The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-07-05 00:00:00

DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS

DORCHESTER, TUESDAY, JULY 5, 1859.

HONESTE A LIDA X.

BOTH Houses of Parliament reassembled on
Thursday after the recess rendered necessary by
the change of Ministry. Earl GRAN viti.x in
the Lords, and Lord PALMERSTON in the Com-
mons made the expected Ministerial statement
resP° cting the intentions of the Government in
regard to the Reform Bill and the war in Italy.
Lord PALMER.4TON said that having succeeded
with the co-operation of Lord JOHN RUSSELL in
forming a Ministry on principles and on a basis
which would, he trusted, secure the support of
the House and of the country, it had become
their duty to consider what course they should
recommend for the conduct of public business
in the present state of affairs. Two great
questions pressed upon their attention—one the
state of our foreign relations, and the other
that of the representation of the people. With
regard to the first, they would follow the course
chalked out by their predecessors, that of a
strict neutrality, and at the same time would
strengthen the defences of the country and avail
themselves of the first favourable opportunity to
tender the good offices of England, either sepa-
rately or conjointly with other Powers, in order
to restore to Europe the blessings of peace.
With regard to the Reform Bill, they were of
opinion, looking to the time of the year, and to
the short period which remained for disposing
of the routine business, that it would be trifling
with so great a subject to enter upon its con-
sideration during the present session. They
had therefore resolved to postpone their Bill
until next year, and in the meantime they
would pledge themselves to introduce their mea-
sure at the earliest possible period of the next
session. In the House of Lords, Earl GRAN-

VILLS, after making a similar statement, pro-
ceeded to contradict the rumours which had
prevailed in regard to a reduction of our naval
armaments, and said that it was the decided
opinion of the Government that the defences of
the country should be placed in a state of
thorough efficiency. With respect to foreign
affairs, he said that the policy of the Govern-
ment would be one of strict neutrality. It
would be their object to keep this country out of
the war, and to promote peace, not by a too
early intermeddling, but by carefully watching
the course of events, to take the first favourable
opportunity of bringing their influence in co-
operation with the other European Powers to
insure not only present peace, but arrangements
which may lead to peace for the future.

The Ministerial arrangements have been com-
pleted, and the re-elections which have taken
place have all terminated in favour of Ministers.
The only places where there was opposition
were Norwich, Bedford, Newcastle, Sandwich,
and Oxford University. At the first four Lord
BURY, Mr. WHITBREAD, Mr. HEADLAX, and
Mr. Krrarcitautt Iluosaserr have been re-
elected respectively by large majorities; and at
the latter, after five days' polling, Mr. GLAD-
smut was re-elected on Friday by a majority of
191. Mr. COBDEN has declined to accept the
seat in the Cabinet which was reserved for him
at the formation of the present administration.

The Revenue Returns for the Year and
Quarter ended on the 30th of June are much
more satisfactory than was anticipated. The
return for the quarter shows an increase of
£112,290, after allowing for a diminution of
£417,481 in the Property Tax caused by the
reduction of the duty, and a diminution of
£123,788 in the Stamps, which may be considered
as a postponement rather than a loss, in con-
sequence of the interruption given to business
by the general election. The return for the
year shows a decrease of only £1,190,143,
though the diminution of Property Tax caused
by the reduction of the duty was no leas than
£4,064,060. In every other branch of Revenue
the return exhibits a steady increase.
From the seat of war we learn that nothing
of importance has taken place since the great
battle of Solferino. This we can state on the
authority of a telegram from Verona, rid
Vienna, dated July 1 :—"Since the 24th of
June there have merely been unimportant
skirmishes between the outposts." We find
by the latest advice, that the Austrians have
abandoned the line of the Mincio, and fallen
back on Verona, after having burnt the bridges
at Monzatabano, Valleggio, and Goito. With
regard to the movements of the French, we
find in the Moniteur of Saturday last a tele-
gram from the EMPEROR to the EMPRESS, in
which his MAJESTY states that the whole army
has passed the Mincio, and that the Sardin-
ians have invested Pinichiera. The reinforce-
ments which the Exesnott has received by the
arrival of 33,000 men, led by Prince NAPO-
LEON, have, it is stated, enabled the E.wezzou
to approach Verona without compromising
himself in any way, as he has left a corps
d'artriee at Goit,o to watch Mantua, and is about
to assemble another at Brescia to watch the
passes of the Tyrol. Commenting upon this
posture of affairs the Times of yesterday says
—"Already the whole Austrian army has,
'for strategic reasons'—which, pushed to their
logical consequences, may some day perhaps
require the abandonment of Vienna, or even
Prague—retired from the banks of the Mincio.
Already the French have carefully and cau-
tiously followed them, unmolested ; and the
Austrian, still obstinate in resistance, although
no longer confident of victory, is probably, un-
taught and uuteachable, again fixing some
definite hour of some definite day whereon he
will make all his arrangements for another
pitched battle."

