The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

'l.\ !MAT BILLS, INV.—The general report of the
Board of Trails shows that 172 Bills for railways in
Great Britain have been depisiited this aysdon, of
which 129 authorize new works; 70 Bill* by new coin-
'Jenks authorise the construction of 71.04 iiiilei of
railway, and 59 by old companies :101 miles ; the total
length of line, therefore, is 1,129 wiles, in addition to
9.1 wiles of deviation Inics, and 12 projects for enlarge-
incubi of stations, kc.
•

INDICI'MENT:4 1,1111 IMA, according to
a return to the House til Lords, there were 11l indict-
ments for perjury and ii acquittals : in 1853, 104 and
58 :in 1812, 117 and ; and in 1811, 116 indictments
and 87 acquittals.
Prinde PLrcrioxs.—There are now 72 petitions be.
fore the Commons' Ilouse for reform of P.irliainent,
signed by 24,674 tiersons, and 63 signed by 34,797 pir-
anha for " universal suffrage," the ballot, mid aborter
Parliaments. The list of petitions to the House of
against the Marriage Law Amendment Bill
(which has passed the Lower llouse, and awaits a
second reading in the Upper ( 'linnits:r) includes one
froni the Rev. Richard Chenevis Trench, MD., Dean
of the Collegiate Church of Mt. Peter, Westminster,
and the Chapter of the same church. The petition of
thisgravc and vent ruble body of learned theologians is
worth quoting. It " showed' that the petitioners
believe the marriage 41 a man with his deceased wife's
sister to be contrary to the Word of (hal, as interpreted
, by the 'law' of the church, and that many social evils
will follow from the allowance of bud' unions. The
petitioners therefore humbly pray that the said lhll may
not pass into a law." There are only 10 petit' alto-
gether against the Marriage Bill, signed by :gr2 )ersons,
including (besides the above) a petition from the clergy
of Sion College, London ; one from a few of the pro-
vincial clergy in and near Lewis, and "last, though
not least," one front 31 ladies who after the fashion of
the triad of troumennakers in Toolerstreet, style
themselves "The women of England, both inarriep and
u 1111 l arried." Mr. Bereaford Hope, M.P., was the gal-
lant man on this occamion, and presenteil the parch-
ment honoured by the signatures of these 31 orthodox
petitioners.
ARMY IPURCHAKE or Comm issioN s.)— On Thursday
was published a copy of Treasury minutes or letters on
July 20, 1857, March 13 and June 21. 1858, and January
21, 1819, and correspondence connected with thou rela-
tive to increasing the remuneration of rutin' tental officers

of the army, and the impossibility of doing so, with
eventual benefit to the officers. unless they be relieved
from the necessity of buying their co asions. The
result of a tedious inquiry serum to have been the issue
of a Treasury minute on the 21st of January last refus-
ing, unless under special circumstances, modifying the
operation of the general law in its application to the pur-
chase of co ',Akins, to relieve officers of the Horse
Artillery and cavalry from the deductions made from
their pay for rations of forage, or to transfer to the
public a portion of the expense occasioned by regimental
bands. The Lords of the Treasury had before sub-
mitted, in a letter to which they refer in the te
before 1111, that, according to the usual laws of supply
and demand, any increase in the value transferred
would be productive of a corresponding increase in the
price paid for it ; so that, although the officers who now
hold commissions in the several ranks would be benefited
by any augmented allowance or exemption from liability
that might be conceded by the liberality of Government,
their successors would have to pay the full value of the
additional advantage in the increased price of their
conimissions.

COCRT FOR DIVIIRCR AND MATRIMONIAL CAURF.R.—
A variety of details relative to the rules, regulations,
fees. at this court, were issued Friday mo gin a
parliamentary return. The total amount of fees
received in the year ending the 31st of December last,
was Cl,r,rin 7/1. The salary of the Judge Ordinary as
such. Red also a,. Judge of Her Majesty's Court of Pro-
bate, COMO. The officers of the Divorce Couit hold
their offices as ollicere of the Court of Probate. Four
I,ersons, however, are exclusively engaged in the per-
formance of the duties of the Divorce Court—viz., a
first clerk at a salary of £350 per annum ; a second
clerk and accountant with £2l/9 ; a third clerk with 1:120,
and a messenger with VAL The salaries of the Judge
Ordinary, and of the various officers, and also the inci-
dental expeneeo of the court. are paid by the Treasury
out of the pnmeeds arising Irmo the wile of stamps wed
'iii the Comet of Prehate and the Court for Divorce and
MatrimoLial Causes.