The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-09 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

In Paris, at the present time, there are some hall a
dozen celebrst,al female efolludsts of differest ages.

A duel with uwordu WAN fought on Saturday at Mar-
seilles betwten two newspaper writers, ,tie of whom was
twice wounded.

A committee of engineers has been named to inspect
the catacombs of Paris, as was to have been dune at the com-
mencement of Jaly, le7O.

-
The Rev. Newman Ilall ham lost bim mother, who
was the widow of Mr. John Vine 11.11, the author of a tract
entitled "The Sinner's Friend."

The definitive plan for the reconantetion of the
Vendome column JIM been end to the Minister of the It,
terior, who will lay it before the Chamber at the beginning
of the session.

The rectory of Winkley, North Devon' has become
vacant by the death of the Rev. John Fisher Turner. II is
worth about 4350 a year, and is in the gift of the Dean and
Chapter of Exeter.
The 1,116,11 Branch of the National Education
League has been dissolved, owing to the differences amongst
Its members upon the question of forming schools on entirely
secular principles.

- -
The number of Food, Water, and Air for thip; month,
in an article on the adulteration of coffee, shows that white
of 34 samples examined some years Ebner no less thiut 31 were
adulterated, of 18 samples now reported upon, tire only
wets adulterated.

A Conference of London working men, according to
the Daily News, will shortly assemble, in order to agree
upon • plan of conibinfel action with a view to the Inure
efficient representation of the working classes in the !louse
of Commons.

The 10th of January ham been fixed for the national
banquet in Limerick. Mr. butt and ntherprominent Mtn.
bur. of the Home Rule organisation will be present, and an
Important demonstration is expected tu inaugurate the l'ar-
liamentary campaign.

- -
An association has been started in Edinburgh b a. ob-
taining the dhestablishment and discinlowment of the State
Church in Scotland and the abolition of 411 laws for apply-
ing national and municipal resources to ecclesiastical pur-
poses.

The "Anti-Kissing Society" formed by the fascinat-
ing damsels at Saratoga dirt seem to work very wen, as
fifteen out of the twenty-three members were lined the very
first week. There will be an overflowing treasury before
lung unless the 'moiety dideusla

•
Mr. Michael ihi;id Sibbald Scott, the eldest son of
Sir Sibbald David Scott, of Dunninald, Forfarshire, has been
charged at the Mansion.houso, in London, with baring
obtained A5OO worth of jewellery, under false preteurei. A
remand was granted.

The meaning of the name of Her Majesty's ship
Glattoot Is thus explained l—Glatton is a small village in
Huntingdonshire, and gave the name to a fatuous frigate of
the long war with France, after which noble vessel the pre-
sent monster is

The opening of the Mont (die Tunnel hrtS exercised
so great an ittiluenee over the West SWiSii Railways, that
the receipts of the first tot days of the current mouth have
ewe aled by foLimdr. those of the corretpontling period
of the last year.

"No laisse of time awl no depth .4 misfortune will
ever deprive France of the rank which her geogiaPhleal
position and her nwterial and mental advantages have given
her at the head of Europe an nations. it was the boast of
that country when at the height id her p•wer and prospoity
that on her satisfaction depended the world's tranquillity ;
hut the world is not re-assure 41 by all her prostration antl
exhaustion."— Leader In The lair,

The following circular ha, been isme(l from the War
(mice to the army .--••• The expense of 'working and main-
taining window blinds for officers quarters' is not charge-
able againid the public. Blinds now fixed, which have beau
supplied free of charge, may remain provided they be main-
tained at the occupant's expense. Any occupant but wishing
to retain the Win& at his own cost will make a notificatien
to this effect to the controller of the district, In order that
they may be removed and taken into store."

- -
Thirteen gentlemen met at Hendon on Saturday to
mpete in a match at pigeon shooting hir a challenge cup.
At the close ,11 the seventh round a tie was proclaimed
latween the young nobleman who shoots in the assumed
lIIIMe of "I:ede " and Mr. Hayward, who stood at 24 yards
to his lordillipa 271, each having killed six out of seven. In
shooting off the ties "Mr. heir" won the cup at the first
shot, and A:Vs of the optional entrance feLs.

