The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1858-03-16 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

DORCHESTER, TUFBDAY, MARCH 16,1858.

HONESTE AUDAZ

THE House of Commons reassembled on Friday
evening, after the adjournment which had been
rendered necessary by the Ministerial re-elec-
tions. After the new Ministers had taken the
oaths and their seats, Mr. DISRAELI announced
that within the last hour HER MAJESTY'S
Government had received a communication from
the Government of France, by which those
painful misconceptions which have for some time
prevailed have been entirely terminated in a fair
and honourable spirit, and in a manner which
will be as grateful to the feelings as it will be
conducive to the interests of both countries.
The policy of the new Government, of which
Lord DERBY gave a general outline on the Ist
inst., has been more fully set forth during the past
week by the leading members of his Administra-
tion in their speeches to their constituents. Of
all the subjects touched upon by these addresses
the most important was the political relations of
France with this and other countries in which
the right of asylum is held sacred. Mr.
DISRAELI, in his speech to the electors of Bucks,
declared his conviction that the British people
will never submit to an attempt to change the
laws of the land at the dictation of a foreign
Power; while Lord STANLEY, in his speech at
Lynn, assured his constituents that there never
can exist at any time, under any Minister, a
question of surrendering, or even of modifying
in the minutest degree, that right of asylum
which has been through all ages our proud
prerogative, and which has been claimed success-
fully by two members of the House of Bourbon
and by the present EMPEROR, when a candidate
for the Imperial throne. These declarations,
coupled with some remarks by Mr. Dissasu on
the efficient state of our military and naval
forces, created great uneasiness in Paris in the
early part of the week, and the funds in both
countries were sensibly affected by the distrust
which prevailed. The general apprehension was
increased by the publication of a pamphlet on
the relations of the EMPEROR with England,
ostensibly from the pen of M. DE LA GI:MR-
RONIERE, a Member of the Council of State, but
in reality it is said inspired by the EMPEROR
himself. This manifesto sets forth the claims of
the EMPEROR to the favour of the English
people, as a loyal ally "tested by many dangers
"and trials," from his first election as President
to the present hour. It states that this loyalty has
been responded to by allowing conspiracies to be
planned under the protection of the English laws,
and by allowing the conspirators to mature their
plans unmolested on English soil. It states
that the EMPEROR has no wish to impair the
right of asylum by which he himself profited
during his adversity. Believing, however, that
our legislation is not sufficiently efficacious, he
trusts to the good faith of the English Govern-
ment to give "satisfaction to justice, morality,
"social interests and international rights ;" and
hopes that no misoonceptions will weaken the
accord of two great nations "whose alliance is
indispensable to the future prosperity of the
civilized world."

IF we are to judge from what passed in the
Howie of Commons on Friday last, Lord
MALMESBURY is to claim the merit of having
poured oil upon the troubled waters, with so
much effect indeed as to prevent the unpleasant
contingency of a rupture of the Anglo-French
alliance. The French and English diplomatists
allege against each other certain misconceptions,
which are sought to be cleared up, On the one
hand, by the_declaration of our Government of
their determin' ation to maintain inviolate the
right of asylum; and, on the other hand, the
declaration of the French EMPEROR to the effect
that he never dreamt of such a thing as to
attempt to interfere with that right. Count
WALEWSKI, speaking in the name of the
EMPEROR, regrets the construction placed on
the EMPEROR'S intention, and requests that the
correspondence may cease and the alliance con-
tinue. These mutual explanations, such as they
are, are regarded for the moment as satisfactory;
but whether they are so in reality, and will tend
to rectify the hitch which has occurred in our
relations with France, there is some reason to
doubt. We should be sorry, of course, to throw
any suspicion upon the sincerity of the EMPEROR,
or to say a word which might affect, in the
slightest degree, the agreeable supposition that
the refugee dispute is entirely blown over, and
that our good understanding with France is as
firm and unquestionable as ever. Still, it may
be pretty safely asserted that so favourable a
view of the case is far from being supported by
facts. Facts, we know, are stubborn things, and
those which are of that unbending nature, and
will not yield to the utmost ingenuity and the

most captivating eloquence, are found in the
terms of that dispatch which the most powerful
logic can never prove to be any other than an
Intolent and libellotis *Unit*

