The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-11-17 00:00:00


jOunlet Conuttl express.

TUESDAY. NOVEMBER 17. 1871.

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

Her Majesty will not return to Windsor as
early as was expected, it being now understood
that she will leave Balmoral on Friday, and
reach the Castle on Saturday morning. The
long-continued absence of the Queen while the
Empress of Russia was on a visit to this country
has excited considerable remark. The illustrious
guest of our Queen—as the Empress may be
called by courtesy—must have felt this alight
somewhat keenly, but she will at least have the
consoling reflection that the Empress of Austria
was treated with scarcely more cordial hospitality.
In this connection we may note that it is rather
curious to Englishmen to hear of an order being
conferred on the manager of a railway because
sovereign has passed in safety and comfortiover
the line. We should almost as soon think of an
order being conferred on the manager of
Claridge's Hotel for his attention to a foreign
Majesty. But, anyhow, Mr. John Shaw,
manager of the South-Eastern Railway, has got
the Imperial Order of the Iron Crown, 3rd clan.
The Earl of Shaftesbury, on Thursday evening,
addressed a crowded meeting of the Poole
Young Men's Christian Association in words of
warning against the dangers of the times. The
competition in commerce, he said, has under-
mined our commercial honour, and frauds,
deceits, and adulterations permeate every busi-
ness, so that the first thing a young man learns
on going into a great commercial house is how
to give short measure and false weight. These
things led him to fear the decadence of our
commercial supremacy. No doubt there is
inure 'cuteness in business now-a-days than fifty
years ago, but we are not prepared to admit any
increase of flagrant dishonesty. Our Lord-
Lieutenant is of rather an ascetic turn of mind,
and his Cassandra-like warnings are probably
as much a matter of temperament as of fact.
It is well, however, to insist, in season and out
of season, on honesty of life and character; and
in this view, nothing could be more to the
purpose than the earnest address of the noble
earl to the young men of Poole. "Pernicious
literature" is an old bogey now, and the knowledge
to discern good from evil is its best corrective.
Young Men's Christian Associations if under the
guidance of some able and experienced Minister--
which we believe to be of paramount importance
—and scientific lectures, "keeping to facts and
avoiding crude theories and fanciful conjectuies,"
as the noble earl insisted, are no doubt valuable
agencies for good ; but, in all these societies,
mutual admiration and Pharisaical righteousness
are snares equally dangerous to the members.
Young Women's Christian Associations do not
commend themselves to our judgment as desir-
able institutions; we prefer that young women
should exhibit the grams of a Christian walk
and conversation in the home circle rather than

in any meeting or club. But they, as we-11- a;
young men, may do good service to others and
to themselves, by becoming Sunday school
teachers; for it is a form of usefulness, which,
when undertaken in an earnest Christian spirit,
is calculated to exercise a most beneficial
influence on the rising generation. Everybody
in Dorset delights to honour the Lord Lieuten-
ant, and we commend his address to the
thoughtful attention of our readers.
Mr. Gladstone's anti-Papal pamphlet on din
Vatican Decree, has been the topic of the week.
His point is that the Infallibility dogma usurps
civil authority, and on that account, though
R4/1111U1 Catholics may be even better citizens
than he, they yet hold a faith which cannot be
tolerated an Roman Catholicism was when the
Emancipation Bill was passed. Dr. Manning
and Lord Acton promptly replied, and their letters
answer one another to this extent that Dr. Manning
maintains that the Infallibility dogma does not
interfere with a Roman Catholic's 'lnc tleers once of
rights, while Lord Antis implies that they must,
but tlcit Roman Catb4ll.l Were lit parties to the new
o"irnia, and arc not oknuiselled to respect it. Dr.
Manning does ill kt pral.l.l, tA, recognise the distinction
between Prote.taiit and Papist which every one else
sees. The conscientimmobjectiou which svccilbTistisn
man may take to following civil law wherever it a.ser
direct is one thing ,• it is quite another to inailmit con-
science to Rome, thereby but erecting wig munclanis
throne above another. The Pope has spoken of the
pamphlet in the bitterest terms, ,•ondenining it ii6s
llisairkehitia, and suggesting that its author is a viper
and *e writer ,d blasphemies. The German press is
deliOited and sotosishoL Lord Cemoys, a Roman
Cathaie Peer, says *at history, common sense, and
his early instruction forbid hAti to accept the astound.
log ii novel (n..vel, at Wet, at thares
ment pro-
u doctrine
lgation) of the personal • I,;hity of the
Pope, though limited, As asseited, to the srg, is, wain
a faith and morals, Mr. Gladstone's " expoetaleMek
is therefore eliciting evidence .of the profound dissatis-
faction with which the recent developments of Papa/
policy are regarded lunong Roman Catholics them.
selves.