The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-24 00:00:00

3ATI7RDAY JULY 24, 1869;

age; 49,235 are described, generaliy, as "labourers '-"
the next largest number is that of the reimers and
quarrymen, who were M,500; 7,233 were farmers;
7,171 gentlemen, pnifessional men, merc'iants,
2,553 carpenters and j mere; 1.261 agricultneal labour.
re, grinbabers, carters. &c. ' • 951 tailors; '9O clerks
712 smiths, besides 165 blacksmiths, 31 silversmiths,
and 6 locksmiths ; 772 Were bricklsyers, roam
us, p.m,-
terers, slaters, &e. ; 444 engineers ' • 419 shopkeepers,
shopmen, warehousemen, &c. ; 412 domestic Servants;
384 boot and shoe makers; 381 spinners and weavers
333 painters, pap-rhmgers, plumbers, and glaziers;
289 coalminers ; 278 seamen ; 271 braziers, tinsmiths,
whitesmitlis, &c. ; 229 bakers c infectioners, &c ; 115
coopers ; 11l printers; 104 I;nteliere, .poulterers,
Various other trades !MVO their r. presentatives in the
list, but none of them are described as sending forth so
many as a hundred in 1868. trf the 57 014 feniales
above 12 years old, 23,517 are not described; other
23 593 are AeS,ribetl as married isomers; 8,592 were do.
nuestic or farm servants ; 868 gentlewouo.n and gover.
names; 335 milliners, dressulakeni, or needlewomen •,
13 shopwomen. Of the 38,417 children under 12. 8,06
were infants not a year old. The age of 6,128 emigrants
is not stated.

THE MOST FAVOURED NATION.—AnNIBM the
many blessings which are menially enjoyed by Sciskh.
men (says the Pall Mull Muffle), it appears there is ona
which, for aught we know, map be mystvehruely con.
fleeted with the national dress. Besides their mare
riage laws, their banking system, and their popular'
education machinery, Scotchmen are exettspted from
being flogged with the birch-rod. Who can tens how
much the peculiar character of Scotchmen is the newel*
of this happy immunity At any rate, as Lord Airne
informed the Lords, such in the fact. In the North the
schoolmaster's authority is enforced by the '• tawise,"
a leather strap, with the end cut like a fringe, which
is applied to the palms of refractory youtds• That
erratic philanthropist, Lord Townehend, has beet( le.
troducing a bill for making it unlawful fen anybody but
a parent to box a child's ears, and general!" to permit
no corporal punishment of children exci pt thaf Omer
honoured flogging which prevails at Eton and off's*
institutions. Against the application of the bill to
Scotland Lord Arlie at once protested, assuring his
brother Peers that, inasmuch as no Scotch boys are
ever birched, no species of corporal chastisement would
remain by which a schoolmaster, or even an uncle or
aunt, could correct a refractory lad. He thought it
intolerable that uncles and aunts should not be allowed
to administer a " smack " to the face of naughty boys
and girls who were staying in the honer with thion.
It will doubtless he gratifying to English as well as. to
Scotch uncles and sante to learn that Lord Altlie'm re.
monstratices were successful, and that Lord ToWnins
hend withdrew his bilL
A NOBLEMAN RUN OVER AND KiLtltM—Tbs
Florence journals contain accounts of a frightirit &evi-
dent on the fashionable promenade of the Cascine.
number of carriages were drawn up on the open spited
known as the Piaui ilie, a favourite rendezvous in which
gentlemen are accustomed to proceed from tine emits
page to another, chatting with their friends, or pre
seining their compliments to ladies of their acquaint.
ance. The Marquis Alessandro Covino was standing
at the door of the Countess Gherardi's landau, when
the horses of another vehicle taking fright started off,
and, before the marquis could get out of the wat',
knocked him down, and so fearfully injured him with
their hoofs that he expired a few minutes after. The
deJeaned was about forty years of age, and the pos.
gessor of a handsome fortune.
AMERICAN Haerrs.—An Englishman can an
nothing without a dinner ; an American cannot stop
to eat, but substitutes reeolutione, regularly drawn up
by a committee (says the New York Tribune of June
Some years ago a venerable and devout clergy-
man, then returning from Europe, found himself aril
his fellow-passengers in extreme danger from a storm
at sea. Fortunately the good ship rode out the gale.
As soon as practicable, the reverend doctor called a
meeting, had it regularly organised, and himself beade:l
a committee that reported written resolutions, which
were ordered to be engrossed, returning thanks to
Almighty God for His watchfulness—signed by the
chairman and secretary of the meeting. Hietory ever
repeats itself. On Wednesday, on the ill-fated Long
Island Railroad, a train came near destruction—but
nobody was hurt. The gratrfol passengers held a
meeting, duly complimented the Ruler of the Universe
in good net phrase—and added a similar testimonial to
the officers of the railroad.