Lord Leigh, with full Maaonic i'tote, on Monday
laid the foundation-stone of a new building which is to be
aOded to rue tmecu's Hospital, Lirminnhans, at a cost of
KNOW. lier Slajesty recently contributed MO guineas to
the fund, which a committee of working men raised, for the
purpose of meeting the expenditure. A choir of I,ootl
children sang a hymn composed for the occasion by the Rev.
Canon Kingsley.

A fatal accident has taken place at one of the col-
lieries belonging to the Eft! of Dudley, near Dudley. Four
men, named Pritchard. Timmins, smith, and Altley, entered
a skip which was about to descend the pit. The engineer
pulled the Alp up too high, and Pritchard and Adley
jumped over, but ni,ssed the stage, slid fell into the shaft.
Tin ir bodies store foiiiid at the bottom shockitgly dis-
figured. Timmins also jumped, hut, seeing danger, clung tn
the tackling of the skip, and in this way he was safely let
down with :Audth, who sat still.

About four thousand cloth•dressers, in the employ of
fotty firms at shrtheld, were locked out on Monday because
y refuse to sign a promise not to support the nine hours'
movement. Some time ago the dressers olitained an advance
of wages : since then the Saturday half-holiday has heen con-
ceded, 11111 i now they demand th.: nine hours' limit, the
notices for which expire this week. Some firms have con-
ceded the

A great meeting of operative bleachers wax held at
Bow. on Saturda3 evening, to celebrate the eoming into
force on New Year's-day of the Act for further limiting the
holds of labour in bleach and print works. It was stated in
a report that in print tem ks alone the Act would affect
upwards of 4.(khl children bete eon the ages of eight and
thirteen, 7,00 J between the ages of thirteen and eighteen,
and 3,000 women over eighteen. Mr. Charley, M.P , was
amongst the speakers.

An exciting germ w vitnemsed on Monday fore-
noon in a densely-populated part of lamdou known as Cow-
cross. West Smithfield. A three-Murry wooden tenement
was found to be on fire, and the Hamra spread with such
rapidity that the retreat of the inmates was cut off. A man
named lid warden succeeded in lowering Its six children out
of a window by means of blankets aml sheets tied together,
then his wife, and tinnily himself. us mother, however,
was burnt to death.

The Court of Error Las given indolent in the
litigation between Mr. Sasby and Mr. Mackenzie for the
alleged Intrinaement f the plaintiffs patent for railway
signals. M Wines said that the defendant's system
teas so important to the safet) ,f trains that official authori-
ties now declined to pass a lira as safe on which the system
was not adopted and a line conducted on the plaintiff's
system of allowing the points simultaneously lifting the
signals, would now be deemed to be unsafe. The Judgment
of the court was for the defendant.
"The Attorney-General, adverting to Mr. Baigent's
allusion to the passage in the Nahum about all men being
liars, said—. I think, any lord, that for the honour of human
nature it should be remembered that in that message of
Scripture which has boo] mentioned it is stated to have been
said by David "in his haste." We are reminded of the
Scottish minister, who, on reading the well-known iassage,
'I said in mine haste that all men are liars,' favoured his
congregation with the following comment Eh, David,
mon ! if ye'd lived nowadays, ye'd have mild it at your lei-
sure.' "—Court Journal.

At the Cbehnsford assizes, on Tuesday, James Bass
Mußinger, a graduate of Cambridge Cuivirsity, was tried on
a charge of attempting to murder Mrs. Maslen., the wife of
his step-brother, at Harlow, in September last. The pri-
soner's counsel net up the defence of insanity, hut upon Mr.
Baron Martin Intimating that he did not think the evidence
would bear out the charge of feloniously wounding, the pri-
soner pleaded guilty to the charge of unlawfully wounding,
and was sentenced to twelve mouths' imprisonment. Ills
lordship, In passing sentence, said he was clearly of opinion
that the defence of insanity would not have availed the
prisoner. On acemint of the gmld charade/ he had reedy.'
and some physical infirmity under which he was labouring,
Mr. Baron Martin said the imprisonment would' be without
hard labour.

