The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1879-07-22 00:00:00

DORSET MIDSUMMER ASSIZES.

The poem COllliitint, now viaible only am a couple of
dome constables attending the High Sheriff and
officers, assembled on Monday lent to receive Into the
County Town the representatives of the Sovereign and
the Low. The six o'clock Great Western train was late,
and when at last it arrived, only Sir H. C. Lope*
stepped out, and wars received by James John
Farquhareon, Esq., the High Sheriff. Mr. F. T.
Jaime, Under Sheriff, and Mr. G. J.
county clerk. The High Sheriff wore li. meal
resplendent uniform, and the dignity was further
supported by the townies of the carriage, while the
county constabulary, directed by Sergeant-Major
Poodle, stood bravely statuesque while waiting in the
min. When they moved on, the trumpeters of the
County Faros blew at Intervals announcing the
on-coming of the Judge, and their notes were as
mnical as could be expected, and the whole display
would have been acknowledge by the author of
"Seder Regartue " himself as well-clotised."
They first went to the Amite Court (Crown side)
whore any might discover which learned Judge had
come by his Lordship putting his black-three-cornered
hat ea his wig at each mention of his name- -• matter
of five Or du times, and where also we learned the
Court would open at half-past 10.
Next they went to St. Peter's church, where the
Mayor of Dorchester (A- Pope, Esq.), in gold chain
sad red robe of office, balanced the municie.dioit
the county magnitude of Mr. Farq the
lotrzigin Clerk and • goodly sprinkling of other mem
of the Corporation attending, and • very fair oongre-
eon hearing the High Sheriff's chaplain dilate on
sad majesty of law.
Tr =Ale took his text from I Timothy, i.,9,
" For the law is not made for • righteous man, but for
the lashes and disobedient, for the ungodly and for
eineers,forlunboiy and profette,f or murderers of fathers
and murderers of mothers, for rnanslayers." Speak-
bag of law, the weedier said—As it is not the work of
man in Its Mesoo it has not the attributes of man in
he completion. The attribute of law is to come to the
rescue of the oppressed, to check the evildoer. As fer
as it ma be by humanity, government is represented
as a fellow-worker with God, it manifests his dmdre to
rule scoording to his law, and ao law, becsuse it is
not of man but of God, has, we find, a moral, divine
power which is irresistible ; its foundation is eternal
justice. its sanction is the voice of heaven, and Us
effect Is infinitely more than commensurate with the
visible force by which it is pot in execution. It is
made to curb the wrong doer ; the righteous bee a law
In his heart, but the unrighteous can only he curbed
by the strong arm of power. Society without law
would be intolerable, would be full of cruelty
and violator, the foundations on which society
is built would be torn up, and the f=
thrown down. Borne of the bitterest cries that
have ever ascended to heaven have bees evoked by
the rule of brats force ; bat law km been ' correc-
dom. the healing balm which has cured dr.:e ere it
baa te.msd the whole body, and has given poem ta
the righteous. Law is a of thrones, • safe-
. of whereby t h made possible the
existence Ortieb:ty without anarchy, of govern.
meet without despotism. The signs of nentniint
dra
traders not to be sought in the fail of
i
wisdom ; but in Eases, deeds of wickedness
closed over before they are perceived and naalsle
hatred of costrol,leYn celled good, nod good evijJ
the MOICOr which sets into the life of a people, and
their upward or downward teedency mast he measured
by ha presence or absence. It is a etillt4if praise
for us EngliMmen that we are • law.
for we have an innate oonecionseses that real Met;
cannot exist without law. To us the
booth not the sword in vain; it is not the emblem
tratf
unbridled power, but its beam le tlor executor of
wear upon him that dash wrong. The preacher
kneed he might be allowed to urge on all the fullest
-01,:aienoe to law, he hoped he might not be supposed
to go out Of his way Auk • humble minister of
—when he expriened, in the presence of the represent..
of the lew's dignity andsnoremacy. _
end the timakfulawe ol the tuition O-htspe, thm
• Ragland los of late become tempered with mercy,
WA harsh and unfeeling enactments have been swept
, He believed that now there is only one crime
atbwealt is puniehable with death. Amazes in olden days
meg have been • fearful time for those who bad to
mop out the law, whine mans ma taloa for s
boas. for a sheep, for a theft, when a Draconian law
unie armed out tbaChristian men. Thanks be to
God that tines have yawed away, never
to *Oars again, thank* be to God that leniency
and not inert% is the rule, and that "To do justly,
to loge mercy, is written over the judgment-
pea& The al God, the gospel of our malr=
exan's moral cherecter and
bee
it in some memo to the original perfection implanted
the law ol all that is holy, jot, and true, has
in
...a. him a new creature. Will it not be rentlgtonf
be en ids pest feelings, will be not be ever trying to
...mg— • himself from all filthiness of the flesh and
regl not the desire after obedience to it permeate
✓ibit sortie *ad actions? He obeys became of lave,
~.lia the liberty of me who ma say I love
be waib commaadiet, and desire that which
that wee-- —il. it Is my meet and my drink to
thou ItTLA fig,4 And it has an efface on mot who
tilY 'fool It, for It loom scatty at large in
cob