The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-05-28 00:00:00

LORD JOHN RUSSELL

THE name which stands at the bead of this article
has been, for many years, associated in the public
mind with the greater part of those liberal and
comprehensive measures which have proved so
advantageous, both to the people of our own land,
and those residing in foreign countries. Probably,
if we were to analyze the House of Commons, and
take member by member, separately, we should not
find one who has acted more consistently for so
long a period to the principles he has professed, as
the present Secretary for Foreign Affairs. When
liberal measures were not so much in favour as they
are now, Lord John stood foremost in the ranks,
and led the forlorn hope in the siege against long.
cherished opinions and systems which were the
barriers to the onward progress of civil and religious
liberty, and we know of no one more worthy to
have inscribed on his brow—" The distinguished
friend and champion of right, justice, and fair.
dealing." In the list of noble names, to whose
honour the passing of the Slave Emancipation Act
ia due, few sere more nsted than his for the
untiring advocacy with which be pleaded the
claims of the oppressed and degraded negro. Night
after night, and often rising to the highest degrees
of oratorical eloquence, his voice was heard de-
nouncing the inhuman traffic of the slave-dealer,
the sufferings of the slave, and the fearful responsi.
bility which rested on a nation, calling itself
Christian, in upholding so iniquitous a system.
Then as to the question of Reform, notwithstanding
all that has been said about his half-heartednesfs, we
must yet ascribe to him the honour of being one of
the first to admit the claims of • very large pro.
portion of the people to &share in the representation.
It may be true, as stated by the Dorset Chronicle a
short time since, Lord John has tilled various offices,
but that ho has been—" All things by turns and
nothing long," as the writer in that paper states, is
such a gross falsehood, that even the warmest
partizans of the principles that journal advocate*,
must blush to see stated. Since the days of Pitt,
110 minister has continued in one office so long—
that of Prime Minister —u Lord John Russell ; and
we may, with all due respect for the Conservative
psi y, challenge thew to produce one man as
°moisten* M tbo uoblo iamb's. for tbo oiq of

London; We write this in no spirit of boasting,
but when the fair fame of such noble minded men is
impugned, and such base and unblushing lies are
given forth to the public, and we fear too eagerly
swallowed down for truth, by those
" Whose vish is father to the thought,"
we must in all fairness to the principles we
profess, and justice to those who maintain them,
want the writers in the Dorset County Chronicle
and all other journals of its class, that a time will
come when its pages must be filled, not with the
efek productions which now make up its quota of
journalism, and unjust and untrue aspersions upon
public men which disgrace its pages, but with
those kind of articles which will help forward (in
however small a degree) those measures of civiliza-
tion and liberty, which tend to the general well-
being of this country, and the happiness of the world
at large. We have said, and will maintain it, that
Lord John Russell has ever been consistent and true
to the principles he professes. His aim has been to
benefit his own eountry,not by the advocacy of sudden
and violent measures, which, if carried out, would
only have caused anarchy and confusion—but by
adopting and supporting gradual changes, all of
which have tended to lighten the burdens and
remove the restrictions which have pressed upon
various classes of the people, and thus paved the
way for a fuller and more comprehensive represent-
ative system. Nor has his latter days been eclipsed
by the brightness ahich ushered in his fame as
p.ditician. Our country, raised high among the
nations of the earth as the fearless champion of
liberty, never had a son more worthy to represent
her feelings iu other States than the present
Secretary for Foreign Affairs. We ask any one, if
there ever were despatches written which breathed
more noble sentiments, denounced more unsparingly
iniquitous wrongs, or more wartnly sympathized
with the best asperations of humanity, than have
been lately written by the noble lord? Then who
are they who would seek to detract from his fair fame?
We must think it is only those who envy him his
noble nature—who cannot appreciate, because they
do not understand his lofty principles, and who,
indulging in those grovelling and petty feelings
which are the bane of weak minds, can only rind
pleasure in traddeing others, placed higher in the
social scale by the power which education, intellect,
and more worthy motives entitles them to occupy.

DORCIHIATER PITCHED CORN MARKET, Saturday,
May 25.—The attenvlance of farmers, millers, and
dealers was large. The general tone of the trade was
exceedingly dull its reduction of from Is. to 2s. on
wheat. All other grain was lower. More samples
were on offer than we have seen for many months
past.
ItivLE CoNywr. —A sweepstakes was shot for at
the butts, Maiden Castle, on Thursday last. Five
rounds at 200 yards, and five at 500 yards. The
following was the result:—Capt. Kinder'ley, 6;
Capt. Warry, (Dorset Militia), 8; Lieut. Brown,
(Dorset Militia), I ; Sergeant Homer, II; Sergeant
Gregory, II; Sergeant Turner, 9; Private Joseph
Homer, ; Private Thomas Homer, 6; Sergeant
Legg, 10.—In shooting off the tie, Sergeant Homer
won with a centre—Sergeant Gregory taking the
second prize.—Another sweepstake was shot for
with three rounds at 200 yards, and two rounds
at 400 yards. Private Thomas Homer won the
first prize with 9 points, and Sergeant Gregory the
second with 7 pmts.—The two prizes given by
Capt, Warry, of the Dorset Militia, were won by
Private Thomas Homer and Sergeant Gregory.
GAws CRRTIFICATER.— Our sporting friends are
perhaps not aware of the fact that game certificates
expired on the sth of April, and that every person
who uses a gun without having renewed his license
is liable to& penalty. [Note.—This shows how neg-
ligent our Government must be in not having adver•
tised this new regulation.—Ed. DALE.]

UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCE. —About 8 o'clock on
ThurwL,y evening last, a flock of 13 wild geese
rettover this town, taking a South-Westerly
on. On the Thursday previous, a flock of 23
geese passed over the neighbourhood of Came, taking
the same direction. Such a circumstance, we believe,
at this time of the year, is very unusual.
THIRD DOIUMST RIFLE VOLUNTZEUS.—This corps
will parade, with band, in High West Street on
Thursday afternoon to attend the funeral of the
late Mr. Abram Taylor, at Fordington, who was a
member of the corps. The members will be in full
dress uniform with arms and plumes. A sermon
to improve the death of Mr. Taylor, will, we under-
stand, be preached by the Rev. H. hloule, on Sun-
day morning next. The members of the rifle corps
have been requested to attend in full dress, with the
baud, bu, .ilAnout their ivala Lament.

CUURCH MI8810N•RY SOCULTY. —On Sunday last
sermons were preached at Holy Trinity Church—in
the morning by the Rev. James Fisher, M. A. ; in
the afternoon, by the Bev. T. A. Faulkner, N. A. ;
and in thelevening, by the Rev. J. W. Smart, M.A.,
district secretary to the society; at Wed Ford-
ingtou church, by the Rev. J. W. Smart, in the
morning, and the ltcv. C. J. Bird, in the
evening ; at East Fonlington, in the morning
by the Rev. H. Moule, in the afternoon by the Rev.
J. W. Smart, and in the evening by the Rev. C. W.
Binghatu. Cullectioas were made at the close of
the several services, towards the funds of the
society. On Monday, annual public meetings were
held at the Guildhall. In the afternoon,the Rev. J.
Handley presided, and the meeting was addressed
by the Rev. J. W. Stuart, who attended as a depu-
tation from the Parent Society, and several of the
resident and neighbouring clergy. The report was
read by the Rev. H. hloule, from which it appeared
that the collections at the several churches and the
annual meetings butt year was £44 14s. 64d.; and
the subscriptions, together with a moiety of the pro-
oeeds of the bazaar, £44 ha.; and that the total re-
ceipt' of the district had been upwards of 1:272, of
which 1:262 16s. Oil. had been remitted to
the Parent Society. There had been a fall.
tug off in the funds, in this district, as compared
with the preceding year, and such had been the
case throughout the country generally. This, one of
the speakers attributed partly to the wet summer
last year, and partly to the French tariff. There
was, we are sorry to State, but a limited attendance.
COUNTY POLICE. —On Saturday last Charles Coath,
a native of Plymouth, was charged before Major.
General Michel and Captain Kiuderaley, with
stealing a purse, half a sovereign, and a box of
domino", the property of Jamie Collins, farmer and
blacksmith at Portland. It appeared that the
prisoner was left behind when his ship sailed from
the Roads, and prosecutor took him into his Ileum till
Ihe got another ship. He was there three weeks, and
, then " hooked it," which caused prosecutor to look
about the house, and afterwards to send P.C. Fripp
after him. He was apprehended at Castletown, and
Be. and the purse and dominos found on him.—He
was sentenced to two months' imprisonment, with
hard labour.—On Monday, P.C. Ritues brought
William Collins before Major-General Michel
for sleeping in a wagon-lodge belonging to Joseph
Guy, at Piddletovrn, a portion of Saturday night.- -
Sentenced to 7 days' imprisonment.

COM lITITID TO TIM IknICHESTER GAOL.--SeniONS :
Jane Hoyt and Susan Boyt, stealing bacon, parasol,
print, Lie., at Bore Regis; George Way, stealing wood
at Brad pole—Hard Labour: George Monk, assault on
constable at Wiinborne, one calendar month; Robert
Thorne, leaving family chargeable at Woodlands, one
calendar month ; George Taylor, drunk, &c., at Wain.
boron Minster, fourteen days; Henry White, drunk,
&c., at Wimborne Minster, one calendar month; John
Crowley, John Parr, Ind Dennis BriscoU, assaulting
police at Weymouth, one calendar month; Elisabeth
Woodrow, vagrancy at Dorchester, two calendar months;
Patrick Llrkhain, vagrancy at Weymouth, two calen-
dar months; William Fry, misbehaviour at Wareham
Union, one calendar mouth • William Clapton and
William Taylor, assault on police at Portland, seven
days ; John Bishop, assault at Chetnole, seven days ;
Elias Godding, and William Henry Brickle, deserting
H.M.S. Colossus, twenty eight days ; Charles Coath,
stealing money, &c., at Portland, two calendar
months.