The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-06-20 00:00:00

HOUSE OF COMMONS.

MONDAY.—In committee on the Roman Catholic
Oaths Bill, Sir H. Cairns moved the restoration of those
oaths which referred to the settlement of property, the
Established Church, and the Protestant religion and
government.—Mr. Disraeli supported the amendment in
a long speech, practically advocating the retention of
the whole of the oaths, but on a division the amendment
was rejected by 166 votes against 147, and the Bill was
reported to the House without alteration.

TOESDAT.—In the House of Commons, Sir L Palk
gave notice of his intention to a. 4 whether the railway
department of the Board of Trade had any power to
enforce precautions for the safety of the public, in
special reference to the late accident at Rednal. Mr.
O'Reilly moved that an inquiry be made into the official
conduct of certain magistrates during the Belfast note.
The motion was defeated by a large majority. Mr. H.
Berkeley postponed his resolution affirming the necessity
at the ensuing general election of protecting the f ranch lee
by the ballot, on the ground that he should not be doing
justice to the question at the late hour (1220) he was
compelled to bring it on.

WEDNICSDAT. —Mr. Goschen moved the second reading
of the Oxford Tests' Abolition Bill, the object of which
is to admit Dissenters to the advantages of an Oxford
University education without being compelled
to subscribe to certain tests on ecclesiastical matters.
Lord Robert Cecil moved that the Bill be read
that day three mouths. Mr. Gladstone opposed the
Bill. Mr. Hennessy refused to support it. On a
division, however, the second reading of the Bill was
carried by a majority of 16 in a house of nearly 400
members.

iIiIIIHRDAY. —ln answer to a question, Mr. Gibson
gave some explanation as to the Keynaham railway
accident, stating that it was by accident that the
carriage doors were locked on both sides.—Mr. Layard
stated that the Anglo-Austrian Commercial Treaty was
not a failure—it had only been postponed.—The Sugar
Duty Bill passed through committee.—The Chancellor
of the Exchequer moved that the House do go into com-
mittee on the Malt Duty Bill.—Mr. Caird accepted the
Bill as a great boon to the agricultural interest. He
pointed out the value of barley as food for cattle,
especially now that the price of meat was steadily
increasing, and that the extra price paid for meat by the
country was at the rate of one and a quarter millions
for every penny per lb.—Sir F. Kelly admitted the
desire of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to relieve the
agricultural interest in making malt for feeding purposes,
but his Bill of last year had failed owing to the excise
restrietiona.—Mr. Pugh hoped that goon the Chancel-
lor of the Exchequer would have the means, as well as
the will, to relieve the agricultural interest of this
impost.—The Chancellor of the Exchequer could not
agree that the excise regulations had the effect alleged
by Sir F. Kelly. The fact was that the malt tax was
an important portion of the indirect taxation of the
country,f or it could not be dealt with without endanger-
ing the spirit dutieP. As long as the expenditure of the
country was maintained at the present amount, it was a
question of the malt tax against the income tax, and he
called upon the friends of the agricultural interest to
place the matter before their constituents, on this the
true and only issue.—Mr. Bass desired to see the ex-
periment tried of reducing the malt tax by one-half.—
After some remarks from Mr. Barrow, Mr. D. Griffith,
and Mr. Malin!, Mr. Henley said that after the decision
of the House rejecting the repeal of the malt duty out
of any available surplus, it would have been idle to have
interfered with the financial scheme. The Bill then
through committee, its duration having been
ri=i d to three years, and the weight of the barley to
be dealt with under the Act at 53 pounds and under per
bushel.—The House then went into committee on Sir
Fitzroy Kelly's Bill to amend the law of evidence.
After some disoussion, clause 1, to allow plaintiffs and
defendants to give evidence personally in suits for breach
of promise of marriage, was rejected by a majority of
86 to 27. Clause 2, permitting the husband or the wife
to tender their evidence in cases of adultery, was also
rejected.—Sir F. Kelly then withdrew the Bill.

