The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-08-16 00:00:00

Somersttsbire.

TA UNTlM—Rdmildia9 of St. Mary's Tatter.
The Science and Art Department of the Committee
of Council of Education has kindly consented to sold
to this town, for exhibition at the Shirehall, during
the continuance of the bazar (August 2.3 rd)., in aid
of the funds for re-building St. Mary's Tower, a
selection of works of art from the Kensington
Museum.

VISIT OF LORD ASHBURTON TO 111 4 TENANTRY.
—ln the course of the past week the Right lion.
Lord Ashburton has visited the tenantry of his
magnificent estates around Fitzlicad, upon the occa•
lion of his lordship's recent mairlau with the lion.
Miss Louisa Stuart Mackenzie, of Braun Castle. The
reception was enthusiastic, and the tenantry were
liberally entertained.

The New Prze.—Mr. Labouchere's title will be
Baron Taunton, which place be represented in the
Hours of Commons for more than thirty yeara The
Economia tells a story mach to the credit of Lord
Taunton. "When railways were in their infancy it
was supposed that they would injure the estates
through which or near which they ran, and Mr.
Laboucbere's hither received the compensation of
£30,000 for an imaginary detriment to his property
of this sort. After his death his sou, finding that
there was no injury to the estate from the vicinity of
the railway, but the contrary, refunded the £30,000"

TAUNTOS ELECTIOX.—The elevation of the Right
Hon. H. Lebow:here to the Peerage, under the title
of Baron Taunton, and the consequent vacancy in
the representation of this borough, assembled the
electors before • temporary hustings, erected oppo-
site the market-hoose on Monday week. The can-
didates were Mr. Bentinck, barrister, the =success-
fill Conservative candidate at the last election, and
Mr. Alexander C. Barclay, Liberal, a member of the
well-known London brewing-firm. There was •
large assemblage, and the people conducted them-
selves with remarkably good temper. Mr. Edward
Beadon proposed Mr. Bentinck, and klr. W. F.
Elliott seconded the nomination. Mr. W. Beadon
proposed, and Dr. Kinglake seconded, Mr. Barclay.
The two candidates having addressed the amembly,
the show of hands was then taken. It was very
evenly balanced, and was declared in favour of Mr.
Bentinck.—The polling commenced on Tuesday
morning at eight o'clock. There was but little dif-
ference in the polling up to noon, but by two o'clock
the election was virtually decided by the number of
yoke bought up by the Tory party. The Liberals
determined from the outset not to spend a single
farthing in the purchase of votes, and it is admitted
on all hands that the 336 votes tendered on behalf of
Mr. Barclay were pure and honest votes. The
result of the polling was as follows:

Bentinck ... 381
Barclay . 336
and such was declared by the Bailiffs at six o'clock
on Tuesday evening. Mr. Bentinck returned
thanks, but the interruption and continued and in-
cessant cries of "Bribery" which greeted him ren-
dered his remarks almost inaudible. Mr. Barclay
arrived at the hustings, accompanied by a large body
of his friends and supporters, .nuit at the commence-
ment of the declaration of the poll, which was inter-
rupted for some time by the tremendous applause
which greeted bun. Mr. Barclay also addressed the
persons assembled, assuring them that he was proud
of 336 votes recorded in his favour; that the Liberals
could have won if they liked, but that it was for
the honour and credit of the Liberal party that they
should sustain a temporary defeat, which could be
but of abort duration.
Yiovit..—Maliciout and Wanton Aci.--On Tues-
day afternoon last some evil-disposed person or
persons entered the yard near the Choughs
Hotel, occupied by Mrs. Bonen, and wantonly cut
and disfigured an omnibus, and cut and severed the
harness belonging to the omnibus in various places.
Mr. Johnson, postmaster, of Sherborne' the owner
of the property, has offered £5 reward for informa-
tion by which the offenders may be convicted.

