The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-16 00:00:00

111M111

THE PRINCE OF WALES.

MANIFESTATIONS OF SYMPATHY IN
LONDON.

The most profound excitement and sympathy were
visible on Sunday in the metropolis and the suburban
districts. The all-absorbing topic was the state .gf the
Prince of Wales ;an tin all directions where an oppor-
tunity was afforded gd a glance at the latest bulletin,
large crowds were assembled. The tone of the
bulletin issued by the Royal Physicians at eight a.gn.
had not an encouraging effect on the eager inquirera
but the official document issued at noon seemed to be
looked upon inure favourably. Subsequently, however,
to the 5.30 p.m. information from Sandringham, public
anxiety was at its height, and a feeling of depression
wise strongly apparent, grave doubts as to the charac-
ter of the next news being entertained. Between
seven and eight o'clock the neighbourhood of Marl-
is rough-house wax besieged, ant the answer to
" Nothing since 5.50! " and again " There'll
le. nothing more till 11 !"must have tired the patience
of those appointed to answer applicants. Nine o'clock
came, and in the meantime the crowd assembled in
Pall-mall became more dense, and by ten o'clock many
more were added to the number of persons composing
it. Each approaching vehicle was supposed to convey
a messenger bearing the anxiously-looked-for telegram,
and melancholy speculations were heard among the
people. At five minutes to eleven a message reached
Marlborough Hotue, and the anxiety shown by the
crowd while waiting for its contents to be made known
was intense. Several persons were seen to raise their
hats before the result was made known. The bulletin
was soon pouted up, and the crowd (many of its mem-
bers having waited for hound dispersed with but faint
hope left.
It may be stated that on the receipt of the telograme
at Marlborough-house, collies were sent to the Home-
office and to Scotland yard, and also tO the various
public places, including theatres— and on Sunday the
several chnrelies and chapels in London and the euburbe
were furnished with a copy, whieh was posted in the
porches or on the (hews, and eagerly perused by the
congregation as they left their place of worship. The
interest felt in the progress of the Prince of Wales's
health extended to all parts of the country, and in
order that those resident at a I listanoe in the country
should be furnished with the latest information, the
head postal telegraphic offices were opened for four
extra hours on Sunday to meet the great demand of
menages.

On Saturday, as on the previous day, the greatest
excitement was occasioned in the City of London, by
the news of the Prince's dangerous condition. At the
Mansion-bouse bulletins and telegrams were received
throughout the day by the Lord Mayor, and at once
posted in a conspicuous position outside the building
for the information of the public'. Large crowds
assembled there from early morning until dusk, and
read eagerly the various placards relating to his Royal
Highness, the favourable bulletins of Saturday ap-
pearing to produce a general feeling of hopefulness and
confidence. The news from Sandringham, as received
in print from the Home-office, was displayed at many
other klace of public resort in the City, and was most
eagerly sought after. On all aisles the greatest sym-
pathy for the Prince alai for the Royal Family was
expressed.

The Clerkenwell democrats were holding their
weekly Sunday night discussions at the "Hole in the
Wall," the subject being Home Rule, and Mr. Odger
and Mr. Osborne both being present, when the
dangerous condition of the Prince of Wales was
announced by the chairman, and notwithstanding the
Republican sympathies of nearly every perain in the
crowded room, there was a general and unmistakeable
expression of sympathy with the Queen under her
present affliction.

