The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-08 00:00:00

(L r'4:onbun 6ortelpanbent.

/fWe deem it right to state that we do not at all ttmei
loldiatity ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

The possible retirement of the Czar Alexander from
the throne of Russia has been discussed in all the
Courts of Europe. There is, it may be remarked, not
much novelty in the abdication of Sovereigns, for
there nave been monarchs, both before
.and after
Diocletian, who were only too glad to exchange the
peculiar honours of a throne for the security and com-
fort of the fireside and the cloister. But the Emper(
Alexander is in the prime of his intellectual vigour;
Is only cue year older than her Majesty; and has
ruled over the vast empire of Muscovy twenty-one
years. Yet in that time he has managed to c3mpress
the work of a century. On succeeding his father in
March, 1855, he found the, national treasury bank-
rupt, the finances in confusion, the count
—lhed, Fraiice and England thundering at the gates,

try impover-

_
c ,mmerce terribly depressed, education at a very low
ebb, the army ruinously large, and the navy danger-
-oualy ineffective. Within a short time the new Czar
Lad placed the finances on a firm basis; in 1861 he
emancipated 23,000,000 serfs, and in 1864 he liberated
the serfs of Poland. He has improved the standard
of education; trade and commerce have been enor-
moturly developed; the navy has been reorganized, and
the army reduced to its minimum strength compatible
with the safety of the empire, and the Russian rail-
way system has been very largely extended. While
he has thus made such progress at home, his dominions
abroadhave beenindefinitelystrengthenedand widened.
Compelled by force of circumstances in 1856 to give
way before the united forces of the Western Powers,
lie quietly bided his time, and, in 1870, when France
was prostrate at the feet of Germany, he had no diffi-
culty in setting aside the Treaty of Paris. He has
Russianised Poland, conquered Bokhara, Khiva, and
many other places in Central Asia; and his victorious
legions are now within thirty miles of the British
military outposts in India. It would be strange indeed
if, after accomplishing so much in s 9 ehort a time, and
while etill in the zenith of his power and success, he
were to descend from the lofty position which he has
occupied for more than twenty years, and pass the
remainder of his days in some calm watering-place,
"far from the madding crowd's ignoble strife."
"Budget night " is always a notable one in the Par-
liamentary history of the year. Long ago, when Mr.
Gladstone was Chancellor of the Exchequer, the interest
in the financial statement was so great that " strangers "
were in St. Stephen's Hall as early as eight o'clock in
the morning, and having waited patiently there until
four in the afternoon, they found that the gallery would
contain about one-sixth of their number. The rule then
was "first come, first serve," so the earlier you went
the better the chance of gaining admission. Now,
howeVer, a different system prevails. Those who are
armed with orders for the gallery need not attend un-
til half-past three in the afternoon, when, if there are
more than the gallery will accommodate, a ballot is
made for the available seats. The gallery is capable of
holding about eighty persons—not a large number,
seeing that the so-called strangers are the representa-
tives of the entire population of the United Kingdom,
()outdating of about thirty millions. The regulations are
of rather an arbitrary character, for rer stranger is sup-
posed to take a note, or even look at a work of refer-
ence under the eye of the Speaker. Should he do so,
he is pounced upon by an official, and informed that
he is "strictly out of order." How then, some will be In London, on Saturday, at the Bow-street Police
inclined to ask, are the debates reported at all? Well, Court, Matteo Cargalis, Giovanni Carcaris, Paroschos
the Reporter's gallery is placed at the back of the Leousis, Pascal's Caludis, George Kaida, Charles
