The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-09-03 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The Ld.a o•t, LIM au faa ad raaced that
some reliable data is obtainable to ascertain
what is likely to be the produce. From the
most trustworthy agricultural sources, it is affirmed
that the wheat crop will prove below the
average. The information obtained on this
point is the reports of four to six farmers in
, each county, well known, and whose statements
may be relied upon. So far as the wheat crop
is concerned, the yield, it is declared, " promises
nothing whatever to remedy the past most
disastrous sewn which English agriculturists
have known." The crop of barley and oats will,
at the same time. it is said, be good. Beans in
many places are blighted, but peas are generally
very good. "Hay has been iu all late districts
'got' with much difficulty, and a fair crop is
damaged to at least one half. Turnips and
other green crop' are generally very promising."
but mangel wnrzels and carrots are not half
planted, owing to the failure of seed. On the
whole we have on all turnip and barley soils the
probability of • good reason—while the prospecta
of wheat and bean growers, and of clay-land
farmers generally, are unfavourable. It would
thus appear that we shall still be largely
dependent upon foreign countries for an adequate
supply of breadatu& for the ensuing twelve
months.

The prospects of the claw of the present year
and the commencement of 1862 appear far less
favourable than 'at one time were looked for.
The harvest iu France has been anything but
good, aud both that country and our own must
be large importers of the necessaries of life.
But, besides this, our manufacturers are like the
man who neglected to plant his garden, who,
when the market was closed had no vegetables
for his household. They neglected other sources
for the supply of the raw material while they
could obtain cotton from America, and now that
civil war is raging in that country they can
obtain no supplies. Already a great contraction
in this branch of our national industry has taken
place, and more will follow, as may be seen by
the following announcement from Manchester:
—" We have seen a circular, signed by a
number of leading firma at Bacup, calling a
meeting to-morrow, to consider a proposal for a
resort to short time. A similar document has
received twenty signatures at Burnley. At
Blackburn six or seven mills have adopted that
measure, also at Church, and something of the
kind is likely to be done at Preston. In various
quarters, in fact, there is a manifestation of a
purpose to lessen the consumption of cotton,
which was not before observable." Even with
short time, it is said, the stock on hand wiil not
last till Christmas; so that, unless there is
speedily a cessation of hostilities amongst our
American Cousins, the distress during the
coming winter in our manufacturing districts
must be severe. It is true that the last West
India mail brings information that the cotton-
growing question was being practically tested
and spiritedly taken up by the planters of
Jamaica, but no arrivals can take place from
that country for some months to come. There
is, however, this consolation, that after the new
cotton districts are brought into full operation,
we shall not be dependent alone on one country
for a material which furnishes employment to so
many thousands of our fellow-countrymen.
The last proclamation of President Lincoln,
which appears in another column, is one of
extreme importance. It interdicts commercial
intercourse with the Secession States; it forbids
the carriage of goods, chattels, wares, or persons
to those States; and it orders the forfeiture of all
vessels and other conveyances that may be
employed in transporting such proscribed articles.
Civilians ars to be prohibited, except with
from the generals, from visiting the camp
rflue:ure. It has been found that Washington
contains spies and traitors—as many as 143
known Secessionists being in the service of the
Government. The newspapers which venture
to doubt the wisdom of the war, or to indulge in
strictures on the Government, are to be punished
as treasonable instruments. It thus appears
that the boasted freedom of printing in the
onlightened North, has become as obnoxious to
the President as the bayonets of the Southerners,
who are advancing their lines towards the
Potomac, and are collecting large forces at
Fairfitx. The army of the North seams to be
completely demoralised, and two regiments of
the Washington troops are reported to have
mutinied.

The Post-office Boeings Banks will be opened
for the transaction of busiueas on the 16th of
the present month. There are in the United
Kingdom 2,500 post-Aloes, but it is intended
to oomosepoe the new system with only 300 of
osiNjtirbsing requirsd to tiglisro
Wier Wool be