At the closest the business at the ordinary meeting
on the Metropolitan Asylums' Board on Saturday, Mr.
Furness, of St. Pancras, amidst the most profound
silence, moved a resolution in reference to the Prince
of Wales. He remarked that the business of the day
having concluded, he had the permission of the chair-
man to Irak the managers to give expression to their
feelings upon the subject which he believed was that
day occupying the minds of almost every true 'English-
man. He alluded to the illness of the Prince of V. ales.
(Hear, hear.) The duties of that board brought them
into contact with the humbler classes of society in
their sore afflictions of sickness and disease; and, as an
important representative body, he felt sure they could
not be considered as stepping out of their way to express
the deep sorrow they felt with the Queen and Royal
Fivoily in their present deep and alarming trouble.
(Hear, hear.) He moved, "That the managers beg
to exprees their deep sorrow at the dangerous illness of
his Royal Highness the Prince of Wales, and record
their earnest hope that by the interposition of Divine
Providence, his recovery will be vouchsafed to the
nation." (Hear, bear.) Mr. Wyatt, J.P., seconded
the resolution, which was at once put and unanimously
carried, and Mr. Joseph Salter moved, and Mr. Lockyer
seconded, a motion to forward a copy of the resolution
to the Home Secretary, which was also carried unani-
mously, anti the Board broke up.
During the sitting of the magistrate at the Worship.
street Police-court on Saturday, the magistrate received
a copy of the 9 o'clock telegram from Sandringham,
which he said he was sure all persons in oourt (it was
crowded) would hear with pleasure. The magistrate
then read it aloud, and the announcement that the
symptoms of his Royal Highness's illness were more
favourable was received with a burst of applause, which
was allowed to continue unchecked.

The popular sympathy WILS shown by the compara-
tive emptiness of the theatres. Only in Drury Lane
Theatre, the Olympic, and the Gaiety were what is
known in theatrical circles as Saturday night audiences
to be seen. In the others there was a sensible falling
off. An interesting incident occurred at the Globe
Theatre on Saturday. In the afternoon a special per-
formance was given for the benefit of the late Mr. Mark
Lemon's family, and after the principal piece Mr.
If. Williams came before the curtain and said :
"Ladies and gentlemen, I cannot refrain from stat-
ing, before I retire, that the latest telegram from
Sandringham represents our beloved Prince as being
even better than he was this morning." (Enthusiastic
applause, which was wound up by the orchestra play-
ing "God Bless the Prince of Wales I" and all present
standing during its performance.)

•On Monday again, in the City of London, the con-
dition of the Prince was the all-absorbing subject of
conversation and anxiety, and great excitement pre-
vailed throughout the whole dayand far into thenight.
The arrival of every successive bulletin was awaited
with evident alternations of hope and fear, and each
was read with intense interest. All business, except such
as was absolutely unavoidable, appeared to have been
suspended, and the principal thoroughfares in the im-
mediate neighbourhood of the Mansion-house and the
Royal Exchange—for the time centres of information
—were thronged by crowds of excited people. The
Lord Mayor lost no time in having each bulletin, as it
reached him from the Home Office or from General
Knollys, posted outside his official residence, and in
sending copies, as on Saturday and Sunday, to the
Mayors of various cities and towns, both in England
and Ireland, in answer to urgent appeals for informa-
tion. As each placard was exhibited there was an
eager struggle to read it, and those who succeeded in
getting near usually vested the intelligence to those
who were less fortunate. No news during the Cri-
mean War or the Indian Mutiny was ever scanned
with anything like the painful anxiety which that
from Sandringham excited in the City, and, indeed,
throughout the whole metropolis.

LONLO,!I, Wednesday.
Tnesday, .in, SI may well he supposed, was an exceed-
ingly an:II/Ude, in the City of London. At nest, to find on
awaiting that the Prince was still among the living, seemed
to inspire heel' hope, and libe bulletins dining the day
rather tended to encourage that feeling, especially the
lint, which stated that the pulse waa fairly good, though
there had been almost no sleep. The predominant senti-
ment, more or leas, all through the day was buoyant and
hvehil, but it was occasionally disturbed by misgivings-
Most people appeared to rely on the Prince's youth and re-
maining strength as augurite of a blessed result, the more so
according to the eight o'clock bulletin, the exhaustion
had not increased, though there were no signs of Improve-
ment. The mid-day bulletin was awaited with feverish
anxiety, and, it must be owned, its general effect, when it
did arrive, was somewhat depressing, referring as it did to a
restless ue'n,lng. though people seemed to catch at the
expression that the general condition remained unchanged
The Lord Mayor, participating In the universal sympathy
tel concern, bad, as usual, each bulletin on it arrived
from the Home (Mee posted in front of 1314 official residence,
where k was read by thoneands. Those that followed in the
evening were exhibited immediately under a gas-lamp near
the side entrance to the Mansion House, by the light of
which they could be eaaily perused. The eve o'clock bulletin
was a little moro encouraging, anal people took fresh
heart from it, but still waited in great numbers in
the Waste until far in the night for further intelligence.

