The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1877-11-27 00:00:00

TIIZSDAY. NOVIIIBER ft 1677.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Seven members of the House of Commons are
of near foreign descent, viz., Mr. H. W. F.
Bolckow, M.P. for Middlesborough (German) ;
Mr. A. J Mundella, M.P. for Sheffield (Italian) ;
Mr. P. 11. Huntz, M.P. for Birmingham
(German) ; Mr. Pandali Ralli, M.P. for Brid-
port (Greek) ; Mr. J. D. Samna., ALP. for the
Tower Hamlets (Portuguese) ; the Right Hon.
G. J. Goschen, M.P. for the City of London
(German) ; and Sir H. D. Wolff, M.P. for
Christchurch (German).

Recruiting is going on apace. The army is
over its strength, and recruits are offering them-
selves in such numbers that an order has been
issued from the War Office allowing every man
who has completed three years' service to pass
at once to the reserve.

" Atlas " in the World writes thus kindly :
A correspondent calls my attention to the fact
that Viscount Hinton is playing at the Metro-
politan Music Hall under the name of Cosman.
There is nothing novel in that. "Mr. Coltman,"
who, by the bye, is grandson of a Landport
pilot, as well as son of Earl Poulett, was
engaged years ago at the Surrey Theatre as a
clown. He is a good average professional
pantomimist. The Viimuntess was once a ballet-
dancer, and is not ashamed of it, nor has she
reason to be. I wish them both success.

The distress in Wales grows more severe.
The iron and coal trades, the staple industries
of that district, have shown no sign of improve-
ment. On the contrary, they grow daily worse.
The inevitable consequence is that the distress
of the district in question grows more intense
every day. And it is only too certain that
many of the people are literally starving. The
relief machinery of the district is lamentably
deficient. Soup kitchens have it appears been
opened, but they are as yet quite inadequate to
cope with the pressure. In the meantime clothes
and furniture have been pawned, and even the
beams from deserted houses have been torn
down to be used as firewood. Such a fact which
it'should be remembered, took place in the midst
of one of the most fruitful coalfields in Great
Britain, shows no further evidence need be
given of the severity of the calamity which is
inflicting so much suffering on the working
population. Outside assistance is surely needed,
and those who so liberally contributed to the
fund for the relief of their Indian fellow-subjects
may well tax their resources to help their Welsh
compatriots.

If an unfortunate under-paid and 'slaveishly-
worked postal-official steals six-penny worth of '
stamps he gets five years' penal servitude; this
is what Mr Serjeant Cox, once a lawyer's clerk,
at Taunton, and now deputy chairman at the
Middlesex sessions, thinks a proportionate and
proper punishment bra case of the most revolting
brutality. A man named Marriott was charged
withassaulting Eliza Rolls and this had been the
treatment the wretched woman had received
during the six years she had lived with him.
On one occasion he attacked her in a most
brutal manner, knocked her down, and then in
the most savage way kicked her about the head
and completely destroyed her left eye. On another
occasion he knocked her down, kicked her, and
broke one of her ribs. In the matter now
brought before the Court it appeared that with-
out the slightest provocation, he struck her
three or four times in the breast, breaking one
of the bones in the upper part of the breast.
Subsequently to this he had struck her on the
forehead, and otherwise ill-treated her. The
learned Serjeant told the beast he had rendered
the woman a complete wreck and then, sentenced
him to 10 years' penal servitude ?—Not a bit of
it, eighteen months' hard labour was all he could
find it in his heart to inflict. We don't doubt
the prisoner was, as is reported, to have appeared
well satisfied with the sentence But we very
much doubt if the public are.