Speaker's chair; and as the right ho Renken, Giovanni Canessa, Georgius Angelos, and
n. gentleman
Giovanni So ltloro were brought before Sir Thomas
cannot see the membecs of the press, he is not supposed finalri
n e examination
captain, o n
to know that they are present at eal. That such a andme,yf ionrurdeteen charges
r-es-
Hatfield;of mutiny
fiction should be se existence at this time of day is mate, Joseph Wortley; and the second =rec., Richard
really really marvellous. A special gallery is constructed for Macdonald, in board the Lennie while on the high
the press; rooms are provided close by in which they s - .s. Mr. Poland again conducted the prosecution;
may write; a refreshment bar has even be en fir ted up \[r. Sydney Woolf and Mr. Beard defended the
for their convenience; yet the powerful engine of the Greeks, and Mr. Cartwright the Turks.—The follow-
inc atcsunt - of. the proceedings is from Monday's
press is offieially ignored by the High Court of Perlia- Times :
men. This, 400 years after the times of William Chief Superindent Frederick Williamson, of Scotland-yard,
Caxton, is an anachronism, was called and examined by Mr. Poland. He said: On the
12th of March I went with the steward of the Lennie to
No one who has witnessed the deflection of --'1,..-antes I received from Captain Clipperton, Her Majesty's
Hammersmith Bridge when it is densely packed with Consul at Nantes, the two revolvers snit the lance produced;
people will be surprised to learn that it has been pro- farnonmcil- dluesaterrsung,
fCroommmgsaaiLeomMz.igt,ianfiree at Raroictihme four
at
two
nounced unable to bear the enormous itrain cast upon Rochelle some bottles marked el'Kenny, Philadelphia. I
no produceta sheath. The things that I have now produced
it on the day of the TJ'niversity Boat Race, and that belonged to
thoeal,nfoalisbhooasnodo/frieeidclLl3locitelsiferilrreetitiot with
o
it will therefore be closed on that occasion. Hitherto ttLo:ltge
Hammersmith Bridge on Boat Race day has of itself miles from the shore, and occupied by a person named
ezevaanoti.
frolraraecepilvaeada
tfwroommill'i.eli
been a spectacle well worth going out to see ; for, from Liiirrootteeaauu, histhe sheath, waidchs
the footways to the very tops of the suspension chains, off. At the farmhouse I received from the farm servant, a
b sfiligs bag, containing a metallic cartridge, fitting one
it has been filled with a mighty multitude. It corn- orth a
pe
mends an excellent view of the river at a critical time air. Poland: The pistols were the captain's Sir Thomas.
of the contest ; and after the competing crews have Witness: N. Biroteau gave me some coloured stones also,
passed under it, the rush from one side of the and an umbrella, a tin of preserved heel, a pair of gloves, a
ifitistNy
rtgbitig,,trednifsvteirofpot. I raw a boat, without a name on
strueture to the other, in order to watch the further haronne. I did not see a body with-
progress of the boats up the stream, has often made out a Lead.
the bridge reel again, and the traffic upon it has made Mr. Poland: There was a headless body found and seen
bytahs iin
the
o identifySitrTiionues t.
, Ibut it was so decomposed that
it so low in the direction of the water that steamers,
it w
although provided with lowering funnels, have found rue witness was not cross-examined.
it impossible to' pass underneath, and have had to wait Constant Ton Hoydonck, the steward, was recalled. He
until the going down of the tide would enable them to said: The two pistols produced belonged to the captain of
to. If you are in the middle of the bridge on an the s
dusters
?ales ,
trodwwer referredioueL underb
file knuckle-
doobeldongoendßtig occasion o this kind, and get off in two hours, it is very Harry's (Ualudis) bunk. Theylamnec'e proSacreed
tohedlihip.
tTlie litple bag containing the cartridge belonged
good work. It is to be closed this year on the tit
the
bobazeitort elk
looked
kferg from
after-
able .he
eventful day ; and although this will entail a consider- ship tyclasTX men whioglig
loss of revenue to the shareholders, better that wards for the bag and cartridges and could not find them.
