The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-10-14 00:00:00

Our yonbon Torrtspootnt.
INVe deem It tight to state that we do not at all times
.eentity ourselves with our correspondent's pinious I

It is most satisfactory to hear that the health f her
Majesty, who has been more seriously ill than was at
the time auppoatsl, is favourably progressing. That
that improvement may continue must be the hope
of all.

From various quarters, in France as well as our own
country, facts and rumours are making their appearance
which tend to shew that either the Ex-Emperor of the
French or his adherents, or both, are making efforts
towards the restoration of the Napoleonic dynasty :
but the former ruler of France is said to repudiate
the charge of making any personal movement in
this direction, and is also stated to have rebuked
some of his friends for their over zeal. I was
talking the other day to an experienced Parisian
journalist who has passed through all the phases of Im-
perialism, Anarchy, Communism, and Republicanism,
and who seemed to have a particular respect for any
form of Government so long as France be at peace
with the world and hereelf. Ile maintains that the
return of the ex-Emperor and his resumption of the
position which circumstances compelled him to
abandon are highly improbable; that Napoleon is
now too old and has lost much of that individual am-
bition which has been so important a feature in his
marvellous career; but that, so to speak, he transfers
his ambition to his Ron, and that the one idea of the
Imperial exile now is that the Prince Imperial should be
called to the throne with the Empress as regent during
the minority of the former. Many arguments, and some
few facts could be adduced in support of this view,
which in itself is by no means improbable. By the
way, I see it is stated that the portraits of the ex-Im-
perial family, which not long since were so rigorirously
prohibited, are beginning to reappear in Paris. It
would be easy to make too much of this fact, but it is
one which should not be altogether i„-nored.
The death of Field Marshal Sir John Burgoyne, at
the ripe old age of ninety, will be heard of with less
surprise than regret, lie had seen much service in
various capacities, and his military career dates as far
back as By ~,any of the public he will best be
remembered by that important statement which he
published soon after being appointed Inspector-General
of Fortiticatioas, in IS4.- a statement which drew
froze the Duke of Wellington that remarkable mani-
festo with regard to the defenceless state of the country
which exercised so great an influence on the Par-
liament of the day, immediately stopped retrench.
ment in naval anti military expenditure, and led
to the formation of a new Militia force. Sir
John was a great admirer of Mr. Spurgeon, and
the popular preacher's brother, the Rev. J. A. Spurgeon,
married the daughter of the deceased baronet. The
Burgoyne family have been among the most staunch of
the supporters of the eloquent Baptist minister. It
may be interesting to add that the latter has now quite
recovered from his long illness, or series ,d attacks, and
preach 's with as much tire and energy as over, while
the vast Metropolitan Tabernacle is crowded as hereto-
fore. Strangers still come, as strangers have come for
years past -and among them many foreigners—and
wait about the portico of the building lung before it is
opened.
'

While the public generally were becoming somewhat
alarmed at indications of the war between Capital and
Labour extending its proportions, the pleasamt news
arrived that the great strike at Newcastle was at an
end. The terms agreed upon are such as are not
only mutually satisfactory, but which, happily
for the country at large, as well as for the parties
more immediately concerned, are to hold good
throughout the year 1572. It is to be hoped that
this agreement will have a favourable influence
upon trades disputes elsewhere. That there should
be 90 many disputes with so little chance of peace-
ful settlement is deeply to be regretted, and any
propositions, therefore, which are at all likely to
bring about such a settlement, are deserving of con-
sideration. One such a proposal, which appears to me
quite novel, has been made by a correspondent of The
Times. Alluding to the complaint of the masters that
their machinery stands so long idle, and to the objec-
tion of the men to long hours, he suggests that what is
called the three-shift system should be adopted: for
example: that one act of men should work from 6 a.m.
to 2 p.m., another from 2 p.m. to 10 p.m., and a third
from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. In this arrangement he does
not mention working on Sunday, which, for the benefit
ct all, it is to be hoped he would leave a dies non.
Thl4 being underst the prop ,sition seems a feasible
one, if allowance were made for different rates of pay
for day-werek and night-work. At any rate this sug-
gestion seems fair to both masters and men, and to
some extent meets the demands of both. Meanwhile
society is heartily to be congratulated that one great
strike which but a few days ago threatened serious
consequences, has been amicably terminated.
The agitation for Home Rule in Ireland is beginning
to be taken up by Irishmen in the metropolis. It is
a most unfortunate thing that Irish agitators are
always discovering either some new grievance or some
new remedy for an old one. Happily, however, the
Home Rule party has net yet arrived at any import-
ant proportions in Ireland, and it is not likely that
the agitation will become serious in this country where
our Irish fellow-subjects have the same lionie Rule 08
we have. . .

