The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1873-11-11 00:00:00

Aral ennutti Exprts.

TUSIDAY, NOVEMIAR 11, IEO3.

NOTES OF THE WEE 6.

Preparations are being made at Windsor Castle
for the return of the Queen and the Royal family
from Scotland. Her M•jeety will leave the
North towards the close of the present month—
probably about the 25th or 29th, but the exact
date is not yet known.

Mr. Charles llsil,anauthorltyouthelawofreaj
property, anomie& Vioe-ChanoeUor Wickens;
and Sir John Coleridge takes the seat on the
Bench vacsnt by the death of Sir William
Bovill, with its 27,000 a year, and a Conserva-
tive puts up for Exeter with some rheum of
sumo's. It is curious to note the part our
western boroughs are playing in the political
movements of the day. Sir John Ooleridge's
taking the judgeship will not, however, affect
Taunton, as Ale James, on being advanced from
the Solieitor-Oeneralahlp, will not be obliged
under the new Act to again agitate Taunton.
But the retention of his sett is questioned
on other grounds. It was his petition that
at the former election unseated Mr. Cox, and
now Mr. James is threatened. The petition
against his election, on grounds of improper in-
flucncxs and bribery, has been filed, although
It. being proceeded with is doubtful. Mr. James
becoming Attorney-General, the Solicitor-
Generalship will, it is said, be offered to Mr,
Vernon Harcourt; and in that ease oxford will
be tested upon its confidenee or no confidence in
Ministers. Lord Kensington's appointment as
Groom-in-Waiting to her Majesty, creates a
third vacancy at Haverfordwest, and that seat is
I also to be challenged by the Conservatives.

'I he course of French politics is full of interest,
and we again see strikingly exemplified bow
thoroughly failure fails in Frame. Not only
have the Monarcthista failed in their negotiations
with the Comte de Chambord, but they seem
thoroughly enfeebled In their attempts to carry
out a Conservative policy independently of
le Rol. The combined Bonapartist' and
Republicans, with the Liberal Constitutionalists
of the Left Centre, have left to the Conservative
party so small a majority, that it appears very
doubtful whether they will be able to carry out
the scheme for prolonging Marshal Mac Mahon's
powers and inaugurating • Conservative con-
stitution. A majority of ten 011 11 modal
division is not large enough to carry weight in
the country, especially as it is well known that
this majority, small as it is, would be dhainished
If the dozen vacant: seats in the Assembly were
filad up. To lingnehmen the straightforward
course appears to be to appeal to the country,
not by a pleeircik, but by a dissolution of the
Assembly; and, much as the majority are
opposed to this course, it is probable that it wW
00012 be forced upon them by parties coming to a
deadlock in which nothing can be done. It
would be very interesting just now to have the
public opinion of France upon the political
questions agitating the country.
In lies than a month the Reserve of the
Bank has been reduced from £13,000,000 to
£8,000,000, and the Rate of Discount has risen
from 3 to 9 per cent., crippling manufacturers,
and restricting trade all over the country. All
the week 9 and 10 per oent, have been *barged
for everything except first-class paper and to
regular customers, and on Friday the minimum
warn raised to 9 per cent The Stook Markets
have been in a state of semi-panic, million' upon
millions of Stock have been thrown upon the
market pell-mell and sold for what it will fetch,
generally speculative stocks of course, but
English and American Railway Bonds shared
tne same fate, and prices are lower all round,
representing a depreciation in value of perhaps
£30,000,000. Yet the position of the Bank of
England is strong, almost as strong as it was at
this period a year ago, all or almost all the
Exchanges are in our favour, the German
Government has suspended its gold coinage for
the present, and the drain of gold to America
Is slight in comparison with the amount three
weeks or even a fortnight ago. The Reserve is
£8,071,288 against 1:9,048,630a year ago, and
although the amount of money in circulation in
the form of notes is about £1,600,000 more
than it was then the proportion of the Reserve
to the Banking liabWdes is 34 per cent.,
wham, when the rate was 6 per cent three
weeks ago, it was only 311 per cent In the
: face of this amount all we can do is to assume
that the Court of Directors is acting upon
Information which is not in the possession of the
public, or that there is something rotten some-
where, and that this 9 per cent. rate is set up
as • beacon. The worst effect of a 9 per cent.,
rate is likely to be felt in the manufacturing
district.; bat independently of the Bank rata
the iron trade is apparently in a ticklish state
and the Beaufort and Cyf•rthfa iron works have
been stopped, and UM said will not resume work
for • considerable period.

