Blandford Weekly News. — 1886-08-07 (Blandford, Dorset, England)

TES.  -0 We all know Mr. Farquharson's especial I forte is personality. On Bank Holiday at a Primrose League fete at Beaminster, he was in the old vein. In a speech of half-an-hour's duration he devoted seven-eighths of the time to personal vilification. First—Mr. Gladstone ; secondly Lord Wolverton; thirdly Mr. Batten; fourthly the under. Sheriff of Dorset. We give just two or three extracts for our readers edification. Here is one :  "Another incident of interest was the great, and, he thought gratifying interest Lord Wolverton took in the last Dorset election, and the kindly regard lie showed for the Radical electors. He sent his carriages all the way from North Dorset to take the Radicals to the poll—if he could find them. It had also been said that Lord Wolverton not only sent his carriages into West Dorset but he sent his money too. They would notice that in the newspapers Lord Wolverton had been attacked upon that subject. He denied, or wished to deny, that he had interfered with the eketions at West Dorset or elsewhere. But in the Dublin paper it was stated that Lord Wolverton had subscribed £40,000 to Mr. Gladstone's election fund. If that was true Lord Wolverton stood in the position that £40,000 of his was spent in paying candidates' election expenses, or else it was in corrupt practices. It was either one thing or the other; the Imoney was spent—if he admitted £40,000 was subscribed—for election expenses or in defiance of the letter of the Corrupt Practices Act. The Conservatives had this to satisfy themselves with—it had been pointed out all along, and stated openly, that Lord Wolverton's was a step to a peerage, and they would be gratified to hear that, 120 doubt. Owing to the publicity they gave to the statements concerning Lord Wolverton he had not got that peerage. •_*  Really Mr. Farquharson must know that Lord Wolverton is a peer already; and we suppose the mistake must have arose from his being at the time "intoxicated with the exubei anee of his own verbosity." *-*  Here is a fling at the county officials : "As to the wrong papers bting sent to Corecombe, he said it was the stupidest blunder that was ever made. It was a mistake so stupid that it had never been made before during the whole history of electioneering. They might ask "Who is responsible ?" The Under-Sheriff of Dorsetshire was responsible. lie accepted the office of Under-Sheriff, and took from the two candidates £550 to carry out the arrangements properly, and he (the speaker) meant to say they had a right to ask him as the responsible person for some explanation of the extreme mismanagement of affairs. It was intolerable after th..) electors had attended meetings and formed their opinions, laid aside their business, and recorded their votes, it was monstrous that all their troubles should be overthrown by the carelessness of officials at the election. (Applause.) As their representative he had taken upon himself to call upon the High-Sheriff and ask him for an explanation from the UnderShetiff, and when that explanation was forthcoming they would find out who was to blame in the matter. •_*  Mr. Farquharson does not read The Times, or he might have seen an explanation of the causes of the mistake. *_*  The Earl Nelson the Hon. Sidney Herbert, M.P., Mr. John Floyer, and Mr. H. B. 3liddleton, are the laymen selected by the Salisbury Diocesan Synod to represent the diocese in the Provincial House of Laymen. • * • _ _  John Gerrard King, the murderer of Alderman Hamilton, at Poole, has undergone a medical enquiry, and has been pronounced insane. As we stated last week, he has been respited ; he was removed to Broadmoor Criminal Lunatic Asylu.m oi Saturday.