The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-08-04 00:00:00

were more conspicuous either in their every day life or in
discharging the duties appertaining to their position, than
at the t time -(applause).
Mr. rrHoxia proposed the health of the members
For the county --(applouoo, lie thought they were well
represented —Omar, hear)--and that all preeent were quite
satisfied to have them for many years to come —(applause).
It was a great pleasure to them to have one of the
members present—(hear, heal—awl he trusted the three
gentlemen who had held that position for 12 or 14 years
past would so continue without being put to the inconve-
nience and expense of a contest -(applause, and drunk
with three times three).
The Hon. W. H. B. Porte IN. M.P., who Was heartily
*waived, begged to return most hearty thanks on his own
behalf, as also on that of the other county member; for
the kind way in which the meeting bad received the Want
which had been proposed by Mr. Homer in en very pleasing
and flattering a manner. He had no doubt his colleagnee
would entirely agree with him in reciprocating Mr.
Homer's wish that they might long be dared the trouble
of &nether contested election, and that the three members
they now had might represent them for many years to
come—(applause). Time, however. new very fast, and he
was afraid that Mr. Homer had not kept account since
when he (Mr. Portman) first had the honour of represent-
ing this county. Ile was elected an one of their members
in 1/67. no that he had represented them for something
like 17 years. It male him feel old when be remembered
he had represented Dorset for 17 years. and that he had
had the honour of • seat in the House of I .ommone for n
—in fart he could darnels, believe be had arrived at such
an advanced period of existence—(laughter). The remarks
Mr. Homer had made were doubly precious, coming as
they did to bin, in thio room ; for he believed on one of
the last occsainns on which • public dinner wan held here
by the Don-hester Farmers' Club there were opinions
expressed that there should be a little change—(laughter)
that they only owed their quiet and comfortable re-
election to the fart of Mr. Moyer being one of the county
member.; and 'that for the sake of saving bin, from
• conteited election, the county was content with its
old three members. Ho was sure they all felt indebted to
Mr Floyer for having acted as a " buffer " between them
and a contested election. He had fought one contested
election. and it was by no means an agreeable Prune.. It
entailed hard work on the candidate, and in these days of
the ballot it was most unsatisfactory work, as • person
could not know the result A measure was peased seine
years ego which he thought would have had the effect of
arranging matters quietly in this county for some time to
tome. Parliament passed what was called the Minority
Cisme, and he had been curious to watch it. operation in
all counties where there had been contested elections. and
'three-cornered " coestituenciev He had wen it work
out the game reeulta—thus in the countiet where there
hail been two Conservatives and one Liberal they brought
in two Liberals and one Conservative He believed at the
general election it was held to be impossible that they
would be able to return three members of the same per-
suasion in this county, and therefore he thought if the
Liberal party were in the minority l,e Donets/tire, at all
events they might be allowed undisturbed possession of
their one member, and he hoped that member would be
himself for many year, to come —(applauee). Ile came
before them on this occasion in an altered position to that
which he had occupied for some years past. He came
before them not an the defender of the present Govern-
ment, but as • critic That wean much easier position to
in—(laughter)—especially when one who was on the
re-merriment side of the House felt they had made some
little mistakes, and that it was difficult to come into the
county and put a good face on them. It was, therefore,
much easier to criticiae, but he was bound to say there
wan very little he could honestly take objection to on the
part of the present Government— Ocledausea The/ began
the Session very quietly and easily, and all thought they
were going to have • quiet Session, but within the last
nionth things had warmed up, not only the weather, but
also the membere of the House, so that there hail been a
very hot and exciting thee. They had had one or two
Billethe Public Worship Regulation Bill and the Endowed
Schools Bill,, in whirl, he had never seen the members of
the HOUAO more excited, eager, and ready to rush down
one another's throats, but be believed some two-thicds of
the House were of the same way of thinking. They would,
perhaps, allow him to touch upon some of the principal
questions which hail been before Parliament this Seseion,
and medially those which affected the agricultural interest
more than any other. They might, perhaps, recollect
' that the Government were invited to take up the Agricul-
