The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-10-17 00:00:00

CENTRAL VIGILANCE COMMITTEE:

On Monday afternoon the second annual meeting
of the friends and supporters of the Central Vigilance
Committee for repressing immorality was held at the
London Mansion House. In the absence of the Lord
Mayor, M.P., the chair was occupied by the Bishop
of London. Letters of apology for non-attendance
and of sympathy with the object of the institution
were received from the Archbishop of Canterbury, the
Bishops of Durham and Truro, the Dukes of Argyll
and Westminster, Lords Selborne, Dalhousie, and
Stanhope, and Cardinal Manning. The chairman, in
opening the proceedings, expressed an opinion that
the association was well worthy of support. He said
that at the present time there was throughout the
country an increasing interest in the question of im-
morality, and people began to see the evil with which
the country was afflicted. In fact, there had been a
great change of late in the feelings of the population
in regard to this matter, and there was, he thought,
every indication that popular interest in the question
would increase rather than diminish. In carrying
out their work the institution, he was confident, had
the support cf the great body of the people. The
highest and the very lowest were with them. The
objects of the institution were clear and well defined.
They were to bring about amendments of the exist-
ing law, and one of the principal of these amend-
ments was that bad men should be treated in the
same way as bad women with reference to their con-
duct in the streets. He hoped the institution would
not cease its endeavours to compel the Legislature to
introduce meascres calculated to abate the evils now
so prevalent, and he was confident that the majority
of the population would welcome such measures with
great thankfulness. Another object of the institu-
tion was to put the law as it stands effectually into
force. The secretary then read a report of the com-
mittee of management for the past year, which, after
expressing sorrow at the death of the president, Lord
Shaftesbury, congratulated the supporters of the insti-
tution upon the passing of the Criminal Law Amend-
ment Act. Reference was also made to the fact that
during the year several branches of the central associa-
tion had been formed throughout the metropolis and
in the provinces, while several others were in the pro-
c2ss of being formed. It was stated that the finances
were decreasing, and an appeal was made to the
public for support in this direction. The Bishop of
Bedford proposed a resolution affirming that, in view
of the present state of public opinion upon the sub-
ject of immorality, efforts should he made to extend
the operations of the committee h n:hout the whole
kingdom. The Rev. J. W. Horsley, chaplain of the
House of Detention, seconded the resolution. Mr.
Samuel Morley, ALP., who supported the resolution,
I said he was pleased to find that the police magistrates
of the metropolis were courageously doing their duty,
I and so far the Criminal Law Amendment Act had
been successful. The resolution was passed, as also
' was another expressing satisfaction at the passing of
the Criminal Law Amendment Act, and in favour of
the adoption of more stringent measures for the
prevention of the open display of vice. The procee4--
, ings then terminated.

"Mischief, I am aware. Dismiss this idea, pray,
as one too absurd to be entertained. You have lived
without a wife long enough to dispense with one
now. It will be ruination, and no power on earth
can save you. I, who know your affairs as well, aye,
and, in some degrees better than yourself, say so.
Now, take my advice, Mr. Ingestre, and don't, for the
sake of a woman's face, stir up a hornet's nest about
your ears. Things look very threatening in a certain
quarter, as it is. You cannot, you must not marry
her."
George Ross Ingestre, as our readers have seen, was
far from being a good man. His mighty passions,
once loosed, converted him into one possessed with a
hundred spirits of evil. You have seen the inflam-
matory nature of Claland's father, the fierce and
exacting love of Miss Wace's adorer. You have seen
Mr. Ingestre in many uncertain and unequal lights,
chiefly in lurid shadow, seldom in the bright, soft
tints of day, such as really relieved and beautified this
man's wild, tropical nature.
He rose from his chair, and took a turn round the
room. Then he stood before the lawyer.
"I am really and truly in earnest, and have given
her my respect as passionately as I have given her
my love. She is a true lady, and I will not insult
her: she is a good woman, and I will not wrong her.
If not as my wife, I will not hope for her !"
"Then let us drop the subject, for your wife she
cannot be, unless you choose to abide by the con-
sequences of making her so; and that, even in your
most reckless mood, I do not believe you could con-
template. No, no, my dear sir, wait a little while
and hear what I have to tell you. One morning not
long since, I went to Chelsea, and had an interview
with Keziah Faunce.
"She told me who had returned to England," con-
firmed the lawyer, "and showed me three letters she
had received since then. These notes allude to their
contents. I thought there was some information
which might be useful to us; consequently I wrote
them down from memory on my way home. In the
first place, Mr. Maxall's disappearance is accounted
for: read that—see number one. Then comes two,
and that, veal number three, will, I think, satisfy you
as to his whereabouts, and also a few other points in
the matter just referred to."
