The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1882-11-21 00:00:00

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brat &unit' Exprtoo.

DORCHESTER, NOVEMBER Ha, ism

Lord Brabourne, accused by an anonymous
writer of having coveted office, and having
"made known his request" for a peerage,
appeals to Mr. Gladstone for a certificate of
disinterestedness. He seems satisfied with the
document which he his obtained in response,
and publishes it to the world. All that the
Premier has to say for the gentleman who
formerly served under hirn, and whom he re-
commended for promotion to the Upper House,
is that, as far "as his recollection serves him,"
no application was made by Mr. Knatchbull-
Hugessen for a peerage. A more curious or
guarded statement even the Premier could
hardly make. Gentlemen who desire peerages
do not go into the Premier's library and ask
him for one. They do not even get their next
friends to mike an application. The matter is
much more ingeniously arranged—a few news•
paper paragraphs, a whisper to the Government
from some influential member of the Upper
House. There arc many ways of killing a dog
besides hanging him.

The Marquis of Queensberry is the Brad.
laugh of the peerage. Ile does not, indeed,
endeavour to force himself upon the Upper
House, where his presence is unwelcome. But
he is the aristocratic type of the aggressive
Atheist. Formerly he called himself a Urn.
tarian. He was a worshipper in the well-
known Essex-street Chapel, and on more than
ens occasion occupied the pulpit there. When
his wife died he had her body interred in his
garden without any religious ceremony, and was
careful to announce to the public this token of
his disregard for modern custom and of con-
tempt for "consecrated ground.' His recent
outburst in :he Globe Theatre might in another
man have been mistaken for the result of
Inebriation, but in his case it was merely due
to strong excitement and the singular intoler-
ance of the scheol to which he belongs. The
offensive caricatures of the Freethinker ex.hibit
a similar temper of mind. No doubt the
Atheist of Mr. Tennyson's play is an overdrawn
and somewhat repulsive character. But there
are other stock stage characters which must be
equally distasteful to some members of every
audience. The stereotyped Dissenting hypocrite
most be regarded by such Nonconformists who
go to the theatre as a libel upon their own
religious views. The stage Jew must give
offence to Hebrew playgoers. Yet Diesenters
and Jews are too liberal-minded to " protest"
when members of their persuasion are held up
to ridicule and contempt in the drama.

The House of Douglas in the present genera-
tion is clearly eccentric. Nothing could be
more unlike than the Marquis of Queensberry
and his younger brother, Lord Archibald
Douglas, who was a clergyman in the Church
of England, and is now Roman Catholic
priest, an organiser of nineteenth-century
pilgrimages, and, to do him justice, an earnest
and philanthropic worker amongst the lowest
classes of the population of London. The
name of one of the sisters of the marquis has
been much before the public of late years.
lady Florence Douglas, since her marriage
known as Lady Florence Dixie, has travelled
much and written much. Her vtews upon
African affairs and Irish politics may not be of
the highest value, but she has taken care to
bring them prominently befure the world.
Another sister, Lady Gertrude Douglas, who,
like Lord Archibald, "went over to Rome"
some years ago, has just scandalised society by
marrying a young assistant tradesman as far
inferior In years to her ladyship as in position.
The example set by Lady Burdett-Coutts seems
to be finding imitators.

Almost from time immemorial, the Inland
Revenue clerks have had a grievance, or,
rather, a whole bundle of grievances. At
length, however, they appear determined to
make themselves heard. They have resolved
to hold meetings in different parts of the
provinces, and ultimately a mass meeting in
London. The proceedings at these meetings
are to be reported in the journals of the service,
the names of the speakers, however, being
suppressed, for fear of consequenees. Like
other people the excisemen want lees work and
more pay. The example of the Telegraph
Clerks has not been lost upon any of the inferior
departments of the Civil Service. So far, the
excisemen have been unable to enlist the
sympathy of any members of Parliament. We
are afraid they will find it difficult to get up a
popular cry in their support.

BOOIZTT TOR TEM PROPAGATION OF THE GOISPZIA—OS
Sunday next sermons will be preached at Holy
Trinity Church, morning and evening, in behalf of this
society by the Rev. Mr. Wright, missionary from
Japan.
DORMANT"' Lgorans Soritgrv.—lt will be seen by
advertisement that on Monday next the eminent
Professor Lankester will lecture on "Darwin and his
Work." The Professor is sure to meet with a hearty
reception.
TEA Uinta BoawAs.—There was an extensive
esplay of the Northern Lights on Friday evening.
which proved an object of much interest It is reported
the phenomenon bee been extremely vivid in various
parts of the country and on the continent, particularly
In Norway. dtrange to say, this is the severth time
the Lights have appeared simultaneously with the
peseence of enormous spots on the Inn. At the
present time there is a huge spot visible to the naked
eye, and said by astronomers to be much larger than
our earth.

--
Doss= Farzwpu 801:11111.—biroirurr Dmlimos.
—The executive of this society. at a meeting held on
Thursday, under the presidency of Sir Talbot H. B.
Baker, Bart, on the proposition of Mr. J. WUlisirs.
Bell, of Gillingham, determined to reduce the present
rate of sick pay in three branches of the society, viz.,
Clanford and Code Hunan, and North and South
Portland—the Cant red and Corte Mullen and Booth
Portlead branches by 3d. in the shilling, and the North
Portland branch by I.cL in the shilling, this step having
been rendered necessary in consequence of the branches
hark' for Boom time past shown an IMMO of sick
pay. This is the first instal*, in which the powers
possessed by the executive, under the new rule 26,
have been put in force.—Dir. L Robinson, of this toe a,
was ananimously elected swiretery in place of the lets
G. H. Day.

—•
Tn Thum &Boom CHILDIUDI'II figevlOg was
bald at the Congregational Chapel, South-street,
on Sunday at three p.m. The Mashers and wholers
of the Wesleyan and Baptist Schools marched in pro.
ambit from their respective planes of worship to the
chapel The edifice was well filled. The Rev. W.
Mho, Wesleyan Molder, gave out the well.known
lifnen Hilkin Glory, aro.," after which the Rev.
Yell, 'from Puounstown, read the xv. St. Luke's
Gospel, and prayer followed by Rev. W. Allen. The
Rev. Tell selected his text from Jeremiah 4th verse.
The sermon treated of God's love to man, the
different agencies by which Man receives the Spirit of
God, sometimes through neture,through the birds, and
through teacher and preacher. God spears to man, tbue
resulting in a changed character end life. The Royal
relationship with the Father, which God'. ohildreu
mould alone understand, was simply and earnestly
unforced. Chriu's love in dying for fallen humanity,
and the duty of all to give themselves to and's service
without delay, was faithfully urged. The sermon
abounded with illustration* and anecdotes bearing
upon the all imp otent subject, and was very atten-
tively listened to by the young people.