The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1869-10-26 00:00:00

_
estri,24,B. iheret°,.. Pew ""leronrasbeurren teteth rels to
entering your
dette. in the grand jury (distiller.. The calendar which
will be laid before you as one 1 think of a very ordinary
&retainer. Tbe nulnber of prisoners is about the mon
se we usually flod in the calendar at the lliceselose
I maim,. and the offences with which the preionors are
.hased do not appear to me materially to differ from
these which see broeght tender your eogninencle on theme
000aadoos. And in that point of view we might perhaps
be setisfied with the aspect of the criminal condition of
the country, or of this county at any rate, ware it not
for another entry which we find on the first page of
the *deader. It ia there stated that the number of
prisoners committed during the peat quarter has been
W 2, and that show. an increase compared with the
corresponding quarter of last year of no less than 53.
That number upon a gems total of 202 is a very large
increase—about 30 per eine Staudiag alone SlUi tunes
planed that would he cause fer the very serious coons
deratioe of the Court and you gentlemen who are so
much interested in the good oondition and well-being of
the county. But lam happy to say this large increase
is satisfectorily exPlerned to • eery great measure by
information supplied by the Chief Constehle, from
which we know that • very much larger number of
vagrants have beet committed during time peat quarter
—no lees than 43 Persons have been committed for
offeoces ender the Yagrant'Act ; and though that would
not account for the whole increase, because we always
have some prisoner committed foe offences of that des-
cription, still, the number of that class has been much
larger than turned, therefore it does explain to some el•
tent the very material increase in the criminal class of
the county during the ease quarter. Not that I woeld
undervalue or treat lightly the existence of a large
vagrant CUPS wandering about to and fro, and, sal
fear, too often committing depredations throughout the
nonney far that isa were serious evil; still as compared
with felonies and offences of the highest description, it
is not so serious a cause for alarm and regret; therefore,
the return to which 1 have alluded is to a certain ex-
tent • satisfactory explanation of that increase of *rime.
In regard to the statutes which have been passed this
year by the legislature I will call your attention to one
or two which more immediately affect us in our
dell, Ui. eed in the banner of Quarter Sessions, and
perhaps you will not grudge a few minutes In attending
to the remerks I 'hen offer. The first statute I will
I mention is the 32 and 33 Viet., C. 27., the amended law
for licensing beerhouses. You are aware that for many
years past the regulation of and the granting of lioeuses
to publie-houses has been within the province of the
justices of the peace, but that the granting of lioenses
for beerbouses has rested with the excise officers. Great
complaints have arisen in consequence of the meaner
in which Willy of the beerhousee throughout the
country have been conducted. By your own experience
you know that the well-being and comfort of pariehes
is very materially affected by the manner in which
beerbousee—and there ere very few parishes in which
there are not one or more—are conducted. When they
were under the excise, of course the suvoillance of them
was not and could cot he so effective as it is hoped it
will be under the new statute. The granting of licenses
to lieerhouse is now only to be made by the excise upon
the production of • certificate granted by the made-
trans, and that certificate is to be granted or withheld
according to the character of the pencils who applies for
such certificate. The object of the legislature is to
ensure the good management of becishonme and to
prevent what has been • Booms of great complaint for
many years past, vie, the resort to beerhouses of known
offenders and persons of had obstructer, and to prevent,
000sequeatly. that initiation into crime which is fre-
quently the reset of meetings of pennons in badly con-
noted beerhomes. The statute also gives greater
&Mahn for entering and inspecting beerhousea,
at all times during the hours at which
they may be legally open, by the police.
officer, and it Is hoped that the Act will
have a salutary effect in preventing the from--
mission of crime, and is making beerhousee better
managed and more properly conducted than they have
hitherto been in too many eases. The next statute to