The main featured; of the Act, which is itself
devoid of circumlocution, • and through which it
is to be hoped no coach-and-six's will be driven,
are—lit, That deposits may be made so low as
a shilling, but cannot be extended beyond £.lO in
any one year. 2nd, That £2 10s. per cent., or
one half-penny in the pound per month will be
paid as interest. 3rd, That with the exception
of the shilling pass-book, the customer is not
put to one farthing expense for depositing or
withdrawing his money. 4tbly, That he can
take his account away in a couple of days at
longest, instead of having to wait a week,
or more, As at the old savings banks. bthly,
That the postal bank is open every day, Sunday
excepted, and all day long. And lastly That
the security is that of the British Government,
three-fourths of whose stability is doe to the
fact that it is in the habit of paying its way, and
keeping faith with its creditors. The new Postal
Savings Bank will undoubtedly confer a great
boon to the working classes melding in the
neighbourhood of its operations, and will in
after years stamp the sessions that repealed the
paper duties with • memorable character.
The horrors of the Black-hole of Calcutta, the
sinking of the Birkenhead, the most fearful acci-
dents by land and see, of which we have ever
read, seem scarcely more heart-rending than
the dismal terrors when the two trains came
into collision in Clayton Tunnel, and the wildest
cries and yells of human agony reverberated
along its walls. Nothing that imagination can
picture of what is woeful, agonising, and fearful.
can exceed, if it can even roach, the ensemble of
that appalling scene. Dead and dying, the '
wounded and the terror-stricken, the hideous
wreck of human beings, the screams of men,
women, and children, the hissing of the steam
engine, the suffocating steam, the shrieks of the
maimed, who were enduring a double agony from
their wounds and the boiling water which the
engine poured down upon them—all make up •
scene without example in the annals of the
terrible. Twenty-two human beings, who left
their homes but a few minutes before, elate
with anticipation of a pleasant excursion, were
hurried, without • moment's warning, to their
last account. Another died two days after, and
many others were injured to such an extent as
to embitter the remainder of their lives. The
direct cause of this terrible accident was the
running of the trains too quickly in succession—
the indirect cause, the misunderstanding between
the signal men. It takes a train, going at the
ordinary speed, some three minutes and a half
to pass through the tunnel. On Sunday morn-
ing the excursion train from Portsmouth was
the first to go up. The Brighton excursion
train followed about five minutes later, and the
Brighton ordinary train arrived at the tunnel
in about three minutes after that. Killick, the
signal man, who appears to have given his evi-
dence in a very straightforward manner, ad-
mitted that he was confused and embarrassed by
the quickness with which the trains followed
each other, and the failure of the d.stance
signal. He duly telegraphed the first train in,
and received the return message of its exit
from the tunnel. He then, "quick as light-
ning," telegraphed the second train in, and
waited for a similar announcement that it was

also out at the north aide. But, before the
second train had entered—not being satisfied the
first train was out—he showed the driver a red
fiag • but the break, however, did not bite
perfectly, and the train went on into the
tunnel. Meanwhile, on comes a thin!. He says
that seeing the third train coining, he tele-
graphed the question, "1. she out?' Brown,
the signal man at the north end of the tunnel,
says, the message was worded, "the train is not
out," and thinking at the moment the question
referred to the first train, he sent back the mes-
sage "yes." Killick then sent in the third
train, and immediately afterwards the fatal
catastrophe took place. Hitherto the Brighton
line has had the credit of being exceedingly well
worked; but few accidents, comparatively,
have happened upon it, but from what has
transpired at the inquest this would seem to be
attributable more to good luck than to the effi-
ciency of the arrangements. During excursion
times, trains, it seems, are frequently started five
minutes apart in succession, and it has even been
admitted that in such cities the hindermost ones
have almost overtaken those that proceeded
them, and that "two trains going in the same
direction have been in the tunnel at the same
time." By what authority or precedent the
station-masters despatch their trains so speedily
one after the other will probably be asked by
the wiener's jury before they separate, and by
their verdict show who is responsible for such
acts of temerity:. : . .

Baron Rica;Ai has approached the Neapolitan
question in a style which, although availing
of diplomatic form for its expression, is direct,
frank, and undiplomatic. The circular which
he has issued goes to the very heart of the
Naples difficulty. Brigandage, according to
Ricasoli, is the hope of the reactionary party;
Antonelli and the Pope are the chiefs of the
Fra-Diavolo fraternity ; and the Vatican has
become the ante-room to the robbers' den. In
all parts of Europe the pennies of St. Peter
enrol recruits for the gang; their arms and
accoutrements come from Rome, and the money
to pay them is coined in the Eternal City with
the sanction and connivance of the Pope. Three
startling facts are alleged to be undoubtedly
true, and are fully eoufirmed by the late arrests
and perquisitions which the French soldiers
have made. They certainly would not prove
creditable incidents in the life of a sPcular
Prince. A Russian despot would be ashamed
of them; and they would be too paltry for an
Austrian Kaiser to commit. They may be bub-
blings up from the cauldron of some nether
world, but they do not bring with them those
"Airs from Heaven" which the faithful might
expect to attend the movements of a missals'
' Vicegerent upon earth. Even Protestants, not
given to laudations of the "Bishop of Rome,"
lid not expect that the crosier concealed a
stiletto, or that the robbers' carbine stood loaded
and primed behind the Apostle's chair. Such,
however, is the fact— a fact at which if pity
weeps with one eye, contempt twinkles with the
other—and one which may prove of great signi-
ficance in the final disposition of Italian affairs.
It is quite evident that sooner or later the pro-
tectorate of France must be withdrawn from
Rome, as an anomaly which the political system
of Europe can no longer tolerate.