The Board of Trade Returns for October
have again shown a slight decline in our exporta-
tions ea comparei with the corresponding month
of last year, the total value having been
£22,311.239, against £22,657,736 in 1872, or a
fall of 1} per cent ; but an Increase of 9 per
cent. on October, 1871. The chief reduction, as
in the past four or five months, Is In woollen
manufactures, which figure for a decline of
£613,000, or about 264 per cent.; while cotton
manufacturers have fallen 1 per cent., and linen
manufacturers 83 per cent. Iron and steel show
a reduction of 63 per cent in quantity and $
per cent. in value; but copper, lead, tin, and
zinc all present an increase both in quantity and
value. The value of coal and patent fuel ex-
ported in the month waa £1,178,082, against
£1,301,409 in October, 1872, being a fall of
about 93 per cent., while the quantity has
declined 45,784 tons, or equivalent to about 4
per
roczent. Among the arthritis which show an
in their value totals an—Alkali, 26
per cent.; bags and sacks. 41 per cent.; glees,
173 per cent.; piper, 163 per cent : silk manu-
factures. 14 per cent woollen and worsted
yarn, 13 per cent; and telegraphic wire, • rise
of £144,000, or about 576 per cent. increase on
the corresponding month of last year. Among
the articles which show a decrease on their value
are—Chymical products, 171 per cent.; cotton
yarn, 63 per cent.; leather, 12e per cent. ; linen
yarn, 21 per cent; and machinery, 53 per ccok
As regards the importations of the month, the
total declared value was £31,754,049, against
£30,789,059 in 1872, being an increase of
£964,990, or about 3 per omit Of cotton, the
arrivals have been L'797,617 awl., valued at
22.845,316, as against 582,032 owl., valued at
£2,348,221, in October, 1872; el wheat, the
Imports have been 4514.103 cwt ; value
£2 991.031, as against 6,718,647 cwt., vain*
£3,730,720; and of flour, 510,011 cwt, valued
at £478,829, as against 636,199 cwt., valued at
£59037, in the corresponding month of lag
year.

Guy Fawkes' day has been marked this year
by an unpleasant controversy end lawsuit be-
tween Archbishop Manning and Mr. Newdegato.
The thotongh-going Conservative and Protestant
M. I'. in • public speech, represented the Arch-
bishop as declaring Guy Fawkes' sad his
companion', though treated ea felons on earth,
to be glorified martyrs In heaven. In justifica-
tion he referred the Archbishop to one of the
letter's sermons In which he speaks of the
Catholic martyrs of Q,leen Elisabeth's reign;
but the prelate could not see the application to
Guy Fawkes, and hu referred the matter to hi.
solicitors.

The Irish Board of School Commlasionen
reins( d to reinstate Father O'Keefe in the Callan
schools 1 The reason of this refusal has yet to
be explained; but as the refusal standa at pre-
sent, ills an act of defiance to the Castle, to
Mr. Gladstone, and to the Henn of Commons,
for when the Marquis of Hartington ordered
the Commissioners to revoke the rule under
which Father O'Keeffe was originally displaced,
It was distinctly understood that the new rule
was to be retrospective, and that Mr. O'Keeffe
wu to have the benefit of it The Commis-
sioners repudiate this undertaking, and Mr.
Gladstone is left to deal with the Commissioners.
Mr. Hawkins has renewed the order for the
Tichborne trial for the current Term. He asked
the Queen's Bench to extend the power
through the next variation as well and the Term
after; but Justice Blackburn suggested that he
should take the year; and Mr. Hawkins, with
a "Thank you, my lord," took it.

_
The autumn series of railway accidents has
set in. as usual, with the fogs, and set in with
unusual severity. The worst colliaions that
have occurred as yet are in the North, the
principal at Durham station, where an express
dashed into a geode train, killing one lady and
Injuring many more.

King Koffee, of Ashantee, has sworn a savage
oath that he will perish or capture Cape Coast
Cleatla He will, If of that mind, hardly escape
the fate of Theodore. His forces are said to
be very large, and the despicable character of
OUT allies, Ilse Fannies, very apparent. They

have degenerated under our promotion. The
next despatches from the Gold Coast will settle
the question of the despatch of • number of
troops who are in readiness.