The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-30 00:00:00

Our fonbon Corrtsponbtut.

dellol It right to etate that we do not at 111 ihuti
oleuttfy ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.)

There is is plentiful scarcity of news just now— no
public meetings, no epeeelies from members of the
Legislature, no demonstrations or iainferemai, no
" movement*" amongst the leagues and ansoeiations
which ale so numereis—in fact, little but telegrams,
foreign news, and article* on nothing particular. Well,
we can afferd to do without any exciting news just
now, and we nay console ourselves with the reflection
that happy is the country that makes little history.
This is not kur case as a rule, but I cannot call to mind
when there wad eo " little doing" As at the present time.
But the holiday season is parsing away, and politically,
commercially, and socially we shall doubtless ...re
long he active aud energetic As ever. Parliament has
been prorogued till the Gth of February, then to meet
for "the despatch of divers urgent and important
affairs," an addendum which means business. There
a prospect of a busy and exciting evasion. Not the
least iniportrint--in fact the mat important measure
will be the Parliamentary and Municipal Elections
Bill, and public curiosity will be on the eta 'ice to see
how their lordships of the Upper Chamber will receive
it and what they will do with it. And will Mr.
Bruce, I wonder, try hie band at another licensing
Bill the d,t that lie will, and that, Indeed, he can-
not help himself. If so, a more exciting subject will
not occupy the attention of Patliament. Sanitary
reform, the truck system of payment, and friendly
societies will also be deeply interesting topics ; and in
fact next session will really be what we are always
told "next ses,ion " is to be, a very important one.
The world of polities, if there is such a world, is
lust now eclipsed, and political matter* excite no pub-
lie interest. Who may be the next Speaker is a ques-
tion that few people trouble thenisolves about, and we
have no speeches from great men to furnish topic's of
;ow-creation. Ere long, however, people will be look-
ing forward anxiously to the next evasion, which will
in all probability be an important one. The Ballot
Bill will undoubtedly create considerable excitement,
bearing in mind the circumstances under which the
Lords gave It the cold shoulder het session. And then
we may expect bills on sanitary reform, on friendly
and benefit societies, en the truck system, on licensing,
and many other eubjeets in which the public take
great interest. Meanwhile there is a decided lull in
political affairs.

There have been numerous statements, much vary-
ing in character, relative to the preemued wealth or
poverty of the ex-Emperor and Empress of the French.
I am glad to see one authoritative statement at last
A well-known London Erm of jewellers are now selling
the Empress's jewels, and the pro-reds if there
be no other property—will at least keep the wolf from
the door .4 the imperial retreat during the femainder
of the lives of the illustrious exiles. Opinions greatly
differ as to the advantages or evils of the Napoleonic
rule, but few people can be hard-hearted enough
(unless they are Beds or ('ommunists) to wish that the
"monarch retired from businees," or his amiable and
still beautiful wife should suffer a reverse from the
height of affluence to poverty. By theway, there does
net seem any chance of the ee-Emperor ever returning to
the throne of France. Many people think that it is
otherwise with regard to the Orleans family, and great
etrees is laid upon the deep interest which the French
are taking in the eayinga and doings of the Duo
d'Aumale and the Prince de Joinville. But it must be
borne in mind that neither of throe is the heir to the
throne, even in the Orleanist theory.
That the movement for the reduction of the hoard of
labour and for early closing in chops, has latterly been
making considerable progress, we ill know, but the
Progress in one very important branch f industry
seems to have been greater than most of us were aware
of. If an official statement recently made by the
Amalgamated Society of Engineers may be relied on,
ueerly all the employers in the trade must have "con-
ceded the nine hours" by this time. I am happy to
read, on the same authority, that this reduction of the
hours of labour "has been attained without weaken-
ing the good feeling between employers and their
workmen; in fact it has been the means of strengths
ening the relative position of both." Glad to hear it—
from the men ; only I should like also to hear it from
the masters ; and, meanwhile, while accepting the
etatement, I take with it a grain of salt. But one
thing is certain, and indeed self-evident, that the short
time and early closing movement has caused workmen
and shopruen to entertain a very good feeling towards
their employers—very naturally. As to the earlier
lasing of shops, it is unmistakeable in the metropolis.
Tiler,: :reat d'rf,,enee in the aspect of London
etreete at eight or nine o'clock of an evening Low as
compared with even a few wseks ago. Numbers of
tradesmen, some little tine since, agreed to close
earlier on and from New Year's day, and so it will be
a happy new year to many a ehopman and shopwoman
previeuely overworked. This movement, so far as
shoN are concerned, whether we like it or not, will
undoubtedly extend, and psi-lisps before long we shall
Ls iTying out that it is goims too far.
It must be ;natter .4' ,;ensral congratulation Vest
we Lace A lasi Ete fla,lll CI,: ialhorne case, %Lich ha 1
dragg.al its slow length :dem; to quell an int,leraLlo
tiot kne,st peop:," must have become heartily
wearied of it. When the curtain draws up, however,
on the 15th of January, another act in this " mystery -
will commence, and the defendant's coed will be
opened. The Attorney-General has warned us that
he will have a good deal to say, and that his opening
speech will last a week! What a monster oration !
Fancy a learned gentleman talking for six or seven
hours, and when the evening shades prevail stoppins
his narrative and exposition that he may take up the
wondroas tale next morning ! It is said that the de-
fendant's case will not occupy so much time no the
plaintiff's has taken up; but in any case it will be a
monster trial as to length, to say nothing of the issues
involved. And what a case it will be for Lord thief
Justice Bovill to sum up! Why if he took a fort-
night to do this it would not be out of proportion ith
the evidence and the speeches of counsel. And how
w lilt be decided? The decision of the jury a-ill be
written. What a momentous document that will he!
That numerous and influential section of the com-
munity that is opposed to the use of alcholio drinks,
except under medical advice, may becongratulated on
the success of the cause they have adopted, in getting
upwards of 250 physicians, surgeons, ke., to denounce
" the inconsiderate prescription of alcoholic liquids by
mallard men for their patients." I do not happen to be
a teetotaller, though heartily agreeing with the theory
that in thousands of oases total abstinence is the only
remedy for continual temptation to exceed. But I be-
lieve that this medical manifesto is strictly true, and
that it will have all the force of truth. This decla-
ration Lae been much talked of lately, and within my
own circle of acquaintance I know of several cases
where it has already exerted considerable effect. The
manifesto will indirectly tend to repreta an evil against
which it is not nominally directed, and the country
thereby will be the gainer.
When Tennyson sings, apoetrophiming the New
Year's bells,