A meeting was 1..44 at Birmingham, on Tuesday
night, under the presidency of Mr. George Walton, in sup-
port of the woman suffrage movement. The principal'
apeakers were Mrs. Fawcett. Miss Stnrge, the lion. Auheron
Herbert, M. I'., Mr. f:eorge Dixon, M. P., and the Rev. It. W.
Crosskey. A resolution was adopted, setting forth that
f' ownership or occupation of lands and houses being the
basis of representation in this country, it is against principle
to make sex a ground of disqualification, thereby mcluding
a large number of intelligent persons well qualified to
exercise the elf ctoral franchise." A petition is favour of
Mr. Jacob Bright's bill was also agreed to.
The death is announced of Mr. W. Brett, of
Westfield, IC ingston-onl !mutes, a brother of Mr. Justice
Brett. The deceased, who was private secretary to Lord
Romilly, was a Justice of the peace for Surrey, and on
Thursday, in last week, was at the Kingston reify Seeeinns,
and WA, more part than usual in the proceedings, having
from the effects of an attack of paralysis been prevented
at times from attending the court at all. When the busi-
ness was over Mr. Brett was leaving the roam, but stag-
gered anti fell. He remained insensible nearly two hours,
and was then taken to his residence, when he died on Friday
morning The deceased was highly esteemed by Ms col-
leagues on the bench.

---- -
Mr. Edward Betel., who hag recently entered Par-
liament in the Conservative interest as Sir Robert Collier's
successor in the representation of Plymouth, la a son of the
late Mr. Joseph Bates, of Halifax, Yorkshire, and waa born
in the year ISM. He is a leading East India merchant and
shipowner at Liverpool, and a inagistrate for Lancashire. He
now enters Parliament for the tiret time. Mi. Bates has
been twice married—firstly, in 1837, to Charlotte, daughter
of Mr. C. Smith ; arid, secondly, in 1444, to Ellen, daughter
of the late Mr. Thomas Thompson, of Bessie, Yorkshire.

A discovery has been made at. Chatham of the hull
of the Senhorse, old brig of war, which, according to Ad-
miralty records, was wrecked in Chatham harbour exactly
2oir years ago The portions of the hull now brought to
light were discovered during the time the woiiiturn were
employed in excavating for the foundations for the bed of
the new basins and docks which are bring constructed at
Chatham dockyard, the hull Mine found imbedded some
depth In the mud and sand at the spot inhere she was wrecked.
Most r if the timbers of the vessel Lave born secured, and are
found to be in an excellent state of preservation, notwith-
standing the length of time the hull has been submerged.

Last Saturday WO men in the employ of Messrs.
Dudgeon, the engineers and shipbuilders of-Cu-hitt-town and
Millwall, walked in procession to present an address to the
firm. thanking them for the liberal manner in which they
have adopted the nine hours movement. Thu procession
was headed by the baud of the Tower Hamlets Volunteers,
and displaying flags, bustlers, and emblems of the trade. At
the shipyard they were joined by the shipwrights with two
hands of music. Among the Inscription on the flags were the
following Health and success to and W. Dudgeon !"
" Pull together boys !" and • clock dial with the hour hand
stopped at liillo. A complete ship's steering appmatus with
the words " steer together in unity !" was drawn through
the streets by a horse and cart. The procession searched to
the offices in London-street, city, when the address was pre-
elated to the Um.

The "Olive Leaf Lodge" of Good Teinplare in
Dundee have agreed to petition Parliament to abolish the
present system of proclaiming marriages.

•
The lcineess of Wales and the Duke of Edinburgh
attended Mein° worship on Sanday morning In the church
at Sandringham.
The following naive notice has lmen issued at Nan-
terre : --" In conamtuenee of the Prussian occupation there
will be no crowning of the rosii:re this year."
The Chancellor of the Exchequer lina acknowledged
In The Times the leceipt of the brat half of a £lO note from
'Q also of 4a. :M. (stamps)" for the Exchequer Fund."
An official of the French Foreign Office, hearing in
dictation the name -1,11.1 John Russell," wrote, ' for jaun•
Tho F.,nperor of (iermany is unwell, and his indis!
eausing some dtiquietude on account of tin ad-
vorte.,: ago.