The umbrella was taken from the ship by the six men. It
than that ten thousand human beings should be pre- belonged to the captain, as did also the gloves. I have
cipated into the Thames. seen the biscuit bag. I gave it to the men the night they
Iseefeto, in w
at,hetabkeett.fro
ol,hetbophooatpotgLaapah,aleivmhroi ch v have
a before
Palm Sunday is one of those festivals which has re-
tr ined its appellation in the face of other changes three dozen bottles like the two produced. It was °lit
n
bottles bee them that I put the scraps of paper with
wrought by successive ages. We have been told how,
belonged:nss aagestoag tcharpetLi overboard.a farmhouse
The
athwraese
aboutyellowstones
o miles
when Christ made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem,
multitudes of the people who were come to the feast from where the ship lay. I saw the articles I have mentioned
i leoteglidßtiro oftegaffsi;rryTtaliattp, ,biertitthdotah,et Lelotwa:,otawcted, be.
of the Passover, took branches of the palm tree and
went forth to meet him with acclamations and dagger belonged. I saw the boat in which the six meonmlelts.
liee. was seen
holy
noaannas. It is usual, in some countries, to carry ire name was altered. I saw it in the Charonue. While in
y without l
an
abihgndoctor.
elTed ws s h ownT
palm,s on the Suaday -before Easter ; hence its name, , also Francehya boDr.
Bond,
o decomposed that it was impossible for me to identify ;.
yy
it.
so
As to Good Friday, on which a solemn fast has long
Cross-examined by Mr. Woolf: I am sure that the knuckle-
been held in remembrance of the Crucifixion, its ap- I
i Ilinnsdteornsewiner:hfaoueadt
ii; IbßigHarry's (Caludis) bunk I did not
pellation of good appears to be peculiar to certain mate's bunk. The lance was found be-
lands. Our Saxon forefathers denominated it Long hind Green's (Canesao's) door. I believe it belonged to the
Friday on account of the length of the offices and fast- mshytlf.i dfiadmnogtoitivoeerttlii,ifen
all pistol to any
moaned I wanted it
togethere r ae o
lags enjoined on that day. The festival of Easter was 1 at six in the morning. I had no conversation With 'et
, and the boatswain about leaving the vessel. I would not
instituted abut the year 68, and is so called from the
geootingthteomihrTohwetbhoeymnoevvearr.satr the hooes.
Saxon goddess Eostre. After much contention be- He :new I was
the
telldid
tween the eastern and western churches it was ordained
to
tsefitrailtroemtosetlie ship. To
by the Council of Nice to be observed on the same eras say to
the e ship boatswainwoud bel w eldthief
day throughout the whole Christian world. "Easter- mate he ought to stand by me, and he said myself,
was atforal
day is the Sunday following that fourteenth day of the he did, they would kill him. I identified three oars belong-
the tnitnogtehdetobotaheaßoaftl.he Lennie in Nantes. The rope produced
calendar moon which happens upon or next after
21st March; so that, if the said fourteenth day be a I Henry Troussetot was then examined by Mr. Poland.—
Sunday, Easter day is not that Sunday, but the next." He said,—l am not quite 16. lam a native of Rotterdam.
y slecsohnipdpsetdewoanrd thle
joined at
on
ttwheerp22anndd of October
articles
tlaess
Stich were the orders issued in the year 325, and the
continue in force now. Easter Sunday may therefore on board the ship. 1 did not know Von Hoydonck, the
be any one of the five between March 22 and April 25. steward, before. ljeoeffocz
we
ehileft
was
tmwyerpfintAllsweseJ7eanntitlftta
Nearly all the alterations in the new Education code 31st. I was in my berth at four o'clock in the morning of
tend towards a higher degree of instruction, and be- tashiLtddlL wilful'
wlasheaawradk
ea, noise
lon ddeck,:yeiTte
ills tee weaairdd
token more stringent requirements. An increased "They don't seem to call us this morning' it is after four
attention is evidently to be devoted to science; and lificdioacok..
It
uahs aedxabcettltetrwteurnnt o-Alearoni:finsueteeswhaastttlomuer.itlte'
went
Mr. Forster, who was for five years Minister of Edu- ack into my hole andytold the steward what time it was.
cation, speaking at the St. Thomas Charterhouse He told me to hurry and have the coffee ready by five o'clock.
to
on
pt theo tlecodme fir,anitoil
found
rtried o
locked.