EDINBCR.II, IVNlneeclay.

In Rdinbunth and throughout Scotland the excitement in
isonsequence of the Illness of the Prince of Walea continues.
Yesterday great anxiety wag again manifested to obtain the
latest news regarding the condition nib's Royal Highness.
Up to a late hour last night crowds were collected in front
of the Edinburgh General Post-office, where the telegrams
were posted up. In Edinburgh and other towns meetingi of
varloua kinds have been postponed in consequence of the
Illness of the Prince.

.I)untus, Tuesday.

. .
The public anxiety with respect to the Prince of Wales is
unabated. On Sunday prayers were offered up for his Royal
Highness's recovery in all the Protestant churches. In-
quiries were eagerly made for the latest information, and
special sheets were published with the day's bulletins. The
demand for news from Sandringham Is as urgent as during
the war fever, and it has been found necessary and profits
able to meet It by reviving the publication of handbills,
which had been discontinued since the close of the war. The
several newspaper offices are beset with crowds of anxious
ingnirers, and to satisfy the desire of the public the tele-
grams were posted up outside the windows, and in
some of the most frequented plates. The thoughts of all the
respectable classes of citizens appear to be centred in tho
home of the Royal patient, and the concerns which usually
engage attention at this season are for the time forgotten.
All the details which the London papers have given are tele-
graphed fully to the journals here, and are read with the
deepest interest. In Belfast and other towns, there have
been similar manifestatione of public sympathy. The fol-
lowing is the text of the letter in which Cardinal Cullen, in
loyal harmony with the general feeling of the public, ex-
pressed his determination to postpone the intended meeting
on the subject of education. It Ls addressed to the requisi-
tionists

----•--- •
DUBLIN, Saturday, Dec.
" Gentlemen.—The accounts regarding the illness of the
Prince of Wales, received in this city lost night and this
morning, have been the occasion,! anxiety and alarm to
the subjects of Iler gracious Majesty. and have excited In
their minds profound sympathy for a mother in her deep
affliction.

-77-1;;;;Uaile4 that in such circumstances it would not be
proper to interfere with the prevailing feeling of the public,
have determined to postpone, as I now do. the meeting .if
the Catholics of Dublin, which at your request 1 had eon-
vened for Tuesday next, the 12th inst.
. _ .

" Let as hope and pray that tbe prescnt gloom may be
only transient, and that after a short interval no shall he
able to hold the proposed meeting, and, free from painful
apprehensions, to occupy ourselves more fully with the in,
pertant question of Catholic education.
" Wishing you every happiness, I remain yours faithfully,
' PAUL rAKDIAAL CULLEN."

BOUTACNN, Tuesday.
The relapse of the Prince has east a gloom over the English
Comunutity here. and over blue the fleet hail news arrived the

anxious inquiries at &Within. 'I Library whore the telegrams
are et hibited, for the latest Intelligence about Ms Royal
Ilighnes are endless On Sunday, prayers were offered up
In all the English places of worship, and special reference
was made by the various preachers in their sermons. Un-
fortunately both the cables between Folkestone and Bou-
logne and Inner and Calais wore broken, eoesoyientiy all
telegrams bad to en round by I dew, aunt PATIO. tin leg
it the. delays. Sunday morning's Millet in did not arrive till
11. and was immediately banded to the officiating clergy-
men. some of whom, when asking the prayers of the congre-
gation for the Prince, read tile welcome news that he had
passed &quiet night. Many Frenchmen have displayed much
sympathy. It Is On such occasions an the death of the late
Prince Consort, the marriage of the Prince of Wales, lind
the present affliction of the Royal family that tho French
realise what a truly loyal people the English are. French
Republicans regard English loyalty with surprise and re-
spect, while the Monarchists remark with pride that their
Enprinciples are the great rallying point ot the liberty-loving
glish.