The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1861-10-08 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The Bank of France made a new increase in
the rate of discount on Tuesday last, so that the
rate now stands at the high figure of 6 per cent.,
and it is oonsidered that • further rise will even
yet take place. This movement was considered
necessary, in consequence of the demands for
specie, to pay for purthaws of grain. The drain
upon the resources of the national establishment
in a single fortnight was 50,000,000 f. for specu-
lative purposes. The Bank, however, has been
strengthening it. position by borrowing about a
million sterling on government stock—a per-
fectly novel operation in Paris— which has occa-
sioned considerable confusion on the Bourn.
In the early part of last week a report was gene-
rally circulated that a loan of £1,000,000 was
contemplated from the Bank of England, but
there seems no ground for the rumour. In the
opinion of the best informed circles in Paris, a
commercial crisis of an extremely serious charac-
ter is impending, owing to the scarcity of the
harvest, the falling oil in trade caused by the
Civil War in America, the exaggerated building
speculations in l'aris, and other causes of minor
importance. Already, indeed, are • considera-
ble portion of the silkweavers of Lyons out of
work, and the municipality has to grant funds
for establishing ateliers to relieve thorn—a dis-
guised way of giving them charity; whilst the
high price of cotton is producing a considerable
amount of stagnation at Rouen and other
manufacturing towns. Already too have fail-
ures in Paris become almost alarmingly numer-
ous—numbering, during the three mouths
ending September 30th, 381, among whom are
4 baUers and 34 builders.

The sanguinary attack upon our minion at
Japan, of which tidings arrived last week, is
peculiarly regrettable; and is, we fear, only a
foretaste of future and perhaps graver difficul-
ties. It does not appear that in this instance
we have been at all culpable, unless it was in
being there at all. There is no reason to believe
that our representatives have been either inso-
lent, encroaching, or negligent of the prejudices
and feelings of the natives; and there is reason
to know that the usual disorderly and reckless
behaviour of sailors while on shore has been
carefully watched mud rigorously checked by
the British authorities. The error on our part,
if there be any, was of earlier date. The Japanese
were a peculiar people, with a singular but
most elaborate civilisation, industrious, comfort-
able, and contented, supplying themselves with
all they needed by the exercise of an almost un-
matched ingenuity ; assailing no nation, injuring
none, asking only to have no intercourse with
any, For generalaous, for centuries, the strongest
characteristic of the people, and the most
marked desire of the government was to prevent
all catununiestioas with forsiguors, nS semi-

ally all residence of foreigners upon their shores.
The feeling was a fanatical ono—the result
mainly of historical antecedents ; but it per-
vaded and determined the whole policy of tho
country—first the Russians, then the Americans,
and finally the British. resolved to break through
the cordon of inhospitality by which these island-
ers hoped to guard themselves against foreign
gold, foreign manners, foreign influences,
foreign demoralisation perhapa Accordingly,
Lord Elgin being in those seas, baring thee on
his hands and a force at his disposal, sailed for
, Japan, entered their harbours, anchored near
their capital, was received with a false and
assumed cordiality—the offspring of the mingled
timidity and cunning which belongs to
the Asiatic character, and succeded in obtain-
ing a treaty of commerce, in which there was
nothing unwarrantable, oppressive, or unjust;
against which, in fact,nothing could be alleged—
except that we know that the Japanese autho-
rities, if left to themselves, would rather hare
sunk us in the ocean than have signed it. It is
due to the government of Japan to say that,
so far as the details that have yet reached us, it
would appear that in the present instance the
authorities were neither treacherous nor inactive.
The minion house that was attacked was de-
fended by guards, duly appointed by the govern-
ment, and that these guards encountered the
assassins, and several were slain and wounded
on both sides. The solipeeted party is an "oppo-
"sition Prince at the head of the know-nothing
"section of politicians in Japan." But the un-
pleasant feature of the affair is the notorious
fact that if anyone, without getting the govern-
ment into a scrape, will make Japan so micron-
fortablo to Europeans that they will leave it in
disgust, he will be fulfilling the secret wishes of
bothlthe people and their rulers.
The Tories, at a loss for a good party cry, are
trying hard to get up a number of little cries
against tile Government, if, happily, some one
of them may prove effectual. At the electing
of the Grantham Agricultural Association held
on Friday last, Sir J. Trollope, M. P., declaimed
in.strong terms against the present Ministry,
for joining with the Governments of France and
Spain in what has been inaccurately termed the
"Intervention in Mexico." Yet, we think, it
will be generally admitted that no expedition
ever left our shores with juister objects or more
ample warranty. The hon. baronet said it was
not the practice of the British Government to
collect from foreign States money voluntarily
lent by British subjects, and he predicted that
had Parliament been sitting, the representatives
of the people weeld have prevented it on the
present occasion. Bet the fact is, as all our
readers must know, where property of English-
men has been forcibly taken from them, or
authontively withheld, our Government does
usually concern itself to procure indoinuity for
them, or restitution ; and the grievances which
have called forth this demonstration against the
marauders of Mexico are of the most aggravated
nature. Not only do they persistently refuse
to pay interest, in spite of all remoustrances, on
upwards of £11,000,000 worth of bonds on
the Mexican customs duties, which have been
legally mortgaged to the Pritish bondholders,
and the creditors of a supplemental debt--princi-
pally Englishmen—but the British subjects resi-
dent in Mexico are exposed to wholesale and
retail robberies committed on them by
Government authorities, or with their conniv-
ance. These are far too numerous for recapito-
lation. Sometimes they comprise highway rob-
beries, committed in open day, in or near the
capital. Sometimes plunder on a large scale
is committed by bodies of armed mon in the pay
of some One of the ruffians who from month to
month seize the reins of power from each other.
Sometimes "forced loans" or demands, extorted
by imprisonment and threats of worse treatment
still, from any wealthy merchant or manufac-
turer whom the authorities fancy can be squeezed
with advantage. In fact, all rich men in l'llexioa
seem to be regarded and handled much as our
Plantagenet kings and Norman barons treated
the Jews—sacks to be emptied—outcasts to be
trodden underfoot. But there is another class
of grievances more serious still. Within one
year, it is said, no less than twenty-three
Englishmen have boon assassinated. The public
conveyances aro constantly attacked, and the
aliens robbed and slain. Houses, both of
Frenchmen and Englishmen, official residences
and private residences, are surrounded and
assailed ith cries of "Death to Foreigners."
And not only will Government do nothing—
either toiprevent these outrages or piluish them—
bet they are not unfrequoutly conunitted by the
armed retainers, and the express command of
the rival chieftain gnashing at supreme power.
Nor is this all. Repeated insults and outrages
are offered to the British flag, iii tho persons of
our consuls mid resident minister in Mexico. An
escort of Govenuneet troops plundered the very
convoy they were protecting. The bowie of the
British legation was broken open by the orders
of Minnie'', and robbed of 600.000 dollars.
No rearms could be obtained for either outrage,
and Sir Charles Wyke therefore very properly
struck his flag, and sent home for further orders.
Those being briefly the circumstances of the
case, we much question whether the opposition
will be able to make out of it any political
capital as was the case in the first China war.

