The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1862-12-30 00:00:00

L

POLITICAL INTELLIGENCE.

THE QUESTION OP PENAL SERVITODIL--The Gazette
of Tuesday announeed the appointment of a Committee
"to inquire into the operation of the Acts relating to
transportation and penal servitude, and into the manner
in which sentences of transportation and of penal servi-
tude have been and are carried into effeet under the
provisions of the said Acts or any of them," and the
list of the Commissioners is in itself a testimony to the
earnestness of the inquiry. In submitting the names
for the choice of the Queen, the Home Secretary has
disregarded party alike in the political and the doctrinal
sense; the special tribunal excellently represents. not
only both the Houses of Parliament, but also the Exe-
cutive, fulfilling this representative ehantoter in the
largest sense. The late or possible Administration is
represented as well as the present. In short, the
influence and brains of the two Chambers andof various
Cabinets will be brosight to bear upon this urgent and
practical subject of the day. When we look closer
into the composition of the newly-appointed body, we
are but the more struck with its impartiality and with
the promising nature of its elements. None of the
great interests concerned seems to have been omitted.
While the actual Home Office sits at the board in the
person of Mr. Waddington, the late Government is
strongly represented by Lr John Pakington, Mr.
Walpole, and Mr. Henley; the judicial bench could not
have furniahed men of more vigorous understanding
than Sir Alexander Cockburn, Lord Chelmsford, and
Lord Cranworth ; Sir George Grey and Mr. Pleydell
Bouterie may be regarded as typifying especially the
Peers and the Commons in their consulative and corpo-
rate capacities ; London is present by its Recorder,
Ireland by the O'Conor Don, Australia by Mr. Childers.
But most of these men embody more than any one
interest or technicality. Lord Chelmsford,for instance,
is a statesman as well as a judge; Mr. Childers is not
only the virtual member for Australia, but one of our
most useful English members, and he has especially
studied the questions of transportation and prison dile
ciplibe • the O'Conor Don is a master of colonisation
questions as well as Irish objects and Irish elpeTiences ;
Sir John Pakington is less a C,onsereative than • man
of strong practical sense and thorough English impar-
tiality; Sir Alexander Cockburn is exceeded by none
in the power of presenting legal questions simply and
vividly, and we have not probably a more refined
intellect in the country than that of Lord Cranworth,
We had some ground for expecting—shall we say hoping
—that Lord Stanley would be included in the commis-
sion, and we will not conceal our belief that he would
powerfully have added to its efficiency; but it is not
improbable that some of the advantages which would
have been obtained by his appointment may be secured
by the presence of his friend and coadjutor in Parlia-
ment, Lord Naas ;one of the most manly, clear headed
and rising statesmen now on the left nand of the
Speaker. Altogether, we have reason to be gratified
with the choice which Sir George Grey and his soh
leagues -have made.

MS. LAYARD A 171) HIS CossiTrossra.—Mr.
addressed his constituents on Monday night,
ferred to the China question, tin. American war, and
Italy. In referenee to the second of these topics he
justified the conduct of the Government. In speaking
of the question of slavery he said :—" That question
had nothing to do with the conduct of this country
towards America during the present struggle, as their
interference with it would only embarrass the Northern
States, for they were not, as he had said, called on to
express an opinion as to the causes of the conflict, brit
to maintain a strict neutrality. Last session several
attempts were made to cause the Government to inter-
fere, but they were put down, and property so, for the
recognition of the Southern States would only have
been another name for raining the blockade all
along the coast, and that would have only been
another Dame for war with the North; and, as the
recognition of the South would not have given them
cotton, he should like to know whethsr a wsr with the
North would not have greatly enhsnced the sufferings
of their starving operatives for the want of it. He
therefore thought the Government had acted right., and
he hoped the time would soon come when the people of
the North would see that the conduct of this country
towards them bad been just, and that all the heart-
burning% which now existed would have passed away.

Layard 1
and re-

Mrt. J. H. LANGSTON, ILP.—It is reported that in
consequence of failing health this gentleman will shortly
retire from the representation of Oxford, and that Mr.
Serjeant Om.lee and the Hon. Edward Chandos Leigh,
son of Lord Leigh, of Stoneleigh Abbey, will solicit the
votes of the electors.

REPRESENTATION OF TOTNES —.The death of Lord
Gifford, eldest son of the Marquis of Tweeddale, causes
a vacancy in the representation of the borough of
Totnes, which his lordship has represented since 1855.
Lord Gifford, who was born in 1822, sucournbed to a
protracted illness on Monday. He was a Liberal in
politico:, and in 1854, when Lord Panmore was Secre-
tary of State for War, filled the office of private secre-
tary to his lordship.
REPRESENTATION on REIGATE. —Mr. W. A. Wilkin-
son has issued an address to the eldetors of the borough
of Reigate, offering himself as a candidate for the
vacant seat on Liberal principles. He says: "I have
not ouly received assurances from my old friends of their
continued adherence, but also voluntary promises from
many of those who were at that time supporters of my
opponent, that they are now prepared to render me
every assistance. There is no reason therefore to
doubt that the two sections of the Liberal party, then
divided, are now united in my favour, and that each
union will ensure my return. It is under these circum-
stances that I venture to present myselfto your notice
with every determination to succeed.

Strong, delicious, and incigoratiwp Tea at a very
reasonable price, is obtainable by purchasing the Pure
sorts imported by Boerslimas & Co., Loudon, who to
secure choice spring growths, have for the last 15 years
had a supply not covered with colour; this they find
indispensable because the Chinese colour many Tess on
purpose to disguise and pass off refuse brown leaves,
for when Tea is coloured the wally spring and the low
atittimn sorts both appear equally vatisalge. An able
leadiny article in the Times, Altruist 16th, 1862, cau-
tions all against using the highly coloured leaf, and
shows the folly of allowing paint on Tea se it is used as
daily food. Id orninsan's Pure Tea is secured in
Packets, and sold by the Asents advertised.