An article appeared— on Sa.turrla— y, in our great
contemporary, the Times, which is a most lucid
and able production, and, for once, an honest
effusion of the mind. It goes to show the spirit
In which the offensive dispatch was dictated, by
a reference to another dispatch on the same
subject, addressed at the same time to the little
Republic of Switzerland; and shows with re-
markable clearness and power the injustice and
attempted oppression manifeeted
.in those de-
mands. "On the very day," says the Time,,
"that Count Watzsesici signed his letter to M. DI
Ftialcitsv he signed another to the Minister of
Prawn at Berne. To this latter production we
must draw the attention of our readers. We are
now told on authority that the missive of the
French Government to this country was not
insulting or meant to be insulting, that the
French Government contented itself with point-
ing out a deficiency in our institutions, and left
it to our own good sense to propose a remedy.
It is allowable, however, to explain one docu-
ment by another that is contemporary, and to
interpret ambiguous phrases by a comparison
with others of the same writer. Let us, then,
observe how the statesman who describes him-
self as a model of moderation and propriety
addresses the Swiss Republic, where, in former
days, his master found a refuge. It is indeed a
most astonishing document. Not only is every
form of courtesy thrown aside, not only is the
insolence of superior strength displayed through-
out, not only is the opinion of other European
States made of no account, but Switzerland is in
the plainest terms threatened, unless she
instantly complies with the French demands."
Extracts from the dispatch in question are then
given, which display clearly enough not only the
temper of the French Government, but the
determination to enforce their views upon this
matter, where that may appear to be easily done,
by force of arms. This extraordinary dispatch
will be found in another column; it is every way
worthy of a careful and attentive reading, anti
will prove beyond all doubt how little the
majority of the House of Commons is charge-
able with misconceiving the "intention" of the
EMPEROR, when they denounced, with such
fatal consequences to the Administration, the
insolence of that official letter. We can-
not refrain from following, to some extent,
the equally spirited and powerful exposition of
the Times in relation to this most important
topic. "We will say nothing more on the in-
tolerable arrogance of this production, or the
ingratitude for former hospitality which it dis-
plays. But we would, in the first place, use it
as a commentary on the dispatch which was
sent to us. Every one must be convinced that
the mere punishment of convicted plotters of
murder was not all that Count WAIRWRICI
wanted. It was all that he could induce Lord
PawdzarroN to grant, and so he accepted it;
but a general surveillance of refugees and a sup-
pression of their meetings were the real objects
of the turbulent manifestations of himself, his
colleagues, and the military aspirants whom they
control. The matter is made plain by an exami-
nation of this Swiss note. We have already
spoken of the demand on Austria regarding the
Viennese press; similar instances, we find from
our correspondence, have been made at Berlin,
and to the little Republic of Central Europe the
whole demands of France are unfolded. Now,
it must be remembered, that international law
makes no distinction of strong and weak, that
every Sovereign State has equal rights, and
that, if France is entitled to ask anything of
Switzerland, she is equally entitled to ask it of
our own country. What is it, then, which
France considers so much her right that she
demands it "without delay, without any more
"dilatory or evasive replies,"—demands it in
injurious language, and with the threat of in-
vasion? It is not merely that assassins shall be
punished, but that refugees of no nation shall
be allowed to inhabit certain parts of the SWD3B
territory. An Italian who has never been the
subject of the French EMPEROR, or a Frenchman
who fled when the Republic fell, men whose
business may lie in the town of Geneva, who
may have married there, who may have their
children at school there, who may be performing
all the duties of citizens in the place, are, at the
demand of a foreign potentate, to be driven from
their habitations, and " internes " in some moun-
tain canton. Now, if this be a just demand on
Switzerland, it is a just demand on England.
The French Foreign Secretary expressly tells us
that to "expel dangerous men," and to "place
"them at more distant parts," are measures which
the EMPEROR demands on the strength of the
law of nations. Are the English people prepared
to acquiesce in this doctrine, and to transport
the London refugees to the Scotch Highlands?
And, if they are not, may they not well inquire
how far Count WALEWSILI'B dispatch to them is to
be interpreted by that which he addressed on the
same day to another State?" We cannot but
think that it is the misfortune of the EMPEROR
to have about him some very incompetent and
dangerous advisers, otherwise, it is difficult to
understand how it is that the Government of a
Sovereign, with so high a reputation for sagacity
as the French EMPEROR, should have sanctioned
the enunciation of such doctrines, and the utter-
ing of such threats.

