The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-11-20 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

I.—Restuz, when she brings to bear the
resources of a gigantic empire and the splen-
dours of an Imperial Court to add lustre to
an event which is, in fact, a step in her history,
is so far justified in the display connected
with the marriage of the Czarewitch, that of
all the States of Modern Europe, the history
of her dynasty is still the history of Russia
The two nearest representatives of the heads
of the two great Western Powers who at.
tended on this occasion, would witness in its
zenith the last grand manifestation, perhaps,
of absolute sway, so different from the con-
stitutional monarchy of England and the
freedom of opinion she has so long enjoyed
on the one hand, and so different even from
that only just surrendered by the Prussian
Monarchy, on the other, in favor of a consti-
tutional government, in which the crown
retains its own only in deference to the recent
warlike successes of this identical Prince
Frederick William, who represented Prussia
at the Imperial marriage. Doubtlesa it was
all glitter—" barbaric gold and pearl"—and
the long ritual of an empty ceremony, in
which the religious rites of the Greek Church
were protracted far beyond the endurance
known to other denominations; still the cost
must have been enormous, as the display of
magnificence was excessive, for our news-
paper writers can only attempt to convey
some idea of it by stating that all the leaves
in the Russian forests would scarcely equal in
number those seen in gold embroidery on the
green and blue uniforms of the -Russian
court. The relics of the patriarchal form of
government still linger in Russia, the power
of the parent is still absolute, and the chil-
dren of the empire enter into every event
connected with the reigning family as if it
were their own. This unity and identity of
"all the Russies" does not, however, preclude
a judicious admiration of governments that are
really free. "In the person of Prince Albert
Edward, Russian society greets the future
king of that great nation which has known
how to establish political institutions of
unparalleled excellence, and whose commercial
genius has so long been pre-eminent in the
mercantile and industrial concerns of the
world." Such is what the Vyest, the Russian
nobility's organ, says of the Prince of Wales,
and this is what it says concerning his illus-
trious brother-in-law ;—" In the person of
Prince Frederick William, Russian society
sees one of those renowned generals of con-
temporary Prussia whose victories have lately
stunned all Europe." The only gloom cast
over these festivities, and, in fact, occasioning
their partial suspension, has arisen from the
illness of the Princess Maria Feodorowna
from bronchitis,whence the official programme
could not be carried out. As for the canard
of an accident to the Prince of Wales having
occurred either from the attack of a wild boar
in hunting, or a fall from his horse, the gaping
crowds that surrounded Marlborough House
on Friday night might have been better
assured, since it is certain that up to this
moment no such unwelcome intelligence has
been received either at the Home Office or at
the Russian embassy.
lI.—POLITICAL rprzszfrces have been
made by the representatives of the Govern-
'lent alike at the new Lord Mayor's banquet,
and at the West Gloucestershire election, in
which the act of saying nothing would have,
perhaps, attained a truly Conservative
eminence, but for the declarations of the
newly-knighted Attorney-General of Eng-
land, Sir John Roll. The Earl of Derby, in
person, on the former of these occasions, had
contented himself with a general approbation
of things as they are. His intense satisfac-
tion at the conclusion of the sanguinary wars
in America and Germany, however justified
by the past event, can emrcely be said,
to be peffectly assured by the future
prospect; for we have it on the highest of all
authority, that there will be "wars, and
rumours of wars, till the end of the world."
And, unhappily, there are "signs of the
times" which already say that the continuance
of peace may be no more certain than that of
the Conservative Government- Of this last,
however, Sir John Roll, incited thereunto
Sir George Jenkinson, who is said to spend,
unsuccessfully, something like £B,OOO a-year
on elections, speaks far more openly than
could, perhaps, have been anticipated. He
founds these hopes not less on an adverse
criticism of the policy of the late Govern-
ment than on any confident enunciation of
the . forthcoming policy of the present
zdmunstration. There is never much insight
into the future to be gathered from were
criticism of the past. Still, when anyone
supposed to be in the secrets of office
volunteers to point out wherein his opponents
hove erred, this much may surely be inferred,
that he and his friends intend by all means
avoiding any such blunders. Thus, although
we are not to learn a word, it would seem, of
the Government intentions, we are thlainlY
enough assured by Sir John Bolt of what
they will NOT do. In the first place they
will fr.oe bring in half their Reform Bill at
one tune, half at another; in the next Om
they will NOT risk the splitting up of the
party which Mr. Disraeli has kept together
now for twenty years, on account of any
minor political difficulties, since the traditions
of Earl Derby himself, the representative of
a high aristocrstic line, who yet assisted in
carrying the first Reform Bill of 1882, not
to mention the well understood proclivities
of his son, Lord Stanley, do not point to a
straight-laced or illiberal policy. They will
NOT even be very particular about the Irish
Church and education questions. Lord
Derby himself having originated the "mixed"
system of Irish Education, and maintaining
even now a kind of coquetry with the ultra-
montane party in Irish elections which only
suffered deigrat at its last essay through