" king out old shapes of foal disease.
Xing out the aarrowing lust of gold,
Sing out the thousand wars of old,
Ring in the thousand years of pears,"

be sees laiaguage befitting the earnest aspirations of a
tuts poet, longing for the triumph of good over eel];
bat Mile plain preee of flee, we meet all know and
feel, eentrasta strongly with poetic imaginings. And
yet we may well ask ourselves, at the comarieneersent
of a new year, whether the world is not growing wiser,
awl bettor, aad happier than it was. An easy imeetion
to ask, but one which I .to not intend elaborately to
endeavour to answer. Certainly, however, we of the
et.pent day have many material and social silvan-
tsgee whish oor pi sideceona , did not tejoy. A
lull eomparisoo Ipetw, ell times past and present
onull be a lengthy affair, but permit me, being in
a meditative humour, to glance at a few of
the oontraste which such a comparison would
present. Gas is or towns, and even villages,
no well as is eur shops and our homes, instead ef a
few wretched oil lamps or total darkneas ; Ghee') am!
rapid railway eonveyance, instead of old lumbering
isiachee, before entering into which peophs used to
make their wills; the cone( yawn of a letter for a
penny, or a post-card fir a halfpenny, from John o'
Great's to the Land's End, instead of two or three
',billings, the conveyance not occupying now a quarter of
the time Originally spent ; cheap telegraphic communi-
cation all over the Empire ; a trip to Faris in nine
hours from the metropolis, to America in as many
days, and to India in acme three weeks—and all in
tusfety and comfort as compared with former times, and
at far less cost ; the clothing of our servants and
labourers immensely improved ; the furniture and
accessories of "the cottage homes of England" equal,
in practical utility and comfort, to thew of the middle
classes a couple of centuries ago ; our literature, vastly .
improved in quality, extended in quantity, atm
lowered in price; and - last, not least—cheap and
good newspapers, containing the news of
the world, permeating the whole kingdom—these
are a few of the advantages, denied to our
ferefather(, that we enjoy. And it seems to toe
that the year 1572 opens under peculiarly
favourable auspices. When the year 1871 commenced,
France and Germany were waging one of the most de-
termined and bloodthirsty wars of modern times. Let
us think for a moment of the condition of Paris on
that New Year's day. With the French this is em-
phatically le jour de l'an,---the day of the year ; and
their *manes, or New Year's gifts, are a universal
institution, endearing friend to friend, making home
happier, and tending to ensure that the year eball at

least coninceacein friendliness and affection. But what 1
a sorry New Year's day was that! The beleaguering
Prussians were waiting and watching for their sure
prey; tlify were making preparations to bonthlwri the
wretched inhabitants, wearied with sorrow and fasting, '
or dying of absolute starvation ; and it wad but three
days after "the day of the year" that the murderous
guns of the viotorieus hosts opened tire on the doomed
city. Your reader; will well remember how tide pro-
tracted war affected mired wee— how it circumscribed our
commerce cad depressed our internal trade; how it dead-
ened dpeculation and enterprise ; and how it uow and then
raised mad forebodings lest England might be dragged
into the war. Ent at last we had the pleasure of seeing
"danger's twaind night depart, and the star of peace
return." The lurid names of war died out ; the black
ci'luds rolled away ; and the bledssd light of " the star
of peace choice on the lacisou. As au inevitable
result, England's trade and commerce showed im-
mediate signs of revival, and 1 think I am jastified in
Raying. that from that time they have exhibited il-
Exeasta and still increasing activity.
In many other respects the opening year bids
fair to • fulfil the familiar phrase with which
its advent is greeted. We are at peace with
all the world, and we are internally prosperous.
During the year 1871 there were continuous disputed
betwem Capital and Labour, but they were carried
on with less bitterneas and ill than has often been
the race, and the numerous victories of the men imam-
testibly show Low much their porition had improved
before these dianutes arose, while the terms on which
they have in the main been settled will still further
improve their position ; so that, on the whole, I be-
lieve the working classes are at this moment better
If than ever they wore - a great fact, if it be fact, and
believe it to be so. In one other important respect
the condition of our working classes is likely to im-
prove during the year 1872—in the matter of educa-
tion. The Edneation Act is already bearing good
fruit, and bids fair to be of immense value in pro-
moting the education of the people--a result which, in
its turn, will be productive of other beneficial reetills.
Add to all this, that our " difficulty " with America
ham bees amicably settled, and that there is no dark
thud on the political horizon, and I think we have
amide cause for gratitude and hope. But the future
is shmuded by an impenetrable veil, and I will but add
that I heartily wish my readers, one and all, a Happy
New Year.