THE NEW EDUCATIONAL MINUTE.
IVIRST ARTICI.II)

.Tux poet My.- -" All men think at men mortal but
themselves." He might have added—" All mon
think the world's interests bound up in their own
concerna" At all events, there can be no denying
the fact that the recipients of State favour and pay
very soon come to regard the progress and stability,
and almost the existence, of the nation as dependent
on their own personal and financial interests. The
" interest*" can easily show in Parliament and in
the press that the slightest reduction of our war
expenditure would inevitably lead to the invasion
of England. Not only would the particular arm
affected he paralysed, but the New Zealander. so often
alluded to, would speedily see this country in ruins.
The Protectionists found the same intimate connec-
tion between their own Govenameut-given mo-
nopoly and the welfare of the State when the corn-
laws were about to be repealed. The dear press wan
loud in its condemnation of the repeal of the paper
duty, and showed plaiuly— as Iciest to their own
satisfaction—that free-trade in literature would de-
moralise the country. Now we have the school-
masters and the directors of National and British
schools pnalicting that tho reduction of their gra-
tuities, mid the limitation of their demands upon
the public purse, will be the precursor of our ruin—
the cause of our speedy relapse into barbarism. In
the warmth of indignation felt by these defenders
of "vested interests" at the prospective loss of a
portion of the sum hitherto allowed by the State,
we are threatened with a crusade against Govern-
ment such as hae not existed since the time when
the late Duke of Well;ngton declared that no Reform
was needed ; while the vituperation indulged in at
public meetings, and the strong language employed
by letter-writers to the public press, are indications
of the designs of those who intend, if 'audible, to
make the New Minute a hustings cry against Iler
Majesty's present advisers at a future election.
Hitherto, however, the public have taken but little
interest in the question, nor do we apprehend that
the admirers of "things as they are" will be sue-
cessful in their attempts to give it a political colour-
ing.

—Sometime since Education Commissioners were
appointed to inquire iuto the present state of our
popular education. Thu question was investigated
with unprecedented care and accuracy, and although
the inquiry was wade by a number of different per.
sons, in districts 'far remote from each other, they
all made the same discovery, and all arrived at the
same conclusion—that we were over-teaching the
masters, and under-teaching the children—that
while the educator was crammed to repletion, the
pupil was starved. Tho system which they
found in operation was comeumemicetl in lsl6, when
the cost amounted to but a few thousands a year,
but it had been growing gradually and almost insen-
sibly, when, in 14 years, the annual cost to the
State of our national education amounted to nearly a
million of money, and promised, unless checked in
some way or other, ultimately to become as great is
the interest on our national debt. Linder this
system, the government pays for Seep:an the wholf
salary of a certain number of education apprentices,
called pupil teacher', who are partly occupied durinb
these yams in learning, and partly in teaching; and
at the end of these live years, "provides them with
an amount of help which is nearly equivalent to a
free admission to any training college which they
may Wert." These training colleges are assisted
by the State to the amount of three quarters of the
whole cost of very many of them. The calculation,
therefore, is, that the education of each of our
teachers costs government no lea a tutu than £l6O.
In what °Um departaleut dose the State educate