The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-06-06 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The Empress Eugenie visited the tombs of the
Emperor Napoleon and Prince Louis Napoleon at
Chislehurst on Saturday, and returned to London in the
afternoon. Monday was the anniversary of the death
of Prince Louis Napoleon.
In view of the early introduction by the Archbishop
of Canterbury of a bill dealing with Church patronage,
a large number of advowsons will be submitted to
public auction during the next fortnight. Among the
better known may be mentioned the advowsons
of Walkington, Marchwood, Ryarsh, Addington, and
Cransley.
At the inquest on the body of Mr. Foss-Smith, a
solicitor, who shot himself in a cab, it was shown that
he had been suffering from mental depression for some
time. The bullet he had fired passed right through the
head, notwithstanding which he lived for two hours
after inflicting the:wound. The jury returned a verdict
of "Temporary insanity."
A boy belonging to a barge lying off Whitstable rowed
ashore on Saturday to the Coastguard station, and re-
ported that the captain, William Usher, had attempted
to throw him overboard, and, failing in this, jumped
overboard himself, but got back again. An officer of
the Coastguard put off to the barge, and on boarding it
ound the captain pacing the deck as though raving
mad. With assistance the poor fellow was secured
and brought ashore, and upon the certificate of a
county magistrate he has been removed to a lunatic
asylum.
A souvenir of Victor Hugo is about to be issued in
Paris, with the consent of his family, in the shape of a
selection of striking passages illustrative of all his
principal works, including his odes and ballads. The
profits of the work will be devoted to the fund for
erecting a national monument of the poet in Paris.
Arrangements are being made for the simultaneous
issue of the volume in this country.
Mr. Gladstone was on Saturday presented with an
address from the Littleborough Reform Club on the
lawn in front of Hawarden Castle. The Premier, who
has been interdicted by his physician from speaking in
public, assured the deputation that he would address
them if he could, but he was totally unable to do so.
The right hon . gentleman, nevertheless, read the lessons
in Hawarden Church on Sunday morning, but his voice
was weak.
A meeting of the General Committee of the Gordon
Memorial was held at Marlborough House on Saturday,
the Lord Mayor presiding. The report of the sub-
committee recommended that the Port Said Hospital
scheme should be no longer entertained, and a motion
approving of the report was carried, moved by Sir John
Cowell and seconded by Sir Henry Acland. The Prince
of Wales and the Duke of Cambridge spoke in fay ur
of the resolution. The fund now amounts to about
£16,000.
The first meet of the qpaching Club took place in
Hyde-park on Saturday, when twenty-two coaches
assembled.
Sixty cases of cholera occurred on Friday in a village
near Valencia, and several in that city, the increase of
the disease being attributed to the unusual heat which
has prevailed in that part of Spain during 'zhe past fort-
night. The Government Commission has arrived in
the district and commenced its investigations, and Dr.
Feran has been authorised to conduct his inoculation
experiments in the presence of the Commissioners.
The American Secretary of War has ordered the
release of the two lieutenants of Riel, who has been
apprehended by General Terry.
Lord Brabourne presided at the Criterion on Satur-
day evening at a dinner given to Mr. Edmund Yates,
and in proposing his health said he would refrain from
casting any slight upon the majesty of the law, the sole
object of those now assembled being to express sym-
pathy and undiminished friendship for Mr. Yates in
the misfortune which, without a shadow of moral tur-
pitude on his part, had fallen upon him. In responding,
Mr. Yates characterised all the circumstances connected
with his sojourn in "northern latitudes" as a series of
"regrettable incidents," and expressed the pride which
he felt in retaining the regard and esteem of his
friends.
Asa rule popular hymn tunes have not been nicress-
fully introduced into plays. The public has set its face
against tleen, and Lotta last year got into hot water
with her patrons for unwittingly off ending them in this
respect by the introduction of a nigger melody which
had before been appropriated by Moody and Sankey.