"As to the neutrality of Switzerland," says
the Times, "it is a matter of more importance
than M. WALEWSKI appears to imagine, and we
should hope that the French Government would
be better advised than in such a cause to venture
upon an act which the other Powers of Europe
could not see without great concern. But the
important point in the recent proceedings of the
French Cabinet is the assertion of a right to
interfere in the administration of other States
where malcontents against its own authority may
reside. This is a principle which can never be
admitted, and which may as well be repudiated
at once. The law and the opinion of Europe
must protect Belgium or Switzerland as well as
England or the United States. The justice of
the case is clear. It is no pleasure for peaceful
communities to receive refugees among them;
it is a stern social duty. These men have been
driven from their country by the violence of
factions, they have passed months or years in
the midst of political tempest', and they are not
likely to settle down at once into quiet citizens.
If there be a ground of complaint on either side,
it belongs to those nations on whose shores or
frontiers these bands of outcasts are thrown.
France has, in this matter, been a grievous
offender in Europe. What have England and
Belgium and the Swiss Cantons done that they
should be periodically covered with the still
burning matter discharged from the French
volcano? Is it not well known that men of
desperate character, of violent passions, of fana-
tical opinions, heroes of the club and the barri-
cade, have been violently expelled from France
year after year, to wander whither they choose?
Are we to be responsible for these men? Are
we to turn ourselves into agents of police for each
successful party which reigns in France? Are
we to demoralize our social system by espionage,
and, because a foreign potentate chooses to
recall the age of proscription, to aid him by
spreading a network of detection which is odious
to our feelings, and the operation of which must
tend to injure our own moral tone? These
things we never can consent to, and yet they are
demanded of us, since they are demanded of
others whose misfortune it is to be weaker than
ourselves."

DORCHMTER PITCHED CORN MARKET, Saturday.
—Our market was thinly attended. The supply of all
kinds of grain was moderate, and the trade ruled
dull at prime rather in faroar of the buyer.,

A report of the important meeting of the creditors
of the Blandford Old Nods will be found in our third
PASTORAL AID SOCIETY,- -John Floyer, Val , of
Stafford, is to preside at the annivonary this
society this (Tuesday) morning at the Townhall.
OXVORD EXAMINATION TOR THE MIDDLE CLASSES.
—Ws hear that the Oxford authorities have sp.
pointed Bath one of the centres of examination. It
will take place on the 21st of Juno next. The
fullest information will be given in relation to the
examination.

Msiss Law.—A second visit is to be paid to this
town on Thursday by Mr. Hilton, who is to speak
on a "Persuasive Maine Law for England."
The Rev. James H. Nowers, assistant chaplain of
the Portland Convict Establishment, has been pro.
mot,ed to the chaplaincy of the Wait Hiding House
of Correction at Wakefield.

