The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-23 00:00:00

WEYMOUTH.

THE LITERARY INSTITUTION.—On Wednesday
evening Mr. Donaldson, who is about 70 years of
age, :gave an entertainment consisting of recitations,
anecdotes, and vocal illustratiorus. The room was
crammed. Possessed of a strong Hibernian accent,
theperformer sang the Marseillaise Hymn in French,
in a way not to be forgotten by those who heard him,
his patois creating unmistakeable mirth, one
listener suggesting a similarity in the performance
to the singing of "The Ratcatcher's daughter," by the
ghost in the parody of "The Corsican Brothers."
Whilst adverting to Mozart, in recollections of Italy,
Mr. Donaldson gave a parody, in British, on 0 Dolce
Concento, whereupon the audience actually roared
again. The proceedings throughout were highly
amusing.
SPECIAL SERVICES FOR THE PEOPLE.—The
weekly service for the working classes was held at
St. Mary's church, on Tuesday evening last, when
a sermon was preached by the Rev. Canon
Canis, before a crowded congregation. The rev.
gentleman chose his text from Isaiah Iv., Ist and 2nd
verses. The rev, gentleman inquired how it came
to pass that when God's servants invited the people
for afar more glorious purpose they heard the invita-
tion, yet cared nothing for it? He proceeded with
an elaborate exemplification of the text, as applied
to the working classes, and concluded by earnestly
advising them to partake of the feast offered in the
text.

SIP:WEIN° CASE OF CRUELTY. —A few days ago
a man residing on the Chapelry (who had formeily
been a fifer in the 58th regiment when that corps was
lying in oar barracks) was discovered very busily en-
gaged in his garden at the back of his house; and it
was discovered that he had dug a large hole into
which he had thrown his donkey, which had been
previously almost starved to death. It was still
alive, and when some persons went to interfere and
upbraided him for his conduct, he had the earth
thrown in and was stamping it down with his foot;
but the poor animal would not rest, and being buried
back downwards and legs uppermost, by struggles
it forced the earth up again. The man who
went to interfere compelled the man to kill the ani-
mal before he interred it, and the fellow then took a
hammer and beat its head in, after which it was once
more placed under the earth. On Tuesday the fel-
low, George Holcraft, was charged before the borough
magismtes with cruelty to a donkey. The accused
had been summoned, but he did not answer to his
name. Benjamin Pavey deposed, that he saw
Holcraft on the 9th instant, covering up his donkey
in a hole, just behind his house. He was chopping
its head with the spade. Witness threatened to
serve Holcraft the same way, which caused him to
desist. Holcraft then got a hammer and knocked
the animal on the head. George Bowring and Ro-
bert Carter were called to corroborate this state-
ment. The Mayor said that although Holcraft did not
appear, the bench, to mark their detestation of such
cruelty, sentenced him to three months' imprison-
ment with hard labour.

On Saturday morning week, about 4 o'clock, the
fine brig Jane and Esther, of Westport, with a
general cargo, bound to Constantinople, ran on shore
on a reef of rocks on the north side of our bay,
situate at a place named Butt's Hole. The Princa
steamer, Capt. Cosens, was despatched to render any
assistance required; but the ill-fated ship soon forced
a hole through her bottom, by which she filled; all
thoughts were now abandoned of getting her off,
and the Prinoe was occupied in towing several barges
from the Portland breakwater to the scene. On
Monday a quantity of her cargo was conveyed here,
but nearly the whole of it was either spoilt or ren.
dered useless. We hear that the bottom of the
vessel has been carried away, and a great portion of
valuable goods was thus left to the mercy of the
waves. The cargo is insured in the sum of twelve or
fourteen thousand pounds, but we have not yet been
able to learn whether the ship is or not; no life was
lost on the occasion.

POLICE, Monday, March 15th.—Before the Mayor
and Mr. Bailey.—William Sedgwick and George Bar-
rett, both privates in the 2nd West York Militia, were
charged with stealing two pairs of drawers, one shirt,
and one petticoat, the property of Amelia Paul. Re-
manded till Tneeday.—William Catlin, a private in
the same regiment, wag charged with being drunk and
creating a disturbance in St. Edmund-street, on Satur-
day night. It appears that the prisoner met three po-
lice constables in St. Edmund-street ; a collision ensued,
and the prisoner took off his belt and struck one of
them; he was then seized and given in charge. The
prisoner received • good character from his commanding

officer. The Mayor said he' sCidied the militia to under.
stand that he could not Anovr the peace of the town to.
be broken by their riotous drunken Conduct ; hitherto has
had had no occasion to punish for anything of this sort,.
this was the first (and he hoped it wortAd be the last) ;;
therefore he should hand him over to the military an.•
thorities to be dealt with by them.----TUIMDAY„
March 16th.—Before the Mayor, Mr. Bailey. Mr. Cot.
terell, Mr. Henning, and Mr. Penny.—Witharn Sedg.
wick and George Barrett, the two privates remanded'
from yesterday, were again brought U. The Mayor..
said there was no charge against the prisoner Barrett,,
but the bench were satisfied that Sedgwick had taken.
away the articles with the intention of appropriating ;
them to his own use, and he therefore sentenced him to .
one month's imprisonment, with hard labour—Mark -
Phillips was charged with inciting Lewis Phillips to
create a breach of the peace and also an assault. Mr.
John Tizard appeared for the complainant, and Mr.
Howard for the defendant. Each bound over to keep
the pease in the sum of .00 for twelve months.
TOWN Coo:rm.—A meeting of the Council was held '
on Wednesday, at which were present—the Mayor I'
(P. Dodson, Esq.), Aldermen Henning, Eliot, and Han-
cock; Councillors, Thomas, Cotterell, Pothecary, Corn-
mins, Howard, Anderson, Pitman, Balding, and