CREWKICHNK. A Af 0 Wrier Aiple•Tree. —There is
now to be seen at Pitt, in the pariah of Donyeat, near
Ihninster, on the premises of Mrs. Denhaiu, coarse-
ware manufacturer, the queen of apple-trees. The
trunk is 9 feet in circumference; height of top
branches, 27 feet • and the circumference of it.
outer branches, 30 feet. Many of these branches
have this year sent forth shoots from 12 to 19 inches
in length. The fruit is of the sweet kind; and it is
supposed that the tree oontains sufficient this year
to make 4 hogsheads of cider. As much as 5 hogs-
heads have been made from this monster tree in
a season.

Wart-oz.—The Earl of Cavan has purchased
some dozen acres of land near Ashcomb, just outside
the town of Weston-super-Mare, on which to erect
a villa.

At the Bodmin AMAMI, Mr. Bell, late surgeon of
the dispensery here, was tried for the murder of
Captain Caddy, under the circumstances fully
detailed by us at the time; and being found guilty
of manslaughter, was sentenced to be transported
knife.

ILcHtErrgs.—MatcA against Time.—On the 14
instant a man, named Trott undertook to reap half
an acre of wheat at Liinington, in a given time. He
performed his task in rather more than three hours
and • half, being within the time specilledL This
match excited considerable interest, • great number
of persons being present to witness the undertaking.

_
Hul lIANISLAUGMTIA BY • BOY AT FILON/L
At the Somereet assizes on Wednesday, Henry
(Miser, aged 14, pkiedad guilty to an indictment
charging him with the manslaughter of Edwin
Coles, at Ficene, on the 14th July, and was sen-
tenced to threes monthe imprisonment.

WIVILIICODUIL —Gas Light and Calm Compahy.
—The annual statement of the accounts of this enter-
priming association shows that during the year end-
ing 30th June last the receipts amounted £378 ss.
7d., and the expenses to £3517,. Id., leaving
balsam of £26 8..6d.1 retained in hand for re-
served fund and added to floating capital. In the
capital account we observe that £2,049 9s. 44d. is
the amount of receipts, and £1,883 Os. 74d. the ex-
penditure, leavings balance of i 166 He. 9d. This
enables the company to pay a dividend oft per
cent., and induces a reduction in the price of gas
from Be. 4d. to 7s. 6d. per 1,000 cubic feet. The
directors retiring by rotation have been re-elected,
and we cannot but congratulate the company upon
the success which has attended their praiseworthy
endeavours.

himael

Wgiuncerox.—Aug. 6411.—Before S. Fox Fag.—
Samos CRAW :K.—jaw Man/sews, landlord of the
Wellington Arms Inn, was brought up by Sergeant
Giddy, charged with having stolen ',quantity of silver
plate, and other articles, value 1:11, the property of W.
C. Grant, Esq.. of Collurepton. From the evidence
given. it appeared that on the preceding Wedne•dayKr-
and Mrs. Grant, with their family and friends, were at
a pie-uie on Wellington Hill. In the evening • heavy
shower of rain commenced falling, and they went to the
defendant's house, which was close by, and there par-
took of tea. The hampers, he., which had been brought
with them, were subesituently placed in the carriage,
but the basket isontaining the silver was put, by the
maid servant at the inn, under the veranda where the
ladies of the party were waiting for the vehicle, in order
that it might be handed to them after they had taken
their seats. In the hurry and confusion of putting on
cloaks, Ica, they forgot the basket, and drove off with-
out it, thhating no more about the matter until they had
nrocceded some distance, when they suddenly remem-
bered the, they had left it behind; but as it was then
getting late, and they thought the property was in
honest baud., they, continued
theirjourney, and made
no inquiries until the following morning, when the
butler was sent to the inn to fetch the missing basket.
on his arrival there, however, all knowledge of it was
denied, and on the butler's return to his master's house,
Mrs. Grant felt so disatisfied with the answer that Lad
been given, that she drove intothe neighbourhood tomake
inquiries, 11114 • search-warrant being obtained, Sergeant
Giddy and P.C. Hurford proceeded to search the defen-
dant's premises, and succeeded in finding the basket and
its content* in a bag, which had been secreted in hie
garden. The defendant was reminded until the follow-
tog Thursday.
BRIDOWATILIL —On Tuesday last a telegraphic des-
patch arrived in this town, announcing that the
Petition against the return of the sitting members
Lad been abandoned, both parties agreeing to let by-
gones be by-gones.
BATH. —isiessiod Failure.—We regret to bear
of the failure of Mr. Snook, one of the largest pork
dealers in his line near this city. Mr. Spook's
liabilities amount in round numbers to £12,000.
The masts are estimated at /4,000. An direr of 10e.
in the pound was made—be. in the pound to be
paid in eight days, and an additional dividend of fa.
111 the pound in three months. To this arrangement
the creditors generally minuted, Provided leee
payment was well secured.
EXTRAORDINARY CHARGE Acton • MIL/TART
Cturumn.—A painful sensation has been created in
this dV in mlorla"." the rallifiitlatleg ia
Mitt their duty to commit for trial, upcs • •••••
discaodal charge, an officer of position and family

