The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-10-30 00:00:00

rtfropolitan 6ossip.

OUR OWN

IThe remarks under tilts head are to be regarded no tht "T•
preesion of independent opinion, from the pen of a gentlelWill
whom we have the greatest confidence, but for which IVO
' • Iferthelesa do not hold ourselves responsible.]

Although the Queen's visit to the City will be want-
ing in those accessories of royal pageantry which we
have h, en wont to associate with the presence of her

. _
Nlajesty on any State occasion, the inhabitants of
London will hail her reappearance with joy and satin-
. .

faction, and will reckon 'tie. Gt of Novernber.e red-

... ,
letter day. It will indeed be a day of rejoicing for

other reasons. The opening of the new Blackfriara
Bridge will not add much to the practical convenience
_

_
sod comfort of the good (and bad) citizens of famous
London town, but it will be a great improvement,

nevertheless. ' The throwing open of th-e Holborn'

Viaduct, however, will be a glcrioua clump for the

better, as the Ion.; lines of vehicles which will soon
pass over it will abundantly prove. Holborn will
thua become the flint road
,way in London. For my
"MI you. I should like see it made into a boulevard,

.1. at 1e5..4 a large lsmtion of it. The expense would
comparatively trifling ; traffic would be in no way
interfered with; and the planting of trees would in a
. . .

tew vt...rs make this great thoroughfare what it ought
to 'oe. This perhaps is a_ mere crotchet, but it is

neither wild no; imprsc-

Day after day the whole country may be said to have
been wntehing out for the death of Lord Derby, all
hope of his valuable life being spared having been
3bandoned. The news of Ids death, therefore, could

,ave crested no surprise, though it must everywhere

hare been received' with sadness. Never, perhaps,

%vas a statesman, holding a most decided -political

poaition as leader of a great party, more respected by men
. .

of all parties than was Edward Geoffrey Stanley Earl
of Derby. Whig or Tory, Conservative or Liberal, no
matter what a man's political opinions might be, every
one spoke well_of Lord Derby. lie was liked and
'

admieed as a fine old Engliat gentleman; he was

„
respected as a landlord, a sportsman, a statesman, and
a scholar. For some time past he had ceased to be the
active leader of "Her Majesty's Opposition,” but he
was one of those men who have played so active a part

.;"-the political stage that he could not be allowed
wholly to retire. Ills counsel was ['till sought, and his
influence still courted, though he himself rather desired
retirement and repose. The late nobleman gained
high honours at the University, and was a bill.
flout scholar, as his celebrated translation of Homer

testifies ; he Was admitted to be one of the finest orators

of our generation and many years ago was called "the
Eupert of debate;" in the. numerous offices which he

started, it will be seen that the Great Eastern has
plenty of work cut out for her for a long time to come,
and it ia consolatory to find that the Bea monster which
was declared too big for anything has proved her great
value at last.