The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1865-01-31 00:00:00

ttlittobire.

SALISBURY.—The annual meeting of the Sallie
bury District Counaittes ef the Diocesan Associa-
tion of the Society for Premoting Christian Knowledge
was held. at the Board•rootn, in the Close on Tuesday.
The Venerable Archdeacon Bony occupied the chair,
and. there Were present the Roy. Subelean Pyre, the
Rev. Preibendaey Smart, Rev. R. W. Sweyne, Rev. E.
Luard, Rees F: Bennett, Mr. It H. Rigden, (treasurer,)
and like Rey. Prebendary silenand (secretary). The
committee reported that the society had successfully
laboured during the put yeas in promoting Christian
knowledge both at home and in foreign lands, and to
act as the handmaid of the Chunch wheresoever planted.
The follcieing is the issue of books from the Salisbury
Depository during the past year :—Bibles 1,092; ditto,
with Player, 77; Testaments, 431; Prayer Books,
2,669; bound arid half-bored books, 6,282; tracts,
AM; Apocrypha, •, almanasks' 933; maps, 29;
, Church Services 201. Total, 21,806,
PENNY ELADIOI ON. —Oa Thutreday evening tie
Assembly Rooms were again crowded with a highly
respectable audience, and a rather anosnally attractive
evening was enjoyed through the admirable opening
address of Professor Feweett, professor of political
economy, at Cambridge. After assuring the audience
that his remarks would be brief, the Chairman said that
If the entertaitiments were not appreciated, a few
• words might be respired from him to point out the
Advantages and enjoyments which they conferred. It
ova/ completely proved that they were appreciated, and
therefore feeling assured of the great benefit they would
center upon his fellow oitisens, be had to appeal and
express an earnest hope that evening after evening,
and year after year, there would be no lack of parties
willing to come forward and do their utmost to enter.l
tain them. After expressing his satisfaction that at-
'the coredtrencement of the readings, the Rev. Mr.
tEttrayne and the Rev. Mt. 'Chancellor, who were both
highly estimated for their worth and for the good they
did, at onoe came forward to amid. Mr. Fawcett said
he considered it 11118 the duty of every one to come
forward, and, as far as possible' amuse and Instruct
those who were deprived of the advantages they
possessed. In some towns those who came forward
were not confined to one sex, and lie trusted that this
example would be followed in Salisbury. No lady, he
; sure, need fear the reception which sbe would meet
with iff that room. They kbew that there was music
which required the delicacy of a woman's voice to give
proper expression to; and they alto knew that there
was poetry which could not be done justice to unless it
was read-by those soft tones and by that graceful diction
only heard from a woman's lips. (Applause.) He had
had considerable experience in listening to reading, and
had no hesitation in saying that, taking the average as
far as reading was concerned, the fairer sex, as a general
rule, read much better than their own sex. (Applause.)
Mr. Fawcett then instanced the reading of her Majesty,
whose accents fell upon the ear with a, softness and
distinctness not surpassed by the greatest Parliamentary
orators. Not even the sonorous periods of Lord Ellen-
borough, or the graceful diction of Lord Derby, were
more pleasing to listen to than the distinct and ex-
cellent elocution of our beloved Queen. Hie object in
mentioning this was to show that he was quite certain
that if ladies would come forward and read, they would
not only do honour to themselves, but that those who
listened to them would appreciate their kind efforts.
(Cheers.) Mr. Fawcett then pointed out some of the
advantages which the readings conferred upon the
town. By them the words and language of England's
greatest poets and orators was made familiar to them.
The monotony of life was also in some degree relieved
by listening to the wit of the most distinguished
homourists; but whilst the intellectual advantages were
great the social were not less important and valuable.
It seemed to him that the great benefit which resulted
from Penny Readings was this, that it brought every
class and every section of society into one harmonious
meeting. (Cheers.) Nothing could be of greater ad-
vantage than that, for they might depend upon it there
was nothing which would minister more to the greatness
and stability of the country than to break down every
barrier which separated class from class, and united the
community in one great common-wealth, making all
feel that they were members of the WOG nation, and
that the prosperity of one clam ought to be the glory
and prosperity of all. (Applause.) Though he did not
like to enter upon the vain task of praising the past at
the expense of the present, he knew that taken as a
whole England was a progressive nation, and that the
nation was better off than it was 200 years ago. No
doubt, on looking back to past society, there were Mr.
cumstanoes attending it whereby the different dames
were in some respects more intimately connected than
they are at the present time. The day was when the
lord Could have his vassals, and the chief his clan, and
they formed members of the same family. The day was
not long since when every trade was formed into a
guild, and our own ancient city shows that every trade
in this town was formerly represented by a guild.
These guilds were possessed of halls in which the
members of the trade were accustomed to meet, talk
over the events of the day, and the circumstances
connected with their industry. Well, all this
has passed away, and it has not left with it
sufficient social intercourse amongst the different dames
of society, and amongst the members of the same clam.
He, therefore, thought it most important to encourage
meetings like the one he was addressing, where men
could enjoy the advantages of social intercourse.
Some people took a gloomy view of the prospects
of society, and maintained that publichouses were
more frequented than they used to be. He war,
however, of opinion that such houses were not in
the present day so much frequented for the purpose of
intoxication as to enjoy social society. If there was no
other institution where we can meet with society except
at a publichouse, they might depend -upon it that
neither persuasion, preaching, or entreaty, would ever
keep men away from those places where they could
enjoy some of the advantages of society. The worthy
professor then expressed an earnest hope that oat of the
penny readings an institution would arise of the nature
of a working-man's club, where men could congregate
together of an evening, obtain refreshments, read the
newspapers, and have the advantage of a good library,
and, in addition talkeiver the events of the day, and as
they became better known to each other, resolve to lose
and respect each other the more. He then referred to
the seal which the excellent secretary of thelinstitution
(Mr. Wilton) had shown in getting the readings up, and
expressed a hope that they would rally round and
support him in the formation of a working-man's club,
and concluded his excellent address by remarking that
they were all members of the same netion, and it was
equally essential that there should be those who labour,
and those who think. Those who labour are those who
create and accumulate that wealth which has given this
country i‘s material prosperity. At the conclusion of
Mr. Fawcett's address, the programme of the evening's
entertainment commenced, and was well sustained
throughout. "The death of Nelson," sung by Mr.
Large was encored.' and also a song by Mr.
Brine, who made his last appearance before a Salisbury
audience previous to his departure for Ely, where he has
been appointed to a lay-viearehip. Mr. Brown's reading
from the Pickwick papers was most excellent, and
called forth loud cheers, The evening's entertainment
was brought to a close with the National Anthem, and
. •
three hearty cheers for the chairman.
COUNTY COURT, Wednesday.—Before E. Everett,
Esq., judge.
Prince ts Garrett —This was a claim for £l.l Is. id.,
work done by the plaintiff for the defendant, who is a
railway contractor. The plaintiff stated he bolds
posseemon of some fences, the property of defendant.—
His Honor made an order for payment forthwith, and
informed plaintiff that be must give up the possession
of the property immediately he is paid, otherwise he will
be liable for an action to be brought against bin.
Symms e. Garrett—The plaintiff claimed £l7 Os. Id.,
balance due to him for smith's work.—His Honor
gave a verdict for the plaintiff for payment in 14 days.
Allen ti. Hatton.—The plaintiff claimed £lO on a
promissory note, and £2 for interest. —Hie Honor
informed plaintiff that by law he could not charge more
than 4 per cent, for interest, which would be 17s.
instead of £2, and therefore made an order for payment
forthwith for that amount.

