The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1885-03-03 00:00:00

MR. GEORGE MI rcincLE, FOR YEOVIL,

"One from the Moues " &Wares that he sloepti
the kind invit.t.ol of the .ald 11111 the new electors of
tne Yeovil dirioon 'o contest the rest. Hie address
is headed liter& ly by • wood-cut of biassed, not too
exact in likened-. Mr. George Mitchell is oh. •
j sker that one never know. when be as in marmot. It
may be remembered that when last there was •
vacancy in iismerset bowel down to enquire the price
of flys and post tames', put the oonstitooncy in excite-
ment, sad then put his tongue into Ma cheek.

POLITICAL PURITY AT SHAFTESBURY IN STOONI
YBABB.—The Globe, in an ariiole on the Disfranchised
B 'roughs of Dorestehire, says Shaftesbury at one
time had elevated bribery at election. t the rank of
a fine art, and ventured to display the system of
corruption in higher colouring than some other
boroughs dared. The " History of Parch," which
has made the little Dorestabire town n,torioua in the
history of election petition., is certainly one of LIAR
mtet dramatic incidents in the annals of Pwli %men-
tery contests. It helot/s te the election of 1774, when
dir Fralais Sykes and Sir Thomas Rumbold made •
&tin:Dined, but perhaps • too incautious, stack on
what wail In those days the private property of ll'.
Mortimer. In the mime of the trial, which lasted
four week., it was elicited from witnesses that severel
thousand pound., is same of £2O • man, had been
distributed among the is'ectom Toe candidates pay.
mister s, who were chicfly the of the kiwi,
hit upon • singular contrivatoe In order to hide, as
they thought, where ths money came from, or, at any
rata, the Immediate channel through which it II mad,
Into the pockets of the voters. A person dressed up
to represent "Pouch," and called by that name, wee
placed In a small apartment, sod, through • h de In
the door, delivered out to the voters percale oontaialag
the twenty guineas. Theo they were conducted into
another apartment in the same house where they found
• person called Punch's Secretary, and signed note'
for the value, which were made payable to sa
imaginary character, to whom they gave the fancy
de•igoation of" Glenburket." Two witnesses called
by the enamel for the petitioner @wore thst they bad
Islels Punch through the hole in the door, and that they
knew him to be one Matthews, an alderman of Shaftes-
bury, and an agent for the sitting members. 'rho
committee who unseated the members lippendert lo
their decision an Instruction to the H mos that the
most notorious bribery and corruption had prevailed
at the electi la in question, and recommended a ow
writ being withald until an inquiry could be Instituted.
Sit the representation of Shaftesbury went on in spite
of the thunder, of Parliamentary Comn.ittaes, end to
be paid for exercising the rightof electron grew almost
into a prescriptive right in this ancient borough.
gm Is these latter days Ilia widowed, one.membered
constituency, It bee shown • singular versatility in
pedalos, and an sztraordinsry fickleness to political
parties, voting blue or yellow in turns, according as
the word has gone forth from its patron or patroness.

WAREHAM.
COUNTY PETTY BEBBIONB.

Telumse.—Before Lieut -Colonel Memel, Colonel
Cambridge, Mr. G. Burt, and G. 11. Bond, Esq.
H. rbert Roberta and James Dally were charged
with being on lands in the parish of Moreton, on the
let February, for an unlawful purpose —Defendants
pleaded not guilty.—P.C. Purchase (on oath) said:
was on duty at Moreton on the 14 of Febrnary, and
saw the two defendants looking along the hedges, and
my suspicions were aroused. I went into the planta-
tion to watch them. They then left the road, and
went into a field. I saw them again about half-an hour
afterwards, and went to them and told them I sus.
them of being on lands belonging to a Mrs.
ported
Frampton. Daily replied —" We have only been
round the gravel pit." I searched him, and found on
him two nets (produced), one of which was wet, as
if recently used, the morotng being wet—The Bench
considered the PAO proved, and fined each 2s. Gd. and
2.._ costs.

—Jiiie7 Daily and Thomas Look were summoned
for being drunk and riotous at Moreton on the 14th
of Febritary.—Defendants pleaded guilty, and Daily,
being his first offence, was fined 2s. M. and 7. cost.;
Lock, who has previously been convicted, was fined
ss. and 7s. costs. The cases were proved by P.C.
Purchase.

- John
cVebber, of Langton, was qummoned by P.C.
Pike for being drunk at Langton on the lith of Feb.
—Defendant did not appear, and WU fined 24, 6d.
and !Scoots.

Edward Foster of Hero Regis, was summoned by
William Burt, also of Here Regis. for threatening to
"do for him."—Mr. Hill. of Poole, &fended, and
pleaded not guilty—The Bench considered the case
• very trumpery one, and dismissed it.
Daniel Wallis, of Winfritht, an old ellen 'er, was
summoned by Jeooes 13esoombe for trespassing in
search of game on lands belonging to Mr Gillingham,
at Winfrith. on the 7th of February.—Defendant did
not appear.—The case being clearly proi ed, and there
being 21 previous convictions, defendant was fined
40s. and Ns. costs,
David Christopher, of Bere Regis, was brought up
in custody charged with stealing five ducks' eggs, 30
pounds of coal, &c., on the 20th mat, the property of
his employer. T. E. Dowden. of Roke Farm —'lhe
following evidence was taken T E. Dowden
con oath) said: I am a tanner, residing at Koko
Farm, Here Regis. Prisoner has been in my employ
since Michaelmas last as a seri ant. In consequence
of information I received I told the policeman to
watch prisoner. I cannot swear to the articles pro-
duced.—P.C. Buglyr oath) said: I am • P.O
ip
stationed at Pere ; from information I received
from last witness watched the place where five
eggs were concealed ; between five and six o'clock
I saw the prisoner come and take away the eggs I
stopped him in the road as he left the farm, and asked
him what he had in his basket He Paid. • coal." I ,
*eked him if he had any eight to take the coal sway.
and he said" No." I told him I wanted the eggs I
saw him t .ke away, and he gave them to me. He
said he picked them up in • stream of water. I took
him to Ith, muter, who gave him into custody.
—Prisoner elected to be tried summarily, and pleaded
guilty.—The Chairman told 'prisoner he wee gualla
of a very serious offence, and if he chose he could
him to prison for three months, but sa there was no
previous conviction against him, he would be very
lemient and would sentence him to one month only
with hard labour.