The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-03-15 00:00:00

SOUTHAMPTON.

THE OCEAN WIAIL Stuvier..—March 12.—The
heavy mails for our Australian and New Zealand
col ~ t were despatched hence to.day by the Pem
steamship, Captain T. Jamiision, this being the first
di-velure ler the contract recently entered into
with the Peninsular and Oriental Cuinpauy. She
also takes out the fortnightly mails for Bombay.
There are in all 471 boxim and bags, of which :175
are fir Australia, the whole being under the charge
of Moan. Casson and Fisher, of the General Post•
office, by WI the homeward mails will be sorted
on board during the voyage from Alexandria to
this port, ready for immediate delivery OR the
steamer's arrival here. For this purpose a post-
office is fitted up with every convenience on the
Pera's deck, and we understand that this plan of
sorting mails is in future to be adopted in all the
Company's vessels employed on the Mediterranean
line, comprising the bulia, China, and Australian
mails. The l'em has 54 first and nine second-class
pasosengers, among whom are commander D. Spain,
R.N., Lieutenant D. Denny, for Malta; Com-
mander L Reynolds, for Suez; Captain and Mrs-
Pyui, Captain F. Phillips, Captain Battye, Lieu.
tenant G. S. Jackson, for Senility ; Captain Milne,
for Kangaroo island, &e. On freight she has a large
cargo, and 1,44:1 boxes of specie and valuables, —viz.,
.£395,095 in bar silver and 5-franc pieces, and
jewelry worth .£705, for Bombay; jewelry value
4:005, for Melherne ; and .£2OO for Sydney; total
£394i,h05. A new screw steamer of 1,500 tons and
450 horse-power, named the Jeddo, arrived here on

Friday afternoon in charge of Captain Black, from
Liverpool, where she was built for thc Peninsular
and Oriental Company by Mr. John laird. Before
having Liverpool the Jeddo made a preliminary trial
trip round the Bell buoy, when she attained
a speed of over 13 knots per hour uith 151 b.
steam pressure, and the engines (which are by Mr.
John Napier, of (lasgow) making 60 revolutions
per minute. The Royal Mail Company's steamship
Thames, Captain West, having undergone A thorough
overhaul and relit, left here on Thursday for inter.
colonial service on the West Indian station, taking a
mail fur Madeira, where she will call on the way
out. The Magdalena. Captain Idaynton, with the
next mails front the West Indies, California, Central
Americas, and the Pacific, is due here on the 16th
inst. ; the Teviot. Captain Ataxia, with the Austra-
hail mails, about the 16th inst. ; but the arrival of
the Oneida at Sues is not yet telegraphed, so that the
Teviot will be several days later ; the Fulton,
Captain Wotton, is due on the 17th, with the
French and English mails of the sth from New
York ; the Ceylon, Captain It. W. Evans, on the
20th, with the Fast India and China mails ; and the
Tagus, Captain hall, on the 21st, with the mails
from Lids,n, Oporto. and Vigo. Thu Atrato,
Captain Woolley, with the West India and Pacific
mails, and the Jedilo' Captain Black, with the mails
for Vigo, Oporto, atul Lisbon, are appointed to leave
this on Thursday, the 17th inst. ; the Ilammonia,
Captain Schwensen, for New York, on the !sat ;
the Indus, Captain J. Weeks, with the India and
china made on the 20t1i ; the New York, Ciiptain
Van Santen, for Now York, on the 22nd ; and the
Behar. Captain J. S. Field. with the Bombay mails,
on the 27th. The Peninsular and Oriental C ..... pany
have given notice of a considerable reduction in their
rates of freight to Australia by the overland route in
favour of pacluiges containing newspapers and peri-
odicals the freight on tiackages of this nature will
be at tlio rate of 4:15 per ton of 40 cubic feet for
newspapers. and 425 ditto for perioilieals. The
Pasha of Egypt's steam yacht Find 6ilma.l, which
line been lying at this port during the winter, went
out of dock yesterdny afterinsm, and proceeds to
Alexandria nuttier the command of Captain A.
Kellock, of the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
service.

