The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-08-13 00:00:00

CLOSE OF THE SESSION.
411•
THE QUEEN'S SPEECH.

--
The House of Lords met on Tuesday at two o'clock
for the purpose of proroguing parliament. which was
done by royal commission. The Lords Commissioners
were the Lord Chancellor, Earl Granville, kind of St.
Germans, Viscount Sydney, and Lord Monteagle.
The Lord Chancellor read Her Majesty's Speech,
which was as follows:
"Mr LORDS AND GINTLZMIEN,
"We are commanded by her Majesty to release you
from further attendance in parliament, and at the saine
time to convey to you her Majesty's acknowledginents
for the zeal and assiduity with which you have applied
yourselves to the performance of your duties during the
session parliament now brought to a close.
"Her Majesty commands us to inform you that her
relations with foreign powers are friendly and satis-
factory, and her Majesty trusts there is no danger of any
disturbance of the peace of Europe.
The Progress of events in Italy has led to the union
of the greater pert of the Peninsula in one monarchy
under King Victor Emmanuel. Her Majesty has
throughout abstained from any active interference in
the transactions which have led to this result, and her
earnest wish as to these affairs is, that they may be
settled in the manner best suited to the welfare and
happiimoi of the Italian people.
"The .'issenaiim which arm,. some innitl ago, lii the
Ullit'd St Or, of Anietica less. ulifoi Innately,
Aro I the character of open war. Her Majesty,
deeply la lienting the calamitous result, has determined,
in common with the other Powers of Europe, to pre.
sen v. a strict neutrality between the contendiug parties.
" Her Majesty commands us to inform you that the
measures adopted for the restoration of order and tran-
quillity in Syria, in virtue of conventions between her
Majesty, the Emperor of Austria, the Emperor of the
French, the King of Prussia, the Emperor of Russia,
and the Sultan, having accomplished their purpose, the
European troops which, in pursuance of these con-
ventions, were furs time etetioned in Syria toco-operate
with the troops and authorities of the Sultan, have
been withdrawn; and her Majesty trusts that the
ariangements which have been made for his adminis-
tration of the districts which had been disturbed will
henceforward !secure their internal tranquillity.
Her Majesty has seen with satisfaction the rapid im-
provement in the internal condition of her gest Indian
territories, and the progress which has been made
toward. equalising the revenue andl expenditure of
that part of her empire.
" 0 ggrcgisgrr or me Hooka or Coarriosa,
" Her Majesty commands us to convey to you her
warm acknowledgments for the liberal supplies which
you have granted for the service of the present year;
and her Majesty has seen with satisfaction, that after
amply providing for the wants of the public service, you
have been able so make • sensible dimieution of the
taxes levied upon her people.
MT LORDS AND ONSTIAIIfRII,
'• Her Majesty commands on to ezpress to you the
deep gratification with which she has witnessed the
spirit of devoted patriotism which continues to animate
her volunteer forces ; and the admiration with which she
hue observed their rapid progress in discipline and
military efficiency.
"Her Majesty has given her cordial assent to the art
for completing the number of the members of the House
of Commons by allotting the forfeited seats of Sudbury
and St. Alban's.
" Her Majesty trusts that the set for improving the
laws relating to bankruptcy and insolvency will be
productive of important advactage to the trade and
commerce of her subjects.
"Her Majesty has given her ready ascent to acts for
consolidating and assimilating the criminal law of
England and Ireland, and for promoting the revision
of the statue law.
"Her Majesty hail given her assent to important acts
which she trusts will have the effect of opening more
largely employment in the public 'orrice to the
, European and native inhabitants of India; of
Improving the means of legislation ; of furthering the
'e of justice; and of pronfoting the contentment and
well-beiti of all classes of her Majesty's Indian subjects.
"Her Majesty has assented with pleasure to the act
for the improvement of harbours on the coast of the
United Kingdom, and for relieving merchant shipping
from passing tolls, and also to the act for itnproving
the administration of the law relating to the relief and
the removal of the poor.
"Her Majesty trusts that the let for rendering more
easy arrangements connected with the drainage of land
will assist agricultural improvements in many parts of
the United Kingdom.
" Her Majesty has gladly given her assent to many
other measures of public usefulness, the results of your
labours during the session now brought to its close.
"Her Majesty has observed with heartfelt satisfaction
the spirit of loyality, of order, and of obedience to the
law, whieh prevails throughout all her dominions, and
she trust that by wise legislation, and • just adniinistra-
thin of the law, the continuaace of this happy state of
things will be secured.
"On returning to your respective counties, you will
still have important public duties to perform ; and her
, Majesty fervently prays that the blessing of Almighty
' Ood may attend your exertions, and may guide them to
the attainment of the objects of her Majesty's constant
solicitude—the welfare and happiness of her people."