tural Tenants' Compensation Bill, but this they declined
to do. Ile did not feel sure they would he wise in inter-
fering with any contract made between landlord and
tenant. He thought that leth were able make their own
terms, and he was of opinion they did not went • law to
interfere between them—(hmar, hear). The next question
which had been much diecuseed—and especially in Dorset
—Was the question of the Malt-tax. He voted for the
abolition of that tax: but he was bound to say that if
they all lived until they saw the Malt-tax taken off he
thought they would he very old men indeed. The Conser-
vative Government had an opportunity of abolishing the
Malt-tax, as they had a large sundae to deal with; hut
they could not see their way to it. The Malt-tax brought
in eight millions, and the man must indeed be a bold
Chancellor of the Exchequer who would venture to take
off a tax producing such a revenue. Great diversity of
opinion was expremed respecting the remission of the
Malt-tax: many persons in this county would be glad to
see it abolished, hut in other auntie, where there were
not large quantities of barley grown, they did not care
about it, so that agriculturists would not all row in the some
boat There was another topic which had come under the
consideration of the Privy Council, and with which he
hoped they would deal effeetually—that was the providing
of lone safeguard for the farmer against the importation
of dineased animals from other countries. Ile was a
member of the deputation which waited en the Duke of
Richmond respecting the imiertation of the foot and
mouth disease front Ireland. It wive • very difficult thing
to make laws for the prevention of thin diseame. It might
be that in making such laws the Government would cause
greet hardship to particular farmers, and the laws made
might he found very oppressive and of no practical utility.
Ile believed • veil` great deal of the foot and mouth
disease was imported fron, Ireland. and lie thought there
ought to he such • term of quarantine at Bristol and other
places where affected rattle were landed that they might
be kept there and not be allowed to run gamut the
country until they were completely healthy. The disease
was most infectious, and spread in a very curious way.
An instance of this occurred on his father's farm it year or
ao ago. Ile had some of his herd affecteb the other beasta
being mine distance off, and so long an they were up wind
the others did not take the diastase. One night the wind
changed, and within 24 hours many of the other beside had
the foot and mouth disease. With a disease of such an
infectious nature it was very difficult to know how to
prevent It by lead measures. Then there Was another
question —that of local taxation. As they were aware the
present Government had given the ratepayers oonsiderable
relief. They had given it to the amount of £4oeooo in
support of pauper lunatics, and .filia.ooo in aid of the
police. He did not know whether Mr. Damen thought
this sufficient, but they must take what they could get
and hope for more by and bye—(laught/1r). The late
Government might have given this concession. They
were urged to do so by their own supporters, but Mr.
Gladstone could not see it in the dine light as Mr.
Disraeli. If he had done so be would have satisfied
a great many people. There Wan another Bill which
would shortly fiecoame law—the Rating Bill—for rating
wood% mines, game, and Government property. The
question of rating the right of sporting was very difficult
indeed. He scarcely knew how the Art would be framed,
hut it had gone to the Hoene of lords and certain
amendments had been made: hut he considered it would
be • very difficult matter for Amseament Committees to
diem the right of .porting. Where one landlord kept
the right of sporting in his own hands, kept • small
quantity of game, ,hot what was requires' for his own
homes and gave away the rest and another had a large
quantity of game, killing a hundred pheasants a day and
selling them, he thought the Amessment Cenntiiittee
ought to make a considerable difference' in the rating of
sporting between these two. With regard to the game,
the occupier would lie rated for it, but he would have •
perfect right to charge the owner: he considered every-
body would admit that to be fair and just. He did not
think any one wished to see the Game Laws abolished,
hecituae it would involve • much stricter law of trespass.
Everybody would he euspicious of some harm being done,
and there most be great restriction on school boys and
people, especially in the neighbourhoed of towns, so he
thought it would he far better to have the Gaine Laws as
at present. Amongst other votes which he gave, and
which he felt he was right in giving, and one in which
he thought he had their support, WSJ that against the
establishment of compulsory School Boards all over the
country. A Bill was brought in to make compulsory
the establishment of School Boards. There was nn one
more in favour of education than himself. hitt he con.