Mr. Ingestre took the papers, carried them to the
window, and remained there until he had read them
from beginning to end. He returned them to the
lawyer without a remark, sat down at the table, and
filled up for himself a large goblet of half wine, half
brandy, which he drank down at a breath. Mr. Kent
stared open-mouthed at this feat on the part of his
client..
Ingestre's lip curled.
"Isn't it enough to make a man do that every hour
in his life, Kent, eh t) I'm not an habitual drunkard;
I've moral courage left to keep from that beastly
thing; but Heaven only knows how long it may
ABBREVIATED ADDRESSES FOR
remain so with me. It rests with you to say what
hope I have of being enslaved by something nobler TELEGRAMS.
than drink—namely, a good woman. Come, Kent, The new telegraph rates which came into opera-
what is it to be? a charming lutur3, happy old age, Lion have set a great many people thinking about the
and all the rest of it; or the horrors of a drunkard's length of business addresses and the best method of
life? I need not paint them." shortening them. Now that every word costs money,
The lawyer smiled. senders of telegrams are likely to feel impatient, not
" What ! using threats with intent to extort, Mr. only of all unnecessary words, but even of those
Ingestre? You paint a dismal picture, indeed. But which go to make up a full address, and to calculate
why a gentleman with a large income, an unencum- whether it is worth while to telegraph an order to
bered estate, a son and heir, and an only daughter, any firm whose description is at all lengthy. To meet
should talk of taking to drink for the vain purpose of this difficulty, the Post Office authorities have, as a
drowning care, is beyond my comprehension. Of correspondent reminds us, provided for the registra-
course, Ido not deny that there are unpleasant dr- tion of "abbreviated addresses." This plan has long
cumstanco in the background; but then they must been in successful operation in connection with foreign
be battled with, my dear sir --they must be battled telegrams, and will, no doubt, be found very
with and overcome. convenient under the new arrangements for the
" Exactly ; I wish you to overcome them as soon as inland telegraphic service. By this method the tele-
possible. Turn these abominable circumstances upside graphic address of any house can be reduced to two
down, rout them out, scatter 'eta to the four winds words, " Collingridge's, London," for instance, would
of heaven. Do battle in your own fashion; but do it represent that of the proprietors and publishers of this
speedily, and unchain the log that's fastened to my journal, and the authorities, having registered the full
leg. Bah! you talk about an unencumbered estate; address, would be responsible for the safe delivery of
true enough, my good soul, but that's not much, any telegraphic message so directed. The only objec-
weighed in the balance with an encumbered person. tion to this registration scheme is the expense—one
/ could tell you which side would go down and guinea a year, dated from the day of registration.
which up. And as for the son and heir—well, I love The sum is equal to 502 words at one halfpenny
that boy with all my heart; he's a splendid fellow, per word—and supposing the saving to be two
and one that any father might be proud of. Yes, words in every telegram, the cost of registration is
Ross is a true Ingestre, and will keep up the credit of not covered until 251 telegrams have been received.
the good old name; but I can't expect that he'll It is a part of the calculation also that a person
share its honours with me. Remember the fable of paying the fee obtains no direct benefit from it.
the old lion, Kent; in a few years' time I shall be Indirectly he is a gainer by every facility introduced
like him, and then I may shake my old limbs and into his business engagements, but the direct gain in
bellow feebly in my solitude, for they will all have this case goes to the person who sends the telegram.
forsaken me. When I think of this, and think, too, It is a great pity that such a mistake should have
of the human warmth and kindness there is in a been made. Five shillings for the first year, and half
heart I know; of all the love, and fire, and passion that sum for every year afterwards during which the
there is in two great sorrowful eyes that I never address remained on the register unaltered, would be
tire of looking into; when I think of this, I am amply sufficient to pay all expenses, and leave a fair
scarcely a sane man; Catherine! Catherine! what profit to the department—which has itself an interest
can—what shall Ido without you ?" in making the register as widely available as possible.
He started up, knocked his chair over in so doing, Under the old rules and rates, addresses generally
and strode up and down the room—every feature in erred on the :safe side—they were often too long
,-
his face, every:muscle in his large frame, quivering seldom or never, we take it, too brief. Now the
with emotion, danger lies in the opposite direction. Addresses will
The little lawyer was alarmed beyond measure. HO seldom be too long, but are likely very c4en to be too
began to think his client mri,st be mad. Never having short. A register of abbreviated addresses is there-
witnessed the actions of a man insanely in love fore almost as great an advantage to the telegraph
before, he was at a loss to comprehend the cause of authorities as to the firm registered, and to charge a
the chair being kicked over, the table jerked away, a restrictive fee is bad policy. We hope, at a very
wine-glass broken, and a gentleman stamping up early date, to hear that a considerable reduction has
and down the room like a wild beast in some been made.—Warehousemen, and Drapers' Trade
Journal.
mena gene.