DORCHESTER WORKING MEN'S MUTUAL IMPROVE.
MIGHT SOCIETY.—The Rev. Wm. Barnes is to deliver
his second lecture on " Gold aud Labour" at the
Townhall tomorrow (Wednesday) evening, in connec-
tion with the above society.
Ties Donny or CORNWALL. —The receipts of the
Duchy of Cornwall for the year 1857 amounted to
£61,829, and the discharges to £57,132, leaving a
cash balance at the end of the year of £4,697. The
payments made to the trustees and treasurer of the
Prince of Wales for the use of his Royal Highness
amounted to £39,112.
AMATEUR THEATRICALB.—Lset night some of the
soldiers at our barracks, belonging to the Ilth
Hussars, donned the buskin and fretted their hour
upon the stage, quitting the "field" for "the
boards," and came out in a drama entitled "Old
Adam." The farce of. "Box and Cox" was subse-
quently played. We understand there will be
histrionic performances weekly at the barracks.
THE Eccipsx.-0 wing to the presence of a great
many clouds and of a thick fall of rain, the annular
eclipse of the sun yesterday forenoon was scarcely
discernible in its advance; and we are not aware
that the annulus, or halo round the moon, and
which occurred about one o'clock, when the accumu-
lation of cloud happened to be greatest, was seen by
any one in this neighbourhood. Subsequently to
this, however, when the sky became freer of clouds,
and after the departure of the strange darkness con-
equent upon the shadowy advent of the new moon,
tithe interesting phenomena of the subsidence of the
eclipse could be well seen by the aid of smoked
glass.
MESMERISM, CSIC, AND MAGIC.—Tor three or
four evenings last week Mr. Bernardo Eagle and his
daughter have been exhibiting at the Tovnihall the
worn-out marvels of clairvoyance and other magical
tricks. Public interest in this kind of entertainment
appears to be gone, if we may judge from the cha-
racter and paucity of the attendance on each occasion,
and the listlessness and incredulity plainly discern-
ible amongst the few (mostly of the humbler class)
who were present

DORSET Paorrsratrr Socurnr.—On Tuesday the
annual meeting of this society took place at the
Townhall. The attendance was not very numerous.
The Rev. Reginald Smith presided. After prayer
had been offered, the Chairman said that although
the society was small the work engaged in was not
small, and he earnestly hoped the object of the asso-
ciation would never be allowed to drop into disue-
tude. England had recently had a striking example
of the danger of despising a foe. The Rev. W. L
Noel,secretary, read the annual report, which showed
that the receipts had amounted to .£45 14s. l 1 ed.,
and that a balance remains to the society for the
current year. With the lecture to be delivered that
evening, five lectures would have been delivered in
Dorchester in connection with this society, and the
Rev. Charles Bingham had promised to deliver a
sixth, which would close the present lecture season.
The report regretted that more was not done in the
way of holding prayer meetings in aid of the society.
This society had sent subscriptions to the Protestant
Alliance, the Protestant Reformation Society, the
Church Protestant Defence Society, to the pro-
moters of the case Ditcher v. Denison and towards
the maintenance of the Gospel within this county.
A committee was then appointed, Charles Porcher,
Esq., chairman, the Rev. Mr. Handley, and the
Rev. Mr. Bradshaw, secretaries, and Mr. Herbert
Williams, treasurer • and three were in future to
form a quorum. The Rev. Mr. Noel concluded by
moving the adoption of the report. Mr. Moule
briefly seconded the motion, which was agreed
to. The Rev. T. W. Knipe then delivered a
lecture on "Modem Romanism abroad." At its
conclusion the Rev. C. W. Bingham proposed a vote
of thanks to the Chairman and lecturer, which was
unanimously carried, and the assembly separated.

PASSPORTS. —We extract the following remarks,
from one of a aeries of excellent articles in The
Continental Review, a new journal of the first class,
and of undoubted talent fund usefulness
"There is • radical ,difference between an English
passport and • passport granted by the government of a
continental nation. Our passport is nothing more than
a certificate that the bearer is an English subject; but
a foreign passport is not only a certificate of nationality,
but a permission to travel, granted by a State to its
members, the visa being the permission given by any
one State to the subjects of any other States to enter its
dominions. The proof that this is so is patent to any
one who visits the Continent. Our passports give a man
nothing but that to which every Englishman has a right
—an official recognition of the fact that he is an English-
man. They give him no single -right or immunity
which he did not possess before. Our government has
no power to prevent any man from going where or from
doing what he pleases. It ought to be distinctly under-
stood, that an English passport does not in any respect
warrant the character or political opinions of the holder.
That this is so, is shown by the fact that a passport once
granted never requires renewal. It is easy to picture
the paralysis of commerce, the bitter animosity, the
private suffering, which would be caused if Englishmen
were not permitted to enter France until the French
Government had ascertained their past history and pre-
sent intentions; but as a matter of strict right, the
Emperor is quite at liberty, if he pleases, to exclude any
Englishman from France, and to make any inquiries he
pleases. But this is all. One step beyond this is an
impertinent interference with our private affairs. He
has no right to ask us to do his dirty work. Our
Government has not, andought not to have, the power of
instituting any sort of inquiry into the character of any
man who is not accused of crime in due form of law.
Every Englishman is entitled to the immunities of his
position until the contrary is proved; and one of these
rights is the protection of British agents when he is
abroad, and this is all that an English "passport" even
affects to give him. We can well understand that this
arrvigement is unpleasant to foreign powers who are in
a panto. They very naturally wish us to adopt their
own plan of making every man carry his ticket in his
pocket, as a dog wears his collar round his neck; but
that is not our way of conducting affairs, nor can we
adopt it because other people choose to do so. We find
it unpleasant enough to have despotic neighbours; and
they must make up their minds to the discomfort of hay-
in ig free ones. We rejoice to see that Mr. Monckton
Mdnes is to bring the whole matter on the 23rd inst.
before Parliament. The recent regulations of the
Foreign Office, by which an English subject has to pro-
cure a recommendation from a magistrate before he can
obtain a passport, seem to us entirely at variance with
the spirit of English law and the tenour of English
customs."

