The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-10 00:00:00

nittropplitan 6osip.

Or OUR OWN

remreks under this head are to be regarded as the ea.
n of independent opini n from the pen of a gentleman
.&rego"m we have the greatest ColliilitllCC, but for which wo
nevertheless do not hold ourselves responsible.]

The Irieh Church Bill, in its new phase is
leading political topic of the day, and the action of the
Mouse of Lords is watched with deep interest. Whether
we shall have a conflict between the two Houses it;
matter for speculation, and many people are inclined
perhaps to say, with Alercutio, "a plague on both
your houses ;" but it is tolerably certain that among
the amendments already made in the bill by the House
of Peers are some which the House of Commons will not
accept. It is scarcely probable, for instance, that the
letter will accede to the amendments which favour the
principle of re-endowment, and which delays the die-
establishment and disendowment for two years imitead
of one. The probability seems to be that the two
Homes of Parliament will have a conference on the
subject, that differences may be thus settled, and that
the bill will pass this session. It will be a great boon
to the public if this result be achieved, quite irrespec-
tive of the character of the bill itself, for thus a long-
vexed question will be set at rest.
Always provided the weather be favourable, the vol-
unteer gathering at Wimbledon this year will be more
brilliant than ever. Preparations have been made on.
a larger scale than heretofore, and the camp is now
ne
-scene of delightful animation and bustle. Th.e ar-
rangements for refreshments, on which so muct, of the
comfort of the volunteers and the public deP ends, show
the greatest advance we have yet made in this respect.
There is a splendid large refreshment pavilion; there
are numberless little ruarble•topped P-Ables in the French
cafA style; there la a luncheon counter (offering a
counter-attraction) 200 feet lor.ig, where you can get a
good lunch for a shilling; there is a large commodious
buffet there are kitchena, cellars, lavatories, an ice-
house, smoking divans., ke. In short the volunteers
said their friends will want nothing but the money,
without which the best arrangements are uaeless. It is
remarkable how we have progressed in thelleatter of
catering for the public appetite within the last few years.
It is not so long ago since visitors to the British
Museum, for example, fatigued with the search after
knowledge and the dust of antiquity, could not get
even a glass of water to cool their parched throats.
and were driven to "licensed victuallers" hard by
where no victuals were to be had. But now our public
museums and exhibitions all have—or nearly all,
and the rest are coming—their refreshment depart-
ments, and they are not abused, but used. We might,
I think, go further in the same direction. Every park
ought to have its restaurant. The refreshments might
include a bun, intoxicating drinks, according as their
opponents or advocates might triumph, but at all events
we might have pretty restaurants here as they have in
France, and I for one should not be sorry if they fell
into the hands of French and Italians, for then we
might be sure of getting good coffee, which English
purveyors either cannot or will not make.
The Committee on the site of the new Law Courts
have conimenced their sittings, and are to sit twice a
week—perhaps for a year or two, flke the commis -
sinners on the " standard " weights and measures.
'1 he extraordinary history of this law courts contro-
versy would perhaps fill half a dozen ordinary volumes
of the dreariest reading imaginable. From the time
when the new Palace of Justice was proposed to the
time it will be completed bids fair to be long enough
to build a large city, or to found a colony. And now
that an immense tract of land has been cleared for a site
for the law courts, we appear to be as far off as ever.
We are very plea.santly progressing in the matter of
parks. It was only the other day that Southwark
Park was opened, and Finsbury Park is to be opened
early next month. But (there is generally a but to
temper our rejoicing) the inhabitants of the district in
which the former park is situated are now in fear and
trepidation lest the buildings to be erected close to the
park will not seriously mar the good effects of the park
itself, which is likely enough. Surely the inhabitants o
a district thus threatened should have a voice in the
matter.

