The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-07-29 00:00:00

Our fagot Cortespaitt.

[We deem it right to state that we do not at all times
douWy muselves with our Conesisindent's opinionaj

Opinions, of course, widely differ as to the political
situation, viewed from this or that party point of view,
but there are some considerations of general interest—
not wholly independent of party politics, but still
somewhat above them. It is undoubtedly a great pity
that after such a deal of time had been devoted to the
consideration of the Army Bill in one house, it should
be claborattiy and studiously set on one side by the other,
thus threatening to undo the principal work of the session.
It is a pity, too, perhaps, that Ministers felt that they
twist have recourse to the Royal Warrant abolishing
the Purchase system ; but I believe the opinion of the
decided majority of the people of this country is that
that system is so had that it is well to abolish it by
any weans. At all events, at the present time, this
step seems to be likely to secure the passing of the
measure. It was the Duke of Richmond whose amend-
ment shelved the bill for a time ; it is the same Duke
who now has a resolution on the paper, commencing,
" That this House, in assenting to the second reading
of this Bill, desires to express," &c., and containing the
significant words, "Anti this House assents to the
second reading of this Bill only in order," &c. So that
it really does seem probable, at last, that the bill will
be carried. And the Ballot Bill? Ay, thereby hangs
a tale--which would be tedious to tell, and which would
he of very little value in view of the kaleidoscopic
changes of the position ofthis

From the much I have read and the little I have I
seen of the Wimbledon Volunteer gathering this year,
I fear it cannot be stated en the whole to have been so
anccessful an affair as we might reasonably have ex-
pected it would have been. The weather in this, as in
ao many other months in this country, has been a sad
marplot. Boisterous winds, heavy showers—storms '
would scarcely be too strong a word—and occa-
sionally burning hot sun and clouds of dust,
have altogethur made the position, duties, and even
pleasures, of our volunteers difficult of achieve-
ment and enjoyment. The distribution of prizes, .
however, Was an enjoys lde affair to us on-lookers,
and must have been far more pleasant to
the fortunate recipients. May the successes that have
marked the Wimbledon meeting this year be repeated
next year, and may the blunders be avoided.
It is always pleasing to note the results of good
mauagenaeut in a great pahlic enterprise that has suffered
heavily by the reverse, and the improvement in the
position and prospeets of the London and Brighton
Railway, since Mr. Samuel Laing became chairman, is
so marked that it is worth reference. No so long ago
it had a decidedly unprofitable traffic, and WM heavily
in debt, but the lopping tiff of unproductive expenditure,
and the development of accommodation to the travelling
public --and we are all travellers now. a-days - have com-
pletely changed the aspect of affairs ; the capital account
is closed ; there are no liabilities worth mentioning ; and
2 per cent is laid on its ordinary stock, over and above
all preference charges. Judicious management and its
result in the Case of one line of railway might well
nerve as a lesson to the directors of others. More
than one company could be pointed out where the line
iii it-il! possessts goisl dividend-paying capabilities,
lint which are repressed by bad management.
Raving carefully watched the progress, during evil
report awl goo.l report, of the movement for establish-
ing working men's clubs, I am delighted to find such a
"good report" presented at the annual meeting of the
Working Mmis flub and Institute Union, under the
presidency of Lord Shaftesbury, one of the best friends
that working men have ever hail. It seems that
there are now 440 of these clubs (whether in the
United Kingdom, by the way, or in England only is
not stated), and that 230 of these are affiliated so ith
the parent institution. But it is rather discourag-
ing on the other hand to find that the institution is
Xl2o in debt, and that from want of funds it was unable
for some months to continue the conferences on social
awl public questions which were AO successful in the
two preceding years. Permit me to suggest that the
working men who have profited so noel. by the estab-
lishment of clubs for their own class should take this
matter Go themselves, awl :we to it that others of that
class are nit deprived of similar advantages for want
of money.

