The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-02-10 00:00:00

having seeosestally noloted the forme Goverameat of We
sx'satrit bad PereistentlY relected our attempt' at month.
Won. a bare reason to hope that the time Is now
approashing when an important advance may be wade
towards it.. establishment of a anima or confederation.
tuckr latch the power of eall.governmeflt. aimedy
enjoyed by the inhabitant" of the Cape Colony, may be
extended to my a shjects in ot ,er parts of Booth Africa.
Papers on these and Mbar matters will be forthwith laid
before yen.

GZISTLIMICIV OF THE HOIJSZ Olr COMMONS,I
have directed the estimates of this year to be prepared
and presented to you without delay.
Mv LOILDe Leo GlVrTtintil.—The commistion which at
the doss of the elee.ion I informed you I had houed, to
enquire into the remises of agricultural depression through
out the United Kierpiom, ts pursuing its labours. In the
meantime the aerious 1,11 :limey In the usual crops in some
part. of Ireland has rendered necessary special Prsosoll°°l
on the part of uiy thvernment to guard &utast the
calamities with which those clistricte were threatened.
With this view they have called upon the authorities
charted with the duty of administering rend to malt°
ample preparations for the distribution of food and fuel,
should such a step become mouse, y, and they have also
stimulated the employment of labour by advances in terms
more liberal than those prescribed by the existing law. I
feel assured that you will give your sanction to the course
which has been adopted, where it may have exceeded the
power entrusted by Parliament to the Executive GI Jetta-
ment. . . _

—.—
A proposal will be suhmitted to you for providing the
funds required for there exceptional advances, on the
security on the property administered by the Church
Temporalities C mmisaioners.
I trust you will be able to resume the consideration of
the criminal cods, and of the improvement of the Law of
Bankruptcy.
But. will be laid before you for enlarging the powers of
owners (I settled lend, for consolidating and amending
the Lunacy LIM!, and for simplifying the practice of con-
veyancing.
I commend to you th -se and other measures which
may be submitted for your consideration ; and I trust that
the blessing of the Almighty will attend and direct your
labours
FRIDAY.
_ . _ _ .

In the Lords the address was moved by the Earl of I
°whew, and seconded by the Earl of Roane. The
lords devoted &considerable portion of their remarks to
the distress in Ireland. —Lord Granville expressed his
regret that the session would not be a working one.
Adverting to the question of land reform, the noble
earl said any change should be in the direction of
simplifying titles and giving as much freedom as
possible to the landowner. He was utterly opposed
to Home Rule in Ireland, but he thought some reform
in Local Government might do much towards
satisfying Irishmen and relieving the House of
Commons. Turning to foreign affairs his lordship
asked for further information with respect to the
Zulu war, and said it was time that Parliament knew
what was to be done in relation to Afghanistan.
—Lord Beaconsfield said a telegram just received from
Sir Bartle Frere gave pniinise that the scheme of
confederation in South Africa would be carried out.
As regarded Afghanistan, the primary object of the
Government had been to secure a powerful frontier on
the north-west of our Indian empire, and this had
been accomplished by the Treaty of Gundamuk. The
' Government wished to see the people of Afghanistan
governed by their own chiefs, and it might be
necessary to restore the country to the state in which
It was before Dost Mahomed collected several tribes
under his power. His lordship repudiated the charges
of cruelty which had been brought against the British
In South Africa and Afghanistan.
In the Commons, re-assembled at four o'clock, the
Address was moved by Colonel Moray and seconded
by Mr. Corry, after which the Marquis of Hartington
expressed his surprise that the Government had
deemed it necessary to call Parliament together for a
seventh session, touched on questions of foreign policy,
and said the Greek frontier question ought to be settled.
Coming to South African affairs, the speaker con-
demned the action that had been pursued in the
Transvaal, the annexation of which territory was made
under a mistaken ides. As to Afghanistan, the people
of that country were now in a worse position than
ever, and he asked for information respecting the
miliiary executions In Cabul.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer retorted that the
noble lord and his friends had not given the Govern-
ment the support necessary to put down the Irish
obstruction, and characterised his observations on the
continuance of Parliament an ;somewhat unconstitu-
tional. He asserted that the Government had tried to
bring about a settlement of the Greek question, and
had pressed upon Turkey the necessity of reforming.
The great alliances on the Continent made it more
necessary than ever that England should not abdicate
the position she held in the councils of Europe. After
repudiating any desire to annex more territory in
Afghanistan, the right hon. gentleman detailed the
steps which the Government had taken to alleviate the
distress in Ireland. An animated discussion followed.
In the House of Lords on Friday night, Lord
Delawarr intimated that he should next Tneaday
re-introduce his Bill in reference to the liability of
employers for injuries sustained by their workmen.
In the House of Commons, Mr. Gray, M.P., as
Lord Mayor of Dublin, presented a petition from the
Carporation of that city, praying for the establishment
of reproductive works in Ireland.
Sir W. Lawson gave notice of his "local option"
resolution for that day month.
Mr. Stanhope said it was true that some Russian
correspondence had been discovered at Cebu!, and was
now in the hands iif the Government; but they did
not propose to produce it or to give any information as
to its contents. The precise limit assigned to Great
Britain under the Treaty of Gundamuk had not yet
been defined, owing to the murder of Sir L.
Cavagnari.
Mr. Sclater Booth stated that the Prime Minister had
satisfied himself that Dr. Farr's health unfitted him
for the laborious post of Registrar-General. —Mr.
Anderson then inquired whether it was true that the
Governor of the Gold Coast had been acquiring terri-
tory from native chiefs by offers of money and rum.
—Sir M. Hicks-Beach replied that a small piece of
territory had been acquired in the way stated, but
defended the transaction on the ground that it would
prevent much nmu,ggling.
The debate on the Address was resumed by Mr.
Redmond, who warned the Government of serious
difficulties in Ireland if they refused to deal with the
land question, and moved an amendment declaring
that the Ministry had not taken adequate steps to meet
the existing distress, and that further legislation
with respect to the tenure of land was essen-
tial to the peace and prosperity of the island.—
Sir S. Northcote contended that the House would be
going altogether beside the question of distress if it
occupied itself with the points raised in the amend-
ment. What they must first dispose of was the best
way of preventing starvation, and, so far as the
Government had gone, they had done what they
thought was best calculated to meet the crisis. He
admitted that a report just received from the Registrar.
General disclosed a very unsatisfactory state of things,
It being calculated that the value of last year's crops
was nearly 10,000,000 below that of the previous year,
the falling off in quantity being equally alarming. The
pill he would shortly introduce would empower Bosnia
, of Guardians to issue food and fuel by way of out-door
relief, and to raise loans to meet the exceptional rates.
Increased facilities would also be offered to landlords
pr3posing to improve their estates. The Ministerial
; explanation was received by the Irish members with
disapproval, which continued for some hours—Mr.
Plunket confessed that many Tories had approved of
Home Rule at the outset, and that Mr. King Harman,
• Home Ruler, had been appointed to a Lord.
, Lieutenancy by the Government. —Mr. Sullivan
• repeated that Tories had paid the election expenses of
Fenians. The debate was again adjourned.