DOECH MIR PITCH= COllll MA MEI; Saturday,
August 31.—The attendance was seasonably good.
and the general tone of the trade was more active
than of late; an advance of one shilling per quarter
was in some instances effected. Some new barley
of good quality was pitched, but the general opinion
was that good heavy lota %mild be scare in this
Trifoliorn incarnatum brought from 31. to
sd. per lb., and winter tares sold freely at from 7s.
to 9s. per bushel.
BM( ZS an ENROR REPOSITORY, Saturday,
August 31.—A number of cows in stock condition
were offered for sale, and the oompstition being
spirited, the whole were sold at an advance of about
£2 per head.
_

DOkSZTSIIIIRg POULTRY.-At the Crystal Palace
show, held Let week (where all the bast poultry
breeders in the world competed) the stock of our
local exhibitors maintained their usual standard of
excellence, and we are pleased to find that Mrs.
Henry Fookes took the wound prize fog Rouen
ducks; and W. Manfield, Esq., ion., took both
first and second prizes for his improved white Dorset
geese, some of which neighed 20ib. each, and are
expected to veigh several pounds more when they
are a few weeks older.

Excellent shooting in Doreetabire is advertised in
000 of the sporting papers —Term 160 guineas a
gun!
TUC Lose LILUTZNANT.—The Earl and Countess
of Salisbury, are, with their family, at P.racket Hall,
the beautiful dot of Viscount Palmerstons, in Hert-
fordshire. We deeply regret to learn that their
second daughter, Lady Mary Ashley, is dill suffering
so greatly from ill heath as to cause her noble parents
much anxiety.
Poss-Omcs S•V`INOS' BA/ILL—On the Illth of
the present month, the new Post-Offloe Ravings
Banks' Act will come into operation. It is not
intended at present to open Post-Otßee Banks in
those towns where savings beaks aro in effective
operation. In the county of Dorset, beaks will be
opened at Portland and Gillingham. In Somerset.
shire—Chard, Clifton, Glastonbury, Ilininster,
Martock, bhepton- Mallet, Wedmore, Wellingt-m,
Weston-Saper-Mare, and Wivelircombe. Wilts—
Corskarn. Downton, Highworth, Mere, Westbury,
&ea Wilton.

Tilt DIU, MADE TO HEAR, AND THE DOME TO
SPEAK !—A person calling himself William Small,
a tailor, was brought before the Mayor OD Monday,
charged with being • rove and • vagabond in
obtaining iums by fraudulent pretences. He had,
on Saturday last, gone about the town soliciting
contributions under pretence that he was deaf and
dumb. On Sunday morning police-constable Cousins
took him into custody for being drunk, and at the
station-house Supt. Pommy found out that he could
both hear and speak. On his person was founds
begging petition, representing that his name was
Mason, a native of Poole, and that he bad no tongue
nor bola in his esn, sad was strongly recommended
to the kind ummideration of some person st Poole,
wham Ito aohnowlodgai did not exist. —The Mayor
manias" his for this mai& brd *sham

Celcirr.—A match of cricket WWI played at
Kingston Park on Friday last between the Kingston
Park and Dorchester Cricket Clubs, which termi-
nated in favour of the latter by 9 wickets. On the
side of Kingston Park, the Rev. Mr. Darner, who
had the misfortnne to lose his wicket in the ling
innings without scoring a run, played admirably
during the second innings, scoring no less than 42
runs before he left his post. Franks, on the part of
Dorchester, scored precisely a similar number during
the first innings
The
making 14 twos and the re-
mainder mingles. The following is the score :--
__

Ktmarru PA-ax.
First Innings. Second innings.
Aden, b Franks
Michel. b Franks e Won, b Franks 1
Barker. e Syntonds, b Franks 1 c and b Freak, 26
C. F. Millett. bit wicket c Read, b Parsons 9
Fetberstonbaugh, b Franks b Franks 0
Darner. b Franks . .. .. c Phillips, b Frani'.
Lay, kg before wicket
Shirley, b Franks
Barnard, b lisllon
Andrews. e Franks, b !Mon
C. W. Millett, not out
_ _ . _
1 Byes4orldse9,l4 bysea 10