The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-08-24 00:00:00

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I

igrat enuntti Expren.

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, AUG. 24, 1880.

The New York Blindis estimates that the surplus of
American wheat at the close of the present harvest
will exceed the average requirements of Europe by a
hundred or • hundred and arty million bushels. With
the unooneumed surplus of 1879 it is supposed the
United States will have thirty million quarters to
dispose of within the next twelve months, or a third
more than the whole consumption of Great Britain.
It is believed that en low a price as 2.11. per quarter
will not keep American corn back.
. .

Were the Encombe burglars part of a gang who had
meditated a descent on various mansions this autumn !
High Elms, the seat of Sir John Lubbock, was broken
Into on Wednesday, and the burglars got the run of
the billiard rooms and valuable museum but were
able to carry off only about £6O worth of property.
Town Coluscihi which take pride in the high-
sounding appellation of "OUT Local Parliament.' will
warmly do well to Imitate the practice of the august
aesembly. After committee had made some progress
with the Hares and Rabbits Bill, on Friday morning,
the early part of the evening sitting was absorbed by
discussion of the means whereby business might be
expedited, and the time flew so quickly that the bill
Itself had to stand over.

The Russian Government hi mid to have directed
Abdul Rahman on no account to interfere with our
troops retiring front Afghanhdam For whom are
strategists advised to make a golden bridge?

Construction of pleasure piers seems just the thing
wanted above all others at such watering places as are
not provided with efficient ones already. Weymouth
Town Council have strenuously resided one being
constructed in the middle of the bay, les% lug to such
local authorities as prefer it, to have a public pier
overlooking their bathers; but • well placed and well.
constructed pier even at Weymouth might be found
room for, with an approach somewhere about
Brunswick-buildings or Greenhill. We note the
advertisement of the Marine Piers Company, and
could wish that an agreement might be come to
whereby at Weymouth we might obtain gui. antages
such as that of the great and elegant pier at Bourne-
mouth, which will be the making of that place, entirely
eclipsing Wenciouth unless the latter " marches with
the times." Then though we shouldn't be rebuffed
by the Prince of Wakes refusing to come and open it,
the Lord Mayor seems open to inch invitations, and
the ambitious of our visitors may even obtain the
crowning joy of walking through the Lord Mayor's
coach. Perhaps, too, the notoriety of a big robbery
In the neighbourhood may be added, by way of
additional sensation. But, jesting apart, if the
Marine Piers C =piny would build IVeymnuth a pier
that would be really • pleasure pier, can't the Council
find them • place?

The extreme and utterly absurd slowness of courts-
martial in genera is being exposed in the weary length
with which the trial of the marker at Wimbledon
proceeds. This is how they kill the time:—" As in all
courts-martial, the inquiry is being conducted in the
most tedious fashion, to say nothing of the wearisome
toms, such as writing all questions on slips of paper
and handing them through the medium of orderlies
almost from one end of the room to the other, clear-
ing the Court on the simplest point for discussion, &c.
The Court is at work only about four hours a day at
the utmost. At darting, twenty-three witnesses were
to be examined for the prosecution and seven for the
defence. Up to the rising of the Court yesterday
afternoon, the third day of the sitting, only bee of the
former witnesses had been called, and of these the
cross-examination of one had not been completed,
while that of the other had not even been commenced.
At the present rate of progress the inquiry bids fair to
occupy the whole of next week at least, and whenever
It closes the decision will not be known for a week or
two afterwarda—the judgment of the Court requiring
confirmation before it Is promulgated."