The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-08 00:00:00

o)nr Noon 4forresponknt.

flys deer. It right to state that we do not at all times
Identity ourselv. with our correspondent's opluiooo.l

Whatever opinions people may entertain of the
Ballot it Dinka generally lw felt that it would be a
mercy to get rid of the question in some shape or
other. It is consoling, therefore, that the House of
'ommoua has gut iuto committee on the Goveroment
Bill, while the large majority by which Minters
sechieved this triumph is suggestive of the Bill bring
accepted by the House of Lords. I cannot easily
understand why this should be regarded as a party
measure. If Übe mid that secret voting would enable
voters %home real opinions are Liberal to vote accord.
log to their own free will, which they would otherwise
not be able to do, it may also be said on the other hand
that—ln fact, rice versa ;and we all know how strenuously
His maintained that there is really a strong Conserva-
tive feeling throughout the country, "which nobody
can deny." Setting all party considerations amide,
which ought to have nothing to do with the matter, I
believe the country as a whole would benefit if the
Parliamentary and Municipal Elections Bill became
law. What a blessing would be the abolition of nomi-
nation& Toe nomination in theory is no different to
the to:imitation in fact, that the whole affair becomes
to farce, but it very often becomes something much
worse, ai,el hearer like a tragedy than a farce. Brick-
bats anal broken heads, mobbing and chasing, yelling
and fruitless attempts on the part of the candidate to
xpeak—all this will be reformed if the nomination
ceremonial be modified as proposed ; and as to the
secret voting we shall have if this bill pass why that
will give us quiet and peace at all events, and, I believe,
Far more electoral purity than we now have. But wild
the bill pass the Lord.? Ay, there's the rub!
The annual fish dinner cf the Fox Club has taken
place at Greenwich, but we hear nothing of the
Ministerial fish dinner. That institution seems to have
died last year at about a century old. Mr. Gladstone,
they say, dad not like the affair, and some of the other
lifitiisters did not care about it; and so it dies' •
natural death, deeply regretted perhaps by a few who
may have assisted at many a previous whitebait
dinner, but "unwept, unhonoured, and unsung by the
many,"

Of late years we have not had many ou t. door spectacles,
and still fewer such spectacles In which her Majesty
has taken part. All the more heartily, therefore, was
the review in Bushey Park enjoyed by the many
thousands who witnessed it. If it WIWI ever true, as
Trolasszt said, that the English take their pleasures
sadly, it was not true of this royal review. There was
not an element of madness in it. The weather during
the actual review was glorious, and of course almost
everything depended on this; it was, in fact, Queen's
weather (uositively it is strange that it is generally fine
when her Majesty assists at any out-door spectacle) ;
the military and police arrangements were very good,
and the locale is famed for it, quiet, English beauty.
It was altogethor a thoroughly el,j iyable scene. There
were numerous eminent personages present, and that
always gives interest to a arsine, sneer at each as some
of us may. It was pleasant to see the Queen looking
so well and apparently so happy, and in the company
of so many of her popularly-beloved family ; and it was
pleasant to see how heartily the Prince Imperial—(it
really is not worth while to prefix the ex) was received
by our own 'Loyal Family. I left the park moralisin; on
the charm and beauty of • scene like this, and on the
misery, ruin, bloodshed, and devastation that such a
review meant when its elements were applied to their
legitimate --Ileavin save the mark !—purposes. What a
contrast between this brilliant spectacle of a review in
an emerald and sunlit park, and crowds of holiday.
makers in gay attire, and the awful realities of the
battle-field! Take it altogether, this review was as
splendid &eight as we have bad for many a long day;
but I wieh we could get up as grand spectacles of an
entirely ',settle character.

I have read statements as to the visit of the ex.
Emperor of the French to the Exhibition which in one
important respect are not accurate. It is said that he
looked in very goad health. This is very far from the
fact. I happened to be in the Exhibition, and parti-
cularly noticed the erewhile great man of whom it
was said that he could not blow his noise witheut
Influencing the French funds. Without surprise, I
observed that he looked much enfeebled and care-worn
as compared with what he did this time last year, when
I saw him driving In an open carriage on the boulevards
In Paris, I wonder whether he will ever again haw
and grimly smile from his maitre on the Paris boule-
vards. lie this as it may, this while= powerful
sovereign nor locks pale and careworn, and stoops so
much that his height is sensibly diminished. I watched
him eagerly—as you would have done, my courteous
reader—as he conversed with ofneials and attendants
of the Exhibition, uud though his countenance is im-
"waive ae of old, it appeared to me to ponrtray a mind
11l at ease and a body by no means free from pain.
The International Exhibition is never likely to
become so popular a resort as was the Great Exbibi.
tion of '5l, the Intemestional of '52. or the Far'4
Universal of '67. The present Exhibition iota not,
n fact, seem to have been planned for the great mass
of the people, and the managers have providel no
attractions eta captandass vutgus, nothing that will
bring the great shilling public in masses. Ent still
tha International is improving in popularity, and
many days bring their quota of some 10,000 visitors.
Aa the Exhibition will only remain open three months
longer it is highly probable that its interest and im-
portance will only be fully appreciated when it Is about
to close, or perhaps when it is actually closed. Several
visits to it put me in a position to recommend all who
have niit gone, and can g,, to go—" stand not upon
the order of your going, but go at once." Now that
the French anngxe his become well stocked, this de-
partment alone will well repay the trouble of the mode-
rate expense of a visit.