Phillips v. Msffey.—This was a claim for 17s. 6d.,
work done by the plaintiff.—Mr. Whatman appeared on
behalf of defendant —The plaintiff stated that he WU
engaged (with another man named Munday) by the
defendant to screen sand on the turnpike•road.—The
defendant paid him 10s. on account, and the amount
sued for was the balance due—Cross-examined : The
defendant paid him at his own house. Mundav never
engaged him. -Mr. Whatman stated that his client was
11l in bed, and VMS unable to attend. The defendant
employed a man named Monday, and not the plaintiff;
that Mr. Maffey, jour., paid the plaintiff, and not the
defendant. Mr. Whatman wished for an adjournment
on paying the costs of the day.—The owe was adjourned.
Symms v. Lodge.—Claiin £3 15s. 11d., for pictures
and frames supplied to defendant. The defendant
disputed the claim, and said he only owed the plaintiff
65., and produced receipts given by the plaintiff.—His
Honor said it was clear that defendant only owed 65.,
and made an order for that amount, the plaintiff to pay
costs.
Eveleigh v. Piser.—Claim lie., for goods supplied
to the defendant. —The plaintiff said he supplied the
defendant with the goods while she was living apart
from her husband. He never applied for payment
while the defendant's husband was alive. The defens
dant said that the plaintiff ought to have applied to her
husband while he was alive. He did not die possessed of
any property; what there washer son took possession of.
His Honor said as the defendant was a married woman
at the time the goods were had, and not &single woman,
the plaintiff could not make her pay, without lie could
prove the husband died possessed of property, and
left it to the defendant. It was very hard be should lose
the amount, and it would be fair on the defendant's
part to pay the amount if abe could. The case was
dismissed.
COUNTY PETTY SESSIONS, Tuesday.—Present:
Viscount Folkestone, James Hussey, Eeq., Rev. E.
Duke and W. Pinckney, Esq.
Frederick Miles, of Newton Toney, was summoned
for assaulting Henry Quart, a poor old man with
only one eye. The evidence was very clear, and it
was stated by the police that the complainant was
repeatedly subjected to annoyance.—The Bench
ordered the defendant to be imprisoned for a month.
Harriet Shergold was fined 10s. and coats, or 21
days' imprisonment, for stealing part of a dead
fence the property of Mr. Herbert Smith, at
Bave;stock, on the 16th January.
George Williams, the driver of an omnibus from
Wilton to Salisbury, was summoned by the trustees
of the Harnham and Bland ford Turnpike for evading
toll at the Coombe Bissett gate, on the 14th January.
Defendant was ordered to pay 10s. and coats, or to
be imprisoned for 21 days.
John Thompson, who pleaded guilty, was
sentenced to three calendar months' imprisonment
with hard labour, for stealing various articles of
clothing, the property of J obn Welch, at Homington,
on the fitn December last.
William Offer was summoned for assaulting Mary
Ann Offer, his wife, at Fitton and Farley, on the
21st January. Defendant did not appear. The
complainant, who had a black eye, deposed that
her husband had been in the habit of ill-treating her
for six years.—He was ordered to be imprisoned for
three months, and at the expiration of that time to
enter into his own recognizances to keep the peace for
12 months longer.
George Sheppard was summoned for "cruelly
ill-treating, abusing, and torturing a dog," the