The Social Science Congress is now elaborately die
cuesing some of those very subjects which have been
brought before the Association, under one phase or
another for many years past—such subjects for ex-
ample as the need of sanitary reform, the dwellings of
the working cbnews, and the repression of crime. In
come respects it is saddening to think what an immense
amount of writing and debating, what years of agita-
tion, what energy and devotion to the welfare of
humanity are demanded to effect Bitch reforms or even
to keep them before the public ; but on the other hand
it is consoling to reflect that these efforts for the good
of tile community are continuously made and that
benevolence combined with genuine hard work are
never wanting to promote the good of society. In one
sense the Social Science Congress may be regarded as a
mere association of lectures and debatee, but still, in-
directly if not directly it really does good work. It
Bows seed which germinates and ultimately brings forth
good fruit. No doubt many members of the Associa-
tion merely attend it to air their peculiar crotchets and
ride their special hobbies, but on the whole the As-
sociation deserves well of the country.
I read that the Autumn Campaign of the Working
Men's Club and Institute Union has commenced with
vigour, and that the useful movement it promotes is
being extended and eoneolidated in various directions.
No doubt of it, but we see very little of all this here.
The soil of London seems ungenial to working-tissue
clubs of the character of those promoted by the Rev.
H. Sully. We have, it is true, two or three struggling
clubs of the kind, but really not one such as we ought
to have. And it is remarkable how few literary and
mechanics' institutes the metropolis possesses -the
more's the pity. The chief cause of both facts. I sup-
pose, is that we have too many attractions of another
kind. I am glad to see, however, that this parent in-
stitute is succeeding admirably elsewhere. The move-
ment which it fosters is highly beneficial to working-
men, negatively and positively.
With beef and mutton enormously dear, and with
foot and mouth disease committing serious ravages
among our cattle, the remarks of the _4U/bourne
Argos on Australian preserves' meat ought to be of
considerable interest, seems that Victoria can supply
"excellent" meat at from 414, to M. a pound, and that
the colony already manufactures nearly half a million
pounds a week. The journal mentioned loudly snonds
the praises of this preserved beef and mutton, and f am
glad to learn from other sources that the consumption
of tin-preserved meat is gradually spreading in this
country; but there is still a strong prejudice
against it. Might not, then, the Government reason-
ably act on the prejudice alluded to, and pro-
mote the consumption of Australian meat by
having it supplied -say in the proportion of two-thinls
Australian to one of English—to our prisons?
It is well known that our prisoners are much better
fed than the inmates of our workhouses, and that bah
live better, so far as animal food is concerned, than
hundredsof tin usancla of poor who are neither prisoners
nor paupers. The poorer classes generally would cer-
tainly be benefited by the official patronage of Atotra-
lian preserved meat, awl my suggestion is, perhaps,
worth consideration. Another ilea may be mentioned.
Many benevolent associations awl individuals are in
the habit of giving away meat, amongst other thing's,
to the poor during the winter. Why not give Aus-
tralian preserved meat? "Ibis would tend to overcome
the prejudice against it, and thus would promote its
adoption— a consummation most devoutly to be wished.
The Miners' Conference in Wales has resulted in one
important resolution which may be commend.' to the
numerous advocates of the representation of labour in
Parliament. There is a League, as is well known, the
chief object of which is to promote this representation,
and many well-known politicians, Mr. George Potter
to wit, strongly advocate the return of working men to
Parliament. Now, without entering into the merits of
this class representation, I cannot but express my con-
viction that the main point is missed by these advocates,
and that this point is hit by the miners. They have
decided to raise a Guarantee Fund to pay the election
expenses of one or more miners candidates and to main.
tame them in London during the Session, should they be
elected to the House of Commons. Whatever theories
may be entertained with regard to the direct representa-
tion of labour in Parliament, it cannot be denied that
all theories most give way to the vulgar fact of money.
A genuine working man, properly rn called nn account
of his employment and so. Ml position, cannot, as a

matter of course, afford the expense of a contested
election and the continuous cost of Parliamentary
membership, and if working men want representatives
of their own order the latter must be paid. Reverting
to the miners, it would, I think, be desirable that they

should be directly represented in Parliament seeing
that legislation has log been contemplated and is still
contemplated in respect to the safety .4 life in mires.
The Mines' Regulation Bill will no doubt be intro-
duced next Session, and it is a great pity that parlia-
mentary business came to such a dead lock during the
last campaign that there was no opportunity of ade-
quately considering it. Of course the position which
the miners have taken in this matter may be said to
be applicable to other trades ; on this I will not dwell,
but the Welch miners at all events will generally be
regarded as having acted with practical good sense.

-
Lord Freak. Cavendish has been presiding at a
Yorkshire conference to promote the higher education
of girls, and Miss Carpenter, whose mono is already so
well known in connection with female education, has
been advocating a national union for the promotion of
that object. The higher education of girls is certainly
much needed, for low 118 may be the educational status
of a large proportion of the boys of England, that of a
larger proportion of the girls is lower still. This may
seem a strong statement, but I think no one who has
paid attention to the subject will venture to deny it.
Of course, too many of our girds are simply not
educated at all, but where education is given it is
either elementary and superficial, or eLse, as in many
of our boarding-schools, it is flimsy and unailapted to
the requirements of practical life. Of late years much
improvement has been effected in relation to our girls
schools generally, but we undoubtedly still require
that higher education to promote which this conference
has been held.