The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-08-26 00:00:00

Duet &until &gem

TUMIDLY, AUGUST 26, 1873.

NOTE OF THE WEEK.

The Queen is M Balmoral, and it is said
Hit Majesty will not return to Windsor Castle
till November. The Prince of Wales and the
Duke of Kiinburgh were present at the
ceremony of opening Holyhead Breakwater and
their Royal Highnesses also witnessed the con-
cluding spectacle of the Dartmoor Autumn
hiaewnvres.

Universal oonoern has been manifested respect-
ing the mishap to Prince Arthur at Trourille.
The peril to the son of our Queen while bathing
has naturally drawn attention forcibly to the
many similar mishaps upon our own °oasts that I
terminate fatally, One seldom takes up a
newspaper at this season of the year without
reading of some sad and fatal accident while
bathing. Several such calamine have recently
occurred, and it Is evident that, had proper pre-
cautions been taken, the fatal result might in
almost every case have been obviated. There is
great negligence in these matters. We cannot
call to mind one bathing-plaos on our comets
where men in boats are stationed to Nave those
that may be in danger of drowning. Yet in
France this is the rule, though it does not appear
whether it was observed at TronyWe. But, at
all events, it was a father and son professionally
and officially connected with the bathing station
that sa ,ed both the nines and his aide-de-camp,
Mr. Lane (who had attempted to rescue his
Royal Highness) from drowning. This shows
how valuable might be the services upon a bath-
ing station of a couple of boatmen all. to swim
well. Every year the number of bathers in our
country increases, and it is to be feared that,
could we ascertain the statistics, every year
Nuke is an increased number of fatal accidents,
the great majority of which might be prevented.
The subject is on important one, for perhaps
more lives are annually lost by this than by that
other danger of the sewn—railway accidents
another of which, resulting in three deaths, and
a great number of injuries occurred at Retford on
Saturday morning. At any rate, we know the
remedy for the one kind of accident, if we
cannot discover that for the other.
Mr. Gladstooe's utterances at Reward= sad
at Mold, and Mr. height's at Birmingham, have
now been fully discussed, while Mr. Bruce's
elevation to the peerage as Baron Aberdare of
Duffryn, and Mr. Ayrton's appointment as
Judge Advocate General, were gasetted on
Friday. We have therefore no political matters
of interest left to talk about, at least not of our
own, and, pending some fresh Ministerial sayings
or doings, wen of political bent are watching the
00t11110 of events in Frame and in Spain—eo
different in one country from what they are in the
other, yet in both possibly leading to the similar
consummation of restoring the direct line of the
Bourbons. The visit of the Imperial Prince of
Germany to Copenhagen, and the courtesies
Interchanged between the Danish King and His
Imperial Highness, have also been a subject of
some speculation, especially as calling attention
to the unfulfilled clime of the Austro-Proadan
treaty regarding North Schleswig; but nobody
expects ever to see that stipulation carried out
until some resew, is brought to bear upon
Prussia, and it is generally recognised that,
whatever amenities may pass between the ruling
families of Prussia and Denmark, the Danes will
never forgive the Germain until the former get
their own again.
Mr. Gladstone's premium and his speech at the
Welsh Eisteddfod have called English public
attention more particularly than it would other-
wise have been scoorded to that oalebration, and
we learn, that, though the Eisteddfod recognises
the English as well as the Welsh language in
awarding prizes, and though the Government
rant is given to schools in Wales only for
English Education, yet 800,000 Welsh people
cantinas to speak their own language, and to
support eight or nine Welsh newspapers, not to
mention magazines and books, while divine
worship is in hundreds of places carried on in
the Welsh tongue. Whether the language has
been preserved, and the people become Non-
conformists through the "inotoriag " of the
Government, as Mr. Gladstone says, is a sub-
ject on which opinions differ, but at any rate,
the lesson the right hon. gentlemen drew from
his consideration of the subject—not to prase
people overmuch by Government power in a way
they are unwilling to go, is worth learning by
statesmen everywhere.
Many people who thought they had come to
something like a clear view of the " Tichborne"
case find themselves hopelessly puzzled by the
evidence from Wapping withal Dr. Kenealy
called to negative the identity of the defendant
I with Arthur Orton. But then the old question
arises, "What has become of Arthur Orion, and
why does he not come forward r To eke out
the theory started to explain the inconsistencies
and blunders of the Claimant, Dr. Kenealy at
the close of his speech propounded the doctrine
that fat people generally have bad memories,
The Lord Chief Justice pricked up his ears at
ones and asked for the Doctor's authority. "1
I have always understood," replied the Doctor,
that dulness and fatness go together ;" and
In the thick of the criticism which arose upon
this point, • learned counsel in full robes and of
gigantic height and breadth suddenly made his
appearance in court, as if expressly to illustrate
the subject under discussion. The startled and
bewildered air with which this new wow took
the reception sooorded to him added greatly to
, the general mirth • and it was observed that
I even the learned judges at this point suddenly
I found it convenient to devote the closest study
to certain documents of sufficient dimensions to
I conceal their countenances from the bar and
the public. Two or three of the Tichborne
jurors put in a claim to be fat men, but Dr.
Kenealy answered by pointing to the judges as
Instances of lean intelligence, the Lord Chief
Justice trying to perry the force of the observa-
tion by saying that judges were thin baron they
werked so hard. Dr. Kenealy in the end
promised to produce his authorities at the close
of the case, appealing in the meantime to
Bhakspeare's fancy for good men that are
fat—