Tor. Remo( Bo.L.—A very large meeting of
the inhabitants of this town was held at the Town• I
hall on Wednesday evening, convened by the Mayor
on requisition, to consider the Ibli in reprmentative
reform recently introduced by Her Majesty's Minis.
ter.. The Mayor (Mr. Alderman Palk) presided,
supported by Mr. I'. M. %Fuguelin. one of the
borough members, and many of the leading gentle-
men and tradesmen of the town, while every part of
the hall was crowded. A letter was read from Mr.
11. M. Wilcox. the other representative for the
borongh, expressive of his determined opposition to
the tiovernment Bill, and of his intention to follow
in the future the ionic line of Parliamentary con.
duct which had guided him in the oat, by the wive.
eat:), and support of all measures of rad progressive
reform, such all an extension of the franchise and the
vote by ballot. For the same reason he preferred
absenting himself f that meeting in order to be
able to vote against alt. Walpole's Chureh•rates Bill
and in favour of the total abolition of those olinox•
ions imposts. During the proceedings Mr. Wegue.
lin, M. P., addressed the meeting, and received a
very hearty welcome. He hail two main objections
to the Government measure. The first was that it
did not reduce the standard for the franchise in
boroughs sufficiently low. Lord John Russell's Bill
in 1854 proposed to reduce it to kti. and Mr. Henley
had just retired from the Ministry because tirit
standard hail not been taken, as they had reduced
the county franchise to 1:10. On that j tbe be•
lieved the country had only to show that they re-
quired it, and the demand would very soon be con•
ceded. (Applause.) His second objection was that
the Bill disfranchised the Ps. freeholders iii coun•
ties. (Hear, and cheers.) There could be no
.loulit this was a compromise. Having re.
aimed the county franchise to .ti 10, this
was given as a sop to the landed interest. It WWI
however had in principle. There was already too
much distinction between boroughs and counties.
and they must not make it wider. ( Hear, hear.)
The scheme was intend,-s1 to destroy the borough
influence in counties, and place the voters in counties
more under the influence of the landowners. (Hear.)
He was also opposed to the proposed system of voting
papers. Nothing ought to be dime to destroy the
individuality of the voter at the poll-booth. (Hoar,
and cheers.) Let them increase the number of poll.
ing.places. which should be paid for by the county
or borough as the ease might be. (('heers.) Both
himself and Mr. Willcox were strongly eppossid to
this Bill, and would give it their uncompromising
opposition. (Loud cheers.) In answer to questions
Mr. Weguelin said that he and his lion, colleague
had both voted for the ballot, and would do so again
(enthusiastic applause); and with regard to the
franchise he would support its reduction to XIII in
counties, and .C 6 in boroughs. He hoped soon to
see this the law of the land, believing it to be a very
fair line, as the rates for houses under .1:6 were gene-
rally paid by the landlords. As to the assert'
that the people took no interest in the question of
reform, that numerous and influential meeting was
one among the many proofs now being given that
they did, and that the intelligent working classes
felt keenly their exclus f the suffrage. (Ap-
plause.) After a few remarks on the present state of
political parties in awl out of the House, Mr.
Weguelin bri fly noticed Mr. Bright's Bill, the
principal feature of which he understood to he a
redistribution of seats. The question was sur-
rounded by so umny difficulties that it would require
great skill and judgment in arranging. lie would
accept from Lord John Russell a redistribution of
seats in preference to any other man. and hail more
confidence in hill Lariblllip than he had in Mr.
Bright. (Mingled express' of applause nod ills-
sent.) The following resolutions were agreed to
unanimously, with the exception of the second.
against which one person opposed to the ballot held
up his hand, and the remarks of the several speakers,
which were strongly lemnatory of the I :overn-
ment Bill, were warmly applauded by the audience :
I. That, in the opinion of this meeting, the mea-
sure of Parliamentary Reform intnslueed by her
Misjesty's Oevensinent does not meet the requirements
of the present time, or the just expectations of the
country; for, while it disfranchises • barge number of
Independent freeholders, it withholds the protection of
the ballot from all voters, and necesssrily restrict. the
just claims of the intelligeut industrious classes to be
enfranchised."

"2. That. in the opinion of this meting. no measure
of reform is worthy the acceptance of the country that
does not recognise the claims iif the intelligent working
chimes to be enfranchised. that din.% not afford the
ballot as a protection to the voter, and that •Ithepi not
effect such a change in the representati.in of the IN,Ople
At will enable all classes to be fully and fairly repre.
tented._ . .

