The Dorset County Express and Agricultural Gazette.
Dorchester, Dorset, England, 1859-02-22 00:00:00

Miscellaneous.

We understand that the appointment of Master in
Lunacy, vacatsul by the resignation of Mr. Higgins, has
been offered to Mr. Samuel Warren, Q.C., but upon
condition of his resigning his seat ill Parliament.
Upwards of 400 legs of motto,, arrived in Newcantle
last week from Harlingen by eteamer.
. . . .

The Government inands -to construct a dock at Cal-
cutta for the reception of the largest class of steamers at
that port.
At the meeting of the Liverpool Town Council, on
Wednesday, it was agreed to levy a rate of a penny
in the pound in aid uf the Free Public Library awl
Museum.

Mr. Justice Wightnian has decided that commitments
by county courts after a discharge by the Insolvent
Debtors Court are illegal.
Professor Wheatstone hiui perfected a writing electric
telegraph, by which 51.111 letters may be printed off in a
min ate.

The wood of the printing press on which the fir,it edi-
tion of Burna'a poems WWI printed at Kilmarnock, in
17136, hail been converted into" an antique drawing-room
chair."

The Queen's Speech consists of 1004 words, and was
transmitted to the Channel Islands and copied in fifty-
six minutes, being at the rate of eighteen words per
minute.

It appears froni a return just published that of the
pension given to the King of the Belgians as Prince
Leopold, of E. 10,0110 the mm of E 3.1,500 was returned
into the Exchequer.
The overseer of Itinginer, Mr. Deflitnt, ham forwarded
to the Sussex County Hoiipital the aunt of ell, half of
which was ratted by a voluntary half-penny rate among
the inhabitants.

The hank of England has the benefit of a special act,
enabling it to use the hundred pound weight and its
decima-parta in the weighing of gold and silver, awl
the bullion dealers have all quietly adopted the same
practice.
We are credibly informed that a noble Duke, long one
of the leaders of the old Whig party, has given in his
.upport to Lord Derby's Goveniinent.
MN: hear that Messrs. Willa Brothers, architects and
sculptors, have been commissioned to execute a grand
drinking fountain, to be set up in front of the Royal
Exchange, and also several other drinking fountains for
the Regent's-circus and elsewhere.
. . .

A wo'rkwan's wife, named Jones, residing near Blaen-
dare, gave birth on Friday to a child, which appeared
to have been formed with two heads. yet having only
one face, and being quite blind. It lived till Monday
morning. . . . . . . . .. .

A beautiful specimen of the great bustard was lately
shot by Mr. John Chittenden. of Newchurch, on his
farm. The bird stands nearly two and a half feet in height.
It is now in the hands of Mr. G. lie, the ornithologist.
It is said that with the exception of one shot in 1850.
this in the only specimen of that rare bird seen in Kent
for nearly a century.
A friend of the city of London llospital for diseases of
the chest has offered to subscribe r1.5t0 towards liqui-
dating the debt 14 C6,01.10un the hospital at the Victoria
Park, provided that the remaining sum of 1:4.101 shall be
collected at the forthcoming annicenruy festival, winch
is to take plane on the 16th of March next.
Theatrical critics in America appears to he extremely
independent. An American paper states that the
manager of the Boston Thcatre, having refused admit-
tance to a reporter whose criticisms had displeased hhn,
the reporter simply knocked him Jowl), walked in, and
took his seat. . . . . .

A provincial mayor in one of the departments of
France has come out with an epigram in the shape of
a notification—" All beggars found in this district will
be fined Irir. for the use of the poor."
In Bantry Bay, where sixty years since, a French
fleet was ilisper.wil, a squadron. consisting of the Royal
Albert, 121 guns, Orion, 91, Renown, 91, Victor
Emmanuel, 91, Brunswick, SO, Racoon, 22, and a steam
gunboat, is now stationed, with °niers to remain for a
month. . . .

The population of California is thus estimated :
Americans. 165,215 ; French, 15.0tal ; English, 2,000 ;
Irish, 10,000 ; Germans, MOO; Mexicans, 15,0ie1;
various, Iti,ooo ; CI •se. :16,060 ; nmgruca, 2,0tal ;
Indians. 65.000 : total 526,1100.
Mr. H. W. Prescott, the historian, died on the :Nth
ult., after a brief illness, caused by an attack of apoplexy.
His age was 62.
The Marquis of Bristol died on Tuesday last, at the
age of ninety. Ile was the oldest member of the House
of Lunis.