The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-03-31 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

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The courtly gaieties which have marked the
Introduction of the Duchess of Edinburgh to
this oountry concluded with a drawing-room at
Buckingham Palace on Wednesday, and a lev6e
et St. James's Palace on Thursday. Her
Majesty returned to Windsor on Friday, and
the Court leaves for Osborne to-morrow.
. .

Some surprise has been expressed at the
absence of the Royal Princeases from the
Queen's last Court. The London correspondent
of the Leeds Mercury is informed that at the last
moment a difficulty arose aa to the precedenee
to be accorded to the Duchess of Edinburgh.
The Emperor of Russia instruoted his Ambas-
sador here to claim for his daughter not only
the par before the Princess Beatrice, the
MUChIOI3BIIS of Lorne, the Princess Christian,
and the Priaoess Alio% but or certain oomaions
before the Princess of Wales h..rself. Of 00t1r93
the pretensions of the Imperial Russian Court
In this last particular could not for a moment be
admitted, and it Is doubtful whether they will
be in the other uses. in the meintime, how-
ever, and while this dellc.ate matter is under
negotiation, any occasion for bringing the rival
claims of the Russian and English Princesses in
conflict will be carefully avoided.
Having arrived at the end of the financial
year, and with the army, navy, and civil esti-
mates already in hand, it la easy to forecast Sir
Stafford Northoote's budget so far as to mournse
the surples. It comes out pretty nearly as Mr.
Gladstone estimated, and it is no extreme flight
of fancy that pictures him, the ex-Premier and
Chancellor of tho Exchequer, with a countenance
suggestive of " Ile never smiled agalil !" while
Sir Stafford attrante the burring djes with his
honey-pot. The revenue of this year, which was
estimated to be seventy-three millions and
three-quarters, will reach seventy-six, so we
may start next year's estimated receipts, if there
be no change in taxation, at not is... Seventy-
two and a half millions will probably cover the
expenditure for next year, as there is nothing
alarming in the estimates, and no revolution in
favour of extravagance or unlimited develop-
ment in the rem', !Pending departments of
State. It follows thaethere 7111 be about three
millions and • half to dispose of. L'lr St,lford
Nerthoote has been as clever as any of his pre-
deoessors in office in holding his own counsel
about the surplus. Not till April 18—Budget
day—are we likely to know anything about it.
Deputation after deputation has been received,
and courteously received; but they get no
word, not even a nod, from the Chancellor of
the Exchequer. However, the sugar duty, local
rates, and Income tax, are well to the front for
reduction out of the surplus. The past year's
extra millions are of course already disposed of;
and notwithstanding all that one clue of
financiers say against taking herd taxes to pay
off the national debt, the elasticity of revenue
each year yields some drops wherewith to wear
away the rock.
The Lard Chaneellor's Bill for facilitating the
transfer of land was prepared chiefly by the
present Vice-Chancellor Hall, previously to his
elevation to the bench, in consultation with
Lord Selborne. By this measure a system of
registration will be established under three heads
—l, Absolute titles: 2, Certified titles from a
certain date; 3, A simple registration of existing
owners, It is to extend only to fee-simplea and
certain kinds of leaseholds and charges. Till
1877 the measure will not be compulsory, and
then only on the occurrenoe of • sale.

The great aquatic eontest between the two
Universities eame off on Saturday. The result
was what everybody who knew anything
about the matter expected—Cambridge had the
race in hand all the way, and won without turn-
ing a hair. The time was bad, but probably
this was to a great extent caused by the tide.
bir Charlea Dilke's measure for extending the
hours of polling, so that working men might have
a better chance of recording their votes has been
very summarily disposed of. Tho House—
though Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Forster supported
the suggested alteration of keeping the ballot box
open till eight in the evening—rejected the pro-
posal by a majority of 75, the Atnistorialiste
taking their cue from the speech of the Home
Secretary, who characterised the measure as
"patchwork logialatiou."
The Army Eetiinatee for the ensuing year
amount to £14,485,300, an increase of A:ll9,2tiU ;
the Navy 14:stimates ti £10,171),485, an inerease
of £279,769. The Civil Service Estimates for
the ye‘r amount to £18,800,661, a decrease of
1:243,436.

The Autumn Manosavres for 1874 are to be
held in the vicinity of Aldershot, and will be
particip tied in by the whole to ce now under Sir
Hope Grant's (summand, in addition to two or
three regiments of cavalry and several battalions
of infantry, which will be moved to the station
for tho purpose.
While the Labour Commission is considering
tbo pressure of present laws upon the working
°lames, a great struggle is in rogress between the
agriculturists of the nceuntry and their labourers,
the former powerful by their wealth, and the
latter organised and supported by the Labourers'
Union. btritee and lock outs are rife in the
Eastern part of England, and In Dorset we hear
of isolated strikes on a small scale, although for
the most part we believe the concessions latterly
made have resulted in mutual satisfaction.
Anything like unreasonable demands on the one
side or • refusal to treat considerately on the other
is earnestly to be deprecated, as fraught with
untoward consequences to both parties and
tending to the general injury of society. Study
of political economy will convince every
one that DOS only are the interests of capital
and labour the same, out that capital Is
merely stored up labour. Hones it follows
that • dispute between them Is like man and
wife, or the old fable told by Menenius Agrippa
of the falling out between the belly and the
limbs, which Shakespeare has so wonderfully
reproduced in Corioianus. We mast make these
two agree, because capitalists, although they are
accused like the bell) of "still cupbording the
viand neuer bearing° like labour with the rest,"
I. actually the storehouse and shop of the whole
body. And, adds the wondrous poet, antici-
pating Harvey's great discovery—

"I send it through the rinse.' of your blood
luso to the court, the heart and male & th' brain%
The strongest iterate and most Inferior seises
From we receive their natural' oompetenole
Wherebye they live."
A movement appears to be again on foot to
induce the Comte de Chambord to become a
claimant for the French throne. It is announced
that MM. ellidl2oVB de Paradines and C•rargon
Latour are shortly to visit Prohadorff for the
purpoi• of inducing the Comte to make • last
effort in favour of • Mooarohical restoration
before the Bills organising Marshal Macidahon's
powers have paseed the Assembly. Germany is
uneasy about the health of Prince Bismarck,
because there is no one who can carry on his
war with the Jesuits and the Pope. Ile suffers
from neuralgia as well as gout; could the
Inquisition Chamber find worse tortures I
In Spain the Caillat nuisance matinees,
although more vigorous efforts are now being
made to establish the power of the Madrid
Government.