The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-10-15 00:00:00

Blistellancolts

ROME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

DISTREf s AMONGST BOONBINDERS.—The follow
ing petition has been forwarded for presentation to her
sfajesty, signed by more than 2 500 females employed
in the art of bookbinding in London :

" That your petitioners are suffering great lois and priva-
tion by the stoppage of the trade in Prayer Books and Church
Service., occasioned by the withdrawal of the Table of Lessons
Bill from the [louse of Commons, after it had pulsed the
House of Lords. Your petitioners are advised that it will
require an Act of Parliament to make alterations In the Table
of Lessons, or the Rubric of the Common Prayer Book. Tour
petitioners, therefore, humbly pray your Majesty to signify
your Majesty's most gracious will and pleasure that the Table
of Lessons Bill, or whatever Bill may be required for setting
the Prayer Book question, be brought Into Parliament the
early part of the next session thereof, that this period of
stagnation, productive of such great loss and severe priva-
tion to your petitioners, may be reduced to the shortest
possible duration. Your petitioners further humbly beseech
your Majesty, that in the event of Parliament being called
together this year before its usual assembling, that your
Majesty would signify your most gracious will and pleasure
that the said Bill should be brought in at that time."

Ax OPEN QUESTION.—On a Post Card._—Pu nrh.

To fioveLs IN lasLAND !—The Lancet of
lad week calla attention to a circumstance which to
any thoughtful mind is quite sufficient to account for
much of the disquiet that prevails in Ireland (remarks
the Pall Mall Gazette). According to the last census—
viz., that of 1861— the number of fourth-class houses in
Ireland, each of which had but one room for the entire
family of every age and sex, was 89,374, and in these
were living nearly half a million of persons. Although
since 1861 there has been a decrease in the num-
ber of hovels, owing to the action of loans
granted by the Board of Works under sanction of
the Treasury, yet numbers of them still exist in Ire-
land ; and the overcrowding of families in cellars and
attics in this country also is as injurious to the wretched
occupants themselves as it is discreditable to their
rulers, who shrink from grappling with a question of
which, as the Lancet truly observes, it is scarcely pos-
sible,both on social and sanitary grounds, to exaggerate
the importance. The truth is, that the house question
is more difficult to deal with than the land question,
for the former affects the interests of the shopkeepers
and vestrymen, who are the owners of much of the
most disgraceful house property in England and the
Government that will do its duty in spite of the im-
precations of these people is yet to come.

- - -
WAR OITICIE MANACIRYRITT.—A correepoßdent
of the Pall Mall Gamtle, to show how sergeants of the
Volunteer force are treated on presenting themselves
at schools of instruction, says :

. -
"In conformity with an order from the War Office,
dated September SO, I despatched • sergeant instructor
to Enfield on the 6th of October to report himself to
the Superintendent of the Royal Small Arm. Depart-
ment at that place, with • view to his receiving Instruc-
tion in regard to the care, fie , of the Snider rifle.
Writing to me from Enfield on the day of his arrival, he
stake You wished me to let you know how I got on.
Well, I arrived at Enfield at one o'clock with some other un-
fortunates, some of whom had come from as far north u
Dundee. We walked about for Cora Anon and a half wait-
ing for the captain; he at last arrived and saw us. Eis to •
very nice man indeed. He told as they had applied to the
War Office fourteen days since for bedding and other bar-
rack furniture, but he was sorry to say he had no other
accommodation for us than an empty room, and, sure
enough, such wee the cue. No lodgings could be obtained
either ; by a lucky hit, however, I have obtained a bed at
the hotel. My companions have to sleep on the boards
until the War Office choose to send beds from London.'
This man Is thoroughly reliable, and by no means given to
exaggerate or 'make difficulties' I therefore leave this ex-
tract from his letter to speak for itself."
NOT LIKELY.—A ploughman was getting a
couple of carts of coal at • pttlead in Ayrshire, and
was just about starting for home, when his collie dog,
that was playing with the englneman's terrier, suddenly
turned and sprang towards the carts, lie either leapt
short or had not noticed the pit, however, and in he
went, and was dashed to pieces. The ploughman
looked confounded when the collie disappeared.
" Mao," said he to the engineman, "that', an awfu`
businivis. I never saw him do the like o' that afore l"

MR. SPURGEON Ell PREACHING AND PREACHERS.
—At the autumnal sesaion of the Baptist Union at
Cambridge the other day, Mr. Spurgeon said
" I recommend every young minister to make his first
business. The pulpit is the Thermonylm of Christendom.
our people may grumble that you don't go about and drink
as many cups of tea at their houses as they would like. If
you give them good food on the Sabbath they will put up
With a great deal. If the Sabbath joint is only a grim scrag
of mutton, with plenty of divisions and nothing to divide—
(laughter)—you will soon discover that your people will not
be satisfied. In the next place do not neglect visitation. It
is true that I cannot visit my 4,350 members But my visita-
tion II done by the elders. Next let me say a word or two
to the people. Ills a remarkable fact that ministers Of the
Gospel are not able to live on much leas than other people.
Laughter.) They cannot make a shilling go as far as other
people can make • sovereign. Some of them try very hard,
but they do not succeed. A member once said to • minister
who wanted a tile more salary as his family increased, 'I
did not know that you preached for money."No, I don't,'
said the minieter. ' I thought you preached for souls "So
I in; hut I could not live on souls—(laughter)—and if I
could It would take a good many the else of yours to make
a meal.'" (Renewea laughter.)

INTERESTING EXPERIMENTS.—The "fish tor-
pedo" which has been for some time subjected to
various experimental trials by a committee of naval
officers, under Captain Arthur, R.N., was put to a
practical proof on Saturday at Sheerness. The Oberon,
paddle-wheel steamer, had been specially supplied
with a I.2.horse power engine and air pumps for filling
the torpedo with compreseed air,and fitted with p large