The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1866-01-30 00:00:00

NOTES OF THE WEEK.

I.—The Quaint has conferred upon Sir
Robert Peel the signal honour of standing
godmother to his child. lins Prime Minister
could do no lees than indorse and ratify, by
his presence at the christening feast, this
special mirk of Royal favour. Not con-
tented with all this, however, the silvery
tongue of Mr. Gladstone wu called into
requisition to pronotinee a brief but brilliant
vaticination on the future of that fair child ;
to be complimented in turn by Sir
Robert Peel for the splendour of his genius,
in a speech Which induced another member
of the Ministry (the young Lord Dufferin)
to point out Sir Robert himself as one of the
foremost orators of the House of Commons.
Under the most ordinary circumstances the
world would ask what does this all mean?
But when the circumstances are pretty
unusual the world's curiosity to fathom the
mystery becomes intense. All these Cabinet
Ministers belauding the house of Peel just
after Sir Robert has retired from the
Ministry and refused a Peerage—just as
Parliament is about to assemble and a Reform
Bill is on the &pis—just as Mr. Layard,
indignant at the promotion of Mr. Goechen
(who by the way is not a Jew, and laid the
other day the foundation stone of a Church)
over his head, has with difficulty been per-
suaded to continue in office "at the sacrifice
of personal considerations,"—all this clearly
means propitiation of Sir Robert Peel ; but
can it be that they think to win him back to
office by mere flattery and empty compliment?

ll.—Tnz EMPIRE that is Peace, exclaimed
the present Napoleon early in his imperial
career. At that time few there were who
believed the words sincere. Last Mondvy,
however, he once more opened his Legislative
Session in a speech breathingnot only the spirit
of these words, but proofs of their reduction to
practice. The only disturbing question on
the horizon of the peace of France is the
Mexican question. Napoleon believes the
Empire of Maximilian to be daily con-
solidating itself; and seems anxious to fix the
time for the recall of the French troops. On
the other hand advit.es from America betray
a determination on the part of the Unit--d
States not to recognise the Mexican Empire
under any circumstances; but to maintain
the Munroe doctrine, which in its present
form goes, like all inherited doctrines, much
beyond the views of its founder, and declares
that there shallbe aoformof Government save
the Republican on the American continent.
The Queen of Spain has given birth to a
prince, and tranquility has been restored to
her dominions by General Prim crossing the
frontier and delivering up his horses, army,
and equipments to the nearest Portugese
alcade. A Portugese paper, Journal do
Clonnercio, says that General Prim will be
received in Portugal as a Spaniard who has
attempted, though unsuccessfully, to liberate
his coui try from despotism.

Arrt-Maxt-Tix Cutiatow
has begun in earnest. Any person who
attended the little meeting in Dorchester on
Saturday, which will be found elsewhere re-
ported in our whiten& must have remarked
the confident tone with which the agricul-
turista are going in for their turn of Free
Trade. Mr. J. G. Wood, Of At6elharnp ton,
as Chairman of the Dorchester Farmers'
Club, spoke hopefully, yet temperately, of the
prospects before them, and detailed the
tactics of the movement for the ensuing
session. Thee will be a great meeting in
tiondon on Monday, sth February, pres.ded
ever by Lord Berner., and attended by
numerous Members of Parliament, preparatory
te waiting u a deputation on the Chancellor
of the Exchequer on the 7th, to claim the
appropriation of a handsome slice of his sup-
posed surplus towards the remission of this
tax. Every repealer who can possibly attend is
urgently recommended to join both the meet-
ing and the deputation. The Anti-Corn-Law
League would have mustered to a man on
any similar occasion ; the Farmers now know
well that they cannot do better than take a
leaf out of their book. Mr. Everett, a well
East Country Farmer from the neigh-
bourhood of Ipswich, addressed the Dorset
Agriculturists more with the view of com-
bating objections to the repeal of the Malt-
Tax than with anything like an attempt at
stating the case in it. integrity. And hence,
perhaps, his reasoning being often close and
subtle, and his logic what is known as the
mode of diminishing objections by taking
them away bit by bit; some disappointment
may have been felt at the manner in which
this gentleman's great reputation as an
apostle of the repeal of the Malt Tax was in
a measure sacrificed to the exigencies of the
present occasion. But it ought to be re-
membered that almost every one present was
already in posse.sion of the great facts and
bearings of the question, and really wanted
what Mr. Everett at great disadvantage to
himself had the courage, skill, and address
amply to supply—evidence of the manner in
which the views of their opponents were to
be met, and proofs of the fallacy of the main
objections to the repeal of this most ob-
noxious and injurious impost. Nor was the
speaker destitute of bis reward are yet he
had quitted the spot. The Mayor of Dor-
chester, with a candour which did him honour,
rose up and attested the efficacy of the course
pursued by Mr. Everett, by declaring all his
scruples to have been removed since
he entered the room by the force of
that gentlemen's advocacy. Besides address-
ing a requisition to Mr. Gladstone to appro-
priate a portion of his surplus for the pur-
pose, the meeting resolved on forwarding a
numerously and influentially signed petition
to the House of Commons, signatures to
which may be still adhibited in Dorchester
next market day.