The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-07-09 00:00:00

NOM OF THE WEEK.

The question of slavery has, during the past
week, been prominently brought before the
British public. In the House of Lords on Mon-
day, Lord Brougham, true to his early antece-
dents, and nobly conaistent in the uncompromi-
sing and earnest support he has always given to
the rights of the negro, moved for • copy of a
memorial addressed to the State from the
inhabitants of Jamaica, in reference to the
annexation of San Domingo by Spain. The noble
Lord has grown old, but he has never grown
weary in the work. He deprecated in the
strongest terms the annexation scheme of Spain,
and his Views were supported by Lord Stratford
de Radcliffe. On Tuesday a monster meeting
was held at Exeter Hall to welcome the fugitive
slave, John Anderson, to England. Mr.
.Twelvetrees, the rejected of Marylebone, occu-
pied the chair, and informed his audience that
torture, thumbscrews, the lash, and the red-hot
brand in the quivering flesh and muscle of the
slave, were common." Now recent travellers in
South America do not endorse this statement,
and we cannot help thinking that it is better to
argue against so accursed an Institution as
Slavery, on the ground that it is an improper
and immoral relation between man and man— ,
too full of temptation to both—and utterly con-
trary to the spirit of chriatianity and to the
dictates of reason, rather than make rash aver-
ments against Southern planters that cannot be
supported by facts. On Wednesday a deputation
on the African slave trade had an interview with
Lord John Russell at the Foreign-office, and the
Duke of Newcastle at the Colonial-office. Lord
John Russell, in reply to the deputation made
some interesting statements. He expressed him-
self somewhat favourable to the appointment of
a consul at Cape Palmas an important point on
the west coast of Africa. Re eulogised the
fidelity with which Brasil had fulfilled her
engagement with regard to the slave trade, and
condemned the bad faith of Spain. He admitted
there had been a good deal of Spanish intrigue
in San Domingo, but said that the Dominicans
had a right to choose what form of Government
they pleased. This is quite true, but it is well
known that the Dominicans were never consulted
in the matter of the annexation—that instead of
its being the work of the people, it owed its
origin to a secret conspiracy, and was ultimately
forced upon them by Spanish beyonets. This is
very different from a popular vote.
The relations between Austria and Hungary
grow more threatening. When, on Monday,
the Imperial reicript, branding the address of
the Hungarian Diet as disloyal, was laid sealed
upon the table of the Lower House, cries were
raised of "Return it unopened." Eventually,
however, at the request of the moderate party,
it was read in the Lower House, and in the
Upper House no opposition was offered to it.
In the Emperor's Upper Council at Vienna, the
rescript, on the contrary, was warmly applauded.
As the Magyars seem to be satisfied with noth-
ing short of having restored to them their
ancient constitution, and as the Emperor seems
as determined to enforce the new constitution
which he promulgated a few months since, •
disruption Deems inevitable.
News from Italy is not in any one particular
very striking, yet its details, in the present state
of the country, are worth noticing. Two facts
indicate the continued activity and zeal of the
Bourbonist faction; one of them verycharacteristic
—that is, that it has been found necessary to
warn Garibaldi that attempts have been made
on his life, and to watch the entrances to his
Wand home of Caprera. Further, 500 muskets
have been seized by the police at Naples. Every
day new bands of brigands penetrate through
the Abruzzi, and advance even up to the vicinity
of Naples, and have begun to burn and destroy
the ripening corn. The Pope has rallied a little,
but his days are numbered. The recognition of
the kingdom of Italy has caused a new coldness,
amounting almost to auger, between the French
pro-consuls and Cardinal Antonelli. The latter,
on reading the dispatch of M. Thouvenel,
said to De Grammont "Act as you
please, only act promptly and let us
at once have to deal with open enemies instead
of false friends." An interchange of words fol-
lowed, so bitter that De Grammout is said to
have finally replied "If you were a man in-
stead of a priest, I should have another demand
to make of you."
The Prince of Wales has again placed his foot
upon Irish soil, and again received • hearty and
hospitable welcome. His Royal Highness ar-
rived at Kingstown on Saturday evening in the
Connaught steamer. The Ajax man-of-war gave
a royal salute simultaneously with the Pigeon
House Fort. The people cheered vehemently,
and the reception generally was most enthusias-
tic. Without delay the Prince, accompanied by
the Lord Lieutenant and their respective suites,
entered the special train that awaited him, and
proceeded to Dublin, where crowds lined the
streets through which the cortege had to pass.
In every place the people manifested the same
loyal feelings, and cheer after cheer arose along
the route. On Monday the corporation presented
his Highness with an address in St.
Patrick's Hall, Dublin Castle. In his reply, the
Primo said, "I own lierfs, as I have visited