which I will call your attention is the Habitual
Criminals' Act—an Act for the more effecteal preven•
ties' of crime. The principle of that An is the drawing
of a broad distinction between penons who have been
Committed of offences Kitimat the law, and persons who
have not been previously so convicted. You all well
know it is an old and honoured maxim of the English
law that every person, till he is proved guilty, shall be
deemed innocent, and signally innooent with all his
fellowcubjects But when be becomes a twice-convicted
person, from that time, unless his sentence declares to
the contrary, thus Act pots him in a duff- rent class—he
is then placed under the eurveillanee and supervision
of the police, and there are specific provisions enabling
the police upon finding a person twee convicted coo-
ducting himself in such a manner as to lead to the sus-
picion that be is ginning a livelihood in an improper
manner, to apprehend him, and to deal with him nand-
ing to law. That is entirely anew provision—it is an
endeavour on the part of the legislature to repress
crime, by making habitual crime less possible to be
committed by old offenders, and it is hoped that by it
we !shall not have, as we often now experience at thene
maniocs, prisoners brought up for offences repeated time
alter time, till it amine AA if the law was poirerl• as to
set upon them, and to induce them to abstain from
crime. There is • particular provisiou of the Act, which
epelies to all penons who have any property—indeed.
I may say. to all dusts, giving them the power to
apprehend offenders ,ho have been twice convicted.
The Act is the 99th of the last sash* of Parlament,
and the provision 1 refer to says that if a person who
has been previously convicted of an offence of the
higheet elms (folociy. ke.) is found in scy d ealling.house,
yard, or premises, beings parcel of or adjoin-
ing to snob dwelling-house, or any other pities of •
similar cleacription, garden, endued, pleasure ground,
or no forth, the occupier may apprehend him, and if le-
is utcable to account to the satisfaction of the justices
for being there, he la sent to ptisou. But the
occupier need not wait for a warrant, or any
'lnborn, from • ju•tice of the peace, nor is it
neeesury that a police officer should be present
or act at all in it. The treepwiser may be apprehended and
detained till he con be delivered into the custody of •
consteble or peace officer. That provision gives great
power to occupiers of promises to deal with nuch permume
of bed character if they were found loitering about
thin premiees, without being able to give a good and
sufficient account of themselves; and I think under
certain oircuuntences that this and other provisions of
the law will be very uneul. There is only one other
statute I will mention—it it that for the prevention of
cootagioes diseases amena•t animals. It is the 70th
chapter of the 32 end 33 Viet., and it combines in one
statute the various provisions rebating to animals suffer-
ing from contagions diseases, and it is s groat advents
age no doubt that all those provisions should be
gathered together kn one Act, because it is oh'
vioualy more eery of reference, to Inform them
what to de when unfortunately —if it shoold be so—
apy 000tagiors disease may break out in this moiety.
You are aware no doubt through the public papers that
Wile few weeks since • contagious disease called the
foot and mouth disease appeared in the parishes of Can-
ford and Sixpenny ilandlay, and in consequence certain
steps was taken in the division of Wimborne by the
egiegemonteeOf magistrates appointed for that pur-
pose. They issued notice, which they were authorised
to do under the Act to elme al the premises in which
the affected animals were, and that none of them should
be allowed to pass from those premises daring the
existence of the disease and for ten days alter. lam
here' to be able to inform you ott the authority of the
Chief Constable that those precautions seem to have
been attended with suceeta—that the climate has not
spread from those preens- .10 any other farms, and that
though in Great Cantor,' the disease still exists in a
rather aggravated form, yet in Sixpenny Fimelley it has
considerably diminished, and I hope and trait that the
preceations taken at so early a period by the magistrates
will be attended with the sumo we so much desire,
and will prevent that very troublesome disease from
extending ilea throaghont the comity. After referring
to two Goes in the mlender of obtaining goads by false
pretences the Grand Jury were dismissed to their duties.
TION.

