The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-04-14 00:00:00

Vorset &multi Express,
TUESDAY, APRIL lt, 186&

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Now iii. understood that Mr. Disraeli will neither
resign nor dissolve, but take the impracticability of
'present dissolution as • reason for remaining in effioe,
in spite of any adverse vote, until Use new °open-
tunnies can be appealed to, there is not much excite-
ment in regard to the politioal situation. The
passion seems likely to be prolonged beyond its Irma
period through Mr. Gladstone's resolutiona ; instead
of our M. P.s being sent prematurely to their 030-
stitneatiss for daring to entertain those resolutions,
their only punishment will probably be, to be "kept
in" for a few weeks loner than Government would
otherwise have required their legislative service&
It is generally thought that Mr. Gladstone will be
*patent with putting his resolutions on record, and
will not attempt latiois on them this year, ea it
would beimprectioshla to carry an Act of Parla-
ment for the dissetablistiment of the Irish Church in ,
the remaining portion of the Session; and, even of
Noah en Act paned through the Commons, it is not
likely that the Lords would give their &sleet to it,
until the question has been decided by an appeal to 1
the nation. Perhaps Mr. Gladstone, if successful
with his resolutions, will bring in • Bill pro forted,
but be will hardly attempt to foram it to • seeped i
reading. It is now evident that the great battle of
the Irish Church will bare to be fought in 1889, end
that anything that may be doom session wlll'
only amount to preliminary skirmiabse.
If some foreigner in this country, unacquainted
with the doctrines and preotiose of Christianity,
were trying to understand the meaning of Good
Friday from the outward manifestations of the day,
he would probably find himself very much puzzled
to manila the wide discrepancies in the manner
of its observance. White Roman Catholics, •
majority of Churchman, and some oongrega-
none of Dissenters devote the date to solemn
religious serving in commemoration of • great
Christian mystery, a large number of the population
keep the holiday (Dot the hoirdel) in a vary
different fashion, or rather in Tunas very different
faehicu& Many are bent on exounioes for enjoy.
meat or recreation; NUM are getting drunk as fast
as the legal restrictons on the public-houses will allow
them; some are gardening or carpentering, or doing
" odd jobs about the house ;" while not • few are peer
leg • more than usually torpid aDdeomnoleut Sunday.
Bat not only is Good Friday • non-descript day
anion the working einem ; even in "genteel" lib
you may fled almost as many persons giving private
parties on the day, and indulging in cards and other
quiet dissipations, as you will find going to church
and persuading themselves that they are tasting on
• hearty dieser of ealt-flab and parsnips. Among
the aristocracy =tweed rennet le skill shown
for the day, though it Is doubtful bow late
this will lad U the Priam of Wales sate suA
examples as going to • great hunt-meeting on Ash
Wednesday. But as regards the lower orders, who
have no scruples about studying appearances, the
contrast which may be frequently witnessed In the
larger towns of van-loade of half-drunken returning
ezeursieeine rattling out comic or bacchanal songs,
the notes of which mingle with the hymns or
psalms of worshipping commotion' in churches by
the roadoide, is only an extreme example of the
opposite ways of keeping • day, which • large number
of people seem to think"good," tot any purpose they
choose to put it to.
But the legitimate Dieter holidays have now
begun, and them the religious and the ncerreligions
—Boman Catholics, Churchmen, and Dissentees,
equally with those of no religious profiesion--all
keep in pretty meek the same fashion, without
scruple. In the sixteenth century the Demon wee
merited by Umber plays in the churches, when literal
represeetations were vise of the events they were
intended to celebrate, and rising out of and accom-
panying these ecclesiastical merry-makings were the
holiday observances of the people, which were for
the most part rough and rude Al were the times, yet
in some sort they were symbolical of the seam. In
them later days our Easter amusements are but •
fatal refisztioa of them of the oldest time, and
they are generally restricted to Monday and
Tardily, bet there are seem curious customs still
observed donne the week in various pens of the
country. In recent years Eider Monday has been the
mouton for • large gathering of the rifle volunteers,
for a field day. It has now become very popular
mond our citizen soldiers, and as Portsmouth was
the locality chosen lor yesterday's meeting, the bulk
of the Detest battalion took part in the opststioes.
The assreahLay would have been enormous, but for
t=l the Pert of the authorities which Ma-
ths roovasset, and it is own* *bed

