The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-02-01 00:00:00

annu anti Nan.

NATIOXAL DltYPNetrt—A correapotalciit writing to
the Tiaera says :—The qui:Mimi of our national defences
Is happily getting to be thought 11 11111latt worthy of
iliseussion. It is, however, very far from loving generally '
tinskrstood as completely as so vital a isubjeet alicsulil be.
Fr1:11111 are making extensive ',reparations for a
Usual 1.11•1/ tilt 111/111SWIlara 111111 us the saw waY as,
its
tin beginning of the century, the onfonnelits Prelfkred
for Englaoll were maidenly diverted against Austria, so
may these ',reparations, now apinmently being Houle
against Austria. Ile 11111.11.1 use Ili against ourselves. I
only mention this to show that the French are really
for any eventuality. 1111.1 that we therefore should he
SO to.. It is the Ministry are going to put
our Channel Fl. et into a thoroughly efficient conuition
awl lima is utiqueationably a tie.wt wee: deter 11l ill elem.
But, thi sibeng done, we t not imagine our...lsom:cure,
or anything like it. This is the point 1111 which Mo.
public require -0 eoNglitment. It must be evident
Oil the slighest consideration that, the French navy
being nearly. if not quite equal, to ours, and they have
scarcely any iliatant possessions to prokaA, it only
TO,llllraa • little judicious maineuvring on their part to
insure their having at least a temporary 'operas, ity at
WM at any time they may determine on. They might
also form an alliance which would insure such mope.
Monty for sometime. Taking these things into cam-
sideration, ival also the chances of war, is it proper fur
1111 to trust the whole safety of this country to our
'ships ? Should we not provide some efficient resource
in case this, our find hue of defence, were broken
through ? And what better provINII/11 Call we make
than by rendering the whole of our Militia force ms
-effective as to be really for service at n 1111 l incurs notice.
and by the encouragement of Volunttera suit Rifle
Clubs to create in all parts of the country such a body
of Englialinsen skilful in the use of their weapons .
would render an illva•11111 • vastly more for 11l i l lable affair
than it would be at present, mid would produce such
well g led confidence in the country as would free
05 r those periodical paii;es, which are No unbocons•
lug in the greatest nation in Europe !
Her Majesty's ship Centurion, 90, encountered a
. frightful storm of thunder and light gin October last
near Corfu. The Alp, on the 290, at I-30 p.m., was
taken all aback in a squall f north-west, wills
thunder, higlltisiisg. and rain. A heavy finals of lightning
struck His ship and passed off by the luetors, which
are reported to have had the paint stripped off in several
places below. The branch under the bowsprit appeared
as if it bad been in the fire. No damage ensues'. The
flash was so close that it seemed as if a broadside had
been discharges!. A large waterspout app,e,..d
as if
• g towards the Ad's. It was di iperscal by one of
the forecastle gulls. Such was the force of the electric
action on the state of the air at the tiine the discharge
struck the ship that a marine standing on the forecastle
was for a time stunned by the shock, but was not other-
wise hurt. The lightning conductors now COIIIIIIOII 111
the Royal Navy are said to have saved the ship's masts.
Out of 73,000, men in the infantry of the line, in-
cluding notoconsusissioned officers, 'NAM can neither
read nor write; 13,000 can read only; 38,000 can read
Sill write. with • or lets proficiency ; and 2,000 are
of 'superior education."
The cmininittee of the Havelock monument at Sunder-
land have invited artists to send 111 111,1gIls .nt or
before the 7th February neat, for a monument to he
crected at • cost not cioneding £1,600 in the Mowbray
Park.