The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-07-12 00:00:00

Amp aub Nabu.

The supplementary army estimate for 1859-60, pub
liaised Thursday, shows that of the total estimate for the
current financial year 1859-60 (£12,859,297), £19,220,555
is already voted, and 1:2,638,742 remains to be voted.
For the year 1858-9 the sum of .1:869,751 was voted,
and £861,584 expended for wages in the dockyards and
factories, against 1:777,751 voted and £788,055 expended
in 1857-8.
A grievance exists with referenee to the seamen pen-
sioners lately called upon to serve in the steam reserves,
kc., in the various dockyards. The greater part of
these men were in some situatica or small way of busi-
ness at the time they were called upon to serve, which
they have had to forfeit in thf one case and neglect in
the other. In ad4ition to this, the men have received
no pay or allowance from the authorities during the
time they have been serving, and the conseqnence has
been that in many cases the greater part of their clothes
aud household furniture have tad to he disposed of to
find a means of support for their wives and families.
I In addition to those hired slipwrights who received
their discharge from Chathant dockyard on Saturday
week, another discharge of hired men whose services
are no longer required was made at that establishment
Saturday, the men selected for discharge being inferior
mechanics and those whose characters are not good.
Thursday morning a large party of convicts arrived at
St. Mary's convict establishmem irons London, for the
purpose of being employed in the laborious works now
in progress in the dockyard, where there are daily
several hundred convicts at work.
THE SHIPWRIGHTS' STRIKE ON THE TTNE AND
WY AR.—TIIO Sunderland shiliw7iglits have met this
week, and have determined to carry on the strike. They
will submit to no modification of their claim of 30s. per
week. The South Shields shipwrights have also held a
meeting, and they refuse to accept the offer made on
Saturday by the masters, viz., an advance from 241. to
275. a week. They refuse to take less than ss. a flay.
The sutra hands sent from Sunderland, Shields, and
other northern ports to Chatham Dockyard were paid off
on Saturday, and they may be expected at their homes
shortly.
BISCUITS FOR THE FRENCH GOVERNIIENT.—A screw
steamer is lying in the South Docks, Sunderland, to take
on board a cargo of biscuits for the French Govenunesst.
Messrs. Hudson and Foster, of that town, have entered
into a contract to make 400 tons of bread, which is to be
delivered on board the vessel immediately. The biscuits
are packed in boxes of uniform size, which boxes are held
together by iron hoops. Between 4,000 and 5,000 of
these boxes are required to hold the biscuits contracted
for It is stated that several other houses in the king-
ii entered into contracts to supply bread to the

French army.
Some disturbances occurred on Saturday week on
board the screw steam-frigate Liffey, in Plymouth
Sound. She was commissioned on the let of November,
18:s4, and went first to Portland, where no leave was
given, ear was it expected by the men. For mine time
past she has been at Liverpool, where liberty was
granted in sub-divisions of the watch, varying from five
to 10 each, by which arrangement more than • month
would expire before all could get ashore. The Liffey
arrived in the Sound on Friday morning at 6 o'clock.
When applied to, Captain Preedy is stated to have said
that he "would not give leave to his own brother.'
There being no expectation of liberty on Saturday,
practical indications of discontent were exhibited in the
' evening. The men talked of bringing their hanunocks
from below and stowing them in the nettings, declaring
their intention not to turn in for the night. The
strands of some of the gun-breechings were cut. Heavy
shots were rolled about the deck, some of which are said
to have struck the captain's cabin-door. Three were
sent down in the engine-mom, and it was feared that
personal injury would be indicted. The insubordination
assumed at length an aspect so formidable that the men
were beat to quarters and were mustered aft. Captain
Preedy inquired the cause of the disturbance, and
receiving no answer, sent the crew forward and then
asked the petty officers, when the captain of the main
hold, James Doran, replied that "leave was wanted to
see their families." Captain Preedy said that the men's
families could come on board, when Doran answered
tl at "Isis wife was so fat and heavy that she could not
cowe up the ship's side." On this all were ordered
below. A seaman, armed with a drawn cutlass was
placed at each gun, and • guard of marines, nuder Lieu-
tenant Boyd and a sergeant, after searching the seamen's
hammocks, forced them to retire, and stationed them-
selves at the hatchways of the lower deck with lanterns,
and so remained throughout the night. On Sunday
morning Captain Preedy went ashore, and it is pro'
sowed had an interview with Port-Admiral Sir Bar-
rington Reynolds. After lie returned the men were
paid " compo"—• portion of their wages—and the port
watch, 260 men, went on leave for 24 hours. On
Monday the starboard watch obtained similar per.
mission.
Nearly five thousand cavalry and infantry embark
this month and August to join the British regiments
serving in Bengal, Madras, and Bombay. Of this
number 2,860 men are ordered to embark during the ,
month of July, and 1,460 in the following month.
The War Department has lately made arrangements
for forwarding photographic apparatus to every military
station in the empire, for the purpose of taking views of
coast, lines, fortifications, &c., for transmission to head-
quarters.
In order to provide increased accommodation for the
officers and troops at Chatham garrison who are under-
going a course of instruction in the Enfield ride pre-
viously to embarking for India, the Government has
decided on the formation of a long-range practising
ground at the rear of the barracks, near St. Mary's
marshes, in addition to the present rifle ranges, so as to
enable several hundred more troops to be instructed in
their rifle exercise at Chatham without the incon-
venience of forwarding them to Eastbourne, Major-Gen.
C. C. Hay, the Inspector-General of Musketry, has
surveyed the ground in the vicinity of Chatluun and has
reported so favourably on the advantages possessed by
the locality that the Government has decided on expend-
ing a sum of £17,000 in the formation of the rifle
grounds, and this ainouut has been included in the
supplementary estimates just laid before Parliament.