FRIDAY. - At a morning sitting the Salmon Fisheries
Bill was discussed in committee, and ordered to be
reported with amendments to the hones. At the evening
sitting, Mr. Cardwell, replying to a question of Mr. A.
Mills, announced that the conferences between the
Government and the Canadian commissioners had ter-
minated that day, and that on Monday next he should
lay the papers explaining the result upon the table of
the house. On the order for going into committee of
supply, Mr. Seely moved to resolve that it was inexpe-
dient to continue the practice of appointing naval offioers,
who were not possessed of a technical knowledge of the
business carried on in her Majesty's dockyards, to the
offices of superintendents thereof, and the practice of
liocitin4 their tenure of office to a period of five years.
Mr. White having seconded the motion, Lord C. Paget
defended the existing system of dockyard management.
Mr. Bright charged the Admiralty with extravagance
and waste, and declared that their management was not
respectable to themselves, was discreditabl3 to Par-
lament, and oppressive to the country. The
House having divided, the motion for going into
oommittee of supply was negatived by 36 to 34, being a
majority of two against the Government. Thu, the
amendment of Mr. Seely became the original motion.
The motion was opposed by Mr. Soonrfield, Mr. Neat,
, Lord R. Montagu, Mr. Corry, Mr. Childers (lay lord of
: the Admiralty), Admiral Walcott, Mr. Finlay, and Mr.
Laird. Mr. Bright urged the Government not to divide
a second time, but rather to accept the motion, which
had been framed in tennis that were equally reasonable
and gentle, and would really assist the Admiralty in the
right performance of their duties, Mr. 0. Stanley, Mr.
Dalghah, and Mr. Ayrton supported the motion. Lord
Palmerston argued that no other than a naval officer
could efficiently superintend the fitting out of a ettip
intended for warlike purposes. Those who now held
the office were perfectly competent to perform its
duties, and as the resolution was erroneous in the con-
clusion to which it pointed, and unjust in regard to the
censure it appeared to convey, he hoped the House
would not assent to it. Upon a second reading the
motion of Mr. Seely was negatived by 60 to 33.—Mr.
F. H. F. Berkeley moved that as a general election is
pending, and as we have no law which can put down the
Intimidation of voters or prevent bribery, it is therefore
expedient that a trial should be given to the vote by
ballot. The hon. member, in an amusing speech,
reproduoed hie old arguments against the present mode
of voting, and urged that it was impossible to secure for
the electoral body proper representation, and adequate
protection against bribery, intimidation, and undue
influence, without the ballot. Mr. Cox seconded
the motion. Lord Palmerston said the vote was
a trust, and the voter therefore a trustee. Even
if universal suffrage were adopted, the vote would
still be a treat that each individual elector *mild have
oonlided in him for the benefit of the nation at large.
The effect of the ballot would be to screen the trustee
from all consequences for the manner in which he might
discharge hie Cruet, and that would be contrary to the
principles of the Constitution and of common sense, as
well as inconsistent with the principles upon which
human society itself was founded. The ballot, more-
over, would be demoralising, and instead of raising
would lower the character of the constituencies. Upon
a division the numbers were :—For the motion 74 ;
against, 118; majority, 44.

A DVICIS from Bombay to the 23rd of May, contain
unmistakeable symptoms of the grave crisis which has
overtaken the oommercial world of Bombay, and
"rumours of further embarrassments, more or leas well
founded, were daily in circulation."

THE West India and Pacific mails have &rived. The
relations between Spain and Chili still occasioned great
anxiety, and • heavy reinforcement of the Spanish fleet
had taken plaoe. It WWI confidently anticipated that ,
the revolution in Peru would be suppressed.
A DISPUTED HIETORICEL Facr.—A suit is spoken
of as about to be brought against M. Thiers by the
Genet de Moynier, concerning a feat of arms which
greatly oontributed to gaining the battle of Rheims.
M. Thiere attributes this exploit to General de Segur,
whereas hi. de hioynier attributes it to his father, and
supports his claim by the certified services of the latter.
Tex An7BBllllAll OAPTIVER --Lord Rinsell has now
formally admitted that Mr. Cameron and his friends
captive in Abyssinia. are beyond the pale of English
help. After soliciting the friendly intercourse of the
savage potentate who now beards us with impunity
what gratuitous folly, Visit not—especially in a man of
letters himself—to treat with what appeared indignity
the admire of the Abysainian Emperor? All Legfi
Russell had to do was to answer this letter. Be declinnd
to do so, and the consequence is that our countrymen
may rot in Abyssinian dungeons.
LIVERPOOL GROCERY.—A Liveipool grocer has been
fined £OO for mixing burnt sugar and gelatine with the
coffee be sold to the public. His defence was that the
practical was a common one, and that he did not know
he'was breaking the law. The man must have known,
or his religious education must have been sadly neglected,
that he was breaking the moral law by professing to sell
something different from that he actually sold. If it
be the fact that the practice of which the ''grocer
has been convicted is common to the trade, coffee-
drinkers have reason to be thankful that the &dithers,
tive meerials are not worse than they are.
The
200

lismwsy kocamma —No leas than
a' insurance tickets were issued by the
Passengers' Assurance Company for the train
off the line at Rednal, and claims have already
- of 19 of these for injuries
instande likely to prose
-nisiesi near Soya-

I 000

rtir

was killed, and aa he
!.4.97 insurance ticket,