The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-06-03 00:00:00

FASHIONS AT THE FRENCH DERBY.

The Paris Correspondent of the Deify News, in noticing the
French Darby, which was ran for on tqinday, remarks
The menacing state of the weather did not tend to
the display of Vanity Fair novelties at the Fren
Derby to-day. Fashionable ladies must this mornitz
have been in sore perplexity to decide whether they
should dress for rain or for sunshine. The greater
number, taking counsel of the lowering shy and muggy
atmosphere, went in ordinary promenade attire.
Others, more venturesome, risked the dresses at which
their modistes and manturs makers laboure i I dare sa
up to a late hour last night. Their courave was re-
warded. The weather.. kept up, and as the FLench
Derby was run for the sun came out pleasantly. Train
tunics are the novelty of the day. They are of great
length, and in their folds creases are purposely made
near the waist bewilderingly intricate. This new
supplement to the skirt must consume as much stuff
as a court train, anal not less trimming. Pale slate-
coloured silk turned up with silk of a darker shade,
and finished off with cream-coloured lace, were the
favourite materials for ladies' robes. The parasols
followed in colour the Alsatian bows in front of the
steeple-crowned bonnets of coarse straw. There were
therefore bright red, yellow, sky-blue, pink, and pale
green sunshades. A toilette of snow-white Chinese
gauze, fringed with silver picked out with black, and
accompanied with black gloves reaching to the elbows,
was honoured with universal notice. I could not help
observing that dark-complexioned beauties having
golden hair in superabundance were numerous. Ladies
-anxious to follow the latest Paris fashions will not, I
-presume, copy the admirable simplicity of the Royal
and other visitors in the Orleans Tribune, who were
' prettily attired, but nothing more, as if for a garden
party in the country. The Princess de Joinville was
in plain black silk ; the Princesse Clementine in dark
blue silk, with a pelerine edged with Chantilly lace
and May meadow flowers in her bonnet. The Comte
and Comtesse de Flandres were their guests. His
Royal Highness paid a visit to Marshal MacMahon
yesterday and remains here for a fortnight. He is
strikingly like the late Prince Consort. The beauty of
the Countess, who is a fine-complexioned blonde, with
regular features, was much remarked. Her Royal
Highness was attired in white foulard silk, with pale
pink feather trimmings, and Tuscan straw Gains-
borough hat. The Comte de Paris scarcely appeared
in the stand reserved for his relations, where I observed
the Duc Decazss and a group of ex Deputies of the
Right. My attention was called to the altered de-
meanour of the public as regarded the Orleans family
since the passing of the Constitutional laws. Two
summers ago there was, I remember, an outer court as
well as an inner. The first gathered in a dense ring
and encircled the Orleans stand, watching the move-
ments of its occupants. At the Chantilly Derby im-
mediately preceding the 24th May, 1873, the Orleans
tribune reminded me of the Tuileries antechambers on
New Year's Day when the Emperor reigned. It was
encumbered with Ambassadors, generals, admirals,
brilliant pushing young officers and ambitious yoli-
ticans with high names. This afternoon only some
intimate friends came to pay their court. As to the
public of the other stands they would not have turned
their heads to look into that of the Orleans family had
it not been for the appearance there of the Belgian
Princess. The Doc d'Aumale came from Besaucon
ftr the races. I saw also the Prince de Joinville.

.tAii 101 in
.1k Xti , THE COMMONS Alttla U' •
_. • ~1 r
qtaua i'
. ,
The Times (in a leader) remarks :*itLiregar3 to
ost of the common laud to WM.4I 't.fie present Bill
uld be likely to be applied, the question is not
hether it should be let alone or taken in hand,
ecause it has become a necessity to take it in hand in
ome 'fashion or other. It must be either regulated or
nclosed. The opponents of enclosure cry for regula-
fon, even though in the same breath they admit that
egnlation is very difficult; indeed, so fat as has
een tried, almost impossible. Mr. Cross was able
to twit , his opponents on Thursday night on their
inconsistency_ in recommending him to stick to
regulation and adding that it .was worthless.
It may, of course, be a very mixed process—half en-
closure half regulation; the enclo•ure paying for the
regulat'ioa ; the private appropriation ot a part paying
for the public appropriation .of the rest; but the
gentleme a who talk so largely and indiscriminately of
preserving all our commons appear to Intend much
more than this. Their ambition extends to parks,
domains for the people. There is no denying the ex-
cellence of the aim, or its feasibility, with all the waste
or open land we have about U 3; but, on the ether hand,
neither is there any question as to the cost. The call
for delay repeated by several members is seldom ,
a very reasonable plea, and is particularly- un- I
reasonable when the question is settling itself by
spontaneous processes. The continual and rapid in-
crease of the population round our commons is
always bringing forward the evils incident to their
neglect and abuse. Anybody well acquainted with a
common near an increasing town, or even a village
with any movementaat all in it, will not fad to observe
that it has become less reclaimable and less convertible
to any new purpose, and less enjoyable and orna-
mental in its present state. The " roughs ' assert
their ownership and dictate the use. But, apart from
manners, considerations cf health, and even the
primary object of preserving the common to the public
use, demand the early treatment of most open spaces
near town. Whole classes are plotting and devising
against them, watching their opp,rtunity to take
some bit or establish some claim which it may be easier
for them to maintain than for others to overthrow.
Thus it is a political and social as well as a territorial
question, and as such brooks no delay."