The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-03-18 00:00:00

coal imported into this harbour. The wharfage,
meterage, and bridge dues amount to one shilling
and uinepence per ton, from the levy of "which the
land-borne coals are entirely free. We therefore
••espectfully submit that the bridge ,dues of one
shilling and fourpenee per ton might, with perfect
safety to the financial interest of the trust, be re-
moved. The bridge debt being now reduced to so
small a claim, a few more year's letting of the traffic
tolls would entirely remove this obligation, whilst
time relinquishment of the coal dues would be an
immediate benefit to every inhabitant of the towe,
and the trust itself would not be • injured by the
diminished receipts. '
INSTITUTION. A very fashionable audience
assembled at the above Lecture Hall, on Wednesday
evening, to hear a lecture by Capt. Otway, barrack-
master tor this district, the subject being " America
—a Sketch, Social and Political." The high standing
which the above gentleman occupies in the town
caused him to be well received, and the excellent
way in which be treated the subject gave much
gratification to his audience. - -
THE PRIGGINGI4 OF THE "WEYMOUTH JOURNAL.'
—A mastiff will often allow a little mongrel•bred
cur to play antics with him, which he would not
receive from a dog of his own size and strength.
But limits must be placed to the impudence even
of a cur—it must not play with the mastiff's tail, nor
attempt to take away his bone. hitherto we have
felt disposed to look at the way in which our local
news is disposed of by the IVeymouth Journal with
a good deal of leniency —its wholesale priggiage
from our columns has raised many a smile on our
countenance, and had we been in the least degree
disposed to harbour vain thoughts, we must ceitatnly
long ere this have grown exceedingly proud of the
extensive patronage our contemporary has conferred
upon us. Reporters are not nbiquious—they cannot
be present to see all that every where takes place,
and the best of them are occasionally obliged to resort
to "borrowed assistance." But this has been confined
exclusively to news, so far as our own experience
goes, which is somewhat extensive. It haa been
left to the Weymouth Journal to go further than
this, aud steal the letters of "Correspondents"
addressed to other papers without acknowledgment.
Whether or net our contemporary fancies that by
this wholesale plunder from our columns he will
be enabled to raise his own fallen reputation, we
cannot tell, but if such be the case we can assure
him he is uncommonly mistaken. "Honesty," Mr.
Journal, "Honesty will be found to be the, best
policy" after all.
BOROUGH POLICE, Friday. Before G. C.
Welsford, and J. Ayling, Esqra—Charles Cleat,
commonly known by the name of "Apple Charley,"
was brought up for assaulting John Andrew Allen.
Prosecutor stated that on Thursday afternoon he was
in St. Thomas-street speaking with a man named
Thomas Mayo. Prisoner came through Petticoat-
lane, across the road, and spoko to Mayo, and kicked
away one of the sticks on which he (prosecutor) was
leaning, he being lame. Witness asked blue why he
did that, and gave him a slap in the face; he was
obliged to strike him with the other stick to keep
him away. Prisoner then took away one of his
sticks and struck him a severe blow on the head,
inflicting a large wound, so that he was obliged to go
to Mr. Harting, chemist, to have it dressed. Witmer;
did ,nothing to provoke the assanlt.—Thomas Mayo
was called as a witness, and he said that he was
talking to Allen when Cleat came up,
and committed the assault. This witness
equivocated a good deal before ho could be made
to give a decided answer as to whether the prisoner
etyma Allen with the stick. The prisoner, in his
defence, said he had had a drop to drink, and merely
put out his feet in fun, not thinking there was any
harm in it, when Allen struck him. He returned
the blow, for wllich he was very sorry,as he ought to
have"knowed" better. The Bench said the prisoner
had been there a great many times, and was always
getting into scrapes. He had rendered himself
liable to a penalty of £.5 or two month's imprison-
ment. It was of no use fining him—that would be
no punishment, but he would be committed for
14 days, with hard labour.—A sailor belonging to a
collier lying off Portland, who gave his name as
Joseph Spencer, was brought up in custody, charged
with stealing a pony belonging to Mr. H. Devonish.
The pony was grazing in a field on Monday night,
and on Tuesday morning it was gone. It was
afterwards found in the stable at the Ferry-bridge.
The prisoner left his cap in the field, and was seen by
one of the coastguard men riding the pony. When
taken into custody the prisoner said he was drunk
at the time, but that he was with some soldiers,
who also rode the pony as well as himself. He had,
however, no recollection where, nor how he left the
animal.—The Bench dismissed the charge of stealing
the pony, as there was evidently no felonious intent.
It was rather a drunken spice, but to show him
he must not indulge in such, he would be fined ss.
and 3s. cost.s The money was paid.

