon, and at
night the rain fell so abundantly, as to spoil the fire-
works and illuminations. The Moniteur describes in its
bulletin, August 16, the circumstances which led to the
mutual visits of the French and English squadrons, and
adds :—" England desired that her first should be pre-
sent at Cherbonrg on the 15th of August, and France
cannot but congratulate herself upon the sentiments of
friendship and courtesy which suggested this thought to
the British Government," On Tuesday at a banquet
given by the Minister of the Marie Department, the
Duke of Somerset proposed a toast to the Emperor
Napoleon and the French Navy. M. Chasseloup-Laubat,
in reply, proposed the following toast "Queen Victoria,
the English Navy, and the entrate co dale between
two Governments." On Wednesday the feasting and
publio amusements was continued, the ball and supper
of the naval, military and civil authorities took place
on Thursday, and on Friday morning the combined
equsiron of English and French Ships left Cherbourg
for"

iiita.