BAT AND BILL.—In a report of the well-con-
tested Cricket Match between Eton and Harrow,
cleverly won by Eton, at Llrd's on Saturday, you may i
have seen that Begbie having, after a good nnings,
been caught out :
"Another of Harrow's best bats, Apcar, succeeded to tha
vacancy, and at 86 the Eton captain retired from the attack,
Maude resuming."

May the gallant Captain and Cricketer of Eton re.
tire no sooner than at F 6 from bowling in the game
of life, and the brave Best, of Harrow, have an equally
long innings. —Ps n rh.
MURDER BY A MADMAN.—A Corsican named
Villanova, thirty-nine
,years of age,
,arrived at Tkl,r-
seilles a few days ago to,tramiact business for his father
with the house of Negretti and Virnar. On calliog at
their offices with M. Pong«, a merchant with whom he
had to settle some affairs, he WDA told that the princiivil
was not at home, when he suddenly drew a
,revolver
from his pocket and fired at his companion, but fortu-
nately without hitting him. At the noise of the deto-
nation, a clerk and a female hurried to the spot, and
he fired at each, but fortunately without effect. On
hearing the reports a large crowd collected in the
streets, and Villanova. in order to clear a passage, dis-
charged another barrel amongst them ana killed a cab-
man who was standing quietly before a neighbouring
houee. The reckless assailant was then seized, but
before he could be disarmed another discharge wounded
an officer of the line. Villanova, on being taken
before the Procureur Imperial, WM fOlind to be in it
state of mental alienation, and was removed to a mad-
house.

How FRANCE 18 GOVERNED.—We often hear
of the formidable army of functionaries on whom the
French Emperor depends for the safety of his Ad-
ministration—the vet army of civilians which exists
in addition to that of soldiers ; but its numbers and its
organisation are not often brought distinctly before us.
We find, from a late return, that France is administered
by 502 818 persons who are employed be the Govern-
ment, and who cost the niuntry 341,417,672 francs, or
somewhat more than thirteen and a half millions ster-
ling. The Emperor and his family figure in the budget
for 26,500 000 francs, or about £1,060,000. The Senate
receives 5,100,000 fraro's ; the Ministers, 1,060 000
francs ; the Prefects, 4.00000 franc, ; and PO on. But
the curious point to be noticed is that these 502 818
persons employed by the Government correspond very
nearly in number to the figure which constitutes tlio
majority of the Government on the late gen,ral
elections.
LaTTER FROM MR. BRIOHT.—A letter from Mr.
Bright, read at a meeting in Birmingham on Saturday,
contains the following passages :
From what is passing in the House of Lords you will see
that the Government and the 11..nse are Simians to act upm
the principles upon which the one was formed and the other
elected It is a grief to me that the Mouse of Lord, lioes not
mole clearly coniprehend the wishes and isitere,ts of the
country. But I cannot but think it will have learned nin:h
from tine discussions which have taken place in both lionAes
on this Irish Church Bill. To me it seems of the tent import-
ance that more harmony should be established between the
two branches of the Legislature.
A DIFFICULT Qussrlow.—The Queen does not
pretend, as Sovereigns do (remarks the Court Journal),
to be the arbiter of Europe, but Her Majesty has just
arbitrated in a manner which might have convulsed
embassies, though it would probably have left the world
totally undisturbed. It seems that there was a ques-
tion what place in order of precedence should be en-
joyed by the daughters of M. Musurus, the Turkish
Ambassador, &I compared with the wife of Bonin
Billow, the minister .4 Denmark. As to the twit Am-
bassadors there Was no doubt. It was quite certain
that M. Musurus had precedence. but did it extend to
his daughters? 'The Queen, after such grave considera-
tion as the questions demanded—M.Guivit would have
made it the subject of a most extensive diplomatic
negotiations—has decided in favour of the Danish
Ambaseadresi. Ni, reasons are given, but her Majesty
may perhaps be safely presumed to have pine by the
old role of precedence by seniority and no doubt has
done wisely, though if ever the Crown might be ex-
pected to do wrong it would be in arbitrating between
a number of excited ladies. Many a Sovereign would
rather go into a conference at_Tilisit or Villafranca than

