The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1875-06-08 00:00:00

THE DORSET COUNTY EXPRESS AND AGRICULTURAL GAZETTE, TUESDAY, JUNE 8,187 g.

Poroet Conutti Exiffess.,

TUMBDAY, JUNK ti, 1875.

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NOTES OF THE WEEK.

The Queen is enjoying the glories of her I
Highland retreat, and in her absence the Prince I,
of %Vales has held a lev4e and given a State Ball
on her behalf. His Royal Highness is taking
an active part as President of the Society of
Arts, in arranging for the National School of
Music to be established in a building which is
nearly completed at the rear of the Royal Albert
Hall. The Corporation of the city of London
are about to confer the honour of citizenship
upon Prince Leopold, with the usual oomph-
mentary hundrW--guinea box.
The session is fast approaching its accustomed
nn, and the sacrifice of Bills will soon com-
mence. Scarcely any measure which has not
passed the second reading will have any chance
of becoming law, although the Premier still
expresses a desire to carry out at least the more
important Bills of the legislature projects of the
Government. Although morning sittings have
been begun, the evening assembly is frequently
"counted out ;" and, if Mr. Disraeli ;When* to
his resolution, it seems not unlikely that Parlia-
ment will be sitting until the lint or second
week in August.
Among the persons whom the Queen delight-
eth to honour are certainly a large proportion
of Scotchinen. Not to revert to other cases,
three new British peers have just been created,
and two of them are Scotch peers who have
received British peerages entitling them to seats
in the House of Lords. The other new peer is
only raised to the Upper House by anticipation,
but by an unusual method. As the son of the
Earl of Wilton, Viscount Grey de Wilton (as
his courtesy title goes) might have been
"called" to the House of Lords during his
father's lifetime ; but he has been endowed
with a new title as Baron Grey de Wilton. His
elevation may be understood when we remem-
ber that it was to him Mr. Disraeli wrote the
famous letter beginning "My dear Grey" and
containing that celebrated phrase about "blun-
dering and plundering." To us Southrons it
would have given much greater pleasure to have
found in the list the name of a popular Dorset
gentleman, of whose elevation to the peerage
there have been frequent rumours.
We are pleased to learn that honour has been
conferred on a Dorset military officer of distinc-
tion. General Sir John Michel, G.C.8., colonel

term,

of the 88th Regiment, is appointed to succeed
Lord Sandhurst in the Irish command. Sir
John joimxl the army as ensign, April 3rd, 1823,
and became general, March 28th, 1874. He was
nominated a C. B. after the termination of the
Kaffir war in 1853, in consideration of his dis-

tinguialled services in the Kaffir wan of 1846 47,
and of 18M-53(inedal). Was nominated to the
2nd Class of the Medjidie for service with the
late Turkish contingent. Served in the Indian
campaign in 1858-52, in command of the Mhow
Field Force, auddefeatad the rebels underTantia
Topee at Moran, taking twenty-seven gun.;
subsequently actively engaged in punning the
fugitive hands (K.C. 11. and medal). General
Michel co 1111 l ianded a division of the army in
the campaign of 1860 in China, including the
action at Sinho (medal with clasp for the Taku
Forts)._

The Chancellor of Lincoln, in deciding against
the Rev. Henry Kent, Wesleyan minister, who
claimed the right to put the word "Rev." on the
tombstone of his daughter in Owston Ferry
Churchyard, Lincoln, has probably stated the
strict legal aspect of the case. He refuses to
allow the inscription, declares Mr. Kea to be
a member of " a schismatic body," and holds
that to permit this inscription would be contrary
to the laws of the Church of England. So the
matter stands at the present. But notice of
appeal to the Arches Court has been given, and
it is said that so strong is the feeling of many
influential Dissenters on the subject, that if this
Court decides against the Rev. Henry Kent, a
further appeal will be made to the Judical Com-
mittee of the Privy Council. Of course the issue
affects all Nonconformist Ministers ; and, if
they are finally declared " schismatics," it
seems not improbable that they may be the more
disposed to make common cause against the
church and the law that thus reprobates them.
As the Judicature Bill has abolished the title
of sergeant-at-law, the members of Serjeanta'
Inn, in Chancery-lane. have determined to sell
that property and divide the proceeds among
themselves. The value cannot be less than
£10,1.00 or £35,000, so that each of the six-and-
thirty gentlemen who now wear the coif will
receive a very handsome sum. A proposal to
devote a portion of the sum to purposes of legal
education has, it is said, been discussed and
negatived. The inn is the personal property of
the sergeants, so that these gentlemen are acting
according to their strict right ; but their pro-
ceeding is sure to be sharply criticised.
The Friendly Societies Bill will not be a strong
measure. Amendmentafter amendment proposed
with the object of strengthening the provisions
of the measure, was negatived or withdrawn for
want of support, and the clauses were left as
they originally were—empowering or permissive
but not compulsory. On the important subject
of auditing there was considerable discussion,
and various asnendinents were moved, only to
be rejected. First an attempt was made to
enforce official audit ; then severally that the
auditors should be approved by the Registrar,
that they should be independent of the society,
or that at least one of theni should have an
official character : hut the matter is left where
it was. Official auditors will be appointed, and
societies can have their services for moderate
fees: but the societiesmay still appoint members
of their own to audit their accounts if they
choose. The importance of the question of
audit will appear from recurrence to the annual
general meeting of the Oddfellows at Newport,
recently held. It was there shown that there
were half-a-million of members in the Order, and
that the accumulated capital or reserve amounted
to nearly four millions. The annual income and
expenditure would be something approaching a
million starlit*. Funds of thisextent, intended
to be used for the very best purposes short of
religious ones, should surely be well protected ;
but we cannot think that they are so protected
while the auditing is left to unprofessional men
who have little experience of accounts, and may
be easily hoodwinked by a designing and dis-
honest official. For their own sake the societies
should desire the enforcement of official audit ;
and we cannot see that there would be any great
hardship in enforcing it by law upon all societies
that are registered, and enjoy the protection
of the law. In addition to audit, there is a
kindred matter—we refer to valuation. The
accounts of a society might be audited and found
correct, the income or the expenditure might be
distinctly stated, while all the time the society
might be gradually advancing to financial ruin.
Audit alone would not tell whether the society
was solvent- whether its present and prospective
assets were enough to cover its present and
prospective liabilities. That could only be done
by an actuarial valuation, which should take
place every three years to ensure safety. This
valuation inade by official valuers might be legally
enforced with as little hardship as official audit.
In fact, the two matter naturally go together,
and should be considered as branches of one
subject; and if official valuation were enforced,
with consequent compulsory change of contribu-
tions or benefits, the bocieties would in many
casts; be saved from destruction. The Bill pro-
vides for valuation conditionally upon a requisi-
tion from a certain proportion of members of a
society ; but this permissive provision will do
very little good, for it will seldom be acted upon.
We must proceed further with our friendly
society legislation before it willbeinasatisfactory
Mats.