The official returns issued by the authorities of the
county 114 Nolthal.,i.t.m blplv44 frc4i places where this
disease lies occurred. ll.ts Is a reduction on the number of
the previous week, when it ran up suddenly trona 31 to t 4.
The Emperor of Genuany has been graciously
pleased to confer the C 108.9 of Mont on Mrs. Henry Templer
for senices reuilered to the sick and wounded during ti..
late War.

A small-pox hospital has just been opened at
Taunton, and a general exodus has taken place from the
neighbourhood. Action against the local board Ls threatened
by the owners of adjoining property.
It is stated that the Prince:, Marguerite of Orleans,
eldest daughter of the Duke is ls emours, Is betrothed be
Prince czartoryski The marriage Is expectei to take piaci
in Jantutry next.

The irencli Assembly, consisting, of 750 member+,
contains one prince, seven dukes twenty-eight marquises,
eight viscounts, twelve barons, and forty-three counts. Nut
bad for a Republican affair.

It i. stated that the correspondence which has re-
cently been puhltatet, se having passed between 11r. (flail-
stone and •• senor Antonio," on the subject of Gibraltar, la
altogethiu spurious.
A liatition is in anirse of signature at Bolt 4 di, asking
the Home Secretary to institute an inquiry Into the conduct
of the magistrates by whose order the pollee were restrained
from interfering to suppress the recant riot in that town.
. - -

- • • ---••-• •••-•
The Duke of Beaufort writea to nay that he had no
groom with biro daring bis visit to bondeaborotigh Lodge,
and that none of his groom, have since ha retarn been annea-
ling from typhoid fever.

- -
Last Saturday the west pier at Leith was set on
by a pitch nettle bulling over, and the greoter part of the
structure, being of wood, was destroyed. The shipping, some
of winch was in dangerous proximity, escaped damage.
The honour of 'wink; the richest man in the 1.-nited
States Iles between William h. Astor, Cornelius Vanderbilt
and A. I'. Stewart. Probably neither of these gentlemen oast
tell within ten millions of what he is worth, and Were is net
supposed to be much difference between them.
The bill for prosecuting clergymen "who are guilty
of abuse of their office "—that is, who meddle too much in
politics, or lend the influence of their position to sway poli-
tical centests,—has passed the third reading in the German
Parliament by a large majority.

The Swiss Tihus says that the Grand Council hag
decre,d that the right of the authorisation of lotteries,
gautiog-liouses, and casinos, whose avowed Itijeet is specu-
lation, is, and remains exclusively, the province of the legis-
lative powers.
" llochefort's occupation at Fort Bayard is that of
writing the history of Nipoieon 111. The title of the book
will of course be cuttingly insolent ; it is, to Iset—lli,foire
'lli Bar Etnpirr, on, le, Arcaures cis I“hert Maraire."—
Courl Jourual.

A new saddle has been approved by the War Office
autin.rities for the see of the cavalry and artillery. The
castle is entirely dose &way with, the unites are made of
iron instead of woaol, and tie alise can he just SA easily
secured as it has hitherto bees to the cantle The weight of
the old saddle Was considerably greater than the present
pattern.

