The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1874-01-27 00:00:00

11211

tuencdes:

The oounty of Dorset will doubtless be the
scene ef two or three elections. The unborn

team of representatives of the eounty oonsti-
tuency—the Hon. W. H. 11. Portman, Mr. H.
Gerard Stud, and Mr. J. Floyer—are not
likely to be dbiturbed in their seat.; in •
general way their conduot mute the approval
of the county, and they are all too securely fixed
to lead the roost sanguine seeker of Parliamen-
tary honours to hazard several thousands pounds
In a fight. In tha borough of Dorchester we
regret to announce that Colonel Napier Sturt
will not again ask for re-election. For 17
years he hu represented the borough, and by
his kindly disposition and liberal sentiments, has
boon popular with all parties In the borough.
There had been rumours of a Liberal candidate,
but the chances of actooeaaful opposition to Colonel
Sturt were exceeding.y slight. Now, the came
is altered. There has alwaya been • popular
belief that In Dorchester tint.° la a good deal of
LLeral feetlor, r 4,1 ref.reuce Is fondly utsia to
the time w nau Mr. Sheridan headed the poll by
a lai ge majotlty. Wbott.or them be a prepon.
derence of Liberalism in the borouzh or not,
the first general situation under the Ballot affords
good opportuulty of testing the matter, and
settling it for many years to come. Weymouth
I. peed to a contest, Sir Frederic Johnstone,
la/t., the owner of oonsiderable property In the
town, being coupled with Mr. Hombre, ALP.,
In an endeavour to return two Conservatives,
thus ouaciug Mr. Edwards who Is a Liberal
and polities and also liberal In both will and deed
for every good object. But In this enterprise
the fronds of the present Conservativo member
will do wed to consider whether the probsbilittee
do not point to his being replscied by 141 r
Frederic rather than the rejection of Mr.
Edwards. At Poole, where at the lut Weotion
Mr.. A.
.E. Guest (Conservative) headed Mr.

Waring by 60 votes, it has always been expected
the battle would be refought and, meantime toe
Canton" interest has beau devoted to making
the running for the present member, while the
old representative bar carefully kept up his oon-
nection with the borough and bided his time.
In the neighboaring borough of Christohurch
Sir Drummond Wolff will no doubt ()outset the
representation with Mr. Haviland Burke, the
liberal member. Wareham gives no promise
of a ()Gaut, although Mr. Drax cannot plead
devotion to his Parliamentary duties as a claim
for re-election. Here there is a large peasant
constituency, for it is one of the anomalies of
the present system of repreeentation that the
rate-paying householder in the out-of-the-way
parish of Bore Regis or the ohapelry of Arne, at
ls. a week rent, has a vote, while the shopkeeper
of 131andford rented at £45 a year is without one.
Now that the County Franchise is to be made one
of the " burning questions' of the day, it Is
significant to observe the placidity of the Ware-
ham constituency with a member soareely ever
taking the trouble to go to the Howie of Com-
mons • and it would seem that Mr. Arch's
Radical appeals have little effect in Purbeck if
they remain content with a Conservative mem-
ber at all, and especially one who treats them
with such ineffable nonchalaiacha. Brldport will
probably re-elect without a struggle Mr. T. A.
Mitchell, who for over 30 years has been • mem-
ber for that borough, and has intimate relations with
the leading merettaata of the town. At Shalleshary
Ceptain Bent-Stanford may And r. Danby Seymour
again in the field, although the result of tits recent
ideation wee ito decided as to give small encouragement
to a renewal of the contest; but, at any rata, • few
days will decide the matter. Looking at the lonely
generally we do net anticipate any chaos* la the
relative strength of political parties, and very little, if
any, in the penems of the representatives.
The Duet battalion el Ride Volutes,. Is without
an Adjutant, having buried on friday, maid mall?
heartfelt regrets, Oapteta Barrett, who for the lad 12
years boa filled that petition with rare tact and
efficiency. OD the appointment of his swami* Imply
depends the future of the regiment. The Adjutaat
must be a good soldier, sod at the mate thin readily
apprehend the difficulties under which volu stem give
their **Mose, and moot them as far as is prastioable.
This the late Aletant did, and hence his palarity
and the 1110011•11 of the battalion. The mthaoholy
suddenaem with which Captain Barrett died, and the
holplime fatally be has left behind, with • young widow
in donate health, have celled forth the ithwerest
sympathy of the whole wanly, eat we Mast it will
culminate In tome ettbetential.mann.er.

.- --
tutored has been manifested far and wide In
the bankruptcy of the Rev. H. B. Williams,
Vicar of Charminster. The rev, bankrupt did
dot attend the court on either Wednesday or
1 bursday, as ordered, for his public examination,
bnt sent a letter from London to say he had not
the means to travel to Dorchester, and all that
oould be learnt of his whereabouts and doings
was that he had been seen "walking in the
Strand, with a cigar In his mouth." As the
Beolstrar (Mr. Giles Symonds) pointed out, Mr.
Williams has clerical duties to perform at Char-
minater and Stratton, and should be there,
Instead of which he leaves his office unfilled, and
but for the voluntary act of the Chaplin of the
County Hospital the two parishes would lack
entirely the services of the church. The osse is
a very melancholy one, but not without a touch
of drollery. Baying a living worth £9O, year,
the rev, bankrupt in six mouths ran ups score at
wine merchants which would absorb his income;
he patronised the tradesmen liberally, and when
coati was shod paid the charwoman with rolls of
carpet and second-hand clothe; and bartered
agahist, the services of "the boy in button." a
broom and a dust-pan, On the judgments of the
County Court he looked the door, and, with his
wife and her sister, jeered at the bellied bailiffs
from the windows, and thy enter,ng into the
spirit of the fun, seised three dead wild rabbits
sent to the rev, bankrupt, and sold them by
auction In the market place for hall-a-crown,

As was well said in the Court, his oonduot was
not what it should be either as a clergyman or a
gentleman. The judge and every body else
united In saying his expenditure was reckless and
his oonduat , culpable, yet his Honour doubted
whether he had infringed the criminal law, and
the (idyll law seems powerless 10 punish him.
For the creditors there seems no hope of either
getting a peony in dividend, or a pound in Sash.
, The sequestration of the living has been in ques-
tion, hut it is toleralby clear that would not
benefit to any appreciable extent the creditors,
while it would be greatly to the prejudice of the
parishioners. The zesignation of the bankrupt,
and the appointment of a clergyman worthy of
the sacred offioe would be the happiest result,
and we shall be glad to hear of such a course
being followed. Meantime the bankruptcy
proceedings are adjourned sine die.
One of the last acts of the Gladstone Ministry
before the dissolution has been to appoint Mr.
Amphlett, Q.C., a Conservative, to succeed
Baron Martin in the judgeship.
Mr. Whalley, M.P., has been fined £250, with
a sentence of imprisonment till it be paid, for
publishing a letter expressing his unshaken belief
In Lute's Osprey evidence. He was taken to
Holloway prison, and then his sister paid the
fine, and got the hon. member liberated.
The Liberation Society have issued their
programme for the general election, it com-
prises abolition of clerical monoply in church-
yards, religious equality in universities and
endowed schools, severance of religious from
secular instruction in public schools, universal
school boards, and diseatablialsment "in an
advanced position,"
. . . .

Sir tiarnet Wolealey has crossed the Prah
with his army of 2,600 men, and is on the way
to Coon:wide, distant about eight days' march.
Important intelligence may shortly be expected.