IT will be seen by our report of the Quarter
Sesrions business that the unhappy question of
the Dorset Lunatic Asylum again presented
itself to the collective wisdom of the county,
accompanied with the old features of painful im-
potency and mental embarrassment. Mr. norza
brought up the usual Quarterly Report of the
Asylum, appended to which was a resolution of
the Visitors, to build a new asylum on land
to be purchased of Mr. DEVENISH, comprising
50 acres, at a cost altogether, including land and
building, of £31,000. This scheme, as our
readers know, is by no means • new one; it was
proposed years ago; it failed and was re-
newed, and again fell to the ground, chiefly on
account of the strong opposition of the Marquis
of WESTMINSTER and the Earl of SHAFTESBURY,
neither of which noble Lords was present on
the revival of the old plan on the present inter_
eating occasion. Mr. FLUTER exhibited ex-

teams anxiety to push his bill through the
House, and to set the bricklayers to work forth-
with, in order that the remaining portion of the
fine season might be made available for at
length raising before the gratified eyes of the
county • veritable asylum, and so relieving him-
self and his colleagues from any further impu-
tations of building castles in the air. The expe-
diency of all this was enforced in Mr. FLOYER'S
peculiar manner—in a speech ordinarily super-
ficial and sufficiently discursive, marked with
the usual want of knowledge as to how the
Visitors and the Court actually stood with regard
to all the circumstances of this question, and iden-
tical with all Mr. FIA3YRR'S previons efforts in
its inherent feebleness and thoroughly abortive
results. The end of it was that Mr. Ftovait
was left with the mere skeleton of his Report,
the life and soul of it having been quietly taken
away. A motion was put and affirmed—" That
"the report be received and adopted, except as
"to the *UMW required for the purchase of land
"and the erection of buildings at Forston."
The reason of Mr. FLOYER'S report being so
disposed of was alleged by the Court to be,
their present want of legal power to
acquiesce in the proposition, on account
of various acts of omission and commission on
the part of the Court itself. Thus, it was found
necessary—to be properly en regle—to undo every-
thing which the Court had done during several
years past, and begin again. The rev. CHAIRMAN
told them, as he had "done over and over
again," that they were labouring under the dis-
advantages of a false "start ;" and this time
the Court seemed disposed to listen to the admo-
nition. "The great error was, that they did
"not originally start with a declaratory resolution
"of the sort to have brought them within the
"statute ;" so that, in so far as these protracted
and countless discussions are concerned, the
learned CHAIRMAN has been really long presi-
ding over nothing better than a debating
society—very respectable, but without the possi-
bility of any practical result accruing to the
benefit of the county. The Court must posi-
tively, at this time of day, begin again, not-
withstanding that this interesting process has to
our certain knowledge been entered upon at,
least twice before in the space of the last five
years. Well, "it is never too late to mend," as
the rev. CHAIRMAN says; only the needful im-
provement seems, from some extraordinary
fatality, to be ever eluding their grasp. But
now the Court has once more begun again. "It
"appears to the Court that the asylum is inade-
" quate ; it is expedient to have a new one."
Affirmed. So far so good. This is the much
needed "declaratory resolution." Here is the
proper start; now for the race. But as the
Court has begun several times de novo—with
what results it is only too well known—the
public will be readily excused if they hesitate to
place any great degree of confidence in what,
under other circumstances, might be regarded as
a trustworthy and commendable resolution.
The Court has been declaiming for many years
past as to the want of additional accommodation
in the lunatic asylum; they have entered into
contracts, then withdrawn from them; called for
a variety of plans, then amended them, then
rejected them altogether; have, indeed, been
"resolving, re-resolving, and counter-resolving,"
till they have fairly lost themselves; and all this
because, 83 the CHAIRMAN says, they did not
start with a "declaratory resolution"—that is,
with a formal declaration that the thing was
wanted! But what can we think of all
this when we find that this most important
"declaration" was really made in proper form
long ago. Mr. Cates-try distinctly states—that
a former report contained the very words, that
"the asylum was inadequate." "1 wrote it,"
says Mr. CALCRAFT, emphatically; and he adds,
"that affirmation was approved and adopted,
"and nothing more came of it." No; it is like
everything else that has been said, written, or
affirmed in this matter for a long series of years
—" nothing more came of it."
As the case now stands, Mr. FIMAER has,
after some opposition, got the Court to consent
to an adjourned Seasions on the 25th inst.,
in order "that the approved plans of buying
"land of Mr. DRVENISH and building be con-
" sidered, at one o'clock." He will at the same
time move to make waste paper of all the solemn
records of the Court, for many years past,
touching this most engrossing and singularly
perplexing subject. This latter process of clear-
ing the ground, and removing a heap of un-
sightly, incongruous, and impracticable resolu-
tions will no doubt be effected; because it not
only concerns the tranquillity and reputation of
the Bench that this should, some time or other,
be done ; but it is obvious that no further steps
can be safely taken until this wholesome purga-
tion has been submitted to by the Court. What
else will come of this meeting at the adjourned
Sessions, it is not easy to say. If the full Court
of General Quarter Sessions thought fit, as they
did, to reject the resolution of tho Visitors to
buy the land and build the asylum, it is difficult
to see how those plans can be said to be "ap-
proved," and still more difficult to understand
how those said plans should, at an adjourned
Sessions, receive the necessary sanction and
authority for their immediate execution. But
Mr. FLOYER looks at the time of year "in
"a building point of view," and fondly dreams of
an elegant asylum comfortably roofed in before
the winter. But he evidently reckons without
his host. The Court will give him a day for his
sanitary operations in cleansing the minute-
book ; but, as on Tuesday last, will not allow
him to go further. The learned CHAIRMAN,
though deprecating the want of "scope" and
power given to the Visitors, would yet impress
upon them lessons of caution and deliberation.
"lie would not advise them to jump at a con-
" elusion ; if they came to a resolution to-day,
"that resolution would for certain be called in
"question next October." Thus it was that,
acting upon these sage counsels, the Court
refused to adopt Mr. FLOYER'S plans; but,
strange to say, this is the sort of encouragement
Mr. FLOYRR finds for calling for a special
Sessions in the interval between this and October,
in the vain hope of settling this troublesome
business, in the most satisfactory manner
possible, once and for ever. When, or where,
or in what manner the justices will agree among
themselves to supply this long-felt and pressing
want of the county no man can tell. Examples
of what has been done in such matters in other
counties have been adduced, over and over
again, for the edification of the Bench, but we
may venture to say that no example can be
drawn from any part of the country illustrative
of so much indecision, blundering, and confu-
sion as have for a long series of years, down to
the present moment, marked the treatment
of this asylum question at the hands of our
county magistrates.

