The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-05-28 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

In most countries at the present time there is
sonic degree of uneasiness, if not open conflict;
but on no dynasty hangs such black clouds as
over the Austrian Crown. Francis Joseph has
granted a new constitution to his people, and on
opening his parliament, the Emperor inaugurated
the new era for his country in a speech at once
dignified and earliest. In language unmistake-
able he ratified the liberties which the imperial
patents had conferred on the nation; every
pledge that it was possible for a sovereign to
give was freely and decisively given. Scarcely
had the Sessions of Parliament opened, when
the Crown with a loyalty which deserves the
highest praise introduced a number of bills of
the most liberal kind—complete control of the
Commons over the Budget and the national
finances, the abolition of the octroi dues, which
still press so vexatiously on French international
commerce, the emancipation of the Bund from
the State, complete religious toleration, corpora-
tive reform on the soundest principles of local
or anti-centralised self government, judicial re-
form, liberty of the press, improvement in the
law concerning bankruptcy, repeal of the usury
laws, and freedom of person and speech for
members of Parliament. Did any country be-
fore receive so rich and varied a charter? They
are all derived from the pregnant source of
English example, which it coat England many
centuries to wrest one by one from reluctant
sovereigns, and yet Austria, whose name has
become • bye-word for despotism, obtains them
all by a single gift. One thing, however, is still
wanting. 'Hungary is absent. She will not
send her representatives to the Austrian
Beichsrath, and all may yet be lost. True,
Hungary claims nothing more than she has an
abstract right to, and which has been solemnly
confirmed to her by the promises and grants of
former sovereigns, but the maintenance of
Hungarian privileges in all their fulness is in-
compatible with the new Constitution granted to
all the States in the Austrian Empire. It is
probable that Francis Joseph would accept of a
compromise offered by the Constitutionalists,
that of taking the sacred oath of loyalty, of
allowing himself to be crowned, according to the
ancient usage of the realm, and amnesty of
Hungarian exiles; but there is a section, both of
the people and their leaders, who have resolved,
to all appearance, that this scheme of concilia-
tion shall rejected, and that arms shall
decide, once for all, the question of Hungarian
nationality.
The much vaunted liberty of the press in
France has again received a check. Annoyed at
the excellent speech we last week directed atten-
tion to, delivered by the Duke cl'Aivaale, at the

