The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1863-11-17 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

D'MWDESTER, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 17.1863.

security of each a vast sum should rest upon the
soundest foundation possible. England must
not expect an unbroken tide of prosperity. We
may in course of time have to pass through con-
flicts equally as severe as the present American
trial and what will be the fate of our provident
working classes if it should then turn out that
the fundeof the majority of these friendly societies
have been consumed in payment to officers and
expenses of management I We have not space
to deal with the whole of the report, but let us
take one case—the most flagrant we admit—that
of the "Royal Liver Friendly Society" which
has agents in almost all part, of the country.
This society, for its Burial Branch, receives from
its members the large sum of £77,315 per annum,
out of which is consumed nearly one half
(£35,659) for management, £23,096 of which
being expended in salaries to officers. A more
monstrous case we never read; utter reckless-
ness, jobbery, incompetency, and mismanage-
ment are printed on the face of it, and the first
year of pressure on its funds from legitimate
causes would burst the bubble and bring ruin and
desolation to the hearth of many honest working
men. The swindling practised upon the public
under the guise of Ft iendly Benefit Societies is a
crying evil and loudly demands the attention
of the Legislature. . . .

The Crawley court-martial commences during
the present week at Aldershot, legal difficulties
having prevented it. being held before. The
charges against Colonel Crawley are as follows:
—That he wu unjustly severe towards Sergeant-
Major Lilley, when the latter was under arrest—
that he was guilty of conduct "unbecoming an
officer and a gentleman"—and that he officially
tried to put all the blame of the alleged cruel
treatment upon Lieutenant Fitraimmona, well
knowing the charge to be false, he having, at
the Mhow court-martial acquitted Fitzsimmons
of having acted, of his own accord, towards Lilly
with undue severity. The Aldershot court-
martial will be a most cumbrous and lengthy
affair. All the questions and answers are to be
in writing! Whether the trial will be finished
by next Christmas twelvemonth remains to be
seen; meanwhile, the public generally are not
remarkably anxious either about the trial or the
result.

Who amongst our readers has not been asked
I for his need-up postage stamps The ostensible
reason for the strange demand has always been
some such excuse as "to collect WOO to please
: an old gentleman who has promised that on the
presentation of this number he will give young
I Hopeful a presentation in the Blue-coat school;'
or sometimes an irate and whimsical old gen-
tleman has declared that his daughter shall not
marry young Droopwhiskers till half-a-million
stamp; Sr. given him as a peace-offering. Of
course any of our readers who may have in any
way aided in these collections have themselves
been honest, if silly • but there can be no
dotibt that old postage stamps are freed
of their obliterative marks, and made to do
duty again. This has lately been clearly ascer-
tained by the Post-Office authorities. There
is every reason to believe that the revenue
has suffered largely in consequence of these
frauds, and the question is now being seriously
debated as to the best plan of mutilating instead
of marking. The difficulty of adopting the
mutilating process lies in the fact that in doing
this, probably the contents of letters—for ex-
ample lace, photographs, and the thousand-and-
one knicknacks which are sent by post would
also be injured. Were it not for this, nothing
would be issier than to clip the stamps as rail-
way tickets are clipped. Pot something must
be done, and our mechanicians and chemists
should set their wits to work. It will never do
to allow rogues thus to prosper.
The most sensational of sensation tales has
within the last few days been eclipsed by a
tragedy in real life. A detestable wretch, bred
of his wife and two daughters—if we may judge
of his oft repeated threats " to do for them"—
gave them • pint of half-and-half and cakes, in
which had been put some of that deadly poison.
prussic acid, while seated with them in a cab,
and directed the driver to convey them to a
certain public house near the Paddington railway
station. The vehicle was taken to the place in-
dicated, when the mother and two children were
found to be dead. For onm, the London police
got on the right track and discovered the abode
of the murderer ; but when he heard the officers
at the door of his house, he himself took aconite,
and thus destroyed all possibility of the mystery
being cleared up. His body was buried on Friday
night by coroner's warrant as a filo de sc. This
tragedy, which far transcends everything that
playwrights have ever devised, furnishes a con-
spicuous illustration of the groat stupidity that
is a part of the dull heartlessness of nearly all
great crimes. A few frivolous acts of cunning
only serve to show more clearly that this knave
was a dull, small, cruel fool, for how could he
possibly think to escape detection? It is no new
maxim that of all tragedies the fool's is the most
terrible.

DORCHESTER.-PITCHID Coax llsaxrr, Satur-
day, November 14.- Wheat in short supply, but quite
equal to the demand-prices unaltered. Barley gave
war Is. to 2s. per quarter, but finest, unstained samples
maintained previous rates. Oats and beans at late
prices.
MIL ENBOI6I Raroerroar SAL!, SatUrtilly,
November 14th-This fortnightly mart was again
numerously attended by butchers and dealers from a
distance. There was only. moderate supply of beef on
offer, but of sheep a large quantity. The demand for
beef was brisk, at from lls. to 12a. per score; wether
mutton and ewe ditto 7d. to 74d. per lb. ; heifers
and calves, £l6 ; barreners, El to Ell per heed.
Snow OP FAT STOCI.-WO would beg to remind our
agricultural friends that Mr. T. Eneor's sale of Christ-
mas stock will take place at his Repository on Risturday,
the 12th f December. There will alai be an exhibition
of fat stock at the more time, when the follow-
ing prizes will be offered for the best animals entered
for sale :- A piece of plate, value £5, given by Mr.
&ace, for the best fat on or steer. A piece of plate,
value Eff, for the best fat cow or heifer. A piece of
plate, value £5, given by the Dorset Courtly Express, for
the best 10 fat Down wetbers. 11, given by Messrs.
Dixon end Cardin, for the 10 best Down ewes. 1.1,
given by Mesas. Nicholey, Graham. and Armstrong,
for the 10 best horn wethers. El 10a for the best fat
SII1310:01.-Three sermons were preached on Sunday
at Al! Saint'. church by the Rev. C. T. Prettor, and
collections were made it the close of each serviee
amoiniting to £lB Ils., for the purpose of defraying fib;
expenses conesquent on the Sunday evening marries' in
that place of worship.
MOXICIPAL.-Afaufding to time-honoured custom.
the newly-elected Mayor, J. Bishop, Esq., accompanied
by the Aldermen and Councillors of the borough,
preceded by the beadle and sergeants-at-mate, attended
Write at St. Peter's Church on Sundsymorning.
A very suitable discourse was preached by the Rev.
William Barnes. . .

_
Bamaa.—A hamar is announced to be held OD Wed•
needay at the Townhall, the profits of which are to be
devoted to the fund for repairing the Baptist Chspel.
Puler BAND.—The 1t.,. James Fisher has issued his
Afth annual statement of this bank, which is announced
to be in a very satisfactory condition, and success hie
attended the undertaking from ito commencement. Tbe
number of depositors from October 25, 1862, to October
17, 1863, had been 616. Of thew 198 were fund-
holders, and had account. in their own names invested
In the Sayings Bank. The total amount of money re-
ceived during the past year amounted to £2211 19a. V.
Tee We...num.—The reading of the thermometer at
Dorchester for the past week is as follows