The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-07-26 00:00:00

Oltr ronhl Carrespubent.

. rWe deem it right to state that we do not at all tits
edcntify ourselves with our Correspondent's opizions.l

The political agitation to which the country has
now to look forward for several months to come is
anything but palatable to overworked Cabinet
Ministers or members of the House of Commons who
in the dog-days are kept at Westminster until three
or four o'clock in the morning. When. the House is
in Committee, as it has been much of late, a member
can speak as often as he pleases, and seeing the
minute criticism to which some of the estimates are
subjected, there is no doubt that considerable
advantage is taken of this privilege. The Chair-
man of Committees presides not, however,
ia the Speaker's chair, but at the clerks
_tablp below it. At the same time the
Speaker cannot move away from his private apart-
ments, for at any moment progress may be reported,
and the committee stage be brought to an end. Then

the Speaker must be ready to take the chair when the
House resumes, so that although released from actual
duty in conducting the business of committee, the
right ion. gentleman finds it impossible to leave the
building. At whatever time the committee on any
subject closes, the Speaker must be present when the
House adjourns.
Amongst those who would rather have had a quiet
than a stormy recess is the jaded Premier. So far
as mental energy is concerned, we may apply
to him Mr. Berital Osborne's quotation apropos of
Lord Palmerston, "Panting Thneitoils after him in
vain." But Time caught up with even Lord Palmer-
ston at last; and on a gloomy, sodden day in October,
1865, Lona= seemeu no soonaL w nay/ ueara or the
Prime Minister's illness than the news was brought
from Brockett-hall of his death. There can be no
question that in these times Parliamentary duty is
much more exacting than in the days of Lord
Palmerston, who scarcely knew what obstruction
in the House of Commons meant. Even to a map in
the prime of life the exacting duties of a Minister of
State, combined with the necessity of attendance in the
House of Commons, would in time tax the vital powers
of the strongest constitution. But here is Mr. Glad-
stone nearly 75 years of age, and with an official
career extending over half a century, for it was as far
back as November, 1834, that he was appointed one
of King William's Junior Lords of the Treasury.
It is noteworthy as a matter of date that Monday's
Reform Demonstration in Hyde-park was within
two days .of eighteen years of that gathering in
the same place, which resulted in a fierce
conflict between the police and the people.
That was on Monday, the 23rd July, 1866,
when Sir Richard Mayne was the Chief
Commissioner of Metropolitan Police, and the meet_
ing. in Hyde-park was prohibited by proclamation
frojM Scotland-yard. Mr. Walpole, the Home
Secretary of that day, has long since retired from
public life; the late Lord Derby was Prime Minister,
Mr. Disraeli was Chancellor of the Exchequer, and
the late ho-rd Chehnsford held the Great Seal. This
time the Scotland-yard authorities, instead of ipt€,:r-
dieting the gathering, gave it every facility by
judiciously regulating the enormous traffic which is
ever rolling round Hyde-park. On the night of the
demonstration in 1866, Mr. Disraeli, who then lived
at Grosvenor-gate, mournfully told the House of
Commons that he did not know whether he should
have a home to go to; but happily the disorder was
not so serious as to suggest the wrecking of the houses
of our public men.
Earl Cowley's death brines back some strange and
weird recollections of the French Empire when his
lordship was British Ambassador in Paris. He re-
presented this country in the French capital when the
power of the Third Napoleon was in its full splendour.
With the late Earl of Clarendon he was Plenipoten-
tiary at the Conference of diplomatists from
European States which assembled in Paris after
the war with Russia, and was one of those
who „signed the Treaty of Peace in 1836.
The illovrance to the British Ambassador in
Paris is £lO,OOO a-year, and this exalted personage is
of course expected to entertain and to receive the
British residents, or rather the elite of those of his
countrymen who have taken up their quarters in the
French metropolis.

