The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1876-02-29 00:00:00

Pond Condi' Exprecio.'

TITZSDAY, FEBRUARY 29. 1876.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

We are promised at lout another "sacra-
ment" case, u the dispute which has agitated
Clifton for some months past is briefly called.
It is rumoured that the incumbent of a Bath
pariah has sent in his resignation to the Bishop
rather than administer the sacrament to a
parishioner in a particular fashion. The para-
graph which gives publicity to the rumour
states, "It is said that the intending communi-
cant wished to receive the bread in the palm of
the hand, that the minister refused to place it
there, that the 'aggrieved parishioner' com-
municated with the Bishop, and that a
' correspondence between the diocesan and the
clergyman has resulted in an offer of resignation,
but that it has not yet been accepted." In the
Romanist fashion, the priest takes the bread
between the forefinger and thumb of his right
hand, makes the sign of the cross with it, and
then places it in the open mouth of the com-
municant. The "fashion" said to have been
demanded by the Bath communicant is strictly
in accordance with the rubric, which orders the
minister to deliver the communion to himself,
to the bishops, priests, and deacons, and after
that to the people also in order, "into their
hands."

A case which came before the County Magis-
trates at Dorchester, a day or two ago, may
fairly invoke • few remarks. A labourer was
summoned for trespassing in pursuit of game.
The charge against him failed, and we have
nothing to do with his conduct in the matter;
but what we would wish to draw attention to is
the course pursued by the keeper who sought to
convict him. Some considerable time before
midnight, on the day in question, he heard a
hare "cry "—a more expressive word could
hardly perhaps be applied to the agonising and
pitiful utterances of an unfortunate little animal
with its legs in a vicious trap cruelly biting into
the bone. The ordinary dictates of mercy, one
would have thought, would have impelled the
keeper at least to have knocked it on the head.
His own evidence showed he did nothing of the
kind. It was allowed to remain in torture till
eight o'clock the next morning, when the
defendant came and took it out of the trap.
The unfortunate creature was still alive, and the
keeper had passed the night in watching it.
We do not wish to refer to this case individually.
The unfeeling and probably thoughtless custom
is too common; but when magistrates have
previously inflicted a imbstantial penalty upon a
man who beat a stubborn donkey, one would
have fancied that at least a gentle rebuke would
have been administered to this utter contempt
for the sufferings of a far more delicate member
of the brute creation. At all events the subject
ought not to be above the consideration of those'
gentlemen who employ keepers, and a word in
season would obviate without doubt a great deal
of unnecessary cruelty.
• We have had various by-elections since the
meeting of Parliament; but, as these isolated
contests cannot practically influence current
politics, they excite little attention here, com-
gpared the elections for the new French
ildbers, although the results of the latter are
not yet fully known. But, judging by what we
know, France seems determined to give a
moderate Republic a fair trial. Few very
extreme candidates have been returned, and
even in Paris the comparatively modern
Gaznbetta men have received a large amount of
support. There are not wanting departments
in which Orleanism and Bonapartism run a
very close race with Republicanism; but the
fact that where the French want a monarchy
they are about equally divided as to the choice
of dynasty, shows the advisability, if not the
necessity, of continuing the Republic, as the only
practical resource. As for Legitimatism, it is
nowhere in the contest.

Lord Fortescue did well to call attention to
the disgraceful want of a knowledge of writing
which exists among the lower classes in this
country; but we do not think that a return of
"the proportional number of men and women
who signed the marriage register with marks in
the several counties of England and Wales,"
will be altogether trustworthy. It is known to
clergymen, Ivestry clerks, and others, who are
officially connected with marriage ceremonies;
that men and women, and especially the latter,
who can write, are so fluttered at the critical
time of being asked to sign the marriage
register that they put a cross, when they could
—if they were allowed to square their elbows,
and put out their tongues enough—write their
names. However, it is well to direct attention
to the subject. If we had our way we would
not allow any one to serve on a jury or to vote
for anybody or anything who could not write his
name. Although everybody now votes by put-
ting a cross! but it would be rather hard to
forbid people to marry because they cannot
write. If they like to begin their married life
with crosses, why let them do so!

Within a day or two a meeting will be held in
the county town to advocate the suppression of
the liquor traffic on Sundays. It will doubtlessly
be followed up by others in different towns.
Probably not one third of the licensed victuallers
themselves would object to the measure were it
made general. The Sunday afternoon quietude
is as much relished by them as by their fellow-
tradesmen, who, untrammelled by vexatious
and harrasing restrictions, are enabled to carry
on their businesses according to their own ideas
during the week. We shall not attempt to
anticipate any arguments that may be brought
forward pro or con; but there is one subject
upon which we may well ask for enlightenment.
Have the enforced curtailment of hours and the
passing of soberising Acts of Parliament effected
the objects which their promoters had in view 1
Can this be shown by statistics i We are afraid
not. Scotland, where the liquor laws are more
stringently applied than in England, shows
increased drunkenness. In the State of Maoine
—where the sale of liquor is altogether tabooed
--actual observation proves intoxication to be
the rule rather than the exception. We would
not for one moment attempt to discourage a
beneffifial movement, but, to us, it seems that
the stubborneas of human nature is such that
like children who cry for the moon, that which
is dictatorially placed out of their reach, men
will the more persistently demand.

Spelling Bees are litterally swarming through.
out this favoured Isle; and, in the words of a
Christy Minstrel doleful ballad, are "making
us children again, once as of yore." It is a very
innocent amusement, and being "sent to the
bottom of the clam" must have the effect of
bringing back the happy days of childhood in a
manner, for those who admire it, that cannot be
objected to. But could not some slight varia-
tion be introduced. A pronunciation Bee would
be an admirable way of teaching big boys and
girls how to speak correctly their mother
tongue, • performance, judging from recent
instances quite as much a necessity as an
acquaintance with the pages of the "Imperial."
Or of the mighty not a pleasing diversity be
from imparted Sussex and a S nkruig Bee belgiven.
At Hastings, we believe this is in contemplation.
Each one might exhibit his or her own particu-
lar fancy in the choice of a song and the public
judgment would soon probably weed out some
of the trash now going by the name of "comic"
—comic simply in the attempts of the authors to
be so.

In spite of the worry and excitement of the times
in which we live, a fairly large number of people
manage to survive till they are far on in the sere and
yellow leaf. In the year 1873. for which the returns
have recently been published, the lists of deaths in
England included 196 men and 480 women who were
registered as 95 years of age or upwards when they
died. Of these 89 had attained too years or more, and
it is very remarkable that no less than 79 of this number
were females. The oldest of the men in the obituary
of the year died in the Wolstanton district, Stafford.
shire, aged 103 ; but a woman who died in Hurst
Almhouse, Exeter, was 108, and another at Newport
in Monmouthshire, had reached the patriarchial age
of 112. Of thee 89 centenarians, nine were found
in London, 13 in North and South Wales, six in
Yorkshire, and six in Norfolk.