net this araes from the airoamstsnoe that the new
general of our naive fortes we, afraid of under-
taking to handle newly 40,000 men—volunteers
and regulars!
The Lord Portman, Chairman of the Dorset
=Simians, in charging the grand jury, last
day, made a luminous sistement in regard
to the incidence. of twain, whin, we doubt not,
sill receive that thoughtful oonaideration it so well
disarm His lordship's reference to the subject
was occasioned by the mistakes and misconceptions
which have been promulgated by Mr. Gangs
Andrew and others—the leaders of the movement
lately oommenoed in this and the adjoining counties,
for relieving the tenant farmers from some portion
of the burden of taxation they now bear, cod plating
it upon the personal property of the meow, as re-
presented by money in the funds. In support cf the
agitation to this end Mr. Genge Andrews has
published • lecture in which be quotes, as from the
43rd Act of Elizabeth, which is the foundation of
the present poor-law, that "every inbabitent" was to
behind "awording to his mean," and that lands or
homes were not even mentioned. But the noble lord
showed by referents to the 43rd of Elizabeth—sad
we have read it ourselves—that Mr. Grose Andrew.
could never have seen the Act, and that the fire-
tended 9uotation from it is tot there at all ! Thesis
ettroordilm7, hut not more a than what the Act
really contains. It specially mentioas "land, and
houses" as the subjects of amesement for the relief
of the poor, and says that the money is to be
gathered—not according to the ability of 'the
inhabitant," bet "according to the ability of the
same parish" Thus his lordship exposed Mr. Genes
Andrews', etrage wastathment of the law, and he
proceeded to indicate the difficulties and litigation
which that Act has occasioned. Turning than to
the principles for which the agit•tors contend, the
noble lord Slowed that the moment is no new thing,
but merely the revival of an old aspiration ; for
eighteen years ego, • committee of the Hones of
Lords, of whin his lordship was the chairman,
reported "that all national property ougit to
contribute to the relief of the poor, and
since then Parliamentary committee, have been
vainly endeavouring to tarry the principle into
effect. Thee the noble lord indicated some of the
contingencies of the adoption of such a enema, and
the difficulties surrounding it, whin may well make
tenant farmer, osisious bow they proceed in the
matter or they may find the 7 have performed that
old feat familiarly known as "jumping out the frying.
pan i ate the fire," aerl he Iwo them some woad
practical advice, esfereing it by illustratioas within
their expiration, to the effect that instead of wasting
their time and energies in agitating for • chariot the
law, which possibly might not improve their weitien,
it would be doing a wise and a useful if they
devoted themselves to the humbler tea idminn
Wring as best they might the existing law, and pre-
vesting any sonseemary expeoditure lii those
matters which are under their oontrol. the lord-
ship's speech is deeply interesting at the palest
time, and we commend it to the serious oomideration
of our readers. The ratepayers have some encourage-
ment for adopting the noble lord's suggestions, for at
these sessions, the memorials of sight of the Boards of
Guardians in the county were effectual in restraining
at any rate till next seesions the expenditure of £5OO
for providing a pane-room at Bird.moregate, an
outlying hamlet an the Rridport division, By this
and similar mesas they may Mt most heneflatallY
and, as the Liberal party obtained from • Conserve-
live Government son • large measure of Reform as
they never hoped to pen when in power OM-
selves, so, we antitipate, may the ratepayers, by
judicious pressure, constrain the magistrates to such
an economical admiaistration of the county funds as
they would never &thieve if County Financial Boards
were established.

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