School of Science in London, pointed out the great to get peehathaeomepoaonniosnoleatits
importance of combining a scientific knowledge with to the poop. I found I could not get en to the deck. I
touched the lock, and somebody said, "Who's that?" I
elementary training in our schools. In the metropolis,
more especially the swabs of all ages are beig said
English.'`Thpi secondHe
aei msete a
what
I"
and
I spokesid , , t me
make
the coffee by five o'clock.'' Ile said, wanted,'
There is time enough
gathered in from the streets, and as the majority of
, rheeatvdeyeetnnethinsorttrneed eight tfiov'e °elo?t'kl."okThe right time for getting
them, having had to live by the sharpness of their wits
will new devote their attention to studies which will and told the steward I could noto i went
gato u back
out. He
t 0 ray ll
ej .
11 mpe id)
out
of his bunk and went up the companion himself, and I
in time enable them to rank amongst the productive
classes, the ratepayers may look for some fooulLoinzed;thkfles
weroieodittowgaets oilt,doboutt frooulowd not o Somebody
beneficial results from the united action of this new the outside, but the man spoke in English. The° steward
cede and frem the Education Act of 1870. The first first soaaititt
be
eas :Ito captain, and some one outside said,
a lasted
hime witness n ewssb a then
h re
expenditure under that statute will be the heaviest, said, "It is the steec'als;'°."TheTyhe
in the shape of the building of new schools; and the wanted, and he replied, "To make coffee by five o'clock."
Aaardneaing.3tthoeno
inset., "There
stewardis taima is
Ifroert that d
leachinery, once organised, may be expected to workretained
one man
the dining.spoie
room i. could not say whether more t 1
with much less of the expense than has lately been
the subject of such criticism in the capital. The of:ircTded the door; there was so much noise made. The
believers in education declare that with its Certain rooniio-seirell katlffeintiakellihkaetiEtowi9o birtlealetet:
wwearsegtolitherge.to
pHaetsfhool7teadbmoneks.o mi.l. porn
Rie::;; Ti said
..,;.. ~a
bh(ci
advance there will be less pauperism and crime, and
They were
after five we heard
~,awere, fired one after the
g deck, and thie.,
elthough, unfortunately, crime is not always confined sat down in the dinoinngrl.oiztfith
to the ignorant arid unlearned, it is more prevalent three or,fou,shots
l steward
the
Mel citie iiii,rivebroClut;anto"cltohcStk when e"n S/l. stopped in the (lining-
with that class than in those above it, and it is natural
to expect that as people become more intelligent 0-: hoes...vain being fleet. Before they camedsdeolwmne
.. least, seen the captain's pistol. I did not notice if all hands
hadoanot
better informed, they will act accordinel— '
eel drain down. A good many came down, and I was glee to et rnne
sueh Las be- n the tone of juslf- -.. d's
a deck. The men all stood right before the table. get
I
ears peek. could not say how many were there. The boatswain
men of quarter sessio-- " j
to the Moon governing the regula
. , (Canesso) ssid, "We have killed the captain, and the first
....d 06
.. T. la Smoveable festival that has been undisturbed and second mates, and thrown them overboard." They were
all laughing and talking in Greek' and running from one room
for 1,500 years, and ist.eot likely to be set aside in cen- to another.
tunes to come, is a reminder that we owe to that By Sir Thomas Henry; I did not remark who were the men
satellite a great deal more than she often gets credit running from one room to another. The boatswain spoke to
- the steward in English. I heard no more said, for I went to
for. Children are taught that— the galley. The men descended by the companion—that was
"Soon as the evening shades prevail, the only companion. When I got on the poop I saw blood on
Ihe moon takes up the wondrous tale the deck. I also saw blood on the main deck I went first to
And nightly to the listening earth
the galley to light the fire. When I returned the men were
' engaged in washing the deck, I aid not notice any one on
Repeats the story of her birth." deck. lat once ran down to the galley, which is a little
But our faithful attendant doom more than this, before the main hatch I cannot say if there was any one at
thewheelt,banall cannot say which were the men engaged in
Nearly two thousand years ago, Posidonhus, a Greek washing
philosopher, accounted for the action of the tides by name cff the bbooal, off
theo a
ridoeoctk .5 a
yI saw meney
I;were. There
the motion of the moon; and it is only for us t-o
was a pot of black paint standing in the poop. After this the
imagine for a moment what the earth would be with- ifirteowmavmtoalkdcrtaare of the vessel, and I received say orders
the dining-room the boatswain,first mcr
morning.
