The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1867-02-26 00:00:00

PORTLAND.

Taut PORTLAND VOLOSTIIII ARTILLJAT.—The
Band of this oorpo mustered on Saturday menaight
and played at intervals until they arrived at Port-
lami Castle, where the Medical oMosr (Dr. Ready)
and several recruits were sworn in by Captain Mann-
ing Her Hajeeey's Lieutenant Governor of lb. Island.
The next day Sunday, the corps mustard in vary
good force and attended Divine eervicie at the Parish
church (St. Georges, Reforms) when an exoelkint
swami was mosobed by the Rey. C. David Rogarth
the Reciter.
WILLIAM ROI7TRLL, 11X-11P. —Our oorralpOlidsal
Nana that the otieviet Armpit bee for several weeks
past been in the hospital. When be Obit came to
Portland be worked in the quarries with the other
convicts, sod hi' health seemed to improve through
Sa• outdoor AlRlMoymmill. After a while, he VOW
to be in-door,, sad ass eatto "mirk at book-
binding.- This. however, dam sot sprat to Mee

gaited hie easelituties, fee Ids health gradeally 4.
alined, sod M length be tree obliged to eater the
harpitsil, whore be maim bats wreck of Ai man
be aloe was.

Po LLLLL D POPULAR RIADINOL —Another enter.
bailment in onmeceim with the Meehanice'
lnatitation yam annonnoed to take Sao, on Tuesday
evening last, when the following programme wag
before ths audience :—Solo cornet, Mr.
far:es; reading, " Misadventures at Margate,"
Mr. Zillwood Milleige; wog. "Take a lesson fro.n
me,' Mn. Water.; reading, "Our village" (T.
Rood), Mr. Blake; song, "Meat ine to night,'
Mies Mack; reading, "An Englishman abroad,"
sketch N... 2, Rev. A. Hill; song, "Th. merry
men of Ragland," Mr. Payne; reading. "Selections
from Pickwick," Mr. Ask; song, "The return of
the Admiral," Mr. Brown; readies. "Content-
ment," Rev. IL Jeanette; duet, " dilver moonlight
winds are blowing," Messrs. Duffield and Stagg;
reading, "A married maa's reverie," Mr. Payne.

Copontotriosal. CmArsi..—The third of a series
of lectures wee delivered on Wednesday senaight, by
tho Rev. R. 8. Ashton, S a., of Weymouth, on
" Palestine," illustrated by several large d4rante
representing the chief places of note counectsd more
especially with the life of our Saviour. Tbe lector,
WX4 most instructive, and, by & singularly happy
method adopted by the rev. lecturer, was felt by all
to be most interesting and attractive; the only
regret manifested by the &sadism.' being that it WM
Sot more lengthy. A vote of thanks warn imani.
numbly adopted and promotod to the rev. gentleman,
who in return a:premed his pleasure M contribut-
ing to their happinem, and his sympathy with the
object of the lectures. The Rev. R. T. Verrall,
LA ,of Poole, will lectare oa "Common SOUS" on
Toesclay evening, Feb. 27th.

luminaire Costtocr.—On Moaday evening, •
"private" of the (16th Regt., stationed at Parties&
was evidently in much of "private lodgings" and
in his wanderings through Fortune's v.ll, came to •
door which being unfastened evidentl attracted
his attention, and he boldly peeled to, the
door behind him, and made his way upstairs, whore
be 000lly undressed himself, and sought comfort in
the bed elready prepared for • "sleeper." Before
going further we should remark that the boom
entered, was occupied by • Mr. Parker, who
supplies the neighbourhood with milk, and is not
far from the premises occupied by Mr. Thresher.
The "woman" of the house who had not been absent
for more than ten minutes, on attempting an entrain*
was of course surprised to find the front door looked
and on making an entrance through a side door,
and thence upstairs naturally felt much alarmed to
find one of her beds oocopied by an utter stranger.
Assistaace was at mine sought for, and the police
having arrived apprehended the man and conveyed '
him to Wyke Regis (across the dismal beach), the
nearest lockup at a somewhat lively hour of the
night (eleven o'clock). The individual taken in
charge seemed to take the matter rather coolly sad
on being asked by Mrs. Parker if be ought not
to be ashamed of himself for trespassing into her
house, he replied that he had not stolen her
pocket book. We doubt not he will bare • hearing
on the charge of being on the premises for an
unlawful purpose.
- -