Lord Palmerston has Meetly purchased two large
estates adjoining Broadlands, one cif them being Grove-
piece, Nevesling, the house of which was a fishing-box
of Queen Elisabeth. His lordship's estate now extends
to within four miles of Southampton.
DONATION FROM TUC QUIIIN.—A poorwomen named
Berne, residing in Old Inkleys, Birmingham, having
been delivered of three children at a birth (all of whom
are dill alive), Mr. Councillor Maher made an appli-
cation on behalf of the poor woman to her Majesty, and
on Saturdaylreeeived the followine letter from Colonel
the Hon. Sir C. B. Phipps : "Sir Charles Philips has
received the commands of Her Majesty the Queen to
forward to Councillor Maher the enclosed Post Office
order for kg, payable to him, and to desire that he will
have the goodness to hand the amount to Mrs. Berne,
as a donation from Her Majesty, to assist her after her
confinement of three children at one birth, that eircum-
!tame having been brought under the Queen's notice in
consequence of Councilor Maher's application on Mrs.
Berne a belielf.—Buckinghaiii Palace, August 2, 1861."
A CHAMPION ros THE Pori.- 011 Sunday evening,
• drunken soldier, named Martin Kennedy, of the
Coast-guard Brigade, now stationed at Tyneniouth, bad
the impudence to go the Catbolie Chapel, North
Shields, while the congregation were leaving the build-
ing after the evening service, and shouted out" Down
with the Pope!" This exclamation so raised the ire of
• powerful Irishman, named Francis Nomad, that he
immediately went up to the soldier, felled him to the
ground like an ox, and then kicked him so violently on
various parts of the body that blood flowed copiously
out of his nose and mouth. Another man also took
part in the brutal assault. The soldier was taken up
from the ground in a senseless date, and conveyed to
the station-house by four wen, followed by an immense
crowd.
BATTLE Or CHORCOMBI-CRORM.—Atthe pretty village
of thosoombe, near Wells, stands an old grey-stone
market cross, which the local waywardeus, thinking an
incun.brance, and a hindrance to the public way, en'
deavoured to remove. However, it seems that the
removal of so ancient and respected a land-mark in the
historical associations of • village, proved a graver and
more serious matter than the wardens of the way
were aware of. The masons of Cromonthe refused to
loosen • stone, remarking that they would have nothing
to do with such work. When masons had been pro-
cured from the neighbouring city, and bad begun the
act of despoiling the fair old monument, the sound of
their crow-bar acted like magic upon the feelings of the
honest villagers; and a young woman, the wife of a
labourer, made it rush at the destructive hand of the
hired mason, and vowed the bar should rest against his
head if he did noVimmediately desist. The inhabitants
also, fired with indignation, quietly gathered around
the ohl cross, and came to itsdefenoe ; but unfortunately
the shaft liad been hurled to the ground, and its finial
broken in twain. The demolishing party having been
driven off, a nag was hoisted by the brave villagers,
bearing urn it the legend, "Be faithful." This was
struck dunng the inefee, but as quiekly re-raised, and
the standard of the cross again waved proudly over the
heeds of the loyal and Christian defenders. To such •
pitch of earnestness was the defecce carried on, that
upwards of thirty stout fellows volunteered to bivouac
round the sacred symbol, and guard it during the night;
while the women—to their honour be it recorded—
were actively engaged in preparing beds of straw, and
kindling a huge fire, to make the hours pass away as
agreeably as possible. It appears that 160 ratepayers
have signed their names in testimony of their desire to
retain so valued and hallowed a relic of olden time ;
and it is satisfactory to state that the waywardens have
been served with a notice by the vicar end overseer to
make good and; repair the damage done to the mom
within a given time, otherwise legal preceedings will be
instituted against them forthwith. It would appear
that when the commissioners of her Majesty Highways
widened and otherwise improved the road, they did
not presume to offerithe slightestobjection to thepoeition
of the mod, seeing that there was ample room in thirty-
two feet for all their requirements. The parish road
is nineteen feet wide at this juncture, and that, too,
has been deemed for some (enteritis paid sufficiently
wide for all parochial ;imposes.
Oun IDNIRAL WEALTH.- -The usual annual statistics
of the mineral wealth of the United Kingdom—those
for 1860—are of a very satisfactory character, and show
that notwithstanding the general depression in com-
mercial circles the progress of our mineral and
metallurgical industries has been continually onward.
The value of the minerals raised in 1860 was
£26,404,459, against 134,236,526 in the preceding year
increase, £2,177,933. The value of the tin, copper,
lead, silver, sins, and pig.iron utanuladured from the
ores of those metals raised during the period was
£16,939,717, against £ls,447,o66—increase, £1,492,631;
of other minerals arid mistabi, £170,927 in 1860, against
E 95,000 in 1859 • and of coals, 130,010,674 in 1880,
agaiast £17,994,94 in 1869, thus showing the aggregate
value of our metals and minerals when brought into the
ordinary comuiannally marketable condition, to have
been 647,121,318 in 1860, against £33,637,027 in the
preceding year—the increase being equal to £2,584,291.
POPULATION Or THII UNITED Eleceon.—The com-
pleted returns show that the population found in the
United Kingdom at the recent census, not reckoning
army, navy, or merchant seamen who were abroad,
amounted to 29,031,298, an increase of 61 percent. in
50 years, notwithstanding that we have been planting
nations by a vast emigration. The census found her
14,077,189 males, and 14,954,109 females—an excess of
females over maims of 876,920. The overplus of women
and girls in England would fill all Liverpool and Leeds;
in Scotland, all Edinburgh; in Ireland, all Belfast,
Waterford, and Wexford. There are 16 towns in
the United Kingdom with a population exceeding
100,000, and 6 parishes in the outskirts of London with
such a population—one of them (St. Pancras) with very
nearly 290,000 (198,882). The number of inhabited
houses in the United Kingdom is 5,154,985, which allows
a house to every 56 iversone.
Monies COlNED.—Within the last ten years there
have been coined at the Mint 48,911,848 sovereigns,
15,416,569 half.sovereigns, 466 clowns, 1.493 half-
crown, 16,633,372 fibrins, 23,025,506 shillings, 21,736,183
sixpences, 1,880,874 groats, 41,680 fourpences,
13,016,101 threepencesi, 47,529 silver twopences, and
78,401 silver pence. The copper and bronze money
coined has been T. 1,732,384 pence, 35,739,40 half-
pence, 22,456,276 farthings, and 3,535,776 half-
farthinp.