"4.Tliis meeting of the inhabitants of the borough
of Southampton desires to expo. its great gratification
at the declaration load,. by their two worthy awl
respected members, Mr. B. M. Willcox and Mr. T. M.
Weguelin, in favour of a comprehensive measure of
Parliamentary Reform. and i pleaaed to hear of their
determination to give their most stienuona orpoilition to
the measure intrisluoed by Her Illjesty's (toyer tttttt mt.
sal their twit support to any lull having for its object a
fair and full representation of the people, by providing
for a large extension of the franchise, the protection
the ballot, awl such a re-distribution of sexts as Shall
render the House of Common§ • reties of the opinion
of the people.
"That a petition, embodying thr foregoing reanlu-
tans, be signed by the Mayor on behalf of thO meeting;
and that a similar petition be prepared for signature by
the inhabitants of the borough. and that the borough
members, and the member* for the southern division of
the county, be requested to support the prayer thereof."
The Mayor wished the meeting to understand that,
in signing the petition as chairman of the umeting, he
did not mmpromise hi* own individual m on
the ballot, which he characterized as " a sneaking.
unmanly, tin-English thing." This remark calle
forth midis* from the subsequent speakers. who de-
fended the built, but the whole discussion WSJ con-
ducted in the Iswt possible humour. The proceedings
ose
concluded by a vote of thanks to the Mayor for his
conduct in the chair, proPd by
Mr. Weuelin
M. P., and carried by acclamation. g
Boriontairra —Opening qf Mr Yew rungrege
fional (Imre-h.—On Tuesday last the Congregational
Church was opened for public worship in duo form.
The building has been a considerable time in the
course of creel 1111 l the conga of it having been
delayed from various circumstances, the chief of
which was that most vexatious of all delays, a '
Chancery suit. The building, which is of Purbeck
stone, is in the early English style of architecture,
from designs by C. C. Creekc, Keg., of Bourne•
mouth, carried out under the superintendence of Mr.
Hudson. The weather being tine large numbers
assembled from Poole, Christchurch. Ringwood, and
the surrounding neighbourhood. The preliminary
portion of the service having been performed by the
Rev. Hnill, of Throop, the Rev. James Sherman,
late of Surrey Chapel, staccatol the pulpit, and took
for his text—" Lord. I beseech thee, now grant
prosperity." Upon this text the rev. gentleman
biunded a truly practical discourse, and concluded
with • solemn appeal to his audience. At the con-
clusion of the mention a collection was made am t.
ing to about .£3O. A cold collation was provided at
the Belle Viet Hotel Assembly Rooms, by Mr. Bill.
of the Belle Vuo Hotel, amid partaken of by about
60 persons. S. Thompson, EN.. also moist liberally
jimmied, at his own expense, a dinner at the British
School-room. for all visitors who chose to partake of
it. This kindness was appreciated by a lar4e
number, who availed theinselvia of Mr. Thompson s
liberality. A public tea was also held under a
spac marquee, upwards of .11111 persons sat down,
and, all parties seemed to enjoy this entertainment.
A public meeting was held in the evening, when there
was a crowded attendance. The chair was occupiedby W. Tice, Fa+, of Sopley ;
there were also present
M. Devenish, Esq., of Dorchester J. U. We"'
Esq. ; T. Durant, Esq. ; H. Aldridge, Esq. ;
(I C. Creeke, Esq., S. Thompson. Req.; 11. D.
ShArrt J. Hudson, Esq. ; the Rev. K K.
Cm eor, M.A. ; the Rev. J. Galloway; the Be.. J.
Fletcher ; the Rev. U. R. Randall ; the Rev. F.
Karon ; the Rev. F. Holmes; the Bev. EMIL
the Rev. H. Waterman, &c. Several very excel:ent
addresses were given. At the conclusion,
! Aldridge stated that the original cost of erecting the
church was f1,96:1 be. atM,, of which sum
I £1,4461411. 10d. had been paid, leaving 1:514 14s. Id.

hailbcclit•euper:iandluLim-tedi
btbaty
mi:senlornit.ng, and
as a balance. This stun had been further reduced
by 4;1;5. given by the Congreptional Church Build-
ing Society, leaving about £344.1 to lie providisl for. Of
this
fore trusted. that an effort would he 6ede to
still er reduce, if nut liquidate, their dabs,. The
lie
separated.
further
benediction having been pronounced the Inielating
Wi lERTER. Meeks nice' Jsfjlste. —On Wed
nesday atil Friday evenings, the members bad
a rich treat in the delivery of two lectures on the
e"nilition of the out city at several distant epochs,
by Mr. B. B. Woodward, of London, who is en.
moil in writing a General History of Hampshire.
The lectures were illustrated by maps of Winchester
under the Rowans, Al). 400, Winchester A.l).
anti Winchester A.l). 1300.

Folonsiinifiunr..—The Lord Bishop of Winches-
ter will hold a confirmation in this town on Thur..
day the 31st instant, for the parishes of Fording-
bridge, Illyde, Breamore, Whitabury, Ituckbottrne,
and lbaley.

A CLEILOYMAN PRAYING MR TUN PRINet or
%%roux —The Rev. E. L. Ward, rector of Blend.
worth, llonlean, Hanta, announces through the co.
lumns of a pnitestant contemporary, that he is uring
the following special (inn of prayer on behalf of the
Prince of Wales -" The prayers of this congrega-
Him are earnestly desired for His Royal Highness the
Prince of Walks, that it may please Almighty Ged
of His great mercy to preserve him from the dangers
to which lie will be exposed during his residence at
Rums, the lenwbquarturs of popish error, Superstition,
and idolatry!"

14:vars.—North Willa Election.—The re•election
of the Right Hon. T. H. M. &Aileron Fatcoart,
which was rendered necessary in 0.111011.1131C41 of
his appointment to the office of Home Secretary,
took place in thu roni Exchange, Devir.mi, on Tuft.
day last. The right hon. gentleman entered the Corn
Exchange shortly before II o'clock, accompanied by
a large number of friends, amongst whom were
aeventl of the leading gentleanen if the county
the proceedings of the election were at ono, cm.
ineneed by the ruder Sheriff reading the writ ant
proclamation. The rilelit honourable gentleman
having returned thanks, three cheers were then
given for the Queen ; three for the High Sheriff ;
and three for the reelected member ; and the pro-
ceedings in the Exchange then terminated.