Mr. Irving has dared, however, to introduce a very well-
known hymn tune into " and, apparently, with
favour. When Dr. Primrose gathers his family together
to tell them of the treuble that has overtaken him, the
bells of the church chime out the melody that is sung
to the words "Sun of my soul," the orchestra playing
pianissimo the harmonies. The effect is very good,
though by the straightlaced will possibly by voted im-
proper.
Early on Sunday morning a fire broke out at Mr.
Spencer's (carver and gilder) shop, Castle-hill, Windsor,
opposite Henry VIII.'s Gateway. The local Fire
Brigade, the Castle Brigade, the Eton Brigade, and
Seaforth High‘anders from Victoria Barracks were soon
• on the spot, but before the flames could be subdued the
shop and the station where the tickets for the State
Apartments are issued were gutted, and several adjoin-
ing houses seriously damaged. The Castle Guard
turned out and did good service. The property is
insured. The origin of the fire is not known.
On Saturday the directorate of the Agricultural Hall,
London, received the completed returns as to the
entries for the forthcoming horse show. They exceed
400, as nearly as possible the same number as last year,
and every available stall and space which the hall can
provide will be occupied. It has been intimated that,
if in town, the Prince and Princess of Wales will visit
the show, probably on the opening day, Saturday,
June 6th.
The results of the Society of Arts' Examinations have
just been published. There was a satisfactory increase
in the number of candidates, 1208 having presented
themselves at 44 centres; whereas last year there were
991 candidates and 38 centres. Of these 1208 candi-
dates, 953 passed and 255 failed. The number of
papers worked was 1321' of these 145 took first-class
certificates, 410 second class, and 474 third-class,
while to 292 papers no certificate was awarded. Eleven
of the 13 subjects set down for examination were taken
up. In two no examination was held, as the requisite
number of candidates (25) did not present themselves.
The largest number of papers worked (336) was in book-
keeping. Other favourite subjects were—Arithmetic,
171; English (including composition and correspond-
ence and precis writing), 118; shorthand, 253; theory
of music, 243. In French there were 96 candidates, in
German only 28.
Under the presidency of the Duke of Norfolk, E.M.
(who for a second time has accepted that office for the
society), the forty-second annual congress of the British
Archwological Association has been fixed to take place
at Brighton on the 17th of August next and following
days to the 24th, inclusive. By the kindness of the
Mayor and Corporation of Brighton, some of the
principal municipal rooms of the Pavilion have been
placed at the disposal of the association during the
week's proceedings, and excursions will be made to
Arundel, Chichester, Goodwood, Cowdray, Bognor,
Boxgrove' Worthing, Bosham, Wisten Steyning,
Bramber Castle, Amberley Castle, Hollinibury C opse,
and other places of interest in South Sussex. There
will be the usual extra days arranged for the following
week, and which will probably include excursions to
Lewes (which the association visited during the Hast-
ings congress in 1866), Seaford, Eastbourne, for Hurst-
monceaux Castle, Pevensey Castle, and Hastings; a
visit, it is also expected, will be made from Newhaven
to Dieppe, under the auspices of the Leland Club, thus
forming the second excursion to France of that newly-
formed antiquarian body.
The last report of the Director of Public Relief in
Paris states that the total number of persons in re-
ceipt of public charity at the end of last year was
123,324, and that, though the figures do not show an
increase over those of the last triennial census, the
number of persons in receipt of relief was only 90,287
20 years ago, and that the subsequent increase has been
greater in proportion than that of the population
itself. These 123,324 paupers comprised 47,627
families (menages), of whom only 10,796 were Parisians
by birth, 33,644 coming from the country and 3187 from
abroad. The number of foreigners relieved is pro-
portionately very large, especially among the Belgians
and the Germans. The Germans, though not forming
20 per cent, of the total foreign population, number
more than 40 per cent. of the foreign paupers, and in
one of the districts of Paris out of 1425 German resi-
dents, 569 were in receipt of public relief. Every pro-
fession contributed its contingent to the total of
paupers, the majority of whom, however, were day
labourers, shoemakers' carpenters, concierges, uphol-
sterers, masons, and tailors upon the male side, and
charwomen, dressmakers, seamstresses, washerwomen,
coucierges, and ragpickera oft the female aide.

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