attempt anything of the kind."--
How IT SHOULD Be !—There was an agreeable
episode in the 12th of July celebrations which may be
worth mentioning from its novelty. The Roman
Catholic inhabitants of Donegal assembled with carts,
at the requast of thew parish priest, the Rev. Mr.
Mulreany, to draw some stones which he required for
the budding of a new schoolhouse. When the Pro.
testants of the locality heard of it they generously
offered to anoint. The offer was accepted in the tame
friendly spirit, and the two parties vied with each
other in rendering the most efficient service to the rev.
gentleman. The Derry Journal, which records the
fact, observes that this commemoration of the 12'h
will probably be remembered with lasting plc:moire by
all who engaged in it as a pledge of harmony and
goodwilL
EXTRAORDINARY SUICIDE OF A NO7TINOPAM
LADT.—On Friday evening in last week, Mrs. Windlei',
mother of Mr. Wm. Windley, a Nottingham ma.4ls.
trate, committed suicide. About half-past six o'clock
that evening the deceased hired a cab and went to the
village of Wollaton (two miles from Nottingham).
She then asked the cabman to drive her to a place
known as the "Balloon Houses," upon which he in-
formed her that the fare would be 4s. She replied that
she had only got two shillings, hut he might take
her pocket handkerchief, which had her name on it,
and on presenting it to her son he would pay the
money. The man drove her to the place mentioned
above, and there left her, but did not take the hand-
kerchief. She was afterwards seen by some gipsies,
who noticed something extraordinary in her :mariner,
but took no Nether notice of her. Laterin the eyelid g
her dead body was found in the canal close by. On her
breast a gold brooch was found stating the date of the
death of her husband, and her parasol was found on the
canal bank. During the at waek deceased had been
staying with her con, and she was observed to be very
peculiar in her behaviour. The unfortunate lady was
seventy-five years of age.
VERT POLITIC (—Frenchmen of the old school
did at times tremendously polite things, such as break-
ing their necks to pick up a lady's fan, or setting fire
to a house to dry her when caught in a shower of rain,
or running through the body any one who shoukl dare
say that her foot was large or her nose red. In our
days Frenchmen are not quite such fools, and yet they
sometimes do exceedingly foolish things in the polite
line. This story, for example, is related of a Count de
Lecoulteux, who has just gone to a better world. In
descending the staircase id the Opera tine night, a lady
of his acquaintance had a lace dress of considerable
value torn hy a man treading on it. After an excla-
mation of impatience, she turned to the Count and
said, "Have you a pin ?" " Madame !" answered he,
"I don't carry a pincushion, but here is one," and he
drew from his breast a valuable diamond pin. "Sir,"
said the lady, nettled probably by his retort about the
pincushion, "I cannot accept a diamond from you!"
" Well, then," returned he. "here is a pin without •
diamow, ! " and breaking off the jewel be threw it out
I of the window, and presented the simple pin.