The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-03-31 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

TORCHESTER, TUESDAY, usitca 31, 1863.

MS RIOTS IN LASCASEtIitIL

The outrages committed by the misled work-
people at Btale7bridge and Ashton, have been
variously coopmento on by the preen during the
past Week. It has been said. that in both these
plates the rate of relief had been on • more
liberal scale than elsewhere in the mannt.cturiug
districts—such as in and around Manchester;
and as a consequence of this indulgence, a con-
siderable amount of money, given in relief, has
been spent in public houses—Friday nights,
when the school lMees are paid, being of late
remarhable for the prevalence of drunkenness.
The Relief Committee, haying had their atten-
Lien drawn to the subject, determined to reduce
the allowance to the operatives for attending
school, to the same rate paid elsewhere—from
4d. to 313 per week; to retain a day's pay-
ment in hand ftoin one week to the other, mid
to pay by tickets ola the shopkeepers instead of
lii money. The last device was adopted to pre-
vent the publicans getting so la.rge • part of the
pay. The opstatives objected to this, held alt
indignation meeting and pissed a resolution not
to accept relief on the now scale. This determina-
tion they adhered to, and the committee being
equally firm to give help only in their own
form, the mob proceeded to terrceisni. The
Castle-street Mill* in which the central schools I
were held, were first attacked, then the windows
of the police office, and of the persons most pro-
minent on the relief committee, smashed. The
most wanton and ungrateful act of all wu the
breaking into the stores where the slothing and
other articles, provided by public beneVelence,
were kept. In thme stores were piled up, says
one account, heaps of moleskin jackets, trousers,
waistcoat* stocking* calico, aud linen under-
clothing for women, betides large quantities of
moleskin ind other cloths for making up into
garments. As last as • score of lads and lames
could pick the goods up were these useful things
hurled out of the upper windows to the people
in the street Complete showers of jackets would
fall on the nplifted hands of hundreds of people
in the streets, followed by bundles of stockings,
or waistcoats, or flannel, or skirt* or obtmius.
People kept ointinually leaving the crowd with
arms-full of all kinds of clothes, amid the jeers
of many ; but there were not • few who expressed
their utter abhorrence of such plunder, but who
were at the 111111:10 time careful to express them-
selves with • prudent reticence. The nest day
these outrages were tenured. The town sits
absolutely at the merey of ging* from 50 to
600 in !loather, *to visited the provision dealers,
grocer* and publicans—and either forcibly
robbed and plundered their stores, or extorted
from them pecuniary or other contributions.
During the evening, we are told, that numbers
of people in the low parts of the town had pos-
sessed themselves of drink, were revelling in the
wildest exserres, and were threatening how much
I further than before they would Mary the *oft
of destruction on Monday theining, if their
demands were niit weeded to by the Relief
CoMtnitteu On Monday the mob determined
to visit Ashton, but the magistrates having had
intimation of what was about to take place, were
making preparations to prevent their entering
the town, when a body of something like 3,000
persons—many of them wild and furious women
—arrived and proceeded to carry out at once their
threat, visiting and plundering the provision
shops for sometime, until the police, aided by
the military, charged theta, had dispersed or
drove them Out of the place, capturing nearly
80 persons. Now we are not of those who would
make much of the first fit of popular ill-temper
that has occured in Lancashire. A just estimate
of all things, social or political, in this chequered
world is generally to be arrived at like the rum
of • just reckoning by a way of double entry.
We are simply cheating ousel's* and are in •
fair way to cheat others, if we magnify the
items on one aide of the amount, because they
are few and easily dealt with, while we fbrget or
omit the quiet, similar, and undemonstrative
mass of details that ought righteously to be set
down on the other. Half • million of people,
previously the most prosperous, highly paid, and
in every way ill-prepared for adversity, have for
many months been reduced to pauperism, which
they have borne week after week, and day after
day, with exemplary fortitude and equanimity.
All the world has been loud in their praise, and
vehement in protesting that the like of it was
, never seen before. Ingratitude there is sore to
he found in every elms; and what section is free
from its popular crimes As a whole Lancashire
has behaved admirably; and we shall not easily
be persuaded that under any provocations, real
or imaginary, it is going to throw away the fair
repute it has well and wisely earned. But the
beginnings of turbulence should be repressed
with a strong baud, while, at the same time,
everything should be done that can judiciously
be done to alloy the irritation which has unfor-
tunately sprung up. There ought, however, to
be uo bribing of the rioters to be quiet—no re-
wards of so much per head to the breakers of
windows and plunderers of shops—no cowardly
and culpable fooling of the thoughtless or in-
disposed to the top of their bent. We therefore
sonsider that the conduct of the Mansion House
Committee in sending • sum of £6OO to Staley-
bridge is worthy of unqualified disapprobation.
To have cut off • portion of the week's supply
to that district, as • mark of public disapproval,
would have been a blind and blundering attempt
at rough-banded retribution, but there would have
been a spice of equity in it. In the scandalous
grant of a direct reward for tumult and violence
there is none; and it has in it one of the worst
ingredients of real administration, namely, that
it is a wanton and stupid beguiling of the people
into delusions that can only end in their runs. The
unemployed peasantry in Ireland, in 1847, when
discontented with task-work and certain ratio=
of fond, grew clamorous, and they were propiti-
ated by the cenceasion au indiscriminate system
of out-door relief; but in a few mouths the
fountains of private benevolence were dried up,
and in the following year multitudes were glad
to fly for their lives from a land which had be-
come one valet and fatal pest-house. The unem-
ployed workers of Paris, in 1848, were humoured
every day from February to June, sod what ,
happepild then we shudder even to think oE Let
us be Warned by example. There is no real
kindness to this people M succumbing to lawless '
force, for to let go the retail It wwee treel. be
imply to betray the eakepg# 81 Welk rot*