Amongst the items of intelligence brought by the
/Amid° from the West Coast of Africa. Is the announcement
of Cousul Hopkins having succeeded in settling a fued ef old
standing between the New Calabar and Pliny Chiefs and
people, and the subsequent probability of a cessation of hos-
tilities between Wm Jumbo and Jii-Js.
Some Londoners journeyed to Sheffield to play two
matches With the gentlemen of the Sheffield Club, and the
first took place last Saturday at the Braman cricket-ground.
Nearly :,,000 persons were pre.nt. At about half-past two
o'clock the ball was kicked If. and a Aliely-contested game
ensued; but, although the dribbling of the Londoners was
very good, the Shah:tilers proved too much for them, even-
tually obtaining three goals to one.
The New Northwort (Montana) of the 4th Nov. nays:
—"We arednfurnied that a Chiminian was hung in Hender-
son Gulch, between twelve and one o'clock on Tuesday
morning, under the following circumstances broke in
the back door of a store and stole sonic 200 dole. or CM dole,
lie was caught and suhjected to a citizen's court. The above
was proven. On the question of banging I.lm the vote stood
11l ayes and IS noes, and the sentence was thereupon carried
into elfeet."
The new lady's bat just brought out in Paris is called
the casserole, being exactly of the shape of a copper sense-
pan, or something like the helmet worn by the Knights
Templar's of old. The hat has not the smallest eympnen of
brim, and the crown is ornamented to the very eunuoit sills
alternate bands of velvet arid satin. A tulle aigrette is
placed In front, and adds to the fierce aspect of the whole.
According to the latest statistics, the s,ooocaf.;s and
public bars of Paris employ hots ten to twelve thousand
servants, and do business on an average to the amount of
five millions sterling. The gotroots (salters or Iranian), who,
practically speaking. are directly paid by the customers in
the shape of bakshuh of from d, upwards, are in receipt
from those pour-I/yin:dr of the respectable sum of £2.12,015)
per annum.
A meeting was held on Clerkenwell-green on Sunday
morning, under the auspices of the " Universal Republican
League," for the purpose of expressing sympathy with the
views of Sir Charles Dilke. There wets present a large
number if foreigners, several of whom addressed the meet-
big oil Communism mid the recent executions. A reso:utiou
was pawl in a:contain* with the object of the meeting,
and alati a retool luidlgliatioli against the French Govern-
ment for the execution of komel, PeerS, aol Cremieux. The
resolution further expressed an opinion that it was 1/1111mUlld
policy. A este of sympathy with the surviving relatives of
the Communist martyrs was aloe passed.
- - -

The Firebrace divorce suit fa movt remarkable one)
has been before Lord romance and a special jury. The lime
band is the soil of a major in the army, and is of good posi-
tion, lie seeks a dissolutiou of marriage ou the ground ot
his wife's adultery with five eo-resjeddents, one being the
petitioners brother, and another the respondent's shter's
sou. Mrs. imbrue Is the daughter of lm. Black, as
Australian mednal niasi Xl.' had a large fortune, besides
rest personal attractions and
" The obituary of The Times of Saturday, the .2nd
inst., contained some rare Mestrations of prolonged ex-
istence in several persons of both sexes, hot more partic-
ularly in the eases of five ladies, w hOlit united ages amounted
to 40 ye:us, giving an average of VI oars and exactly two
months to each here were two at 6., and one each at 9t,
td 97 years of acre. There were also two gelltit 111.. aged re-
speLtively SO and CO years of age. Ox adding these ages to
those of the ladles it would aft,rd an avencte of rather more
than sOyrum and five mouths to each of thole seven persons.

The Italians resident in New York recently called a
meeting to consider the best means of ridding the country
of the organ-grinders, who are apparagitly as great a pest in
the United states as they ale in Englund. 7he conclusion
arrived at was that tint alternative of honest employment or
prison fare should he offered to each performer, and that thus
the nuisance might be put down by the bwal authorities a
each district, with the aid of a committee, without any
cruelty to the itinerant music-makers.
Tile Pope, reptying to a deputation of visitors that
vi ailed upon him the other day, expressed confidence in the
final triumph of the Church, and scouted the Idea of his
coming to any understanding with the Italian Government.
—The Times states upon authority that the Pope has no
tention of leaving Home, adding that his Holiness i 6 in per-
fect health, and that "there is not the least chance of hie
giving way to the Italian Government."
At Bath, on Friday, in last week, a public meeting
was convened by Mr. la. shum, FAA., to form an anti-in-
come-tax association. The meeting was attended by a
number of professional and commercial inhabitants at the
ally, who unanimously passed resolutions strongly con-
demnatory of the itovine-tax, the heavy addition anode to
It by the present government, and also of the reckless anode
of assessment oractitied by the commissioners. A:1 inunda-
tion Was formed consistiLg of ncembets psying au annual
subscription of ts. Cd.