Arrangements have been made for throwim: open,
gree from toll, a number of bridges across the Thames
and the Lea; among them the bridges at Kingston, '
Hampton Court, and Kew. This is no doubt a reform,
list it is of little moment to the millions annually who
traverse the metropolitan toll bridges. If London
were, as it should be, under one municipal Govern-
ment, of course these tolls would be very speedily re-
moved, and besides this we should have more bridges
:wross the Thames. It is strange that, with all the
improvements in London during the past few years,
we should have only four free bridges communicating
between the densely populated districts on either side
of the river, whereas Paris, if I remember rightly,
has twenty-six free bridges for a population a third
lees than ours.
At the Queen's breakfast party at Buckingham
Palace it is said that the gentlemen very generally
wore blue dress coats with gilt buttons, black trousers,
and white waistcoats, and it was subsequently stated
that this high authority would probably establish the
hangs from the black dress coat to the blue, with
gilt buttons, for fashionable morning costume. Seeing,
however, that this so-called breakfast did not com-
mence till five o'clock in the evening, it is not easy for
plain, common-sense people to regard this as "morning
costume." It is certain, however, that blue dress coats
:ire becoming very fashionable, and sembauthoritative
paragraphs have appeared stating that "it is under-
wood that the costume to be worn by gentlemen at
the ball to be given by the Prince and Princess of
Wales will consist of a blue dress coat with gilt buttons,
black trousers, and white waistcoat." The reader may
possibly think that all this is matter of no moment,
merely affording another instance of the vagaries of
fashion; and the writer may have "a soul above
buttons," but it is a matter of moment nevertheless.
Even Parliament once upon a time did not have a
soul above buttons, for in 1721 an Act was passed pro-
hibiting the use of buttons covered with cloth, in order
to encourage the use of metal buttons ; and it is well
known that the abandonment of gilt buttons when
blue dress coats went out of fashion threw thousands
out of employment. This new fashion perhaps will
revivify a trade that has almost died out, and in this
respect the change is important.
Now that the frightful crime of murdering seven
people and then committing suicide has passed away
horn our current records through the burial of this ill-
fated family, we shall be apt to forget that, for all that
appears to the contrary, it is now almost as easy as to
procure poison as ever it was. Without further allud-
ing to this sad case, except as &lesson, I see no difficulty
in procuring poison to any amount; it is only a lines-
tomn of time, money, and perseverance. Cannot our
law on this matter be made more stringent?
Very endearing and gushingly affectionate advertise-
ments are common enough in the second column of The
Tunes and the last column of the Telegraph, but it is
not often we find so contemptuous and apparently
malignant an advertisement as this:—" George,—Poor
fool! Your Cllll%B to me are like Bank of England
notes in soy pocket. A.8.5."—1 suppose there are
people who take an especial deligkt in conning over
these mysterious advertisements and speculating on
their meaning, and I know of one gentleman (who
54,11113 to have more time than brains) who collects
these advertisements, and has already a portly folio
volume nearly full of them. But I must not be too
hard upon my acquaintance, for it is really a very
interesting volume to spend an hour over, and it has
this arkwntaire, that it promotes conversation lit au
otherwise dull time. It is an improved " game at
speculation." How many surmises, for instance, may
be made relative to the advertisement I have cited!
How fierce is the competition for commercial em-
ployment may perhaps be seen by the following offer
Clerk (French and English) commencing at 18s. A
married gentleman, master of these languages, pretty
well up in Spanish and book-keeping, desires employ.
ins-oh" If he be a gentleman, which is likely enough,
from his acquirements, how much keener must be his
sense of degradation in taking employment where his
knowledge of these languages may he called into
requisition besides book-keeping, and this at wages
below those of many day labourers! And yet, un-
happily, there are scores of others, perhaps equally
accomplished, though in other ways, who would be
willing to take a clerk's berth for the same princely
remuneration! Such persons would be infinitely better
off as farm labourers in Canada, and if any of them
can turn their hands to this kind of work they had
better go.

anomalies

Another instance has occurred showing the
of our licensing system, or want of system. The pro-
prietor of • music-hall in the Westminster Iload was
refused a spirit licence by the magistrates, and now his
appeal against that decision has been dismissed. It
would be quite as well for the public morality if spirit
licenses were refused to all the proprietors of out music-
halls ; but why should we make fish of one and flesh of
another? It seems curious law and justice that A
should not be allowed to sell spirits and that B, over
the way, should be permitted to do so.