Yr. W. rooks smile.' on behalf of tha Bridport
Highway Board, ander the 27th and 2Sth Viet., 0.101.
s. 47 and 4'4, for the Court to unction the borrowing
of 1100 ,aa the rates for improving the rood at Burton
Bradatock. There we. no opposition.—Allowed.
TRIALS OF Pl/11101111V4

yogrim gtniox, 41. engineer. fah charger'. a• the bailee of •
violin belonglik4 to Mr. thwirge Green. of Weymouth. with
rouyertlng the *aim to hi* own wie.--Mr.,Collins iwokevuted.
Thu prisoner permasalod Mr. Green to let him Mk, the violin to
repair, the mirk of the Iniartnnent Itt*Olf old of order. Ile
;rimmed to bring M back hi • few &tit, lie did not do
hut took the .ell. to the laarksinith'a *lmp id Mr. 'Met..
▪ Portland. fieptemleg ro where he was allowed to itiie
anvil for *eters' jolt*, mid areonling to the abatement of
Abraham Whiter, a loy employed them, offered It to hini for
sale, saying "Vial yiiu Ist} 'r sill you buy lk loft the ahem
I w. the tiolin %lien Mr. hileemati loekeil up the
• ne bait the If,l,lie am.), aml It wm iailwegisiontly when
...or to tin hro,,,utor. On Sertenther 24, pri.4%,./. left 111.
'wiring" in Churvh Paowge, Wei mouth, unenmetolly, owing
•ii..firlwinie. in def. nor, mid he left the &idle In Mr.
threnian'a etimoil. and went to Ibireheimer him. • Job for Mr.
arhi Inh•n,lf ti to reps, and return the imarunteut
when he ivine to Weymouth. - The Jury awmitted prisoner.
The Chairman told nfinoner the one •1144.:i0t0g,
warned him to be card ol how he ailed for the tut,.
I.olil.f.AN AT WEI' LorTll. . . . .

a‘stn Maxim tt-.1-.;•-r7n. Sh,uled guilt)" to übtsisihit by
prettmee. I.ttle of win • Inat William Olimmett, at
Weymouth, and to 4e:lints t howl and other appitrel belonging
t.COX For's., at Weymouth. She a1..0 mimitted being
.us to( ft the la,' March Aftines. For the finst by
OffNentencod to three month.% and tor the ...otot to 4%
months' hani labour.

VI AID AT AT ALARITVON.

Wit Liss 11.0 14,11..KLL. 44, 41mice. •1,11 charmed with oh-
tainint 10s. from M. Clough, the matiairer cif the National
peormeisi Bank at Staildishre, !Y nuans of a cheque purport.
in. to ho din.. h) John Muldi on tbe Worcester rit) and
tin..,y 'uniting Company. Thu thou. was did iiiiii inns! and
it W. tied " J ho Wahl." miter had an amount there.
Mlien apprehended priviner had iipon him 311., which he
mid wav part of the money he received from the prosecutor. In
ilefenee he noll that he had toot £lOOO in speculation, and that
Mr. mid ha would withdraw from the pn.ention .
hi, hmiiding to him the LA Pm lid. This prosecutor altiatethm
4,0.4.1 f. woo found guiltv. A ccrtifiate 112.4 handed in.
wink the Chairinan mid the court wore afraid this was
not in• fird off.. tin. nature. Ile ow.
month.' hard Isletir.
Tulin AT RIUDFOaT.
••• - - ••

4.1 Wdln Todd, at liridia,rt, and in aa•
WILLIAM ELLIOTT, hoop vowledollty to ‘taaling
Irll'
Hotta aaaaatgo AT
Wir'nto3l.l:o•Lmithl'o month.' ha .1 latuoir.
- - - - - -

WILLI se KASSIIALI, 27, labourer, pleaded guilts., and „jou.
TtIINRS. tabourer, and Atrazo Texans, 13 libourer, were
.40 ling 'W' ertlin frtmi the 1im0... .4
I'OTTY. SA No4herbilTy.-11r. W. Fl w. 4 pr.wevuteil.
were tramp, who mewed Uirmigh
ti w dav before the robber). and C,? ieitl> apprebei..im
at Wellingimi, inflonwr.ct. for e..gr.uw, when the Imit property
we. Imind th, ir loorwrolon. - John Tomer toady a long
lecot tothc effort that he ITts looking for with with the ho.l nOting u ii' e,
with the robbery, and knew nothing al...id
It. The Jury believed a...mitt...1 the Turner,- Tile
I 'l.a.ritan warned them fronibllTlM. attliliir tot, with CTlOlimil
f..r the future. klarMill wa. amitoseed to .1a
hard lalv,UT.
ROSSINI' AT lII.RITTOX RAILWAT STATION.

betPrb"ore'nel.:.n7.7canda t.litUlt"a"tr'i;lttfil'inor"NrittP"m..tnte.b'r 147b0 o"'rthell
Kn.., tont tiekete, vitelt away from the platform.
Prlrmer rrntaktott. Them le an tele° allot off front the waiting
rfooM by • door. In the olllcee tratt a till containing troer.el
ponntla %her Vanning the thieta the hooking clerk rent
arlay. not tri•nner atoott at the door of the 'mak.. A porter
named nal, tett the orhat to Heat a lamp. and when he...
on the down side .4 the line he isl.l Hut he looltell
1.6....ner In the tult‘t .411. e. ironing front ll*
411,1,11. et the tlll. Being enno-usamlnerl.rotnear Plead pribwoer