The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-31 00:00:00

Disrcliancous

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

CALAMITOUS WEATHER IN BENGAL. —We
(Indian Daily News) hear from various sources that
rain has fallen in the north-eastern districts in quanti-
ties to baffle the memory of the "oldest inhabitant."
We have an account from a gentleman of high position,
but prefer to give one from a native on account of the
way in which he views the case. He says :—"Water
has entirely covered this part of Assam, and has
spoiled (why say spoiled ?—swept away,) all the Ashoo
Dhan. The price of the rice has raised so high that
within a short time we will get servants without pay,
provided we can give them food. How could we do
that? Where will we get rice? The rice for which we
paid two rupees per maned a week back, to-day we
are now purchasing at five rupees. They sell common
rice at three rupees two annas per maund at present,
and the people say that the rate will daily increase.
I know not what will become of Its in time. How-
ever, I am happy to eay that our worthy assistant
commissioner, Mr. A. C. Campbell, in taking every
measure to reduce our distress. He has raised a
subscription to obtain rice from Bengal. We are
under incessant rain since a month, and do not know
when we will see the sun again ; perhaps he has left
this part of the country." There seems to be no
doubt that the rain has been very destructive, and
there may be in store one of those local calamities
with which late years have made us painfully fa-
miliar.
SALISBURY ON CrtAUSTONE.—The observations
of the Marquis of Salisbury in the House of Lords
touching the Premier have been translated by a Cab-
man, as follows :—" He won't hear no argimunt from
eobtaly, he won't—he's such a harbitrary cove."—
Fit mit.
THE CENTURY PLANT.—The century plant now
about to blossom in Rochester, United States (says
the Rochester Express), has reached s height of 15 feet
9 inches, and will probably reach 20 feet. It has 20
branches and buds now visible, which are to bear the
clusters. The lower branches are about 15 inches in
length and 5 inches apart, where matured, and they
gradually shorten until they reach the top. The
lowermost arm is 11 feet 6 inches from the ground, and
there are 105 distinctly formed buds in this cluster.
We estimate there will be 1,500 flowers on the plant.
In other plants which have flowered in England and
elsewhere, these arms when fully developed have mea-
sured 4fts to 611 t. in length, and the cluster of flowers
from 14in. to I.Bin. diameter. The single flower is not
handsome. It is only four to 5 inches in length, of a
greenish yellow colour, but very fragrant. The great
beauty is the wonderful pyramidal candelabra shape
or form which it attains when its full bloom, the large
clusters and numerous flowers in each, which will
appear at the ends of the arms or branch( s, the lower
ones being the longest, and gradually shortening in
pyramidal form till they reach the top, where there
will be a huge cluster of flowers. This partiaular plant
was brought from Canandaigua to Rochester thirteen
years ago, and has been in the possession of Messrs.
Frost and Co. ever since. Its age is very accurately
known, having been purahased in 1809 by the late
Hon John Greig, of Canandaigua, and owned by him
until 1856, when it was purchased by the Messrs.
Frost, making it about seventy years of age. It has
thirty leaves, averaging 41ft. to Cit. in length, of a
bluish green colour, finely marked with yellow stripes,
the leaves being Gin. to 9in, in width and 3m. to Sin.
thick at the hue.
THE Paussies ARMY.—However great may be
the late triumphs achieved by the Prussian army (re-
marks the Pall Nall (Jazettc), it seems, nevertheless,
to be the moet unpopular service in Europe. The
domineering of the officers, the poverty of the soldier,
and the strictness of the dirc;pline render-life to many
almost intolerable. To prose this, it is necessary only
to state that, according to German statistics, there
were in 1868 no leas than 134 suicides in the army of
North Germany. The total number of deaths amounted
to 1,344. This frightful proportion is four times greater
than that which exists in the armies of the Confedera-
tion. We find that in the army of Northern Germany
there is one suicide for every 2,238 soldiers ; in
Denmark, one for every 3,900; in Saxony, one for
every 5,000; in Baden, one for every 9,000; in
Wiirteroberg the proportion is the same as in Norway—
one for every 9,784; in France there is one suicide for
every 10,000 ; in Sweden, one in every 15,000; in
Bavaria it is the same as in Sweden ; and in Belgium
there is one in every 17,800. It may also be remarked
that between 1849 and 1652 the proportion of suicides
in the Prussian army was only one to every 9,000
soldiere.
THE ARCHBISHOPS AND BISHOPS OF THE IRISH
CHURCIL—The following letter appeared in The Tones,
of Saturday
It appears by your report of last night's debate in the
House of Lords that Lord Cairns stated that he had received
a letter from the Archbishop of DuldM relative to the resig-
nation of their seats in the House of Lords by the Irish pre-
