The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-08-21 00:00:00

NOT HE OF THE WEEK.

Two OF THE GREAT SOVEREIGNS of
Europe have each written an autograph
letter of a very re-assuring character. The
Emperor Napoleon has addressed the King
of the Belgians to assure him that he has not
the slightest intention to seek the annexation
of the whole, or any part, of Belgium; but
that, on the contrary, he would prefer to
promote on every occasion the interests of
the Belgian dynasty. This statement is of a
straightforward and honest, though perhaps
not strictly diplomatic character, and must
relieve Europe from considerable apprehen-
sion. As for the other letter—that from the
Czar to the King of Prussia—it is likewise
so far satisfactory that for the present it
removes all fear of a collision between Russia
and Prussia. The letter is held to mean,
though it apparently did not say so in direct
terms, that the deposition of a few petty
German monarchs more or less closely
related to the royal house of Russia would
not be made a cams bell i, and accordingly
we are quite prepared to hear, as we did on
Saturday, that that the process of confiscation
and annexation has been formally commenced.
With Hanover, Nassau, and Electoral Hesse
added to her dominions, and all her German
neighbours at the same time submitted to
her domination, Prussia will indeed have
acquired what Napoleon spoke of as requisite
for her: "More homogeneity in the North,"
and perhaps to a larger extent than he had
bargained for. But France, though dis-
pleased at the result of the war, exhibits no
sign of resorting to hostilities of her own
account. With Prussia and France quies-
cent, Austria humbled, and even Bavaria and
Italy, who seemed at one time inclined to
prolong hostilities, now intent upon bona Jule
negotiation, it is considered that peace is
almost a certainty, at least, for the present;
but there can be little doubt that the late
war bas sown the seed of more than one
future struggle.
lI.—REGENT INTELLIGENCE from America
says the Fenians are preparing for another
raid against Canada. Despite the generally
admitted folly and wickedness of such a pro-
ceeding, it appears only too probable that
another incursion may be tried, as it is said,
on a much larger scale. The action of the
American Congress in the matter of the
neutrality laws must give a certain amount
of encouragement to such a movement, and
the hot-brained but wrong-headed partisans
of Fenianisin require very little of such
stimulus, In case of any renewed attempt
at an inroad, it will a great advantage
to the home and colonial . authori-
ties that they can communicate so
readily with each other by means of the
Atlantic telegraph. We have heard a grist
deal about the cable being a bond of union
between this country and the United States,
but not enough of its effects in bringing
British America so much closer to the
mother country. Speaking of this telegraph
it has been re 'narked that the price of gold
at New York, quoted in our daily papers,
is always dated two days or more before.
Now, allowing seven hours difference in the
local time, and the time consumed in for-
warding a message, we might very well have
all our telegrams dated "New York—yes-
terday." Of course, our great merchant&
get their intelligence a day before it is
published .in the newspapers, and their
influence is apparently exerted to suppress
, the publication of the news: but this state
I of things cannot last

CHOLIRA is of course the great
domestic topic of sonversation, and we are
happy to state that the disease is now con-
sidered to have been mastered. The careful
tending of the sick, especially in incipient
stages, and their removal from the uninfected
where possible, joined to every sanitary
precaution that could at once be adopted to
prevent the spread of the epidemic, have
been successful in reducing its virulence to
such a degree that people are beginning to
hope that the last case of cholera will soon
be reported. Nutwithstanding the deficiency
of capital which Mr. Disraeli believes to
afflict this country, there has been no lack
of pecuniary contributions for the benefit
of sufferers from the cholera. Besides the
Mansion House Fund, which for a fortnight
has grown up at the rate of about £L,OOO a
day, more than double this amount must
have been simultaneously contributed to the
London Hospital and minor institutions in
the affected neighbourhoods. This is apart
from very numerous contributions in kind ;
and when all is taken into account—espe-
cially the personal services so freely ren-
dered out of pure benevolence—nobody can
say that charity is dead in England, though
she may sometimes appear to sleep- We
trust that the hopeful anticipations now
indulged of an early termination of the
epidemic will be verified ; and if the country
only learns the lesson it ought respecting
the sanitary reforms needed in its poorer
districts, we shall not have suffered this
visitation in vain. It will be noticed that
in all directions our sanitary boards are
bestirring themselves.

I.V.—Tux REDUCTION 111 THE BINE RATE
OF Dlscourrr did not come a moment too
soon, and even now people are anxiously
looking forward for a further reduction.
The check upon the transaction of business
through the recent high rate has been very
serious, and the revenue will doubtlessly
exhibit the effects of the partial stagnation
of trade. The reduction is of course the
result of returning confidence among monied
people, as shown in the smaller disposition to
hoard. On the other hand, the lower rate
will itself react to restore confidence, and
thus make a further reduction soon prac-
ticable.