of the
gave
ro aA o breakfastedgaios Li!
out the ti s, to recognise the value of "that leaser
light to rule the night," which is spoken of in the book linen" itilletrhe galley, because I could not do all the work
and Joe the Cookt (dcaayres
ahrieocwoula
ndpnoot t
withh t.
mmee sufficiently,Neither,jf
of Genesis. Fancy the sea a vast body of stagnant ' tnhoermdinr :lie any statement to me about what had happened,
water; and imagine London itself without that tidal
land Petersenthertooofkthoebi,ortheerfoprraisoners. After we had made
stream of the Thames which has made her the greatest
reason. After two da3sii stewardim e liouotkl I don'taga knowio l trhee.
port in the world. Even on those dark nights when no the t
wmreintelboegrowortitiiieng a message in French and English The
moon is visible she is always at work for us, purifying paper prednced is mine I wrote the first
theses byekeeping its waters constantly in motion,
.otaeuirtietuhurtewtwoovedrozeirle I got the battles from the lava-
and at the same time purifying the atmosphere of toaryr
on the 9th of Nov
Cook (Carharae,e
crowded cities standing upon the banks of rivers
Nicholm men—French
taari(uCtiariegaiGii4
ith the tide a strong current of fresh • 4'ireitethe
- -- - ' . , Ps

April, from the Latin aperis, to open, better be-
comes its name than perhaps any other month in the
year. A cold March finds the beginning of April with
vegetatioh extremely backwarl, a few buds upon the
smaller shrubs, but not a leaf upon the trees. As the
month advances, and warm and genial south-west winds
take the place of fierca north-easters, the change wrought
is marvellous to witness. By the time it has run its
course, four short weeks, the alteration in the land-
scape is as though it had been transformed by the wand
of a magician. From bleak and bare winter the land
has suddenly passed into all the beauty of summer
clothing. The trees, no longer gaunt and cheerless,
now 'fling out their branches rich in verdure, and
covered with greenery of varying hue; the increasing
hours of sunlight chase away the memories of winter
as shadows disappear from the plain; the feathered
songsters, as they leap merrily from bough to leafy
bough, rejoice in the possession of their newly-found
homes; the air seems alive with busy life; while in the
shoutings of the rivers through the hills and the voices
of the waters ringing along the valleys the listener can
detect songs of praise for the termination of a dreary
period, and for the approach of the brighter times to
come.

by sending up wiL t,
air. Those poets who have written of " the mekm-
ciauly moon" have scarcely done her justice. True we
get no heat from her, and she acts merely as a re-
flector; but her industry is untiring and her labour
unceasing, and a landscape lighted up by the rays of a
frill moon is anything but a mournful spectacle.
Astponomers toll us that the earth has made but a poor
rein= to the moon for all the service which she has

( 4a), and Angelo—le;ft the boat, 'j
did iiot pack any Of
their clothes. I at s',nae biscuits in a bag for them When
the captain c..rne ou bo.rd I,c had to my knowkdge £3O I
don't know what became of the money. I know that the
steward put up eignals "Ship in distress ;" I got the flag
kr him. It was lirst hoisted on the 7th, early in the
morning. It was up four hours. I don't know who took
it down. In the ship's articles the first that !snow scratched
out re it ted to Green (Canesso). He is there described as a
wages 4,8 lOs. a month. After the men
Grelt.
left :z
` are TO me about the entry. He asked me L.
alter It and .all him an Italian, and boatswain_ lie brought