The opening of an institution in Camden town,
having the pretentious name of the Atherreurn,
suggests some reflections. Considering our enormous
population, it is somewhat surprising that literary and
mechanics' institutions here have so frequently proved
failures, and the fact is much to be regretted. Lord
Brougham, Dr. Birkbeek, Dr. Lardner, and a few men
of that stamp, did much to promote institutions where
classes for instruction, libraries and reading-rooms,
scientific lectures, &c., should be at the service of those
who desired self.improvement ; but on the whole, such
Institutions in London have been sorry failures. Toe
managers of all these institutions have found, just as
the Polytechnic has long since proved, that science
and instruction dont pay, and that amusement does.
The chief enemy, however of these institutions has
been the music-ball, with its claptrap attractions;
and another C 1411.10, of a totally different character, has
also been very powerful—the improvement and exten-
sion of the people's press, and the cheapening of good
(at well as bad) literature. Reverting to the fact
which suggested these remarks, I wish the new insti-
tution all success, but Ido not expect it. It is a re-
markable fact that while scores of country towns have
their successful literary and scientific institutions, we
have but one, the liirkbeck, which is really a success.

Notice has been given that all rates and taxes
payable on the reth of January last must be paid
before the Nth of this month, for persona to be placed
on the ensuing register of voters. I don't say what the
actual payment of taxes has to ,to, or rather ought to
have to do, with the right to vote. Government have
the power—and pretty sharply they execute if moms-
Limes—to make taxpayers bear out that appellation ;
ths myrmidons of the law can sell us up it we won't
pay otherwise, and this antiquated connection of a vote
with the taiogatherere receipt might very well be
abolished.

As a great number of people are settlrg out or
thinking of getting out for France, it may be well to
remind them that not only is a passport necessary, but
that last year's passport will not do ; it must be vise
by the French Consul, at any of the consulate offices.
It may be quite title that on your passport, which we
will say you procured lest August or September, there
may be stamped French words, saying that it Is
good for a year, hut you will End that it is
sot good even for a day without being vise, and that
If you attempt to use it you will have a very good chance
of being turned back on attempting to set your foot
on the inhospitable ehoree of Fierier. Though not the
greatest, this re-introduction of the passport system im
not the leant of the evils that the Franco-Pruseian war
ban brought upon us. We English always heartily
hated this passport system, and immensely did we re-
joice when the en- Err peror abolished it. How pleased
some of us were, on our first trip to France after the
to prepare ourselves with the words,
"Je n'ai pa, de passerart e suis A roPeis," and
how pleasant it was to r•arn freely about that beauti-
ful country without being bothered, as some of
UN used to be, for our passports. Unhappily, the
war has changed all this; and where a so-
called Imperial despot made a clean sweep of pre-
vious restrictions, a so-calleil Popular Government
restores them, and a Republican Government main-
tains them. Passports are now, however, necessary
to the French police—at least the police think so ;
but may the time speedily arris s when the now un-
settled country may right itself, and restore to us
liberty and trade.

What a wonderful popularity has Charles Dickens.
" Ile being dead yet speaketh," and the author lives
In his works. It is said that of the first number of the
Household edition of his works 80 COO copies have been
sold. Add these to the immense num'inr of copies of
Li, works previously sold in this country, to the
Tauchnitr edition which is sold all ever the Continent,
and to the American editions, and we have gem° vague

Ides of the enormous sale of his worts. And the fact
ii not to be regretted. It would be too mach to say
perhaps that he never wrote "one line which, dying,
he would wioh to blot, ' but he cannot hove written
many hu,ll hoot out of the tuatay works of which

he is the author. There perhaps was never a
much more careful wri,er thm Charles Dickens.
I have seen most of his ori,,ival MSS., and they are
remarkable for their erasures, interfineatioos, and
correction,. Ile never "dashed off" anything. This
may be one reason for the high moral tone of his work%
His thoughts were second thoughts as well as first
thoughts. "Take him for all in all we shall not look
upon his like again," and I am glad, therefore, to find
Lim becoming increasingly popular.