The accounts of the battles hi the Soudan some
months ago gave the newspaper readers some idea
of the fighting qualities of the Arabs, as contrasted
with the craven-hearted Egyptians, who sought to
establish supremacy over them. There are now ten
Soudanese at the Crystal Palace—eight men and two
women--and there can be little doubt that they are a
very intelligent race of people. One could not but
regret that it was found necessary to kill so many
thousands of them in a struggle with which the
English people have neither sympathy nor interest.
Some of the men now at the Crystal Palace actually
fought in the battles of El Teb and Tamanieb, and it
was with considerable difficulty that they were induced
to leave their native deserts to come into the land of
the enemy. ,They did so at length only at the request
of their Sheik, who possesses much influence over
them., Of the two women one is but fourteen years
of age, and she is already married.
The broken weather has not been at all favourable
for the Wimbledon rifle competition. It began just
when the thunderstorms had broken up the fervent
heat and let loose the cool breezes, which were so
grateful to those who had been broiling under an
African temperature. Indeed, these breezes upon
Wimbledon-common have been so active as materially
to interfere with the aim of the marksmen, often
rising into a summer gale. The camp has, however,
not been so thoroughly drenched as in the experience
of some of those who have gone there year by year.
Life,on the tented plain is not agreeable when, instead
of moonlight nights, a fierce wind blows like unto that
which is described as Euroelydon, and the unfortunate
rifleman finds the blanket wherein he has wrapped
himself saturated with water.
• The Lord Mayor allowr the use of the Mansion
House- for many good purposes, and foremost
amongst these is the Cotintry Holidays' Fund, for
sending poor, ailing London children for two or three
weeks from the murky atmosphere of the capital into
the pure air of the country. A meeting in aid of this
benefibent purpose was held in the Egyptian Hall
last week, and at a time of day when City
men are busy, and there are so many other
engagements, it was very fairly attended. An
excellent speech was made by the Earl of Rose-
bery, who dwelt upon the importance of there
being more sympathy and communion between the
urban and the agricultural populations. Mr. Mun-
della made some practical observations based upon
his experience at the Education Department, and
appropriately quoted Mrs. Browning's description
of the poor. children "on the dismal London flags
in the cruel social juggle." There are many appeals
in the metropolitan press for funds for "a day in
the country"; but this special fund would give them
a fortnight or even three weeks "out amongst the
fields and far from town."
The Cabinet has taken an unusual course in. declin-
ing the Lord Mayor's invitation to the customary
MansiOn House banquet at the end of the Session;
but Mr,.(4kLdstone explains it on the ground of
e6sure of business and the anxiety of Ministers to
finish their work., reasons which will also prevent
their ijoyTfig the customary fish dinner at Green-
wich. Saar as the Premier himself is concerned, he
never has been an elaborate diner, and when Chan-
cellor af the .schequer to Lord Palmerston scarcely
ever attended the fish dinners at the Ship; indeed,
during his first administration, from 1868 to 1874,
and while ..Mr. Gladstone represented Greenwich,
these gatlaerings" were altogether suspended.

An old gentleman aecUsed his servant of having
stolen ,a EVE. The man protested perfect innocence.
" Why,* cxeliined. the
never hawalked away mast' er " the stick could
Ve itself." "C
wiler,e it wa.s a walking stick." ertainly not, sir,
The three reasons why a good woman presented for
objecting to a minister were striking ones. She said
that, in the .first place, he read his sermon ; in the
secced, he „did, not read it well; and in
,the third
place, it wa,s not worth reading.
A pompous and opinionated man, when discussing
s certain matter with a lady, exclaimed: "I know I
am right, madam, , I am perfecty sure that I am.
will bet.rny ears on it, madam?" "Do you think it
right to carry betting to such extreme lengths ?.?
quietly r.e9nde4 the lady.
"Loans",( It is always well to be well-in-
fontred):—Clara (pointing to the Umpires) : "Who
are the :Two 'Men in Billy-cock Hats and White
Costs?"' Matilda: "Oh don't you know? Those
are the Had lager's of Tton and Harrow! "
pwcz ,
. .