The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1880-12-28 00:00:00

GENKRAL ITEMS.

In discussions and report. about Irish affair', we hear
constant reference mad. to Griffith's Valuation. It was
made about forty years ago by Sir Richard Griffiths,
Special Ceminimioner of Valuation of Land in Ireland,
not with the view of estimating real value for rale or
letting purposes, but as giving guidance in taxation. In
his first report for 1841, Sir Richard said, " Our valuation
is about ffi per cent, under the full or rack rent value,
but very near that of some of the principal landed
proprietors. The valuation was not completed for wend
years. The difference between Griffith s Valuation and
actual rental was generally greater in the south than in
the north of Ireland.
_ . _ _ .

It is a curloni sc—t, and deserves to be recorded, that
every prince of the Royal House of Prussia, when young,
is taught some useful trade or other, for the purpose of
sobering the mind and bringing it face to face with the
mat rial world and the realities of life, and among the
piolusion of curiosities and a. tistic relic which crowd
the Emperor's private cabinet may be seen specimens of
bookbinding, carving, carpentering, and other handiwork
performed by his sons and grandsons.
MOLLS flEltallaltDT.—lidlle. Sarah Bernhardt's four
weeks entepoovot is New York produced 913.800 dollars
muse receipts. She is now playing in Beron, where her
two week; engagements will produce 48,000 dollars if the
present receipts motione. Tuna the expectation is that
Mdlla. Bernhardt and her manner will each make 100,000
dollar, daring the wovion. Ween Mdli., Beenttardt
arrived in America, 1,560 dolbas wee exacted as customs'
dues on her wards. This sum was paid under protean.
The Treasury Department have now decided to refund it,
the decision being that, as the wardrobf really comprised
her professional implement., 1t.,. therefore exempt from
duty.

To. GILAMAN ARM'. ACCCledinj to the Impsnial
Budget, the Glimmer' Army on a peace footing, ea supple-
mentwl by the •CCOSSIOII of strength recsntly voted, now
ronentt of 18 128 officers. 427,274 ro•tn, sent 81,629 bones.
Tb• a iditional including 901 illoers, 26,615 coon, and 1,736
horses. Or Ohm Proust. receives eight new infanu7
reginunts and one battalion with one flell artillery regi-
ment, 24 field battens', and one fwtrest artillery regiment,
the r..st bring distributed in small pr portions between
Saxony, Wiirt tribur,:, and Bavaria. The greater part of
them neer force del ue garrisoned in towns nearer the
an frontiers, an arrangement which is, perhaps, dee
I-. the existence of better berrack accommodation in the
sit !!iasi in the West. .

•--- ••
A Vratocr Fos ONZ PINNY Yea Noirre.—Ar the
W.rerest e amp Court, lett wevt, Wore Sir Richard
H ablator, Judge. Messrs. James Dilution aod Co., glass
marchantri. Birmingham, sued William Roberti, builder, of
LIIIIIO4IOO. for £l.ll 19u. 31. goods told a delivered. It
appuarsd that irom use back the defendant compounded
with his creditor., and a composition et 3t in the pmnd
wee accepted, to be paid within a month of the regittering
of the rearolution. A mote cheque was forwarded in due
courts to the plulnuffs who rdected it on the ground
It was not in conformity with the resolution. The
pmuent sebum area brought to recover the whole amount.
119 Jttiele held that the 'valuta& were technically right,
hut marked his sense of toe proceeding by ordering defen-
dant to pay the debt by instalments of one peony per
month. It will take upertrds of 290 years to pay the sum
doe. .

--17; • recent trial in the Sussex County Court the 011S41
WU settled in a way sensible and conclusive, and by •
summary process such as an Oriental /WI would have
approved. A servant soed her mistress for a month's
wit4es in lieu of notice, and the question was raised
whether the plaintiff had not failed to fulfil her duty in
refusing to remove a bath, which was alleged, on her
pert, to be too heavy for her to lift. The learned judge,
Mr. A. Martineau, adjourned the case for the production
of the bath, and • few days later it was brought to the
County Court. At the request of the judge, the high
bailiff filled it with water and tried his strengtk with it.
On coming into court, he said he was of opinion that the
bath was too heavy for the servant to lift, and his honour
gave • verdict for Cl 75., the full amount claimed, with
costs. The same judge on a subsequent occasion settled a
case by equally direct proof. The snootiest WU whether
• supply co, potatoes was equal to sample. The judge
directed three to be cooked in court. The specimens were
pronounced excellent, showing that the fault lay in the
cooking.
There have been several CAMS lately of the prosecution
of schoolmasters for excessive corporal cbas lament of
their pupils, These have been principally cases in
National and Board Schools, the masters of Public Schools
being brought before criminal courts only in case of the
death of boys from 111-usage. A letter from Dr. Dulpui,
Deputy- General of Hospitals and nellid. contains
• useful warning as to punishment by caning on the
hand: "In the present day there is grad, competition
amongst young gentlemen for the public services. At the
end of their studies they require to be physically
examined by medical officers, and if any injury had been
caused (such as may arise from caning or strapping) it
would I.nd to their rejection. I would, therefore, urge
some vigorous action in these cases on parents, not to
allow to pass over such assaults upon their children by
Luton or professors." In the recent trial of the master
of • boarding school, Mr. Partridge, the magistrate,
spoke strongly against caning on the hand, as it "might
ruin • boy'. prospect of life If he desired hereafter to be
an artist or to work at any delicate operation with his
hand. Boxing on the ears, again, was • most iincorz
punishment, and might cense permanent injury
life of • boy. "Mese comment. ftenve mottos. Caning on
the hand is not so dangerous as the waking. "box on
the eel,' of some masters, but if it causes any serious injury
a Jur/ would certainly bring in heavy damages on the
master in case of • civil action dam brought. Dr.
Dineen states that "• one or • strap used across the
hands as • punishment may lead to whitlow, • most
painful form of abscess, which in many cases may
terminate in the death of the bones of the fingers, and
rabesquent distortion thereof."