The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-21 00:00:00

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"Pray for your unfortunate, but affectionate Mend,
"FREDERICK VTNIII.
"P.S. Show this to Mr. Erskine, if you like. No chance of
a messenger; if there is, send a Bible.
"These men are desperate; no pressure will anal.'

A fresh series (the 9th) of despatches relating to the
murder of our countrymen in Greece, has been pub-
lished, consisting chiefly of the documents which have
been laid before the Italian Chamber respecting the
murder of Count Boyl. In a despatch to Signor Vim-
conti-Venoeta, the Italian Minister for Foreign Affairs,
theltalian Minister at Athens says:

It is on this occ.ien my duty to render due justice to Mr.
Erskine, my old friend and colleague, for the activity and
zeal which be has displayed under them melancholy circum-
stances, omitting nothing, and trying every way to liberate
the unfortunate captives. We have always agreed on all
points, meeting every day and conferring together freely, and
our decisions were always the result of a perfect concord in
the exchange of our Idea.. I therefore consider It my strict
duty to declare that, just as I have shared with him the grief,
so must I also share with him all the responsibility of the
events. Before concluding this report, I must add that his
Majesty went in person to the British Legation to express his
condolences. As he at that moment found me with my
colleague, Ms Majesty told me that he had intended to come
also to my house for the like object ; but that, finding me
there, he begged me to accept his condolences, sail they had
been made no my own house

In • despatch, dated April 30, to the Italian Minister
at Athena, Signor ViecontiNenosta 'aye :

•
I have read with attention the account given by you of an I
the circumstance. attending this sad event, but one of these
still remain, for us inexplicable We cannot understand
how the Greek Government, after having ordered that the
pursuit of the brigands should be stopped, and after having
formally undertaken not to came them to be pursued as long
as the lives of the priooners were in danger, could ever have
authorized the troops which surrounded °Awl to oppose
force to the retreat of the brigand. I have called your at-
tention to this circumstance In my telegram of yesterday.
Until we undernend it better, it Is impossible for us to appre-
ciate how far the Greek Government have kept the engagement.
given by them to you and to the English Minister. But one
thing, unfortunately, is beyond all doubt—the absolute want
of vigilance on the part of the authorities charged with the
maintenance of order in Greece. it is a melancholy thought
that Count lioyl and his unfortunate companions met their
sad end merely because those authorities were ignorant of
the presence at the very gates of the capital of. numerous
band of brigands known to all for their ferocity and their
crime. The fatal consequences of this absolute want of
I vigilance on the part of the Greek authoringe has violently
excited public opinion. The Greek Government has had •
! proof of it in the steps taken by all the diplomatic repre-
sentatives accredited at Athena- We have had a clear
proof of it also in the haste with which the Austrian
Government has let us know that it is ready to cooperate
with us la any measures we think proper to adopt with refer-
ence to Greece A similar communication has also been
made by the Cabinet of Vienna in Loudoo, and we have
received from the Euglish Cabinet the assurance that It will
keep In communication with us as to the result, which may
arise from this sad event. For the present I cannot ten you
what course the King's Government will adopt, The decision
will depend principally on our appreciation of the facta, re-
specting which we await further information. I will not,
however, close this despatch without charging you, sir, to
express to Mr. Erskine our liveliest gratitude for having
always, in the neinitiations which have so sadly failed, acted
in concord with you.

The literary arena is evidently overthronged. The
other day a gentlemen sent a mar I.:script to a certain
monthly =gamine and received In reply the following note:
—"The editor will not be able to glince si your MB. for eeveni
yous. It Is now Mmy aloe awaiting your Idaho '

SIR HERBERT CROFT, M.P., AND THE

REPORTERS.

7
t Sir Herbert Denman Croft, Bart., one of the Conner-
vative members for Hertfordshire, was (so he informed
the gentlemen at the local hunt dinner the other day)
grossly misrepresented by The Times, and unmeritedly
lampooned and caricatured by Punch. On his way
from town that morning to attend the dinuer he pur-
chased the last number of the latter publication, think-
ing to pass away the time, but they might imagine his
chagrin when he found his name figure no leas than
twice as having been guilty of acta which he never com-
mitted, and therefore before he told his friends round
that table the latest news from London he must be
permitted to put himself right with his constituents.
No doubt reporters in the House of Commons had
roost difficult duties to discharge, and to him it was
perfectly marvellous how they recognised all the mem-
bers who addressed the House; but he supposed that
through so many of them now wearing beards, and
were thus rendered somewhat like each other,
the gentlemen of the press were sometimes mis-
taking the one for the other. Certain it was
that on two or three occasions he had been re-
presented as having made speeches and performed
acts which he had no knowledge whatever of.
The day after Mr. Newdegate brought forward his
motion for the inspection of convents he (Sir Herbert)
went into the country to see a friend, and, to his con-
sternation, was received with, "Oh, here you are, I
have just been reading your speech in the newspaper.
You gave it them well." He cotildn't understand it,
but on referring to the matter he found he had been
credited with • speech delivered by Mr. Holt, the
member for East Lancashire, who was (unlike him) an
uncommonly good epeaker. (Laughter.) Now, although
Mr. Holt wrote to the papers to claim the speech, and
the editor of The Times inserted a letter to correct the
mistake, he (Sir Herbert) was being sent numberless
letters on the matter, just as if everybody bad read the
speech, but nobody had seen the correction. In fact,
the last thing he saw in connection with the matter ,
was • proof sheet of the speech, which be bad just re-
ceived to correct for " Hansard," the Parliamentary
record of speeches delivered in the House of Legis-
lature. (Laughter.) After this he was in hopes
that these blunders were at an end; but in coming
down from town that morning he purchased •
copy of Punch, in which appeared what was
termed an analysis of "Essence of Parliament,"
and there he found himself alluded to with reference
to the female suffrage question in facetious terms. He
not only did not say what was attributed to him, but
was not present when anything of the kind was said.
Further on "the essence" culminated in this quotation:
"More Irish Land debate, rendered pleasanter by a
disturbance with Sir Herbert Croft, who hid been
ordered by the Chairman to be a teller, but who went
and voted instead. So Sir H. Croft had to explain that
be did not know that a MOM could be told to be a teller
; against his will. (Laughter). Whether this resulted
from his bearing some unfortunate resemblance to some
other member he did not know, but the statement was
totally untrue, for he was not in the House of '.3ommons
on that day. So that they saw he was being continually
credited with things he did notdo, and it was really too
bad to crack these jokes over his head, as if he had been
gnilty of the things alleged against him. (Laughter).
In fact he had only spoken once in the House this
session, and then only made a few observations in
explanation why be did not vote; but his constituents
might rely that whenever there was any necessity for
his speaking his voice should be raised in defence of
their interests, though as a member he naturally felt
nervous in addressing the House of Commons.