The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-09-21 00:00:00

If ampobire.

SOUTHAMPTON. —A Conscientious Juryman.—ln
an action in the County Court here on Friday last,
one of the persons summoned handed to the Registrar
the following note :—" My Lord,—l, John Henry
Grimes, shoemaker, of Shirley, and summoned on a
jury at this court to-day, humbly ask your clemency
and pray to be released from such a duty, as I could
not do it for conscience sake toward God.—Your
humble petitioner, J. H. Grimes."—His Honor: I
cannot look at this. Mr. Thorndike, registrar:
What is the nature of your objection ?—Grimes: I
don't think it right as a Christian to interfere in
"inflicting" justice either way.—His Honor: Inflict-
ing justice! You are here to do justice between man
and man. It is a duty you are called upon by your
country to perform, and it is what no man of coin.
men lance would refuse.—Grimes, in reply to the
registrar, persisted in his refusal to serve on the jury.
—His Honor therefore fined him £l5, which Grimes
paid, and left the court amidst derisive laughter.
PORTSMOUTH.—The Port of Portsmouth Regatta
took place on Monday, when there was a fresh breeze
blowing that fairly tested the sailing qualities of the
competing vessels. The silver cup was won by the
Midge, belonging to Mr. Dyer. Several matches
between sailing and rowing when-ice also took place,
the latter, especially, exciting much interest among
the spectators. The amusements were wound up by
rowing in tubs and skiffs, duck hunts, tsc. The
band of the Royal Marines was on board the start-
ing vessel, which lay moored at the mouth of the
harbour, and performed a variety of popular music.
WLNOILLSTga. —Moral Condition of the Town.
Friday was the day appointed by the City Bench for
I hearing the adjourned application' for victuallers'
lioenses. A fortnight since the magistrates declined
to grant a renewal of license to a number of the pub-
licans of the city, the objection being an individual
one in each case, namely—that they had kept and
lodged lewd women in their houses fur the purposes
of prostitution. Mr. George Barnes, brewer, said
he appeared to apply for the renewal of the licenses
to two of his tenants. The hollers he referred to
were the Sun and the Black Bear. He was told that I
there was little chance of success, but he wished to
advance a few words on his own behalf. The Clerk
(Mr. Simmonde) said, with regard to Miles, the pre-
sent tenant—he had admitted to the Bench that he
kept prostitutes, and even stated that he could not
get a living without them. Mr. Barnes: So I heard;
he told me that he had had two there. But no one
can be more willing than myself to prevent prostitu-
tion, or annihilate it altogether, if possible. I have
tried to get another tenant, but failed; the house
was advertised before Miles went in, sad since, but
in vain. The Mayor :We cannot help you; a license
was granted to Miles to sell liquor, and not to keep
prostitutes. Ido not think the Bench would be dis-
posed to grant a license to Miles again under the cir-
cumstances before them. Mr. Theobald : We grant
licensee for persons to keep houses for the public
convenience. We are not to sit here and consult
private interests, and look over the fact that these
nests of prostitution are daily and nightly disturbing
respectable people. Mr. Faithful: If we grant
licenses to these persons we are oureelves liable to be
proceeded against for so granting them. For my
own part, I will never grant a license to any person
that has once kept a prostitute in his or her house.
Mr. Johnson: Of all those offending parties who
came before us, Miles was the most unblushing; he
declared openly that hs had kept these women, but
attempted to modify his conduct by saying he kept
only two, while others had three or four. Nothing
will induce me to give my name for renewing his
license. Mr. Barnes: I apply also for the license
for the Black Bear, and have again only to say that
I could not succeed in getting another tenant. The
Clerk: This case stands in the same position as the
last, the same objection being raised against the
tenant. The other adjourned applications were from
Henry Pearce, of the Britannia. Middle Brook.
street; two women lodging in this house had been
convicted by the Bench as disorderly prostitutes.
From Julia Kemp, for the Nelson's Arms, in the
Square; and for the Lamb, in the same locality.
From Mrs. Newsome, for the Rodney's Head, in St.
John's-street; from Greenland, for the Cart and
Horses; and from the owner of the Shoulder of
Mutton, in St. George's-street. The same objection
was held against all the foregoing. The whole of the
adjourned applications having been called over, and
an opportunity given for making any additional
statement on the parties' behalf, the court was
cleared for the Bench to deliberate. At the end of
the consultation, the public were re-admitted, and
the Mayor said—the magistrates have decided not to
grant a license to any of the present tenants.
ROMSEY.—Attempted Suicide—On Saturday week,
Phothe Cole, a single woman, aged 22 years, residing
in Love Lane, attempted to commit suicide by
cutting her throat with a penknife. As soon as her
landlady, Mrs. Holland, -found what the had done,
she sent for Dr. Saulsbury, who examined the neck
and found that throe wound/ had been inflicted, and
that she had lost a considerable quantity of blood.
She was immediately removed to the Union Work.
house, where she Is likely to recover. No maim
is assigned for the oommimion of the rash act.