DORCHILITER PITCHED CORN MARKET, Saturday.
—Our market was thinly attended to-day. The de-
mand for wheat was very slow, at barely last week's
rates. Barley and oats nourinaL
MU:AMMER QUARTER SESSIONR--A report of the
proceedings at the Quarter Sessions, held here during
the week, will be found in our third page. The
discussion of a proposition for building a new
Lunatic Asylum at Forston is adjourned to Monday
the 25th.

On Thursday the Dorset Infantry Militia, under
the command of Col. Bingham, will assemble in this
town for throe weeks' drill.

-- -
DORCHESTER AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY. - The
annual show and dinner of this society are announced
to take place on Saturday, the 30th inst.

RAILWAY TABLES FOR JULY. -An additional
Sunday train between Bridport and Weymouth
appears in this month's Great Western time table.
The train passes Dorchester at 10 minutes past 9in
the morning; and another new train leaves We),
mouth at 10. 35; Sunday mornings for Bridport.
Excepting the opening of Sunday traffic to Bridport
no change occurs in the arrival and departure of
trains this month by either the South-Western or
the Great Western Railway Company.

It AILWAY EXCURSIONS. —Special excursion trains
arrived at Dorchester rid the ((mat Western Rail.
way on Tuesday (Coronation Pay) from Salisbury,
Bristol, Bath, Yeovil, and Bridport, bringing large
numbers of holiday folks, almost all of whom pro-
ceeded on to Weymouth and Portland. A train
under the patmnage of the Odafellows, and for the
benefit of the Widow and Orphan's fund connected
with that body, came by the South Western Rail-
way. All the trains returned the same evening to
their several destinations.

THE DORSET CENTRAL Ft AILWAY.--The railway
between Glastonbury and Bruton, which is to con-
nect the Poole harbour line with Burnham, has been
commenced three weeks. There are now cuttings
commenced at Pylie, Street, and West Pennard, and
the works are progressing fast, there being nearly
300 men at work, besides those engaged in building
bridges near Glastonbury, and it is also in contem-
plation to commence the extension of the hest
Somerset line from Shepton Mallet to Wells forth-
with.

