The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

PP'

,
;

Our -foubort iTorrtspanbatt,
f 0,41
%
rkohilken ft rielf st ate tnt e n not at skt thus wens,
oursolve* *IV mar corresponueut's opinions.)

The pehticl world jut now is chi, fly suitated by
the Reform De,nonstrwon which h jos, taken
pace, and I.y the alarming spread of Fenifinisen on
the one ban I, and the &nines. and determination of
the Government on the other. Doimisaing the latter
topic by expressing my individual mite of approval of
the Attitude which one Government has summed, I
3,..4.katet ess briefly &Blake the Reform Demonstration.
T conld rive you my personal impressions from what I
t the

suw and heard, and go into et:stades of rapture at the
4systrifloenoe of the demonstration, or pour out the
-(iroa'l) viols of my wrath up-m ; but I am quite

,
sore your machine will not look to tne for either, nor
will depend on me for that jeste milicu which oan only
he obtained from a careful examination of cot.flicting
ace ,unte. combined with an extended personal "beer-
vstion, ch Iga not make. I leave your readere,
therefore in vonetiande, merely adding my own in'.
le-erasion. that Gila demonetratine will have a consider.

&hie nuence on the Reform itternesions of next
gemion.
•.I.notiowl a simjficant fact the other day—tlist an
anti-trule union imemciation harl been forme,' in Shef-

ea It in nattiest to Rowew that the trade outrages
Method Sewn have bad their influence in forming that
3.asooiwion, but it is a remarkable fact that • number
pf wniking men should anywhere form such an
association. It is indicative of a reaction: and it is
evidence of a feeling which ha, long existed, but to
which it has not be-n easy among the working men to
give' expression. The extent to which trade or-
gsnieation hoe now been carried is something mar.
rellotte,land it in nearly Oro!' one side--on that of the
m-n, though it would be far racier for masters to
a-marline thaw men, Pimply becanse the former
have capital at their command without working for
it, whereas the inews of war can only be obtainshl
by the pen tluvugh employment, which is frequently
rendered impossible by: the operation of a strike. y
the association which has jest been formed makes any
way we shall hear something of the other aide of the
question of combination from a working man's point
of view. We shall hear that the particularly skilled
workrtlan in every trade freqeently objects to the dead
level modem which trade, unions enforce. I note this
important fact to which I have referred without com-
menting on it at length, but I shall watch its develop.
ment with considerable interest; convinced as I am-
and I merely atate it 114 an individual opinion—that
tradel unions are injerious alike to the intermits
of msatera and man; that they cost more to keep up
than they are worth; and they are directly antago-
niati, to the only trne principle of trade, the perfect
freedom of contract between master and man.
I have been reading with great pleasure the speech
of that earnest and persuasive orator, Mr. Coleridge,
Q.CL, on the early cloeing movement Forcible as
thin is, however, it in as nothing compared with the
teetimony of Mesa)... Marshall and Snelgrove, the
drapere, who employ mme seven or eight hundred
persons, and who Mate that after six month.' trial of
it, th.y find that early closing has not caused public
convenience to suffer; that their own businees has not
/differed ; that the benefit to those in their emrloy has
been onmiet Ikable ; and that all that is wanted sin
extension of early cloning to those firms which have
not adopted it I should say that many other em-
ployers could add similar testimony. I clammy there
are come who have adopted early closing have not
found it answer and have returned to their eld Ryden],
but I cannot call to mind any inetances of it. The
teetimony to which I have referred will naturally give
a great impetus to the movement which, on the whole,
ahneed though privileges may sometimes be, is greatly
benefiting the public generally,
A personal diepute between the Dean of Carlisle and
the Burial Board of that "merry" town is shortly to
assnme, it is mid, a public charactar. The Dean is to
try what right the Board has to object (though it ulti.
mwely gave way) to his placing a stone over the grave
of his Pon, headed "Sacred to the memory." It is
rather late in the day for any one now La object to
such a memorial, seeing how familiar are these mord•
Let any one who may wander about a cemetery or •
vlihme churchyard, where "the rude forefathere of the I
hamlet sleep," and he will read three words on perhaps
half of 'OM tombatonea. But the question which the
Dean will nisei:um set me thinking whether something
could be done to improve what I will call nw,rtnary
literature. "Curious Epitaphs " constitute a standing
dish which has been served no for the amusement of
the general reader any time within the memory of
lieMg men, and many of these epitaphs are something
more than cnriona ; they are disgraceful, not to use a
stronger word. Dr. Young tells us that

grutly wise to talk with oar put hours,
And ask them what report they beer to h.aven.