11111111

who has been for many year, a resident of the neigh-
bourhood. The accused officer is Colonel John Alex-
ander Forbes, of Lunach-lodge, Beacon-hill, and the
offence for which he has been committed, as stated
un the warrant under which he was arrested, is for
having, on the 23rd of June last, unlawfully and
wickedly uttered a certain obscene and indecent
letter, with intent to debauch and corrupt Adelaide
Lucy Fenton, and with intent to induce her to com-
mit a breach of the poem. At the magisterial in-
vebtigation on Tuesday, over which the Mayor of
Bath, Dr. Falcauer, presided, Mr. Saunders, of the
western circuit, and Mr. Railings, solicitor. ap-
renal to conduct the prosecution, and Mr. P. H.
Edlin, of the western circuit, and Mr. Gibbs. solici-
tor, fur the defence. Miss Adelaide Lucy Fenton,
who is a lady of high respectability, molding at
Montpelier, Bath, di:puled to having iluriie4 the last
three or four years received a number of letters of a
disgraceful character. The contents were, of curse,
very annoying to her, and twelve niontiis ago she
consulted her solicitor, and passed the letters as they
were received to the chief of police. She had no
acquaintance with Colonel Forbes, and, of course, was
unsuspicious of hiin ; but eventually an occurrence
of a most extraordinary nature led to his disesivery.
About Dtwomber last, a young man ressidiug in
London, named Liewllyn Watling, was desirous of
obtaining a situation as teacher oflanguagea, and he
inserted an advertisement in the London Times with
that object. It was reylied to by a gentleman, signing
himself "Francis 1 urk," who directed that the
replies to him should be addressed to the post-
office, Bath. A correspondence ensued, but as the
" Francis York" indulged in some remarks and sug-
gestions of which Mr. Watling disapproved, he
broke it off. In July he bad occasion to renew his
advertiseinent, and it being replied to by Francis
York in terms still more annoying, he a“iit the letter
down to the chief of the police. That officer was
at once struck with the similarity between the writ-
ing of Francis York and that of the writer of the
letters to Miss Fenton, and upon a close comparison
of them being made it was discovered that ninny
peculiarities in the style of characters and spelling
existed in both. The chief put himself into COM.
munication with Mr. Watling, who came to Bath,
and a plan was devised by which it was ascertained
beyond question that the writer of the letters
signed "Francis York" was Colonel J. Alexander
Forbes. A clerk was produced from the post-office
who swore that all the letters addressed to "Francis
York, Esq., Post-office, Bath," were called for by
the colonel, and no one else. The letters complained
of were produced, but owing to the offensive nature
of their contents were taken as read. Mr. &Bin, for
the defence, submitted that the charge of publication
had wholly failed, and that there was no proof of
any attempt to induce a breach of the peace. As to
the charge of seeking to debauch a lady who did
not know him, it was absurd. The Mayor said the
case was a very painful one, but there was sufficient
prim& facie proof to send it for trial. Baal would
be received—the prisoner in £4OO, and two sureties
in £2OO each.