AMMLICA IN WANT OF A KING.
lionizatien, the eccentric Yankee corres-
pondent of the Morning Herald, suggests a.King
as the sole means of cementing the reunion of
the North and the South. "There are many
In our laud," he soya, 1. who would be glad to
lee* monarchy established; but the first difficulty
will be in getting • right King. As yet there is
DO superior among thirty millions of equals, and
even the great civil war has not yet developed a
great chief either North or South. 14have not
yet seen a better solution of our difficulties than
to substitute for a temporary President • r-
monent king and re lihMditai7 ttleuerehr The
Routh linnet object, and the North would not.
if the South offered that as a proposition. A
permanent constitutional monarch would heal up
everything." This writer admits that some
would say the plan would be a violation of the
constitution; but he rejoins, " the Constitution
has already been violated so much, that a little
more violation would be • benefit." Well, it
would be somewhat amusing if this " model"
democracy, as John Bright calls it, should, aftei
'pule sixty or ectreuty yems' trial of re-
publicaniem, turn to Kiug-making. But what
would Mr. Bright say after all his eloquent pro-
phecies that America was one day destined to
convert the old country and European continent
to democracy I What would become of the
glorious vision he has so often indulged in, of a
self-governed people managing their own affairs
with political, but without a personal ma4mity I
Already his demoucratic theory has received a
sad blow by a vast debt and all but worthless
paper currency, and it now only requires a king
to be set over the States of their own free choice
to crown his mortification. Manhattan thinks
that her Majesty's second son would be the "right
man in the right place," and he is therefore glad
that Prince Alfred has been induced to refuse
the proffered throne of Greece, that he might
be still open to accept the tender to rule over
men on a vastly grander scale. "There is no
reason," he says, "why the Prince should not
eventually became king of America, if we re-
turn to • monarchy, as we are pretty likely to
do, unless we go into general anarchy," and
argues analogically, as • motive fir America to
adopt his scheme, that as Great Britain was
generous enough to make Greece a present of
the lonian Islands merely for paying her
Majesty the compliment of inviting one of her
sous to be its sovereign. England would, if
jortiori, ho fat more ready to throw in Canada
to the States for the sake of furnishing the first
Monarch to the repentant republican& Man-
hattan is • slap-dash, extravagant writer ; but
he is a pure Yankee and a fair representative of
his countrymen, even in his bunkum talking
humour. Nor is this mocarchial fancy of his
so chimerical as it might at first sight seem. Why
should it be more impossible than it was for re-
publican England to accept a Protector, a
king nailer another name 1 It is true the
North, just now, is in no humour to Bain to
vaticinaticins of this kind; but the "re-union"
cry, we are assured, has set in with redoubled
earnestness throughout the whole of Yankeedotn.
It is their all-absorbing with to be one again for
commerce, for intercourse, for internal progress
and external action. For this they would
sacrifice the fundamental principles of the Fede-
ration, flaky, even their awn aspiration after
Catory. They hire sacrificed much wealth, and
tens of thousands of valuable lives, and if their
last desperate effort prove • failure, as all former
efforts have proved; and as this unquestionably
will fail to obtain the desired object, may not
Manhattan's scheme be attempted? A limited
monarchy, like that of England, would be the
best firm of Government the Americans just
bow could devise--the best fur themselves and
Am the world.

