The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-09 00:00:00

• ,sit iNg iC=#".l

Oar onbon Correspodtnt.

[We deem it right to state that we do not at VI times
identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinitts.]

When a public meeting held in the Civy of London
takes place at Guildhall, it must be acsumed that that
occasion is one of more than ordinary interest avd.
importance. Ordinarily, when the Lord Mayor (con-
venes a gathering it is at the rgyptian Hall of The
Mansion House. On an evening when this hail th
laid for a banquet, it prmen a very brilliant picture,
with its mirrors flashing back the numerems
and its richly-laden tables suggestive of those ,scven
years of plenty which delighted the people of
the land of Egypt in days long ago. But
such is its •architectural position in the
civic palace thrlt -even on the most sunlit-afternoon
the gas has to he lighted throughout the 'length and
breadth of the S'gyptian Hall; and avlth a tempera-
ture Of SO drees in the shade, such es itlaat to which
London has often been accustomed 'during this hot
summer, the idea of sitting for a coutie of hours in a
gas-lighted apartment, with a fall'knowledge that a
tropical sunshine is beating upon the flags of the
Royal Ehange and upon the sweltering crowd in
Cheapside, is not one to COEe.UCO to a crowded
assembly commensurate with the importance of the
subject.

The great anniversary gathering to celebrate the
abolition of slavery througherat the British dominions
half a century ago, was, therefore, held at the Guild- ,
hall, which is much larger than any apartment in the
Mansion House, and upon the afternoon of the lst•nr
August, considerably cooler; .The day in London was
almost as hotos apy we have had during this remark-
able summer. The warm cppressive frig of some days
previously had cleared away, the sun shone frotaa blue
sky, and there was a pleasant southerly breeze. 'The
gathering itself was worthy of the cause whichwas,re-
presented, and of the nation which fifty years ago paid
. . the West Indian planters twenty millions sterling iin
order to stamp out slavery from the British name.
The Colonial Secretary of that day was the father of
the Colonial Secretary now. The late Lord Derby
was then Mr. Stanley, and the Government in power
was that of Earl Grey. The motto of the House of
Stanley is Sans changer. Well, the late earl began
political life as a Whig, and ended as a Conservative;
the present earl commenced as a Conservative, and is
now a Liberal.
The House of Commons has lately had a very try-
ing time. Morning after morning it has satamtil past
five o'clock, having met at four on the previous after-
noon. When this experience happens an a Wednes-
day, the duty is a peculiarly exacting one. To leave
off at 5.15 a.m. and to be at work again at noon is
what flesh and blood ought not to be called upon to
do; yet such are the extraordinary hours kept by a
branch of the British Legislature. Why this
should be, people who perform their labour in
decent and Christian - like time have never
been able to understand. No other legislative
assembly in the world meets at a period of the day
when an ordinary man's business is done, and he is
thinking of shutting up his office and going home
One reason of the late sittings of recent nights is that
the House has been in Committee of Supply, in which
members, in criticising the votes which,they are called
upon to pass, can speak as often as they please. That
many hon. gentlemen exercise this privilege is a fact
painfully known to the wearied Speaker, the Chair-
man of Committees, and the officials.
"Glorious Goodwood" may not inaptly be des-
cribed as the last rose of summer, solar as the race
" meetings within an easy distance from London are
concerned. Sandown and Kempton we seem to have
always with us; but the attractions of Epsom
Ascot, and Goodwood are appreciated while they last:
for that is not long. As is well known, the Good-
wood races are run in the Duke of Richmond's
private grounds, and every precaution is taken by his
grace to exclude the presence of bad or suspicious
characters on the course. The presence of Royalty
on the occasion was highly valued, as showing that
the time of mourning for the Queen's youngest son is
swiftly passing away.
The Queen and Princess Beatrice are now at
Osborne, and the State apartments at Windsor Castle
are once more open to the public. No one who has
seen
_Osborne House has ever fitiled to admire its
beautiful situation, overlooking the foam-flecked
waves of the Solent, or to appreciate the health.
giving breezes which are brought up the English
Channel fresh from the Atlantic. In such a lovely
place as Osborne, one might well live long and die
happy. As a rule, her Majesty and her youngest '
child remain at Osborne until about the middle of
August, when they proceed to Balmoral, there to
remain until November.

When fine weather attends the August Bank
Holiday, it is undoubtedly the most enjoyable of the
series, so far as it affects tho seekers of out-door re-
creation. Of Easter Monday we have had many sad
experiences. When it is not cold the chances are
that it is wet, and it has too mournfully happened to
be both. Seven weeks between Easter and Whitsun-
tide is too short a time to expect a settlement of the

atmospheric conditions of a climate so variable as
ours; but this year between Whit Monday and the
• first Monday in August nine meeks elapsed—
weeks mostly of warm summer weather. The
August holiday is one more especially devoted to
marine excursions, a class of recreation which people
• in, a great inland town especially enjoy. London is
officially described in the Custom House returns as
the first port in the kingdom; and so it is as far as
the receipts are concerned. At the same time a place
which is at least forty miles from the sea can- scarcely
be called a seaport. There is indeed..a vast proportion
of the residents in the British capital whose only idea
of the sea is obtained from the wavelets in the tide-
way of the Thames.