The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-03-19 00:00:00

5.4 am crsttsliire.

Somr.r.swr SPRING AS.,IZE.4. —The Royal Commis-
sivn for holding these aaize iv ill ho opened at the
Shirehall on Tuesday (this day.) The calendar
tains the names of 96 prisonere—an unusually largo
number —but this is partly to he ascribed to the fact
that omi this oceasiton the Quarter Sessions will not lie
held till after the assizes. The nature of the crimes
are, murder, 2 ; rape, 2 ; unnatural offences, 4;
bigamy 2 ; manslaughter 2; burglary 12; cutting
and wounding 4; uttering counterfeit coin, I ; em-
bezzlement. 2 ; forgery. 1 ; uttering forged notes, 1 ;
and numerous cliarmes of robberies, obtaining goods
by false pret,:tic,ss, &C. . .

. .
C11.11:0 requisition bus been pre•
minted to the bailiffs of our borough, requesting thion
to convene a public meeting of the inhabitants, to
consider the proposed railway from Taunton to
Chard. The requisition was numerously signed by
the leading professional and other gentlemen sod
tradesmen of the town, and by the Directors of the
Taunton and Chard llailway Company, and several
inhabitants of llininster and Ilatzh. On Tuesday
the bailiffs issued a notice calling a meeting for the
following Monday, at the Assembly-rooms in this
town, at 12 o'clock. . .

AIIATIL-DR THEATRICALS.—Some members of the
Taunton Rifle Corps are getting up some amateur
theatricals, and intend offering their entertainment
to the inhabitanis in Easter week. "Urgent Private
Affairs," Bus and C.x,"and " Bomb:tam Furioso"
are the pieces selected, and the proceeds of the
entertainment are to go towards the band fund.
BRIATOL.—//air Ciallitj on SUAritiy. —At the
Council Rouse, before the sitting justices on Tues-
day, Henry Llevrellin, hairdresser, QIIDO up to
receive the decision of the bench with regard to a
charge preferred against him of hair-cutting on the
Sabbath-day. Mr. B. Brittaiu, as befire, appeared
for the prosecution, and great intermit was excited
amongst the hair-dressing fraternity as to the result
of the case. The defendant was stated to have had
his shop opened again last Sunday, notwithstanding
the judgment which was hanging over him. The
bench, after carefully considering the case, fined the
defendant 2s. for the offence complained of.
THE ROAD MIJRDCR. -The We*tern Daily Pre**
says:—" Reports of the most extraordinary character
were afloat in Bristol and Bath yesterday respecting
this mysterious crime, and were the (ADAC of
considerable excitement. One report stated that a
new chain of
_evidence had been obtained connecting
Miss Constance Kent with the crime in a positive
manner ; and others had it that that young lady had
made some sort of confession. We have good
authority for saying that both reports are utterly
without foundation. The case has assumed no new
feature since the ciacurostinces were last before the
public, and at present there seems as little hope as
ever of the mystery finding a solution." We were
in possession of the rumour with regard to Miss
Constance Kent, but refrained, from prudential
motives, from giving currency to it, resting as it did
on such apparently little foundation.