1111 TRIAL LARGESIL—The Emperor and Em-
press of the French went down to the river-side at
St. Cloud one day liwt week to witness a trial of a new
Iron-clad gunboat. When the experiments were over
their Majeeties returned on foot, and the Emperor
observing that they were followed by a considerable
number of children, looked out for a gingerbread
booth, and having found one, purchased the whole
stock and threw it an a scramble amongst the juveniles
who were debghted at the unexpected luncheon.
Thcir Majestics appeared much amused at the *COMIC

LORD CARRINGTON AND MR.
GRENVILLE MURRAY.

The following corrempondenee had been sent to the
London papers for publication
Mn. GRENVILLE MURRAY T. MESSRS. HATHAWAY AND

ANDREWS.

"Brook street, June 23.
"Dear Stra—Last night, at about half-past 12 o'clock as I
was coming out of the Conservative Club a young man in a
white coat was standing on the steps. He said Are you Mr.
Grenville Murray;' I answered ' Yes,' upon which, without
further remark or a moment's warning, he struck a blow at
my hat with a stick which he had concealed behind him. The
dint In my hat is still visible.
I retired into the club and sent for a policeman. The
man in the white coat came to the club door and stopped
the messenger. He said he as I,rd Carrington Ile had a
confederate with him, who looked like a fighting man, and
was dressed in a brown coat and carried a thick stick.
"The person calling himself Lord Carrington while stand-
ing in the doorway of the club said, it may be supposed as
a reason for his behaviour, 'You have written in your paper
against my father,' to which 1 replied • I have done no such
thing, and I have no paper; at this he seemed scared, and
went away.
'. Will you write to Lord Carrington and Inquire, on my
behalf, if he is. indeed, the person here mentioned? Pray
assure his Lord...hip, most positively and unequivocally, that
his father was as utterly unknown to me as he is himself,
that I never `awl any quarrel or dispute with any member of
his family, .and that I never wrote one line concerning any of
them, nor dreamt of any discourtesy to them, and that I
sin nelth or the editor nor proprietor of any newspaper what-
ever.
" A f;ter this explicit and distinct declaration on my part I
inim',lne Lord Carrington will hasten to acknowledge his re-
are, as having, under a misapprehension, committed an un-
;ovoked attack upon Me. I am, &C., GRENVILLE Mticitsr.
"Messrs. Hathaway and Andrews, 12, Bedford-row."

MESSIM FRESTIFIELDg__TO MESSRS. lIATWAWAY AND

" 5, Bank-buildings, June 29.
" Gentlemen,—Lord Carrington has placed in our hands
your communication of the 20th inst., which he received late
on Saturday.
‘• Without entering into the details of what took place at
the Conservative Club, we admit that Lord Carrington WAS
the person who struck Mr. Murray. lie did so in the full
belief that he had made a most infamous attack upon his
father and his family. Mr. Murray must be well aware from
recent events that his connexion with the Queen's M essenger
is a matter of public notoriety, and admits of the clearest
proof. Under these circumstances, he must not expect Lord
Carrington to express any regret for what has happened.
"We are, itc., FRESHFIELDS."

THE SECRETARY OF TEE CoNSERVATIVE CLUB TO MR.
GRENVILLE MURRAY.
"Conservative Club, July 1.
Sir,—T am instructed by the committee to Inform you
that in consequence of circumstances having occurred with
reference to yourself which appear to them • likely to endan-
ger the welfare and good order of the Club,' unless satisfac-
tory explanations are offered to them on or before Wednesday
next, the 7th inst., they will Bud it their duty, in conformity
with the 29th rule of the rules and regulations of the Club, to
call an extraordinary general Pleating of the members on the
subject —I have, bc., "s. IIAXPIoN.
"F Grenville Murray, Esq."