DCHROHHSTBR.—Perniteb Colt)/ 31sargt, Se.
torday, March 28, —The attendance woe aMall, and
the wheat trade firm. Barley and oats were scarce,
and fully maintained late rates. Seeds were dull of
lit
is proposed to hold it twist, meetina at lbor-
chatter, on Tuesday, April 7 (the tint day IA tht
Sessions) for the porpoise of adopting addresses of
oongragntlation to her Majesty the Queen, and their
Royal Highnesses the Prince and Princess of Wales,
on the recent event of the marriage. A requisition
to the High Sheriff to convene the meeting lies
for signature at the under-oherirs office, Dorchester,
sad all persons desirous of signing the same are re-
quested to take an early opportunity of so doing,
Sod it is proposed to funeard the requisition to the
sheriff on Tuesday, the 31st instint. Any gentle:
roan to whom it is inennvieetit attatid to sight
the requisition, may have his name ioserted if he
will mend his card to the under-sheriff, with a request
that hi+ name may be added to the requisition.
Ditmeriote —Michael Morrie, of Piddleirenthide, was
on Monday brought before the Mayor. at the Tows-lull,
there'd with absenting I,lsesiif from the Dorset R. 51-
meal of Militia, whilst out for liaising. Sergeant-
Major Cahn, of the Blind Militia, deposed that pri•
491bfitr belonged to No. , company of that regiment.
He was absent fruit the reginseht daring the while of
the time It was I.st miled out for training. lie did
not bend any reason for Ida abeence, although • nether
paper was sent him. Witness had not seen bits since
he had been enn.lled until the present time. Harvey
Lane, a drummer it. the Doreet )(HUM, stated that on
' Saturday laa he went to Pidlietrenthkie sod &ppm-
heeded the prisoner as $ deserter. He brought him to
Rochester, aed have Mtn iii etistorty of tye poluoej Pri-
. unser admitted to wither, that he belong. u did Daniel
Militia, sod that he bad also join,d the &saes Militia.
About three weeks ago wittier •pprehended the prisoner
In Don:beater, and he was then taken to the Colonel
Seryiesilt Warren. The Mayor mid there had been no
oroof produeed that the prisoner belonged to the Susses
Militia, beyond his own statement, awl lie coati not
be treated as a deserter. A o-rtifleate, which had been
found in the prisoner's pocket, signed by the Colossi of
the Dorset Militia, certified that he was not to be
armeebehded as • dtrieg, A ?end wee asked
Mr, to di to eha gorges' Major Dollies IS
Cribs to the authorities of the Soso% Militia comersiee
the prisoner joining that regiment. The case was
therefore adjourned until Thursday.

DORSET VOL/Wilt A MOO ATloll.—Tbe Council of
this Association, in preventing Hair report to the
annual general meeting, to be held at the County Hell,
Dorchester, on Tensity, the 7th of April. congratulates
the members on the succeosful melt of the year's opus-
end aln of the attiefectory meals. attending
the rifle sompittition in Andiat lan. The Council Eased
that the permanence and welfare of the emaciation will
be best maintained by a large number of moderate
subeeriptions, and hopes that every member of the
association will do his utmost in endeaveuring to ohmie
sabscribets. Ti.. thanks of the Conned are miceirded to
the givers of prises at the late ride competition, via.
Joseph Clundry, Eon.. (High Sheriff 4 Lieutenant
Colonel 0, P. &teasel, ii (or Stewart., Captain Furor
sad B. P. Guodry. Req., and they trust the example'
set by these gentlensee will be followed. Tbe camecil
express regret that the immune of the current year proved
imudicient to meet its expenditure, the sense of which
I was the small number of LI entries for She MOO All.
COMeei Prizes, and farther adds that experience has
shown that it is not generall7 safe to calculate on
the attraction of very huge prises, and the error would
In (Mare be avoided. In emesidering the neediest of
asalstatice towards the expenses of Artillery aid Ride
Volunteer Corps, on their assessibling at Dorchester for
the Review, the Council were of opinice that Inatome@
of the railway fare should be borne by each volunteer,
and the reemioder by the Council, endue that condition
marching mousy has been paid. In conolusion the
Council tender their Meeks to the railway compatible
and their cabers for their liberelity and courtesy
throughout the year, amd aim to their Itinerary
Secretary, Liettemust Coombs, t 4 the And Dorset Ride
Volunteers, for his unwearied exertions at the dose-
and also for his servile, as their seerettry.
From the balsam sheet for the past year it appears that
tvolillitc. including • bslanes of £l2O 12s. 10.1.
from the last account, amounted to 05411 M.. snit the
expenditure, articling 1.276 for prima £45 30. RI. for
...tubing money, £27 lbs. Ad. for range,
_targets. and
other Items, to E 461 13s, 9': The council have there-