The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-05-23 00:00:00

I Brat COWIN Exiirego.

TITERDAY, MAY I& 187&

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The Duke of Edinburgh, Captain of the
Sultan, steam ship, as every one knows, is about
to embark on a two years' cruise, to complete
his nautical education. We must all sympathise
with the Royal sailor in this his self-imposed
infliction of the toil, labour, and inconvenience
attendant upon a life on the ocean. The cost of
the interior decorations of the vessel is £50,000.

The petition of memben in favour of the
release of the Fenian prisoners received 138
signatures. Several representatives expressed a
hope that no royal clemency would be shown
towards any of the men who took part in the
murder of Sergeant Brett. Much the same
feeling prevails amongst most of the signatories
as to those who assisted in the Olerkenwell
explosion. If, therefore, anything comes of
this matter it will only be the raise., of the
soldiers who were taken with arms in their
hands. If common report be true the majority
of the Cabinet, the Queen, and the Prince of
Wales, are in favour of clemency, but the Duke
of Cambridge (who has some voice in the matter
as Commander-in-chist) is strongly opposed to
it.

The Council of the. Incumbenta' finstentation
Fund have been able at their annual distribu-
tion this month to secure, for the benefit of 37
fivi , out of 145 applying, the sum of nearly
29,111 in benefactions and grants. It is some
satisfaction that in the third year of the exist-
ence of the Fund the average of the first two
years has been maintained; but it is to be
hoped that this effort to supplement the agencies
now at work in a similar direction, by raising all
incumbencies to £2OO • year, will some day be
appreciated as it deserves, and be supported
with vigour in every parish ; although it certainly
seems a common sense view of matters that
many "fat" livings might be made to contribute
their quota.

---
The parental lot is sometimes a particularly
cruel one. The idea in this instanoe is suggested
by the incidents of an application which was
made a few days ago to a London police magis-
trate. The applicants were the parents of a boy
whom they wished to send to an industrial
school. They were apparently well to do, and
stated that they did not at all wish to evade
their responsibility, but were willing to pay the
full amount which his maintenance might cost
They declared the boy to be absolutely incor-
rigible. He had been sent to a college, but only
attended once during the whole quarter. Such
a triumphantly continuous career of playing
truant can scarcely have resulted in mental or
educational improvement. The magistrate took
pity on the unhappy plight of the parents, and
ordered the boy to be detained at an industrial
school until he is sixteen years of age, by which
time it is to be hoped he will have acquired
more sense, and have seen the error of his way.
At a meeting of Methodists, held at the
Guildhall, Cambridge, on Wednesday, under the
chairmanship of Dr. Punshon, the chairman
said that telegrams had that day been received
from 28 of the 34 districts in conference, show-
ing that an increase of 11,000 members would
be reported this year, besides twice that number
on trial.

1. It appears from a parluunentary return just
Issued that the total number of registered
electors in the parliamentary constituences of
England is 2,340,763; in Ireland, 230,773; and
in Scotland 295,420; making a total for the
United Kingdom of 2,866,956. The number of
borough electors in England and Wales is
1,484,844 ; county electors, 843,803 ; and
university electors, 12,116. In Ireland, the
numbers are—counties, 173,680 ; borough,
53,590; university, 3,323. In Scotland, the
numbers are—boroughs, 198,725; counties,
86,412; universities, 10,283.
Who regulates the receptions given by England
to illustrious guests Whoever it is, he or they,
would seem to have very peculiar ideas upon the
fitness of things. Three or four years ago the
Shah "a vulgar old beast" as the historian,
Mr. Freeman? calls the Sultan, and certainly
not an acquaintance upon whom one could be
=ulated, w feasted and lodged royally
as
nigh= Palace. Splendid receptions,
reviews, and excursions, vaned with prize fights
and other examples of "ye customs of ye
English" were laid before him day after day.
At this moment the King and Queen of
Hanover are amongst us. They are relegated to
Clitridirs'e Hotel ; probably pay their own bill;
and the sole mark of courtesy shown them,
hitherto, has been, according to the Court
Newman, that the Queen's carriage took them
out for a drive the other day. The exquisite
taste manifested is apparent; probably it is
dictated by the fact that the German Emperor
refuses to recognise the pretentions of King
George. At all events we are glad H.I.M. the
Empress of England is not responsible for it.
She at present is at Balinoral taking a little
rest.

Lord Carnarvon has laid before the House of
Lords a Bill for extending the law relating to
cruelty to animals to the cases of "animals
which for medical, physiological, or other soientfic
purposes are subjected when alive to experi-
ments calculated to inflict pain." The Bill pro-
hibits, under heavy penalities (with power to
sentence to imprisonment for a second offence),
the performance on a living animal of an experi-
ment calculated to give pain, except subject to
the restriction the experiment be performed
in a place approved by the Secretary of State
(the operator also being licensed by him), and
with a view only to theadvancement,by new dis-
covery, of knowledge whichlwill be useful for
saving or prolonging human life, or alleviating
human suffering, or for the purpose of testing a
former discovery where the absolute necessity of
such testing is certified by one of certain
scientific bodies. During the whole of the ex-
periment the animal must be under the influence
of some anesthetic of sufficient power to prevent
pain being felt. The object of this is un-
doubtedly extremely laudable, and the only ob-
jection we can see to it is that our future
Secretaries of State, if the Bill becomes law, will
be obliged to take degrees as M.R.C.B
--
During the session of Parliament, announcements
frequently appear in the papers to the effect that Her
Majesty held a Council at Windsor or at Osborne on
this or that particular day. To this, of course, only
' Privy Councillors are admitted, and such as have
special business to transact with the Sovereign. All
Privy Councillous have the distinction of Right
Honourable, and they are bound by oath to reveal
none of the secrets which may be entrusted to their
keeping while they enjoy the confidence of the Crown.
The Council is, indeed, almost as old an institution as
the Monarchy itself. It was first formed by Kin
Alfred in 895, and the shadows of nearly a thousand
years thus look down upon it. The number of
members was originally twelve, but it is now un-
limited, and, with the Irish Council, consists at
sent of of about 250 lords and gentlemen. When Her
Majesty presides at a Council, those attending it
appear in Court dress—a custom which formerly
applied to meetings of the Cabinet. In these later
times, however. the Cabinet Ministers dispense with
such ceremony, and assemble at the official residence
of the Prime Minister at Whitehall in the ordinary
attire of English gentlemen. Vet court dress at
Cabinet Councils was worn within the recollection oh
many living, although in the excitement of the pass-
ing of the first Reform Bill, the Ministers had some-
times to be summoned so hastily that there was no
time for changing, and front this circumstance the
practice gradually died out. Court dress is, however,
still necessary to all who attend the Parliamentary
banquets of the Speaker, which are given on Wednes-
day evenings to the members of the House of
Commas, without distinction of party.