Blest-headed mea, sad seek as sleep o'alibts ;
Too Celsius has a Las sod hungry look.
But how about Falstaff 1 Falstaff was not a
fool, and Mark Lemon, the editor of Punch for
20 years, was as sleek and fates the Claimant.
And bow about Hamlet 1 He was, according to
his mother, fat and scant of breath, and the man
who is supposed to be the moat powerful Minister
in the present Cabinet—Mr. Bright—la beyond
comparison the fattest. Many of the Popes
have been conspicuously fat, and the sovereign
who overthrew the power of the Pope in
England—Henry VI IL—was the fattiest of our
Kings. Luther was a thick-set sturdy priest;
and Count Cavonr was as fat as Count Fosoo.
Yet even Dr. Keneely will hardly call these dull
men; and Fox, Lord North, and Gibbon
were • match iD obesity even foe the Olahnant.
The wheat harvest generally will this year,
according to Mr. Sanderson, be 20 per cent
below the average, but the grain is of exoellent
quality. Barley, according to this authority, is
lccent, above average, and oats 10 per cent.
average. The bean and pea crops are
remarkably good. The potato promises a large
yield, and from Its forward state is in me likely
to escape disease. Turnips and m•ngolds are
singularly promising, and the hay produce 4 on
the whole fully an average. If Mr. Kandereon's
estimate is correct, it follows that the aggregate
'produce of the Lytealamat y be takte Lapot moret than
of all—wheat—will be shorter than it has been
for several years, the breadth sown being 20
per cent, lees than usual, and the deficiency in
yield upon this narrower area in its turn 20 per
I mut deficient. These calculations, however,
may at any moment be thrown into confusion,
and even as they stand they. only represent the
impressions of a man taking a glance at the
country from the window of a railway carriage,
walking over a few farms, and chatting with the
farmers at market. It is a pity that the agri.
cultural returns cannot be in our hands by the
let of August, for with these we might form
some sort of estimate of the country's produce.
The French are supposed to have set eyes on
Meta Prince Louis on Middle. kisaidahou ; and
the workmen of Barcelona on their masters'
factories. At least, the gamipa assert that
through the good offices of the Czar, Meth IN to
be returned to France; that a proposal has
emanated from Chleelburst that three years
hence the young Prince Imperial should marry
Marshal hianblahon's daughter, now thirteen
Pier* of ; end that the Internationalists
have placarded Barcelona, advising workmen
not to burn down manufactories, as that one day
before long these buildings will be theirs.
Time are doubtless wild expectations, but there
Is DO limit to people's confidence in the future.
There are one or two person. to be found looking
forward to the termination of the Tiebborne
Claimant's trial, people who actually reckon
upon a fall laths pais, dean and meek and a

few who indulge • belief &at Spahr will DOM
day be governed as • civilised Zuropilan eaten
should kw They are, of ware% be be admit"
for their unsben cuieldsnos in things oilier
folks daspsir about.