And not many places are more fitting for this self-
esaminotion than a cemetery or a churchyard. In
them tranquil scenes, surrounded by the beauties of
nature, we are reminded that
Path rides on ever, passing tweeze,
He lurk, in every flower,
And in such a scene and at such a time it is not in
accordance with the fitness of thing, that we should
have our sobered and chastened minds shocked with
some ridiculone, blundering epitaph in the wor-it poe-
sible taste. For my own Dart, tui sacred a thing is
death, and PO solemn are the associations of our laaj
long home, that I would have no epitaph admitted
among our tombs that should be out of character with
the spirit and denien of the place; but bow to wants
this desirable result is the difficulty.
There was some time ago a talk of an enterprising
restaurateur setting up an establishment here for the
sale of horse-flesh—that is to say, he was to open a
restaurant in which this new article of food was to
figure on the bill of fare. I suppose he has thought
better of it, and it will be finite as well for any one
who contemplates such a step to think twice before he
ants once. But meanwhile it seem, that the consnmp-
tion of horse-fleeh has considerably increased in Paris.
It is Pai&. indeed, that no less than 43.000 pounds of
this flesh is cold every week in Paris alone; and in the
departments of France no doubt hove-fteeh is even
more largely sold in proportion to the population.
The introduction of this new food is a curious fact.
For my own port I confess a very strong prejudice
against it, though I have no doubt eaten it many.
times unknowingly in France. Prejudice notwith-
standing, it seems probable that as the consumption of
horse-flesh has increased among our French neighbour.,
who know what they are eating, the testis for it is
very likely in due time to reach this side of the
channel.

The development of jonrnaliern is something wonder-
ful in the present day, and not the leant curious feature
of it is the devotion of • apecial newspaper to some par-
ticular trade, and even to some one branch of a trade.
Another curious feature is the devotion of • magazine
to one subject only. An instance of this ia a monthly
magszMe I have just bees conning over; it is the
A,pine Journal, conducted by member& of the Alpine
Club. This one number is interesting enongh, but I
should not like to have to real many more. It is "to
one thing constant" ever, and even this dish, be it
served up in ever Co varied a form, moot pall after a
time. Toujours perdrix is neither good in dinners
nor in literature.
Among forthcoming works which will be looked
forward to with interest is" New America," by Mr.
Hepworth Dixon. This gentleman has lately returned
from America, where he devoted himself to two sub-
jects specially. the Mormons and the question of
Anglo-American copyright The latter ham interest
chiefly for authors and Publisher,, bnt the former is of
nnivental intereat, and Mr. Dixon's deacriptioaa of
Mormon life cannot fail to be of importance, aa he is
known to be an acute observer, and as up to the prevent
time we have not had any thorough examination into
the political, accial, and moral condition of these
curlews people. There are two other works also which
will Se important contributions to the current political
history of our country. Mr. Dieraeli's speeches on
parliamentary reform are announced am forthcoming,
and it in understood that Mr. Bright in revising hie
speeches with • view to publication. What &contrast
will these orations present Both will be worth otutly
se specimens of oratory, hut how di fßctilt will be the
task of arriving at the truth on this important subject
after having carefully read both.

SUGGESTIONS FORA NEW REFORM
BILL.
. _
-

A circular, of which tht following is oop_y, wait dletri hurled largely during the procession of the Trades'
Reform Demonstration, in London, on Monday :
TAXATION AND RYPRYSINNTAY7ON.—SCCHINSTIONS POI
A Nitw RIFORN RILL
Why not Initiate a ft,ferm Bill admitting the prinelple of
members of Parliament hetes returned to represent the two
dares of taxes, 1i —Direct elm Indirect.
The average 111111olliit derivable front each gnome amid be
*season:fa for the last floe yeare—the proportion of 01,112-
ber• en be determined sooordinely.
For example :—Amen severity millions as the bade of
Csirtii•thh, thtrty mil.tons of which are obtained ffrow.
Aire t or neonm, property, and amassed and forty million*
from footrest (iir emu taxation, then tbree members to
be apnortioned to the former, and too. members to Italians.
eintsiliontion. Out of • Home of Commons c,eposed et
dd., members, 102 would repreeent direct and 376 Indirect
Mentios.
ti.vt'e the country Into venni redoe,le electoral distriete—.
the Door rate note own, to o. taken frc the purpos..
H.... two 4n,inct No• for registration.
otn.m" cnang,l 1.01110, property, or
met-tted fan.. allothle for Pio /tom list.
rawd tad mole toe pouelratm eiluthle for OW steleadl
nes