" MR. GRENVILLE MURRAY TO THE SECRETARY OP THE
CoN,I.RVATIVE CLUB.
• - • ^

"Brook-street, July 3.
" Sir,— I have the honour to acknowledge your letter of •
the Ist inst., anti as I am not aware that any conduct of
mine is 'likely to endanger the welfare and good order of the
Club,' tide passage in your letter can only refer to the be-
haviour of Lord Carrington.
" I have been fourteen years a member of the Conservative
Club I have very seldom used it, having lived abroad, but
now that I reside in London the advantages of membership
are material to me, Independent to the regret I should feel in
being dissociated from a body of gentlemen I esteem so highly
and with whose political opinions I entirely agree.
" But, apart from these circumstances, there are serious
questions underlying the apparently trilling one at issue,
and I feel myself e r a moment the depository of two very
important rights.
The maintenance of the first deeply concerns the liberty
of the Press, the second has a far wider and graver significa-
tion, as affectieg the law of private honour.
"I am accused, I understand, of the authorship of news-
paper articles. The alleged proofs are certain papers unlaw-
fully in the hands of Messrs. Newman, ineinbers of the
Club. Let these gentlemen produce the papers and account
for their possession. Whence and where did they procure
them; at whose instigation, and how? I deny the author-
ship of the articles, I deny the authenticity of the proofs,
and (protest against the reception by the Club Committee of
fabricated documents, which I unheeitatingly declare to have
been used on this occasion at the instigation of Mr. N
ow-
man's client, John Bidwell, with a view to injure me. lily
plain deilial once given, I decline to enter into the subject
further with the Club Committee. I claim their protection
against my unfair adversaries, who, if they believe in their
own allegations, have the law open to them.
•• This is my whole case, and it is not the first time I have
given an emphatic denial to this charge. Months ago I
denied it to my chief, Lord Clarendon, who had a right to
question me : to the Duke of Itnekingham, my relative, and to
Lord Stanley of Alderley. my old colleague. I have satisfied
my friends, my enemies I am not bound to satisfy.
Lord Carrington, acting upon an erroneous Impression
which may have been niade upon idm by other persons for
their own end., so Inc forgot the respect due to himself and
to me as to offer me a cowardly affront. I was alone; he was
accompanied by another person. I was unarmed ; they were
both armed, and it was past midnight. Lord Carrington did
not strike me He suddenly, without any warning, made a
feeble womanly blow at the top of my hat I was extretnely
astonished by so unprovoked an affront, hut I felt that more ,
than ordinary forbearance was due from a man of my years I
to a weak end intaminetate youth On the following day,
therefore. I explicitly disavowed all intention of offending
Lord Carrington in thoncht, word, or deed, and requested an
apology for his Lordship's misconduct. Lord Carrington,
who is a peerof the realm and a tmgistrate in the communion
of the peace, refused to express any regret at having com-
mitted a breach of the law, and he discovered a firm of
solicitors who were not ashamed to communicate a fact so
discreditable to hirn.
I have lived much abroad, and had I acted as my feelings
prompted I should have h,rsewhipped Lord Carrington and
sent him a challenge. My friends, however, urged that, in-
dependent of breaking the law, which we are all bound to
respect. it would be simply ridiculous for an officer of mature
age, and belonging to a grave profesdon, to tight a duel with
an antagonist young enough to be his son. They reisised me
to treat the case as If the offence had been committed by a
vulgar brawler: 31141, as Lord Carrington has put himself In
that category by refusing to apologise I did so.
. "Then came your letter, written by order of the Club Com-
mittee.
- ••• •

" I venture to think that the Committee will he of opinion
that I have acted rightly and properly on this occasion.
Every English gentleman must, in common with myself, feel
interested in their decision. To-day my name is before the
public, to-morrow it may be a member of the Club Com-
mittee, or Mr Disraeli, or Lord Salisbury whn is said to be
proprietor of the Saturday Review), or Lords Lichfield, Elcho,
and Grosvenor the accredited owners of an extinct journal
known as the Day); or any other journalist of vote who may
fall under the suspicion of some illiterate lad ; so that opinion
must pronounce itself clearly and definitely, and once for all.
"1 beg, sir, that you will be so kind as to lay my letter
before the Club Committee. "I have, sbc., GRENVILLE
MURRAY."