The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1881-02-01 00:00:00

THE ROMANCE OF THE PEERAGE.

House OP LORDS, Monday. —The Earldom of Dysart.
This was the cage of William John Mennen in support of
his petition to Her Majesty to admit his succession to the
dignities of Earl of Dysart and Lord Huntingtower in the
Peerage of Scotland. The petition was opposed by
Elizabeth, claiming to have been the vrife and to be now
the widow of the late William Lionel Felix Tollemache,
commonly call.al Lonl Hontimitower on behalf of Albert
Edwin, her infant son, on whose behalf she also claims
the above-mentioned dignities,. The dignities of Earl
of Dysart and Lord Huntingtower, in the Peerage of
Scotland, were created by attars patent, dated at Oxford,
the 3rd of August, 1841, granted by King Charles I. to
William Murray, then one of the gentlemen of the King's
Bedchstuber, with • limitation of the honours to him and
hut heirs general. The dignities descended to Lionel
William John Talmash, or Tollemache, the sixth earl,
who. aurviving his only son, Wißlain Lionel Felix, died
in 1878. The original petitioner claims aa being the only
win of William Lionel Felix, by his marriage, in 1811,
with Katherine Elizabeth Comilla, daughter of Sir
Joseph Burke, of Minsk Castle, in the county Galway,
baronet. The infant petitioner's claim is baited on the
assertion that a Scotch marriage took place between his
mother and William Lionel Felix in July, 1811. The
case of the original petitioner was brought before their
Lordships last Session, wLen the necessary formal proof
of his d soeot was put is; hut at the prayer of the mother
of the infant claimant the further hearing was adjourned.
The case on behalf of the infant claimant was proceeded
with on Friday and Mon lay, when his mother was
examine I in chief at coon ieratile length, and stated that
she was the daughter ..f Henry and Johanna Acford, her
father being a freeman of t e town of Bideford, in
Devonshire, and • timber merchant. She asserted that
while in the service of Lady Dysart at Bath, as companion,
the late Lord Huntingtower burst open her bedroom door
one night during his mother's absence and, alter a vent
violent struggle. in which she was much injured,
had connexion with her by force and against her will ; that
Lord Huntingtower promised to marry her and did acutally
marry her in Scotland in July. 1814 that she had had
several children by him, of whom the talent claimant was
the only son ; and that these children were all registered In
Tollenzarsh and as being leg timate. She further asserted
that Lord Ifuntingtower, who was very poor, had left her
in distressed circumstances, and had compelled her to give
up all the written pro is of her marries in exchange for a
deed in which he made • settlement upon her ; but that in
an action which she had brought against him. to enforce
that settlement he had sucessfully availed himself of the
plea that she was his wife.

SHOCKING OCCURRENCE IN PARIS.
All Paris has been deeply stirred by the shocking fate
of a little girl of nine, Georgette Rabin, the only child,
of a prosperous greengrocer of the Rue Belzunce. She
attended a day school, to which her father every morn-
ing took her, and fetched her back at noon. Two days
ago they were walking along, hand in hand, rejoicing
In the bright sunshine which had come out after the
snowfalL The streets they traversed were busy with
traffic, and squadrons of sweepers who were pushing
heaps of snow towards the sewer-traps purposely
opened to receive them. At the corner of the Rue
Hauteville, the child let go her father's hand to tighten
her muffler. Just then a waggon drawn by a restive
horse rumbled by. Rabin instinctively moved back-
wards, thinking his daughter was by his side, but when
he turned round to look for her she had disappeared.
It was evident that in backing out of the horse's way
she had fallen into a yawning sewer, which was of
great depth. Cries for help were heard for a moment,
and then ceased. The child had clung doubtless to the
edge of the subterranean platform, and had then been
swept away by the force of the current, which WAS
swift and swollen. The sweepers who flocked around
could scarcely restrain Rabin from jumping in after his
child, who must have been instantly drowned. The
district fire brigade was summoned, and came imme-
diately, but too late, and the Police Commissary of the
quarter telegraphed to the overseen of sewers to watch
all the gratings between the Rue Hauteville and
Asnieres. A fireman was lowered with ropes into the
Newer, and remained immersed for twenty minutes.
°then ran along the platform to explore, but unavail-
ingly. The poor child's body has not been caught by
any of the gratings, and may already be devoured by
rats It appears that on the day ilia tragedy occurred
three ladies in diffierent parts of Paris narrowly
escaped falling into the sewers, the traps of which when
opened are rarely if ever guarded by men charged to
keep off the unwary.

THE IRISH STATE TRIALS.
THK RESULT.

Child. 4

The Irish State trials terminated on Tuesday in the
discharge of the jury through inability to agree on a
verdict. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald brought his summing-
up tl • close shortly after mid-day, and the jury at
once retired. At five o'clock they were fetched into
court, when the foreman, with true Hibernian wit,
announced that they were unanimously of opinion that
they could not agree. At • quarter to seven they were
again sent for, and • similar answer was given to the
court. Mr. Justice Fitzgerald told them they would
be locked up all night; but seeing that it was hopeless
'YEOVIL. , to expect a verdiet, the court shortly before eight
YE .VI L AND SOMERSET COLIN IT o'clock directed them te be disc.hargird ; and this lame
POUL I RY, PIGEON, AND CAGE BIRD result of so much time and money brought the
proceedings to • close. There was great excitement in
ASHOCIATIoN. and around the court ; and the upshot of the trial was
The annual exhibition of this association was held on hailed with marks of popular rejoicing. Mr. Parnell,
Wednesday. The number of entries was very large, who was present during the day, aej was repeatedly
and oomprised the RAMS of prim when.m at tke cheered in court, lett Dublin In the evening for
Crystal Pekoe, Birmingham, and other noted arlatbi- Loudon.