The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-06-21 00:00:00

WRICTL'HED FRENCH CONVICTS.

The Committee of Inquiry into the treatment of
prisoner. in New Caledonia continues to elicit some
extraordinary sccounts of the punishmeata inflicted on the
convicts. H Alphonse Humbert in his evidence, gave •
dreadful description of the "brutality of the officials"
One of the milder forms of punishment consists of shutting
up 90 men Ins space intended only ter at, and leaving them
there all night, with water up to the calves of their legs.
The ofit,ials themselves are punished for bearing any com-
plaints from the prisoners to their officers Imprisonment
in cells without light and air h also resorted to, and there
the prisoner Ls supplied only with such food as quickly
produces scurvy. He is kept in chains, water is given
him in one of his shoes, as no cup I. allowed, and when
the doctor orders • ration of wine and soup the liquors are
mixed. When Willi) is supplied it ii always bad, being
rendered sour by the climate, and not even lit to make
vinegar of. Flogginequently inflicted with great
violence, and with slight provocation, and the convicts are
often put in Irons for ill. Perhaps the most agonis-
ing torture I. that of hanging a convict by the legs, and
leaving him to the mercy of the mosquitoes. One man
treated in this manner went mad on the spot M. Hum-
bert stated that the officers make no scruple of using their
revolvers, and that on one occasion • warder lodged aye
bullet' in the body of • man in one of the cells. Telegraph.

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE FARMERS.
On Wednesday afternoon a numerous deputation from
the Farmers' Alliance, introduced by Mr. J. Howard,
IL P., chairman of the organisation, waited upon Mr.
Gladstone to lay before him the views of the Milano, on
various subjects connected with agriculture. In reply,
Mr. Gladstone said the Government meant to do their
beet to pus the Harm and Rabbits Bill through Parlia-
ment during the present session, and there was nothing in
principle to prevent them from considering proposals to
apply the measure to exerting leases. He need not, he
said, assure the deputation of the intention of the Govern-
ment to persevere with the repeal of the malt tax. With
the various subjects which had been brought
= to
him, there were few of them on which be had not
expressed opinions tending in the direction taken by the
speakers themselves. That an effective protection ought
to be given to farmers with respect to improvements made
by them he entertained no doubt whatever. He agreed
that the law of distress was • law of severity that could
not be justillet He hoped it would not be lent before the
Government were able to deal with the cineetlons of county
boards and the apportionment of local burdens.

RECEPTION OF THE KING OF THE HELLENES.
The gold casket present.' on this occasion is being
made by J. W. Benson, of Ludgate-WU and Bond-street,
and is in pure Greek style, standing upon • blue
velvet cushion with gold roses, oblong, octagonal
in form, supported at the four corners by the city
dragons, grasping • shield hazing the city arms. The
front has • medallion portrait of the King of Greece,
festooned with fruit and flowers, • laurel brunch denoting
success; below the obverse contains • similar shield for
Inscription. Above the portrait is the Petasus (winged
cap of Mercury) the favourite Greek emblem of
commerce The King's initial letter" O. enamelled in
blue and white is pendant below. The Royal Orb of
Greece commands exalted positions at each corner of the
cover. around the extreme edge of which are tablets
containing names of celebrated Greek poets, philosophers,
and orators. The Greek honeysuckle ornament on the
box and the Grecian key border around the base suggests
the art for which Greece was so renowned. The weeltis ii
surmounted by the Greek arms with the national
supporters finely modelled, upholding the jewelled crown
of the King of Greece.

In Bormah, the Nyoungoke ham gathered together
5,500 men, and his force is steadily increasing, but he
has no arms or money.
In consequence of the conclusions arrived al the
Commission appointed to investigate the complaints of
the M.'—in Eastern Roomsld, three ulgarian
militia officers, two of whom are Bogdan', have been
dismissed the service.
Etiorios Perrnous.—At Westbury, Mr. Phipps
(Conservative) is declared duly elected. Judge Lush
whited several gross act" of bribery had been com-
mitted; but the agency of the bribers was not preyed.
—At Tewkesbury Captain Price (Liberal) ii ousted,
the Judges considering the agency of the briber proved.
Mr. Baron Pollock added that it warn a melancholy
and degrading sight to see men come forward, as they
had done there and during the Gloucester inquiry,
Nod actor they had sad their consciences and
Mimed *WE bogigaS7 and oanottintional rights.