A curious claws has been inserted in the Royal
r arks Bill, that ''it,per,on :Alan .Icliver, 1.1. invite
P any public ar11re,...; in a park,
tx.e.:pt according to the rules of the park." But
what "rule,. .1 the hark" can there ever have been
regulating the delivery of acidresses in them? Would
it, not have been better to have said boldly that hence-
forth no public meeting or demonstration shall be held
in any royal park! This of course is what the Covern-
rn'ln mean, and their putting it in the mild way alluded
to has not at all stavcsl if opp..sition, whit. the new
le;,,,ulath.n reads very weak. It is the suariter nuuto
combined with the fortitcr in re.
Earl Russell is about to publi,h a history of the
foreign policy of England from 1570 to 1670. The
opinions of the veteran statesman on such a-subject are
if course important, but will nit the work be dread-
fully dull reading?

Perhaps on the whole cats are rather unfairly
treated ; they are frequently kicked and euffed about,
and their reputation notoriously suffers from the ills
which crockery is heir to, and a good many other ills
being laid to their charge. Cats are, in fact, rather
lepreciated as a clam -except in docks and warehomes,
where their commercial value is high, and where they
are of so muck importance as to be stipulated for in
formal agreements. Pan lam Ind ping into a homily
(al cats, and allude to them merely to express ray
gratification at the determination of the Crystal
Palace directors to has P another Cat Show in Novem-
ber. The last affair of the kiwi was a great meee-t,
and proved an unexpected attraction. Aniong the
170 feline exhibits there were- some splendid animals,
and the fact of 54 prizes being given shows what a
large proportion of them were worthy of exhibi-
tion. But there was one drawback, which
does not appear to have been thought of by any one,
even tin eminent naturalists who interested thenetelve,4
in the exhibiti. it, till tn. late. Me show was hell at
a time when many of the cats were shedding their
coats; and this fact, together with the increased at-
tention now paid to our feline friends, will tend to
make the forthcoming, exhibiti, di much more attractive
than the last, which is saying a good deal.
The value of an old song is proverbially very little,
but modern songs fetch very large aneumts, As several
sales of copyright have proved. And now a com-
paratively new song has brougin its composer a
goodly annuity. Prince Bismarck has sent 1,000
thalers to Mr. Carl Wilhelm, composer of "The
Watch on the Rhine," expressing a hope that he may
be able to allot him anntudly . a similar sum. The
Prince, of COUrie, takes a patriotic view of the com-
position, am! speaks .tf the influent, it exerted on
the Germans during the war. Others, however, may
be inclined to lament that this song was ever com-
posed. Who shall determine the immense amount
of misery that such song; this and the 'Mar-
seillaise " have produced? As a contrast to this

princely gift, let me refer with pleasure to the present
of VW and a saver claret service, which has
iust been made to Mr. Bamby, the conductor of
the oratorio concerts at St. James's Hall, the donors
being member-, of his choir. Such gentlemen as he (1,,
an immense serviee to society : for in promoting the
cultivation of a delightful art, they tend to make home
happy, awl whoever promotes the attractions of home
does indeed a good work.
Several rases of what may truly be called " super-
stition " have recently been before the public, and
which leads me to the sad reflection that where
there is one case of gross superstition so revealed
there must bemany which goundiscovered. Thereseems
to be but one (semteracting influence to superstition,
and that is education, but, in sober truth, the one oloes
not appear to have died 'silt in pmportion as the other
has advanced. Education has largely extended, 'but
superstition lives and flouri We are often told
that you cannot make people religious or moral by Act
of Parliament; that is true enough no doubt, and
equally true it seems to be that you cannot make
people sensible by Act of Parliament. But at 111
events more might be done than is done towards ths
punishment of those who f, ,stir superstition by ire•
tending to tell fortunis, cast horoscopes, and so on.
All this kind of trickery ought to be made illegal and
penal.