DORORISTRR COUNTY COURT, Shirehall, Saturday.
(Before Edward Everett, Esq., Judge.)—There was no
defended cue; and, although some 40 summonses had
been issued, the attendance was exceedingly meagre,
and the business was over in a very short time. In
five consecutive cases the defendants, by being at their
posts whilst the plaintiffs were not present, saved the
costs of the day—which, consequently, fell to the lot of
the plaintiffs --and obtained their own terms.

BOROUGH POLICE COURT, Townhall, Monday, March
15.—(Before William Mantleld, Esq., Mayor; J. Ensor
and M. Devenish, Esqrs.)—Herbere Curtia, a lad about
14 years of age, son of Herbert Curtis, clothes dealer,
Durngate-street, was summoned for throwing stones at
a gelding belonging to Mr. George Curme. Supt.
Nancy said that on Thursday he saw defendant, and a
number of other lads, with their jackets off, throwing
stones at the horse in a cruel manner in Salisbury field.
The defendant had been cautioned previously. After
being duly admonished by the magistrates the lad was
-- dismissed and ordered to pay the costs.2James Burt,
Wm. Vine and George Knight, three labourers residing
at Fordington and In the employ of Mr. Bridle, were
summoned by the Inspector of Nuisances, Supt.
Pounoy, in accordance with the instructions of the
Board of Health, for causing s nuisance in Princess-
street, on the let inst. The defendants during the pre-
ceding night had been engaged in emptying a closet,
and in consequence of the carts leaking, a quantity
of the refuse fell in the street and caused the annoyance
complained of. Fined Is. each and costs, lls. ; and the
defendants were told that a future case would be met by
the infliction of the full penalty.

- -
COUNTY MAGISTRATES' OFFICE, Shirehall, Saturday,
March 13.—(Before H. Williams and W. L. Henning,
Bsqrs.)—/Inects Bemis, is young navvy from Upwey,
was charged with stealing • quantity of sticks, value
id., from a hedge belonging to Mr. John Miller, of
Upway. P.C. Bishop said that on Thursday morning he
saw prisoner in • field at Broadway belonging to Mr.
Miller. Prisoner took up a quantity of sticks and was
carrying them off, and on the officer speaking to prisoner
he dropped the sticks, saying he was only taking them to
make • fire on the railway to warm the breakfast tea
where he was a: work. It was stated that a good deal
of loose wood and some hurdles had been taken from
the neighbourhood. Prisoner had been locked up from
Thursday. Discharged on paying costs, 3a.

- - -
COMMITTED TO DORCHESTER GAOL. SasiOßd.
Samuel Stone, housebreaking at Marshwood ; George
Goff, stealing heath at Wambrook ; Joseph Davidge,
stealing a brush at Weymouth.—To hard labour.—
Daniel Morris, leaving service at Netherbury, 2 calendar
months; Ann Jennlngs, vagrancy at Blandford, 1 Wen-
dar month; Charles Lovell, poaching at Preston corn
Canford, 1 calendar month; Thomas Miles, assault on
police at Shaftesbury, 1 calendar month.