THE GREAT WESTERN AND SOCTII-WMERN
RAILWAYS.—//erapath says :—We understand that
these two companies have made such arrangements
u will prevent competition between them when the
new Exeter line is opened, the substance of which
is, that the two companies shall charge equal fares
between the same places, and each company pay
its own expense.
- - - - -

Longthoms House, the seat of J. C. Mansel, EN.,
was struck by lightning on Sunday evening, whilst
the family were at dinner. The electric fluid
touched a chimney and threw it down, then passing
to the backdoor, startled the household by causing
the door bell to ring loudly.
Sir William Medlycott (violoncello) was amongst
the amateurs who assisted at the Handel Festival
at the Crystal Palace.

At the Queen's levee on Saturday, the following
among other presentations Wok place :—Mr. E
Ashley, by Lord Ashley; Sir William Erie, on ap-
pointment as Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, by
the Lord Chancellor; Commissioner H. C. Harston,
R.N., on appointment, by Vice-Admiral Lambert ;
the Earl of Ilchester, on his marriage and coining to
his title, by the Adjutant-General; Captain Man-
ning by Colonel Challoner ; the Earl of Orford by
Lord Redmdale ; Lord Rivers, on appointment as
Lord-in-Waiting to the Queen, by the Lord Cham-
berlain; Captain J. H. Spoke, expedition to Central
Africa, by the Earl of Elgin.
His Royal Highness the Prince Consort presided
on Wednesday at a meeting of the Council of the
Duchy of Cornwall, Buckingham-gate, St. James's
Park. There were also present the Chancellor, Lord
Kingsdown ; Mr. Whitmore, the Attorney General,
Mr. Alexander; the Treasurer, Colonel the Hon.
Sir Charles Beaumont Phipps; the Duke of New-
castle, Lord Portman, and the Secretary, Mr. J. R.
Gardiner.

WHITEHALL, JUNE 3.—Tho Queen, taking into
Her Royal consideration that, upon the decease of
Francis Godolphin D'Arcy, Duke of Leeds, without
issue, on the 4th day of May last, the title and
dignity of Duke of Leeds devolved upon George
Godolphin, now Duke of Leeds, as eldest son and
heir of Francis, Lord Godolphin, who was next
brother of George William Frederick, sixth Duke of
Leeds, Knight of the Most Noble Order of the Garter,
the father of the said Francis Godolphin D'Arcy,
late Duke of Leeds, and that, according to the ordi-
nary, rules of honour, thr brothers of the said George
Godolphin, now Duke of Leeds, cannot enjoy that
place and precedence winch would have been due to
them had their father, tie said Francis Lord Godol-
phin, survived his nephew, the said Francis Godol-
phin D'Arcy, Duke of Leeds, and had thereby suc-
ceeded to the title and dignity of the Duke of Leeds,
Her lilajnny has been graciously pleased to ordain
and declare that the Hun. William Godolphin
Osborne and the Hon. Sydney Godolphin Osborne,
clerk, shall henceforth lave, hold, and enjoy the
saute title, place, pre-eminence, and precedence, as
if their late father, the said Francis Lord Goldol-
phin, had survived his nephew, the said Francis
Godolphin D'Arcy, late Duke of Leeds, and had
thereby succeeded to the said title and dignity of
Duke of Leeds. And Her Majesty hath been further
pleased to command that the said Royal order and
declaration be registered in her College of Anus.

HOFFMAN'S 011GANOPHONIC BAND.-011 Wednes-
day and Thursday evenings the talented musicians,
known by the above name as forming a "human
voice orchestra," will give concerts at the Townhall.
The recollection of the excellence of the band's
performance on their former visit to our town, will
probably induce many to renew their acquaintance
with so accomplished a corps. The ventriloquial
powers of Mr. Thurton are very highly spoken of,
and afford a rich treat- We understand that during
a sojourn at Jersey, whence the company comes to
this neighbourhood, the Organophonic band met
with very great success, • constant succession of
crowded audiences attending their concerts.
BELL'S CIRCCS.—On Coronation Day Bell's Hip-
podrome Circus visited this town, making a grand
entry at noon, consisting of an imposing procession
of horses and riders, the cavalcade being brought to
a close by a walking elephant. Two performances
were given under a marquee pitched near the Brid-
port road ; and though that in the afternoon was
not very numerously attended, the evening per-
formance was witnessed by a goodly number of
townspeople and others resident in the surrounding
neighbourhood. The sayings and doings of the
clowns caused a consideradle amount of laughter,
and the performance of the "educated" elephant.
Delhi, called forth loud applause. The entertainment
was of a very varied character, and seemed to give
general satisfaction.