The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-06-22 00:00:00

THE SECOND BUDGET.

Some persons pretend to discern that it was a mere
hankering after activity in his old financial sphere, In
which all parties ree that he ban earned renown,
that impelled Mr. ne, in his second character
as Chancellor of the Exchequer, to bring in a new
Budget for this year, rather than simply to amend
that already proposed by Sir Stafford Northcote. To
us, however, it seems that the former right hon.
gentleman had something more than a pretext for
again trying his veteran band at fiscal arrangements.
His predecessor had made an early and somewhat
hurried disposition of the national finances for the
year, which would certainly have had to be modified
before the end of the session, even if the Conservatives
had remained in office. Sir Stafford had left himself
with the anticipated nominal surplus of £180,000; but
supplementary estimates, which could hardly have
been avoided by the other party in power, amlunt to
some £200,000 against this surplus, leaving a small
anticipated deficit f £20,000. This would have been
a trivial matter if trade had been reviving faster, and
the revenue exhibiting elasticity. But the fact is that
the receipts, so far, show no sign of exceeding the
estimate, but rather the reverse. At the same time,
there are good reasona, among which is the disturbed
and almost critical state of Indian finance, why the
Government should have • substantial, if medest,
surplus to meet contingencies. Mr. Gladstone might
have obtained this by simply increasing an existing
tax or putting on a new one. But he had also other
considerations to take into account. It is understood
that the conclusion of a favourable new commercial
treaty with France, in place of that which expires this
year, will require • reduction of duty on light French
wines. The right hon. gentleman, with this object in
view, therefore proposed a re-arrangement of the wine
duties, with the general effect of reducing them, and
especially upon the lower qualities of wine. To make
such reductions of impost on the article of wine,
without giving any corresponding relief as regards
beer, would have been manifestly unfair. But Mr.
Gladstone found that he could not well touch the malt
duty by way of partial reduction1 and, therefore, with
that thoroughness that cbaraCterlzes him, he proposed
to do away with the malt duty altogether, and
substitute a beer duty at such • rate as would give
beer-consumers relief equivalent to that accorded to
wine-drinkers. For the double reduction he to some
extent recouped himself by putting an additional tax
open drinking in its most objectionable form—that is
to say, he considerably raised the amountspayable
for publlc-house licences. Then, to make up the
remaining deficit, and to prodnoe the required surplus,
he put a penny on the income-tax—an augmentation
which now yield' about £l,soo,ooo—and left himself
with a margin of £381,000 on the right side. It is not
to be supposed that these financial arrangements will
please everybody. With all the shifting and adjusting
of burdens an increase of dead weight has finally to be
made in one quarter; and irritated income-tax payers,
some of whom still perhaps innocently looked to Mr.
Gladstone to abolish the tax altogether, even after the
late Ministry had left him a large deficit instead of a
surplus to deal with, will perhaps be inclined to resent
the extra penny in the pound just put upon them; and
this may be especially the case with that increasing
clan who do not drink intoxicating beverages, and
will not obtain any set-off for their higher income-
tax.
H.R.B.

FRENCH CONVICTS.

The Committee of Inquiry into the treatment of
prisoners in New Caledonia continues to elicit some
extraordinary accounts of the punishments inflicted on the
convicts. K. Alphonse Humbert, in his evidence, gave •
dreadful description of the "brutality of the officials."
One of the milder forms of punishment conside of shutting
up 90 men in a space intended only for 30, and leaving them
there all night, with water up to the calves of their legs.
The officiah themselves are punished for bearing any com-
plaints from the prisoners to their officers. Imprisonment
In cells without light and air is also resorted to, and there
the prisoner is supplied only with such food u quickly
produces scurvy. He is kept in chains, water is given
him in one of his shoes, as no cup ls allowed, and when
the doctor orders • ration of wine and soup the liquors are
mixed. When wine is supplied it is allure hod, being
rendered sour by the climate, and not even tit to make
vinegar of. Flogging I. frequently inflicted with great
violence, and with slight provocation, and the convicts are
often put in irons for being ill. Perhaps the most agonis-
ing torture is that of hanging a convict by the legs, and
leaving him to the mercy of the mosquitoes One man
treated in this manner went mad on the spot IL Hum-
bert stated that the officers make no scruple of using their
revolvers, and that on one occasion • welder lodged five
bullets in the body of • man in one of the cells.— Tshwrepk.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FARMERS.
On Wednesday afternoon • numerous deputation from
the Farmers' Alliance, introduced by Mr. 3. Howard,
M.P., chairman of the organisation, waited upon Mr.
Gladstone to lay before him the views of the Allbinm on
various subjects connected with agriculture. In rWy,
Mr. Gladstone said the Government meant to do
best to pass the Hazes and Rabbits Bill through Parlia-
ment during the present session, and there was nothing in
principle to prevent them from considering proposals to
apply the measure to existing lease& He need not, he
said, assure the deputation of the intention of the Govern-
ment to persevere with the repeal of the malt tax. With
ZiOrto the various subjects which had been brought
rel him, there were few of them on which be had not
expressed opinions tending in the direction taken by the
speakers themselves. That an effective protection ought
to be given to farmers with respect to improvements made
by them he entertained no doubt whatever. He agreed
that the law of distress was a law of severity that could
not be justified. He hoped it would not be long before the
Government were able to deal with the questions of county
boards and the apportionment of local burden&

RECEPTION OF THE KING OF THE HELLENER
The gold casket presented on this occasion is being
made by J. W. Benson, of Ludgate-hill and Bond-street,
and is in pure Greek style, standing upon • blue
velvet cushion with gold roses, oblong, octagonal
In form, supported at the four corners by the city
dragons, grasping • shield blaring the city arms. The
front has a medallion portrait of the King of Greece.
festooned with fruit and Rowers, a laurel branch denoting
success ; below the obverse contains a similar shield for
Inscription. Above the portrait is the Petition (winged
cap of Mercury) the favourite Greek emblem of
commerce. The King's initial letter "G. enamelled in
blue and white is pendant below. The Royal Orb of
Greece commands exalted positions at each corner of the
cover, around the extreme edge of which are tablets
containing names of celebrated Greek poets, philosophers,
and orators. The Greek honeysuckle ornament on the
box and the Grecian key border around the base
the art for which Greece was so renowned. The :itst.
surmounted by the Greek arms with the national
finely modelled, upholding the Jewelled crown
Ortrltri ng of Greece.

In Burnish, the Nyouwoke hae gathered togetherl,soo men, and his force is steadily Increasing, but he
has no arms or money.
In consequence of the conclusions arrived at by the
Commission appointed to investigate the complaints of
the Niussulmans in Eastern Houmalia, three
militia officers, two of whom are Russians, have been
dismissed the service.
Euteriox Perrnoxs.—At Westbury, M. Phipps
(Conservative) is declared duly elected. Judge Lush
stated several grove acts of bribery had been com-
mitted but the agency of the bribers was not preyed.
—At Tewkesbury Captain Price (Liberal) is ousted.
the judges considering the agency of the briber proved.
Mr. Baron Pollock added that it was a melancholy
and degrading sight to see men come forward, as they
had done there and during the Gloucester inquiry,
sod ooniela they had sold their oonsaismoes sod
betrayed their twenty and consiltatkind rights.