The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1883-03-06 00:00:00

linnet Condi' Exprtoo.

DORCHESTER, MARCH 6th, 18113.

THE 17NDRAINED ESTATE.

The anomaly of the present oondition of
things must be • source of extreme irritation
to some philosophic minds in that Elysium,
the Cornwall Estate. A very delightful resi-
dential property it no doubt is, and the tenants
are to be envied their out.of.town position by
the more confined dwellers-in-streets. But
then is a crumpled leaf in their bed of roses—
;As crumpled leaf of an unhealthy system—
'and this most valuable house property is
rapidly depreciating. In some instances, even,
weil-eppointed and exoellently built houses are
going a-begging. Landlords are not, as • rule,
given to proclaiming the decline in the value of
their houses from the housetops, but it is now
an unconcealed fact—during the last few yeses
the rent-producing value of the best houses on
the Estate have fallen nearly 50 per cent.. The
uninitiated are punted at the apparent inactivity
and apathy of the Municipal body, but they are
powerlees, being bound hand and foot by
wearisome legal procedure. The wheels of the '
law grind slowly, and each laboured revolution
has been noted with anxiety by those who have
Important interests at stake, and with absolute
ainueement by the more fortunate. The mere
mention of the "Drainage Scheme" in post-
prandial orations has afforded infinite fun to
each time-honoured convivial gathering, but the
unfortunate tenants find it • matter of great
difficulty to extract the comic element out of
their gloomy situation. For five years have
them worthy ratepayers borne an unpleasant lot
with commendable patience, have struggled on
bravely with an unsanitary system, with all its
oonoomitant evils, encouraged by hope and with
implicit confidence in the Municipal Parliament. ,
But last Thursday were heard premonitory
mounds of a storm, the gathering and the
disionsirvent of which will be watched with •
vast amount of interest by the rate-paying and
peenably disposed citizens, who would be as
recalcitrant as they, were they placed in the
same unfortunate position.
The Drainage Scheme has dragged its weary
length along for several years, but we believe
itsaosomplishment to be now within messureable
distance. Slowly and tediously have the huge
wheels of the legal machinery revolved, the
conventional red-tape has been tied and untied
times out of number, and enquiry has followed
on enquiry. Everything now depends on the
confirmation of the Provisional Order, which
happy event may be expected about September
or October, should the "people in the North"
not advance sufficiently reasonable grounds t•
oppose it. Opposition has been threatened, but
Dorchester would be transfixed with wonder at
the depth of wisdom displayed in the sage
decrees of the British Parliament should it be
ruled that the Order be not confirmed. Of
enzeo such an event is possible, but it appears
too ludicrous to contemplate. It would be the
ndvictii ad absurdum. Taking for granted,
then, the Order shall be confirmed by October
at latest, we may reasonably hope the Scheme
will be on a fair way towards completion in the
course of the next twelve months.

That atheism is largely on the Masao, in the
metropolis is • fact which the Socularist school crow
Madly over, but which is too generally ignored. The
lower onkel of London 10 or 15 years ago were simply
brelightne; now they are, to • very large extent,
moody sad avowedly infidel Is Ciwinany, even is
milversidea, soepticisin is said to be upon the
webs. Aboard Lag to repeat accounts, there seem to
be • saint but widespread revival of BvangeSeism
throughout the Fatherland. In England the move
-
meat appears to be all the ether way. The disagree-
ment of the jury In the Foote prosecution, In the face
of oleic law and Meer evideaoe, Is only • sign of the
misting date of things. In the meanwhile the Im-
elda has an enormous circulation. This ma's
.umber has, as usual, a ribald caricature of our lord,
sad lettor.press of the most outrageously blasphemous
cianwher. In an article signed by Foot• himself it Is
.1180Wrod that, whatever the remit of the prosecution,
ths lome of the paper er" be ',Abstained, in spite of
eU Wepriecescats, fines, and other pearmations. All
this la put with • greet air of heroic martyrdom; but
the plain English Of the metier it that the ',Walsh'
Is too Wig • property to be readily abandoned.
Whilst he ladment blasphemy secures for it anything
Ilre Its pews& circulation, no doubt there will be
artyn " seosels found t a can/ It on. It requires
to brain.; anyone who can write passable English
would 'noosed se Ito editor, if he were only vulpr and
%kW enough.

The prolongation of the debate upon the Address has
veasikd bitter diseppointmeut to ODO of ardent
laahashaeta. There an many associetioas foe the
repeal of guy O.D. Acts, and they hand all lately dis-
played an attleual degree of activity. Tre.46 and
pasphku have been distributed broedcast Large
meetings have been held in Butes Hall and abawhere
-.lose of them for men only, others for women only,
sad still others mixed. Hr. Hopwood, who has
eerie In Parliament of the BUI for the repeal of the I
Ants, by good fortune obtained Tuesday night for
the heinging-in of his mseaure. A emanates of ladies
had assembled at ao hotel close by for the purpose of
praying for the missies of the Bill, during the period
of the discussion, when the news came that there was
an bops of the debate on the Address oomlog to an
sad. The worst of it le, that baring lost his chimes,
Iv sot very likely that Mr. Hopwood w'l get
eviller this Beadon.

Tim art of Peplyieg to questions without answering
tbuni Gomm naturrily to BOOM Under Secretaries,
whilst there is. others who never term 11. Sir Charles
Bilks sadly caught the offioisl tone, and I camel
model of judicious reticent», maintaining withal an
xtrutoble politeness. His suocemor, Lord Edmund
litssmarice, :11 have to change his style if ha is to
estmeed. Mr. J. K. Craw the new Under Secretary
for India, with far shorter Parliamentary experience,
bee much more readily adapted himself to his duties.
Tbe publication orLord Dufferin's last Egyptian des-
patch is naturally awaited with impatience. Lord
Edmund's reply to Mr. Bonrke's questim relating to
it created the impression that there was some con-
cealed mama for delaying its production. Rightly or
wrongly it ham been generally believed, that when a
despatch bee been referred back to an ambassador
before publication, it is ea referred for the purpose of
baring some portion omitted which the Rome Ministry
do not think It prudent to publish. This apprehension
or misapprehension gave rissto the rather acrimonious
coarwreation In which Lord Edmund figured on
Thursday night.