None of George Ross Ingestre's own household
would have opened their eyes at this exhibition of FOREIGN LIVE STOCK AND FRESH.
feeling. His volcanic temper was too wdl known to MEAT:
provoke a remark, no matter in what shape it Tex-
ploded. But the lawyer knew nothing of this; hence The number of live stock and the quantity of fresh
the nervous little gentleman turned pale, and ran meat landed at Liverpool during the past week from
towards the bell. American and Canadian ports amounted to 2647
cattle, 531 sheep, 8723 quarters of beef, and 250
"What's the matter ?" said Ingestre, sweeping
round just as Mr. Kent was in the at of pulling it. carcases of mutton, which, in comparison with the
"I—l really—l think—Garland has forgotten the imports of the preceding week, shows an increase in,
cigars, I perceive." the arrivals of both live stock and fresh beef. The
"All right; a good cigar will do me good. Why, conveying steamers were as follows: Mentmore, 515
Kent, you look as white—what the deuce are you cattle; Spain, 326 cattle, 1522 quarters of beef, and
shivering for like that? Here, take some brandy. 100 carcases of mutton; Batavia, 477 cattle and 327
You have the ague, I'm certain." sheep; Lake Champlain, 269 cattle, 204 sheep, and
"Thank you; not just yet. No—l have felt rather 599 quarters of beef; Virginian, 650 cattle and 1294
shaky all day. Sit down, Mr. Ingestre, and finish quarters of beef; Montreal, 410 cattle; British
your wine. By-the-bye, you must have a fresh glass." Princess, 1056 quarters of beef; City of Chester, 1000
And then Mr. Ingestre saw that he had smashed his quarters of beef and 50 carcases of mutton' Republic,
wine-glass to atoms. He laughed. 840 quarters of beef and 50 carcases of mutton;
"You SO3 what it is, Kent, to be as crazed as I am. Catalonia, 1672 quarters of beef • and Adriatic, 74
I may well sa.y my right hand knows not the doings quarters of beef and 50 carcases Of mutton.
of my left. One half the day lam ignorant what I
have been about the other. You know what a pur-
gatory I'm always living in, and is it to be wondered
at that, when I see a loophole of escape before my
eyes
I get half blind in staring at it? Ah! Kent,
,
this is no fancy, let me tell you, such as I have been
bent upon before. Catherine Wace seems to have a
part in all I do, or say, or think, and she is the main-
spring of all my hopes. I seem fascinated in the first
look I ever gave her. She came into the room that
morning, and I 'scarcely lifted my eyes, expecting to
see just such another red-nosed spinster as you selected
for me once before.
"What I did see was a tall and noble-looking
woman, with a pale, creamy face, and large, sorrowful
eyes (such as I have never seen out of Jamaica—half
Spanish, half Indian they are), and twists of raven
black hair, coiled neatly round her fine head. And
then I began to talk to her, and found she was as
much a lady as she looked—dignified, gentle, rather
resolute, and the least bit reserved. Well, that rich,
creamy complexioned face and those eyes haunted me
all that day. I had a hankering desire to see them
again, and the old house seemed worlds brighter when
I thought of that woman as its inhabitant, seeing her
sit.s my table, hearing the sound of her voice in the

A countryman, who is camping with his wagon and
team in the suburbs of Austin, missed one of his
horses. "Why don't you apply to the police," sug-
gested a city friend. "Do you think they stole him ?"
was the innocent response.
WIIAT Two WORKING MEN SAID.—"I See that an
additional sting has been added to poverty." "What
is it ? " "O'Donovan ROSSI/ now claims to be the
friend of the working man."
A Texas man who counts his acres by the tens of
thousands, upon being remonstrated with for his
monopolising tendencies, responded: "I don't want to
monopolise any land. All in the world I want is the
laud that adjoins me:'
Elias Fowler,i cider merchant and farmer, aged 65
years, residing at Coombe-in-Teignhead, near Newton
Abbott, committed suicide on Monday morning by
drowning himself in a water tank adjoining his house.
On Monday afternoon four men were arrested and
remanded at Coseley for highway robbery and violence.
On Sunday a ycung man named Charles Hubbert, when
walking from Coseley to Weduesbury, met seven men,
and, upon asking them to direct him to Wednesbury,
they committed a murderous assault upon him, took
from him his money and also a parcel, and left him lying
in the road in Rn imensible state.