The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-01-14 00:00:00

Pond Cl:Mitt

TUESDAY, JANUARY 14, 1873.

NOTES OF THE WEIS.

Her Majesty the Queen, with Princess Beatrice
and Priam Leopold, remains at Osborne. Tbe
Prince of Wales has been on • visit to Sir
Anthony Rothschild at Aston Clinton, near
TA;fere is • general impression in ()Mobil
quarters that the Army estimates for 1873-4,
now In winos of preparation, will, on their pre-
sentation to Parliament, show a considerable
reduction as compared with the votes of last
year.

- The unaffected regret which has been shown
at the death of the Emperor Napoleon has
certainly been greater than would be evinced
on the death of any reigning moruch in Europe.
Many believed in the 1. x-ifinperor as the only
man capable of preserving order in France, and
looked forward with confidence to his restoration
to the throne at no distant period: To such
persons the death of His Majesty has been •
great shock. But, independently of partizan
feeling the general public have been much moved
by the death of the exile of Chiaelhurst ; and
when the Timm devoted two columns of "leader"
space on Friday to • commentary on his career,
to the exclusion of other leading articles, and
other journals followed suit with ample memoirs
and comments, the Press only represented the
interest felt by the general public. Our Press
and our public seem certainly to have felt more
concern in the Emperor's death than did the
preen and the public of Paris. where the sad
event was treated in • somewhat nonchalant
manner only one paper, the Bonapartist
Gaukris, having appeared with black borders.
But the comparative indifference of the Paris-
ians will have been compensated for to a great
extent to the Imperial family, by the autograph
letter which our own Sovereigs, with her usual
kind and womanly feeling, has written to the
Empress to express her royal no dolma* with
the latter. Even the opponents of the Napoleon
111. must feel some human sympathy with the
man, now that they know what bodily pain he
was suffering during those memorable and critical
days of 1870, which led up to the capitulation of
Sedan. For year. past His Majesty must have
been a great sufferer, and we now know
that the unfavourable reports concerning his
health which our newspaper correspondents used
to send over • few years ago, were perfectly
hue, Medical aid came too late at last, and
there is so doubt that the Emperor died &martyr
to the political exigency of keeping his malady
secret, or at lerit unacknowledged, when he was
upon the throne. Stoical enduranoe of pain will
undoubtedly be one of the virtues which his-
torians will earths to Napoleon 111.
The intelligence is certainly disquieting, that
the Washington cabinet haa addressed to that of
MadrW, • somewhat peremptory note on the
subject of the insurrection in Onba. The
American Government complains cf the con-
tinued heavy obligation Imposed upon it by the
failure of Spain, after so long • period, to
suppress the insurrection, and pretty clearly
intimates that it cannot be reponsib4 much
longer for enforcing neutrality upon its citizens.
This note llfe expected soon after the Alabama
claims wars settled. Had it come before, it
would have been • powerful argument in favour
of the British come at Geneva; but the Ameri-
cans were too 'cute to commit themselves thus.
Oonsistenoy is not of so much moment now ;
but the want of it will It emberueing to Spain
and not very pleasant to ourselves.
Some sensation has been caused by • verifica-
tion of conjectures that while the population of
every thriving community in the world Is on the
inererle, that of Franee had decreased since the
last census, The French are not a colonising
people. How, then, comes about this result?
Is it all the result of the war, and consequent
hardships?
Russia is avoiding any difference with Great
Britain on the Khiva matter, and has even been
at the paint to send an Envoy to Earl Granville
with pacific and friendly sunniness.
The United States Minister has issued orders
for all proper assistance to be rendered by
American agents to Sir Bartle Frere in his
Zanzibar mission.

The profeendontl agitators, Mesas. Odger and
Co., are making capital out of the imprisonment
of the grs stokers, and insisting on being heard.
Mr. BrUC3, who figurea so frequently rs the
timid Home Becretasy, may yet be driven into
receiving a deputation in regard to them ; but
at present he firmly declines to to badgered in
any other form than by memoriri. Mr. Odra
quotes—
Your 1101[10.•fld, hungry judge
Wlll haft the guiltleas rather than set sold matton.
He is too conscientious not to admit that the
quotation does not apply to any judge on the
British bench ; bet, like many things that are
said by professional agitators without absolutely
oomxnitttsg themselves, they make their ignorant
listeners go away with motives that drive them
to desperate seta.
The Bank rate of discount has been reduced
4i per cent. It has stood at 5 per cent, sines
the 12th ult., and the Reserve now represents
49 per ant. of the banking liabilities, The Bank
and Railway dividends are being announced
They all look well so far; and the trade and
commerce of the country, although not so active
as it was a few months ago, is still flourishing
and profitable.