The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1868-09-08 00:00:00

OUR NEW CONSTITUENCIES.*
Mont the Daily New.)

DORSETSHIRE.

Dorset&lre Is one of the "unicorn," or " triangular"
counties, reterning three marabout* parliament. Under
the now Iteform Act its constituency will be limited to
Toting for two, no that they have not much to be grate-
ful for.
Dorsetabire has always been considered a Tory county,
but the Liberate, nevertheless, have generally been able
to bold their own in it. The turning point of Dorset..
shire politics was a great contest which occurred In
on the eve of the Be:forte Bill, between the present
Earl of tilinttesbnly, then Lord Ashley, and the lion.
W. F. S. Pons .nby, afterwards created Lord de llaulty,
who had married the Lady Barbara Ashley Cooper.
lady Barbara was female representative of the elder
and Roman tatlaaie loancli of the Ashley family, and
the inberitris of a large proportion of Coir estates. In
this battle royal. which fasted fifteen days, and coat each
party nearly LWOW, the poll was no close that on
oeveral occasions the 'majorities on the day's poll wore
only a Anglo vote for t ither candidate. At length Lord
Ashley and the Tories triumphed, if a triunith that
could be ealloi which elided in • county return by about
six an I thirty votes, and the embarrassment of (1 great
ebtate for f uture generations.
Mr. Pollllollby 041111 in at the general election of 11132
and sat for the county until In, we. made a peer in 1837,
Lord Ashley held mi. neat without another contest until
letitl, when he chivalrously threw it upbeing
called our and refna'ng to vote in favour of Protection.
'Then three ""t' boot" men mono in n•presentatives of
Splint Farquharson, of Blandford, who coinuousdal the
eounty by • p telt of hounds, which be was too fond of
following to tit iu Perlianient himself. Alas. for beraot.
shire, the glories of those days have departed. The old
squire, on 1.01118 real or imaginary cause of offence about
his "country," gave up his pock 1101110 years ago, and is
wow sel,lom if overseen at any cover aide.
In 1057, IMreetsbire, after ten year.' trial, had got
rather tired of " top boot' repreteotation,and it put
the lion W. 11. B. Portman, the eldest son of Lord
Portman, at the ;head of the poll by a large majwity.
The Portman influence has continued predominant in
Dorset ever nines,. The "top boot" men are very well
contente Ito tato two teats, and let Mr. Portman alone
In one, if that tor•ngement is convenient.
But ought tLis last., of things to be perpetuated
under the new conetitueney 1/ecidestly not. Dorset.
shire ought to return two liberal members at the least.

DO Ref EtiT ER.
The wanly ot Dorset containsl., ery oonsidernble
town, but has • somewhat undue proportion of small
boroughs. It suffer., therefore, tho loss of esveral
members under the new Reform Act. Dorchester
loses one, Poole loses one, tiridport loses one, and
Lymo Ittais is disfranchised ; four votes out of
fourteen.

Dorcheeter, the county town, trav forrnerly the pro-
perty, pr;ncipsily, of the Earbt of Sheik.tray. Nl'hen
the present earl aueoeedod to the peerage, this valuable
'etas passed to Mr. Henry Charles Start, of Crick'sLl,

• It is necezei7 to my that we do Dot adopt the
o piuloaa asp iu tbis article.