once

annual meeting of the Royal Literary Fund, the
French Emperor, through his minister, M. do
Persigny, has sent a caution to the papers
against reprinting any publication emanating
from prisons banished or exiled. It is plain
that, though banished or exiled persons generally
are mentioned, it is the son of Louis Phillippe
that is principally feared and most strictly
' guarded against. A short time since the Duke
d'Aumala wrote a clever attack on an imperial
personage, and the printer and publisher of the
phamphlet received the severe sentence of 12
mouths' imprisonment. In English eyes, such a
return to political tyranny is hardly worthy the
victor of Solferino and the initiator of French
Free Trade ; but what shall we say of this last act
of Imperial despotism I The speech spoken on
this side the channel has nothing in it to offend
the most fastiduous, and there could be no
' motive for suppressing it in France except the
paltry jealously which grudrs a rival even the
applause of a succesaful oration. Certainly the
ways of absolute monarchs are not like the
ways of ordinary men ; nevertheless, there are
decencies which it would be well for even the
French Emperor to observe if he would not be
the little reputation he had acquired by his
boasted professions of liberating the press.
[Having suffered, though in but a slight degree,
from the Dorset County Express being seized in
France, and our subscribers left without their
papers we feel all the more strongly this unfair
departure froni the liberal line of conduct which
the Emperor had co iiiii ienced.)
Affairs in the American States continue to
darken. The Secessionists aftirin that the
American constitution was a couippet between
States, and that each State has a right to resume
when it pleases, its original sovereignty. The
terms in which Virginia, for example, recorded
her ratification of the treaty were these :—The
powers granted under the constitution being
derived from the people of the United States,
may be resumed whenever the same may be
perverted to their injury or oppression, and
every power not granted thereby remains with
them and at their will." Virginia has now
"resumed," which the Federalists maintain
she has no right to do, and that "we, the
people of. the United States," cannot divide.
The government of President Lincoln, holding
to this doctrine, has declared to his representa-
tive at Paris that "The thought of a dissolution
of the Union, peaceably or by force, has never
entered the mind of any candid statesmen here,
and it is high time it be dismissed by statesmen
in Europe.' The Federal Government has decla-
red "war to the knife," and the Southern forces
are advancing, and increasing in numbers as
they advance to the contest. Men and money
appear to be forthcoming for all needful" pur-
poses, and confidence has not declined in any
of the Southern cities. The Virginians, we
are told, have taken possession of the heights
of the Maryland side of the Potomac, a most
important point in their favour, whilst on the
other side some successes are also reported.
The cutter, Harriet Lane, has seized a privateer,
and a brigade of Missouri militia had been
captured by the Federal troops. But some of
the Northern reports are unsustained—such as
the negro insurrection in Kentucky. It is
reverted, on authentic sources, that in some
States the ncgroes are buying the public stock of
the seceding States, and in numerous instances
the blacks are asking permission to form
volunteer regiments to defend the Southern
flag. If therefore there is union in the North,
there is also union in the South. The war spirit
does not seem in the least abated. There is every
possibility of our speedily hearing of a collision
between the two armies taking place. But for
what are they going to light? If the North,
after thousands of lives have been lost, is able to
defeat the South, it cannot destroy it ; and the
quarrel must end in an accommodation of some
sort after all, however severe the struggle,
however decisive the issue. Either terms of
secession must be permitted, or terms of
reconciliation adjusted.
The martial spirit of our countrymen has not
experienced that collapse which the wiseacres
predicted of the rifle movement when it was
first established. The festival of Whitsuntide,
this year, afforded an opportunity to multitudes
of our brave volunteers to participate in reviews
and sham fights in various parte of the country,
and everywhere, with but one exception, were
they well received by the admiring crowds
assembled to witness their performance of
military evolutions. That exceptionable spot
was the Regent's Park, where some hundred
and twenty thousand of spectators were
assembled. Among them, in the foremost
ranks, we are told, wtre " ticket-of-leave-men,
discharged convicts, thieves, card-sharpers, the
lowest haunters of gambling dens, pugilists out
of work, pickpockets, tavern bullies, and cracks-
men, with a sprinkling of the young gentry who
live upon the loans and stupidity of their
friends. Some of these scoundrels pressed
upon the troop of mounted volunteers, ham-
strung one horse, and so severely stabbed
another that the poor brute was led away,
apparently bleeding to death. Stones, more-
over, were thrown, and an officer attached to a
Surrey corps was so violently struck with a flint
that his forehead was laid open. Yet not one of
the offenders were arrested. The riflemen who
endeavoured to keep the ground had enough to
do, and not a single policeman was seen on the
ground. This latter circumstance, in the
absence of a satisfactory explanation being
given, certainly reflects on the administration of
G mat Scotland-yard, especially when we
recollect that upon ordinary occasions, when-
ever an extraordinary crowd is expected to
assemble, the constabulary muster in large
numbers.

An extraordinary charge of forgery and fraud
preferred against a clergyman of the Church of
England, was partially investigated at the Bow-
street Police-court on Tuesday last. The Rev.
James Roo was brought up on a warrant which
charged him with attempting, by forged docu-
ments, to defraud Mr. G. H. Roe, his cousin,
who was appointed one of the residuary legatees
under the will of the late Mr. Edward Roe, of
Sutton, in the Borough of Macclesfield—out of
the sum of £6,000. A very elaborate plot had been
laid and carried out by the prisoner—supposing
the circumstances as detailed in the criminal
information to be correct—comprising the
forgery of the name of the deceased uncle, and
the procuring to be engraved various stamps in
imitation of those used by the Post-office
authorities, for impressing upon letters the name
of the places where the supposed fraudulent
document was represented as being posted and
delivered. The case, which was of a very Lovel
character, was remanded for a week; substantial
bail being peremptorily refused.