Ridded for every parish to be obliged to have • School
Beard would be a great misfortune. In many country
villages there were excellent whoa. established, which
were aupported by voluntary contributions, and he thought
to put these wheels stride and have • hard and fad line
of compulsory School Bosele would he a great misfor-
tune. There was another Bill which would eon become
law—the Intoxicating Liquors Bill. The working of the
last Act had been very satisfactory, but he believed the
preeent measure would he an impmvenoent upon it an it
took a certain amount of discretion from the hands of the
country Justices. As he had been talking to the labourer.
he would allude to the subject of strikes. Ile Was glad
te say that the tendency to strike amongst the labourers
WM somewhat abated throughout the country. He
believed they would agree with him that the labourers
had a perfect right to Join the Union, cad the farmers
had an equally peered dad to lock out the labourers;
but the question wee if they were well advised in doing
so—whether or not it would not cause the feeling between
masters and Labourers to he more embittered, and that
there would be by and bye greater drikes. Hu own im-
pression with regard to landlords and Isherirere—and it
was rather a bold thing for him to say—was that there
should be • sliding scale of wages. It Was an excellent
plea to have a wale of wages on a farm. Let them pay •
eood man higher wages than the others. An old man
must he content with low wages. He did not think all
ought to expect to be paid at the same rats but a eliding
exile of wages would satisfy hoth matter and man—(hear.
hear). This led him to the conelderation of another
question. and • very difficult one, but it must he fared
some day, as it would become law. and that was the
question of the household franchise in counties. This
question hail been brought before them in the House of
Goe.mons this year, but he abstained from voting on it
with many other members of the Liberal party. They
all felt it was a questirn which mud come before the
Hogue, but that it WWI one which ought tube dealt with
by Government and not by • private member. This
question involved the redistributhm of seats in many
places, and he thought the time was not yet come, at
least in the present disturbed dais of the labour markets
for the labourer to have the franchise: but he must have
It laalte time hence, when the redistribution of seats
could be carefully effected. He thought on the face of it,
It was impossible to deny the labourers the franchise.
Take it in this way—a tabourer living on one side of the
public road within the borough of Dorchester, Shaftes-
bury, or any other borough. earnt the lame wages as his
brother living 9110 yards to the left on the other side bet
without the lerough, and the latter might he the most
intelligent and worthy member of society, yet the
former had a vote and the latter none. The present
inequalities, he thotight, most coiner or later lead to the
admistam of the labourers generally to the franchise.
There was • great change which hal taken awe in the
immediate neighbourhood of this town, and it was a
change which in a few years would be one of many
instances which entirely refuted the notion that lend
should be di tided ammo:galena number of small occupier,
'noes,' of being worked by a few men of capital and
still. He alluded to Forrlington Field. which is about
being divided into three Cr four large fanus instead of
being let to a great number of small holders. He ventured
to say the production of Foraineton Field would he three
or four times as great as it had been before. (" No. ;
• mistake.") Before he sat down he mud my a few word,
vrith regard to the wav in which ho and his colleague (Mr.
Stunt) had been haidesi over the coals at • meeting of the
Dorchester Farmers' flub. He could say for himself be
was not aware of the day of the meeting: until the dinner
wan over, he did not know it would take place, and he
hoped they would excuse him, and believe his Aherne.
net from any wish to la disrespectful to the
. Farmers' (lab. Considering that there were
eight agesultural societies in Dorset. each of which was
attended by Gas se other of the connty member., be
thought they would aim+ with him in saying that they
had plenty of opportunities c.f expressing their opinions
and of hearing Shoes of their .weabO•tents. As Mr.
Fowler was not present he would not attack him behind
his hack aa he had done him. hut an he could say was, if
scene .lay or other as was the idea out of doors, the wheal
of fortune should send Mr. Fowler to Parliament he (Mr.
Portman) felt he would not be an anxious to have • con'
tasted election as he now seemed to he, but Would be glad
to be returned without any opposition. In conclusion,
the hon. member thanked the meeting fur the kind way
In which they hail received him, and expressed • hone
that this would not be the !sat time be should attend the
dinner of the Dorchester Acultaral Clubin the capacity
at one of their county membas—(applause).
The Partuorxr neoxrtactisposed the health of the Mayor
ear corporation' f •" remodels( thet hit=
admits were looking TUT tif(ltlAshig for the
, =sot re the town. assd referring to his pleasing
el the loweeigh fir codas to et for coonty
.leasions and on other ocouteas.