_
I The 56TM POMPADOURS : SSIDIR RITLI COMPITI.
TION UT THU StRORANTS OF TIN RISOMIST. —OD
Moaday an event transpired on the Chesil Beach
which may comparatively be termed of national int-
portaDoe, i.e., the first public trial in the district of
the effectiveness of the Snider Rifle, and its conse-
quent advantage, both as regards aim and numerical
firing, within a given space of time. It had been
g:virt.usly arranged that on the day named the
is of the 56th Regiment should form two
sections under the following beads : —The first motion
under Sergeant-Major Clayton (numbering 20), and
the ascend section under QuartermasterAsegeant
White (numbering 19). The Sergeanta mustered us
full ((ores in the morning, and were soon in Disrobing
order, and from the barracks, on the Verne, to the
firing ground (the Chesil Beach) the "merry Ber-
Resets of the 56th" wended their way right &Ger.
fully, the men of each section of coarse being in
high spirits and in expectation of winning the prises
to be shot for, namely, • silver cop (the first prise),
and two silver pencil cases with holders, entworibed
for by the competitors. On reaching the IF
ground the firing parties were soon arranged, and
amongst the officers of the regiment present we
noticed Colonel Lacy, Captain Huskisson, Lima.
King, Quartermaster Whittaker. Ensign Some, ke.
The firing oommeoced shortly after half-pant tee, and
the following were the scone made :

SIZOELST-NAJOR CLAXTON'S SECTION.
MO fOU 600 TM.

yds. rte. yds.
Sergsant Major Clayton . 17 11 8 26
CoLSsegesat Wettings . IR 12 16 46
Sergi. Mu -Ins. Walker . 15 16 0 91
CoL-fierygennt L..?!kkey . 11 12 5 28

flargoanCD:r,ill 1: it :
R
„ Hinais . . 6 7 3-16
Drata•Major GIU.. . 7 2 6 15
Bergioast Newland . . 11 14 0 25
„ Thomas . . 16 12 7 35
„ Ceakk . . 10 6 0 16
„Oiblu. . 6 3 0 9
Stabbing . . 14 19 6 39
8 8 4 20
Col.:Sarnant Tuck . . 19 10 5 25

Bergeae; Diguan . . 17 14 6-: 40
-
„ Barks . . . 13 10 9 32
„ Neal . . . 15 8 14 37
„ liarJy. . . 9 10 9 28
„ Bryan. . . 8 2 3 13

QUARTIII-IAIITZIOSIIIIOIANT WHMell 1110r1011..

Qr.-lbs.-B.ri.eant White .

.9 11 3-
29

gerseast Bra-dy . . 14 6
Gee . . . 18 4 2 22
„ . . 11 6 0 17
„ Tod* . . . 11 12 2 25
„ Greenwood. . 10 7 0 17
Harkins . . 12 8 4-24
Yeampaaer . . 5 5 2 12
Oollarretent Maim . . 7 9 6 22

SsrgsuiNu.r: :9 6 i
, 11eDenso4t . 19 9 5 23
Coi.:.4er3etn.t.Morphy . !!
.! 0 18

Serisanrilebbert . 11 11 5 37
drm.-Barginat Donnelly . 0 0 0 0
Sergeant Knish/ . . 14 16 7 37
„ Ward . . 19 13 3-38
Cot-Sergeant Fox . . 15 14 3 32
Sergeant Moore . . 9 6 5 20
„ Elston . . . 10 14 13 37

It will he noticed that the firing at the 600 yards
was not of the best, but this is accounted for by the
henry fog which prevailed on the beach st that time.
Colour-Sergeant Wellings, with the exoellent wore
of 46, took the "dyer cup; Sergegut Dignan, with
40, • silver pencil-ogee and bolder; sod Sergeant
Neal, a similar prise to the lest, with 37 points.
After the above match, there was • contest amongst
the sergsante in rapidity of firing with the now
breech-toadies Snider rifle tea shot" each at 300
yards. The average of the first section before-
mentioned (20 roes) was 7.9, per rootage of bite 30,
average time, 2 min. 5 sec. ; second section (19 mem)
736, per restage of hits 28.99, time 2min. 10aeco
It has been said that the Snider rifle was practically
• failure because of the powder flying up into the
fame of the mat when the rifle was fired, bat so far
as the experience of the the 56th has gone, there bee
been no rremptoms of any such unpleemnt results,
I and the sergeants think the new ride a very effective
and admirable weapon. Colonel Lacy tried the
Dew rills and made an excellent score. Ensign Sines
and Quarter-Master Whittaker also fired with
the new weapon, and found it fully to
sneerer the expectations formed reenacting it. On
returning to the barracks, the party dined together,
under the presidency of Sergeant-Major Clayton,
and with Musketry-Sergeant Walker in the vice-
chair. On the removal of the cloth Sergeant-Major
Clayton in • short appropriate address presented the
cup to the winner, C.olour.Sergeant Welling., who
responded at some length, and concluded by ordering
the cop to be filled with brandy and passed it
During the evening Colour-Serjeant sad orderly
room clerk Turner made some brief but very com-
plimentary remark. on the satisfactory manner in
which the regiment had been supplied with groceries,
Ito., by Mr. G. E. Andrews, and proposed his
health. The health. of the chairman sad vice-
chairman was also cordially drank. The catering of
lierjeant Toole wee highly appreciated. The seeping
was spent right pleasantly.