lates. I did not hear Lord Cairns' speech, hut I learn on good
authority that he informed the House that the letter be re-
ceived was signed by the two Archbishops of Ireland. It was,
in tact, a joint letter from the Archbishop of Dublin and
myself, in which we placed our resignation in his hands, and
expressed our confidence that every Bishop on the Irish
Bench was equally willing with ourselves to make the sacri-
fice, if it could in any way be used to mitigate the calamities
of our afflicted and desolated Church. I have the honour to
be your obedient servant, MARCIA G. AuMACII. July 23.
WUT AT W BLEDON.—A Scotch Volunteer,
one of the knot of critics round the firing-point where
the Line-prizes were being shot for, on asking, with
some contempt in his voice, " Whaur thae lads come
frae ?" and being toil "Aldershot," was heard to mut-
ter, complacently, "Heck, Sirs! Aulder shots sud be
better shots, I'm thinkin' !"—Punch.
DRIVING THROUGH THE CHARM—The Etoile
of Brussels says:— A very regrettable incident took
place on the occasion of the •' Te Deum" celebrated
two days back. The carriages of the members of the
Court of Caseation were descending the Treurenberg,
escorted by some detachments of the regiment of
grenadiers, when the equipage of the Pope's Nuncio
arrived by the Rue Royale. The coachman of his
excellency, who perhaps thought himself rather be-
hind time, attempted to break through the escort, but
the sergeant who brought up the rear having ordered
the driver to desist, the latter replied that lan was re-
solved to pass, on which the other and a soldier
crossed their bayonets before the carriage, but the
coachman still persisted in spite of that demonstration.
The sergeant then seized one of the horses by the bridle
on seeing, which the driver used his whip with such
energy, that the other, receiving several cuts on his
own person, was obliged to let go the reins, and the
Papal carriage clashed through the escort at full trot.
A NUT FOR NATURALISTS TO CRACK.—A Glas-
gow correspondent is responsible for the following:—
Wed, lasses, yell no guess what has come into my mind
just now. I'll just tell you. I see we are a' three no way,
and if we are spared to has bairns, and they be boys, what
end ye say to name them after our hr.', her ? Ye ken he has
been a pole brither to us a' : besi lee, Ws no likely that he'll
tab' swift now, and as he is weel to do, he'll leave a' to the
bairns, his sin namemakes. Now, JE ante, as 3 e're the mildest,
I wid like to hear what ye say tilt, and it ps agree, I'm share
Mary will no object, for ye see it will be showing our kind
feeling to Andrew and, besides, what is no to he lost sight
of, it will be to our bairns' gude. Do ye baith agree?"
" Yes, yes."
The above is almost the literal conversation of the
youngest of three married sisters, who had met at the
eldest sister's to drink tea. The occurrence took place
about twenty years ago, and in due course the sisters
gave birth to three boys. But now comes the wonder-
ful circumstance. The uncle squinted with one of his
eyes, so did the three boys; and, more particularly
still, all on the left eye, the same as the uncle. The
writer had this narrative from one of the sisters, and
two of the young men are personally known to him.
PLAYING AT PRIESTEL—Mr. Punch observed a
paragraph headed as above, and of course palmed it
over, having had enough of Ritualism. But, steing
it again (paragraphs you want to neglect always cro;
up, somehow) he found that three siSall boys got into a
chapel, lit candles, and were enacting priests. Surely
Ritualism will feel sympathy enough for fellow
offenders to pay their fines. —Punch.
INTERNATIONAL RIFLE CONTEST AT LIEGE.—
The Belgians, anxious to return the cordial welcome
given to their Garde Civique at Wimbledon, are orga-
nising a grand international rifle contest, to take place
at Liege, from the 15th to the 20th September. The
programme of the Mtes is a very inviting one: Inter-
national contest at short distances; official reception
by the authorities ; review of the Garde Civique and
the foreign riflemen, .probably by his Majesty the
King of the Belgians; musical contest open to foreign
societies ; grand banquet to the visitors in the Provin-
cial Palace of Liege ; balls; excursion to Spa' inter-
national shooting match at long distances at Spa, and
fetes given by that city ; return to Liege, and depar-
ture for Brussels for the celebration of the annual na-
tional fetes. The committee offer prizes of the total
of 30,000 franca, and the railway companies will make
considerable reduction of fares M favour of foreign
riflemen.

FATAL Snremtrac.—On Friday, in last week,
the Greenock ship Rol frewshire arrived in the Clyde
from Quebec with eight of the banjo and two officern
of the ship Har molar, of Aberdeen, which was lost in
an Atlantic gale in the beginning of the present month,
together with eight mcn, incluiing the captain, first
mate, carpenter, and sailmaker. From infarniation
supplied by the survivaas, it appears that the Harmon la
left Quebec for Aberdeen on the sth of July, and
shortly alter being at sea enoountered a terrific gale,