_
Atherton.
Four tenders for driving piles and fixing lamp at the
entrance of the harbour were opened, vis.—Stephen
Brown, £155; Joseph Wcakley, £l5l ; W. Reynolds
and lion, £145; John Larkin, £l5O. The tender of
Messrs. Reynolds and Son was accepted.
The next business was to open the tenders for the re-
pairs to the quay wall. There was bat one from Mr.
Peter Ayles, who tendered as follows :—Making good
the masonry, a lump sum of £l5; driving the piles per
foot run, £2.—The Mayor observed that this would not
amount to more than kl5O. In reply to a question, his
Worship explained that the foundation Wllll3 gone, and
the stones dropped out.—Mr. Pothecary said the sur-
veyor ridiculed the idea of concrete under water.—The
Eliot inquired if the piles would remain ?—The Mayor
replied in the affirmative ; and the tender was aocepted.
The next business was to decide upon the course to be
pursued in reference to the pile pier.—The Mayor and
I several of the councillors engaged in a long conversation
about this matter. It appeared that the tender of
Messrs. Gibbon and Garner had been withdrawn, audit
was eventually agreed to accept the next lower.
tender.
The Mayor presented the bill of Mr. Longman,
amounting to £47 19s. 9d., for clothes and belts supplied
to nine polieemen.—lnspector Ledbury said he bad com-
plained to Mr. Longman about the quality of the cloth.
None of the coats fitted.—Mr. Potheeary observed they
had given more money that they might have a better
article, slid it appeared they had a worse.—lt was ulti-
mately resolved to appoint a committee to confer with
Mr. Longman on the subject. The following gentlemen
were named—.Mesars, Cotterell, Commins, Howar4
Anderson, and Thomas.
The Mayor, &diverting to the wreck of the James,
Moorhouse, said he bad received a letter from the secre—
tary to the Knottingby Equitable Marine Society, who
was desired by the owner and underwriters of the
vessel to make application' to the Council for payment of
the amount of the loss sustained thereby, as the sautee
happened through their gives negligence.—Mr. John:
Tisard moved that the Town nerk should be instructed,.
to reply that he would swept am/y_prooess which might.
be served. This was agreed to.—The Mayor said he had
received an application of a different kind respecting.
this wreck. R` WM from the owner a the potatoes.,
who endeavoured to excite his sympathy for his very'
serious loss. It appeared the vase,/ was insured, butt.
this man was not. This man had embarked in a specu-
lation and had lost his all.—Mr. Commies suggested
that the Mayor should give him /tie £lOO, but the
Mayor objected as he had to find • surveyor out of that.
He further stated that there were 40 tons of potatoes,
and they were valued at £2OO. lie proposed that a sub-
scription should be commenced to oompensste the
owner. This proposition was adopted.
Sir John Lethbridge, who was permitted to enter the
Chamber and address the Board, said, he had often heard
remarks made, and he was not surprised at them, about the
old pavement in front of the Crescent. Parties who walked
there ran the risk of at least spraining their ankles, and
heavy people of breaking their logs. He was told that
one of the first things to be done in improving the town
was to improve the pavement. He hoped the Council
would give this their consideration. He also wished'
them to impose on the householders the obligation of'
having the fronts of their houses swept every morning.
He should be very happy to re-pave the front of his
house, at his own expense, with whatever stone the
Connell chose for other parts. He referred to the state
of Boulogne, and other French towns, in oonfirmstioa
of his statement.
BOARD or HEALTIC—The Common Seal of the
Board was ordered to be affixed to the order for the
general district rate of one shilling in the pound.
The Mayor said that having been requested to make
inquiries respecting the purchase of hose, he had done
so, and found that 150 feet in length would be required.
The site of the water company's was 2 inches, and this
would cost 2s. 6d. per foot.
Mr. Eliot brought before the notice of the board the
state of Petticoat-lane. He thought this was • work
to be done as quickly as possible.—The Mayor suggested
that it should be macadetniesd.—Mr. Pitman said if it
was, it would have to be taken up again.—Mr. Howard
I proposed a tramway.—The Mayor observed that all car-
riages were not of the same width.—Mr. Howard would
remove that objection by making the way wide enough
for all.--The Mayor agreed.—The meeting then se-
parated.

PORTLAND.
An inquest wee held at the convict prisco here on
the 10th instant, before H. Lock, Eeq., deputy
coroner, on the body of William Wilde, one 01. the
convicts, who died on the preceding day. The jury
were satisfied that the unfortunate man had every
attention paid him, and returned a verdict of
"Death by Consumption."