The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-03-21 00:00:00

THE BURIALS BILL.

Mr. Disraeli has fasted to the House of Commons,
says the Rrontiner, that the Burials Bill in a sanitary,
not a religious question. His acute m,ml, in which
logical power bears an inverse proportion to the sense
of sin, cannot fail to see the obvious consegnence.
Members of the Church of England, whose number
far exceeds that of the Nonconformists. who may have
occasion to lay their limbs in consecrated ground, are
henceforwar I, out of regard to the public health, to
seek some other re-tine-place, or find another and less
antiquated method of disposing of their mortal coil.
Churchmen, in short, must resign to Dissenters the
nse of the national graveyards. The question being,
in fact, an arithmetical one, the insignificant minority
whose grievances have been the subject of so much
declamation, may look for the speedv satisfaction of a
claim which will annuslly add bat a few score or so of
inhabitants to the millions of our underground popula-
tion. It is rumoured in well-informed circle, that
Mr. Disraeli. in whose policy rionprern has often
played a weighty part, will, after Easter. surprise the
linage of Commons with a Bill to this effect. On the
rumour reaching Lincoln, the bishop of that diocese i*
said to have me Mated self-deetniction, and to have
been only restrained by the consideration that such
an act would have cut him off from all part or lot in
the consecrated earth of which he I. under God, a
trustee. Differing as we do from the bishop, both on
political and theological questions, we cannot but
rejoice at his decision.

THE LOSS OF THE MISLETOE.
What Baron Bramwell said to the jury when charg-
ing them upon the Alberta-Mistletoe collision was
curiously perverted, and the perversion was 80 serious
that, without waiting for an a Tour, the learned judge
deemed it right to send to Mr. Secretary Cross a
correct report of those portions of his charge that had
been incorrectly given to the public. It was alleged
against the Baron that he had told the jury a verdict
against the Alberta officers might pain the Queen. So
he did, but he said more, and the addition, which was
omitted, was the more important part. What he did
say was—" A verdict against the Alberta people
might give pain where you would be sorry to give it.
You must guard against this influencing you, and if
you feel a verdict of manslaughter is right, RO you
must say." Then it was said the Judge had told the
jury that they ought not to find a true bill against the
officers in command of the Alberta because, as
Englishmen, they ought to be proud that the Queen
could go at a higher rate of speed than any private
person. This, too, is inadequately reported. Baron
Bramwell condemned distinctly the opinion of Captain
Sullivan that the Royal yacht must "necessarily" go
at a greater speed than usual when her Majesty is on
board and he censured in terms about which there
could he no mistake, the somewhat unwise statement
of Captain Welch that the yachts "gave him a great
deal of trouble," on the express ground that the
more trouble they give the m..re care he must take."
The charge, therefore, of servility against one of the
most independent of our Judges is thus satisfactorily
disposed of.