PORTLAND.—ATTEMPTED HIGHWAY ROBBERY.
--On Monday, March 10th., James Linnie was
charged before Captain Manning and R. H.
Swat&ld, Esq., on the charge of highway robbery.
Robert Hiron said he was a bricklayer residing at
Portland. ' On Saturday night the Bth March, as he
was on his way home from Weymouth, about a
quarter of a mile on the Weymouth side of the Ferry
Bridge, he met the prisoner, who asked him to buy
some tracts. Witness told him he had no money
'for kiin and attempted to pass. Prisoner immediately
caught bold of witness by the coat with both
bands, and said "You have got money, and, I'll have
it." Witness immediately struck his bandit and got
away from him, and then went to tile Ferry
Bridge and got the Resistance of Herbert
Roberts, and went in search of the
prisoner, whom they overtook just before he
arrived at Wyke Regis. They then sent for a
policeman and gave prisoner into custody. Witoess
said he had money on him when he met the
prisoner.—Herbert Roberts, a baker at Weymouth,
said he was on his way from Portland to Weymouth
on Saturday evening, and overtook the prisoner
between 200 and 300 yards from the Victoria Lodge
Inn. Prisoner asked him to buy a book, but he
told him he had no money and could not buy.
Prisoner asked him what he had done with his
money, and witness replied that he generally paid it
away at Portland before leaving the Island. Pri-
soner said he knew witness bad got plenty of money,
and still kept walking on and keeping up a conversa-
tion until they came to within 300 yards of the
Portland aide of the Perry Bridge,
when prisoner accused witness of taking his
money to buy bread and cheese with ;
searched about in his pockets, said he had got a
razor, and that ho could do for half-a-dozen such
people as witness was. Witnees immediately ran
oft and mitered the Ferry Btidge Inn, where he had
been 5 or 10 minutes when Mr. Hiron came in and
stated what bad happened. The prisoner was com-
mitted for trial.
Tnx VERNE FORTIFICATIONS.—We understand
that contracts for very extensive works on the Verne
are shortly to be [Oven out. It is said that not lees
than 500 or 600 hands will be put on, and that the
contracts will extend over a period of several years.
Several eminent contractors have been inspecting
the Verne lately with a view of tendering.
Gaxis.—On Sunday afternoon the beach was
lined with spectators, in momentary expectation
that two steamers and a sailing vessel in the West
Bay would be driven ashore. Our correspondent,
speaking of the event, says he never saw the sea so
rough as it was on this occasion. Fortunately the
wind veered round, and the vessels were enabled
to get out of the bay, whither they had been driven
in the fog, narrowly escaping shipwreck.
LODGING-MUSES WANTED.—First-clasa lodging-
houses are much needed on the island. During the
past two months numerous inquiries have been made
for suitable apartments, but without success. If 50
new lodging-houses were at once erected,they would
be let immediately.
The .convicts are making a playground for the
cadets of H.M.S. Britannia. The paragraph which
has appeared in several paper!, stating that a deal of
sickness prevailed on board, is incorrect.

WHITCHURCH.—Accmswr.—On Tuesday, the
4th inst., an accident of a serious nature happened
to a man named Joseph Kingsbury, who is in the
employ of Mr. Henry Fookes. It appears that the
unfortunate man, with several others, was engaged
with a steam thrashing machine. Kingsbury was
on a straw rick, when a part of it gave way and4ora-
cipitated him to the ground. He was conveyed to
his home as soon as possible, and Mr. J. Ewens, of
Abbey Milton, was quickly in attendance. Several
severe bruises were inflicted, but no bone was
broken, and we are pleased to state that he is doing
as well as can be expected.
WINTERBORNE WHITCHURCH.—The Rev.
J. R. Cotter, of Houghton, delivered a lecture in the
National schoolroom, on Friday evening, in aid of
the Irish Church Missionary Society, on the subject
of "Ireland, and Irish Church Missions." The
school WAS filled by a respectable and attentive
audience. The Rev. G. Maxwell having made a few
preparatory remarks, introduced the lecturer, who
pourtrayed the grandeur of the mountains and hills
of Ireland. The beauty and fertility of the soil, its
products, rivers, climate, and people, were also fully
descanted upon. He then dwelt upon the history of
Ireland from A.D. 100, to the present time, conclud-
ing with a brief outline of the Irish Church Missiln-
ary Society, stating that its object was the conver-
sion of Roman Catholics to scriptural truth, and the
advancement of the reformation in Ireland. Rs plan
was an open, plain, faithful, and affectionate declara-
tion of the Gospel from the pulpit, from house to
boase, by the wayside by friendly disputation, by
text teaching, by distribution of Scripture tracts and
handbills, and by teaching in schools—day, night,
Sunday, and ragged—and to preach in the Irish or
English language, as best understood. It employs
thirty missionary clergymen, 160 scripture readers
and lay agents, 131 schoolmasters and mistresses, and
237 Irish and English text teachers. The result of
their operations are, therefore, to be Been in various
parts of the country. In the diocese of Tuam there
are many converts gathered out of Rome, attending
Protestant worship in churches, which have been
built within the last nine years, and in licensed
schoolrooms. In one district in the west, where for-
merly there were only two Protestant congregations,
there are now twenty-eight, some of them number-
ing several hundreds within the last nine years. The
Bishop of Tnam has confirmed 3,200 converts from
Relasahaa in the pest pear, The rev. aeatimaa