The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-11-27 00:00:00

PORTLAND.

By. Joint's CHURCH. —We are pleased to find that
the efforts of those gentleman who some time ago
undertook to endeavour to raise • sum sufficient to
g= ide • new organ for this place of worship have
crowned with success, as the organ has arrived
and is being erected. We understand that it is •
nice instrument, and ant somewhere about £l3O.
Tag bre D.V. ARm.ciay.—Tbe members of
thie Corps mustered strongly on Wednesday evening
and marched out as far as Caigleton and back to the
"Portland Arms" where the men fell out and the
majority of them pared a pleasant hour at this well
knnwn establishment amid song,tosat,and sentiment.
This was the first marching out with the re-organised
Brass Band, which under the conductorship of Mr.
Stagg, promises in the course of • short time, with
careful training, to be an ornament to the corps,
which ie 90 well known in the Sonth-Western
district.

Tim CONVICT FMNIAN MI/LC/XT.—Denis Dow.
ling Mulcahy, who was oonvicted of treason felony
at the Special Commission for the trial of Fenian
prisoners, was on Saturday conveyed from Mouritjoy
Prison (to which he had been transmitted from Pen-
tonville for the purpose) to the Court of Queen's
Bench, Dublin, in the prison van, escorted by a
strong body of polies, in order that he might for.
mally assign error on the record of his conviction,
being the first step to be taken before the argument
of the case upon the question raised on his behalf as
to the validity of the conviction. With his hair
cropped does, and his face shaven, and wearing the
prison dress, it was utterly impossible for any one
who had seen him at his trial to recognise his iden-
tity ; hut his appearance argued good treatment on
the part of the prison authorities, there being not
the faintest trace of ill health. After some argument,
as it appeared that the counsel for the Crown bad
not had time to consider the matter, the Court
made a four-day rule, and the prisoner was remanded
back to prison.—Searidard.

'NS GAS QuerrioN.—Again the crier annonnoed
on Friday that • meeting of those ratepayers object-
ing to gas would take place at the Portland Arms
on the evening of Friday last at 7 o'clock at the
meeting in question Mr. Thomas Comben took the
chair, and the proceedings were of • very MI&Ill010114
nature, the principal object being to obtain subsorfp-
tions for defraying the expenses incidental to the
recent journeys tut, made to Dorchester by the
deputation appointed at the first meeting. The
donations amounted to Its more than the sum
required. We are given to understand that the main
object of the meetings is to be prepared to resist the
payment of the gas rate when made, and to fight the
question fairly before • proper tribunal It is
asserted that when the district is lighted, the
introduction of • fire engine will be compulsory by
Act of Parliament, the expenses; of which will fall
on the parish. The meeting did not finally break up
until the small hours, and one or two refractory
members present were ejected, which for the time
caused some excitement, but ths presence of the
polies no doubt acted in • salutary manner and
prevented any vicdenes, oat of doors at least, being
resorted to. Their absence, we feel assured, would
have been regretted, considering the excited state of
some persons, as there is no knowing to what'sxtent
the threats of one of the fractious miihht have been
curried.

MARTINSTOWN.

Tax FAIR. —The supply of sheep at our fair held
on Friday last was very short. Business ruled
extremely doll, on account of the high prices asked.
Several dealers from a distance were seriomly incon•
',adenoid in consequence of the neiril publicity not
having lite° given of the intended day of holding
the fair, many having reached Virchmiter on Wed-
nesday evening, and others early Thursday morning,
discrivered,to their murtilleation,that they were aday
"before" the fair.

DUCII•STZALING. - On Saturday =won't; atiou.
Iwo o'clock, am P.C. Foster and Sergient % :ekery,
were on duty in thim pariah, tlo.y maw a
man named Elias Duiiford, who said he coon,
from Cranhorne, walking up and down in front
of Major Clapoitt's house. When asked by one
of the police officers what business he had their
that time of morning, be answered " nothing
particular." He WAX told that if he did not leave he
would be locked up, and on his turning round the
constable espied something under his tviat which
turned oat to be a drake with lee neck and leg broken
tied up in a handkerchief, which the constable took
possession of, and also acme stonn found upon him.
Danford was taken into custody; he said the bird
was "neither dead nor alive." The next morning
it wan found that Mr. Henry Hawkins had missed
one of four drakes, three out of the four were exactly
alike, and the one found in prisoner's possession was
similar in every respect. He was brought up in
custody before 11. Williams and E. Pearce Eyre,
at the County Hall, Dorchester, when he wished the
case to be summarily disposed of, and was committed
fur one month's bard labour.