The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-05-12 00:00:00

LEASES OF HOUSES.

The right which Mr. Broadhurst, M.P., proposes, in
a Bill which was on the notice paper for second reading
on Tuesday, to confer on tenants of purchasing the fee
simple of their houses or cottages, is to apply only
where there are 30 years unexpired of a lease already
created, or 20 years of any future lease. In these
purchases may be included chattels and also any
gardens or other lauds held with the house to the ex-
tent of three acres.

For carrying out the scheme, Mr. Broadhurst's Bill
adopt the machinery of the County Courts. When a
tenant wishes to purchase his house, his first proceed-
ing is to be to pay into court two years' rack-rent, by
way of deposit.

After advertising the application the Registrar o
the County Court would investigate the landlord's
title and interest, and the tenant's right to claim the
benefit of the Act. The County Court Judge would
then proceed to ascertain the sum that ought to be
paid for the purchase. In this inquiry any person
interested would be entitled to demand a jury. The
sum to be thus ascertained would be that which the
entire estate in the house, beyond the tenant's interest,
would fetch by sale in the open market. But as re-
gards future leases, there would be excluded from
computation the value of any improvements that
may have been made by the tenant or his predecessor
in title, which were not in pursuance of contract with
the landlord.

On paying the purchase money into court, the
tenant would be entitled to receive from the Registrar
a certificate of purchase, which would operate as a
conveyance from all the landlords who have been
served with notice. The purchme•money would then
be distributed by the Registrar, or retained pending
inquiries, in accordance with the directions of the
Judge. From his decision, however, on questions of
law, but on those only, an appeal is allowed. With
regard to the expenses of these proceedings, they would
to a reasonable extent be borne by the tenant.

CUTTINGS FROM AMERICAN PAPERS.
A Nebraska paper speaks of a young farmer who
"run rapidly through his property." His property
was an open lot. He wore a red shirt, and a crank
bull was in the wake of the young farmer.

It was in a New England school. "What is the
feminine of tailor?" asked a teacher of a class in
grammer. "Dressmaker," was the prompt reply of a
bright, eyed little boy.
A New York paper says: "Death has been busy in
high places this year." This ia an elegant way ot re-
ferring to the many executions which have recently
taken place.

Gentleman to waiter: "Bring me some gram-
matical and typographical errors."—Waiter (looking
puzzled at first, but recovering in a moment his usual
serenity) : "We are just out of them, sir."—" Then
what do you mean by keeping them on your bill of
fare?"

"Yes," said she, with tears in her eyes, "in his
qualities of head and heart dear George is always the
same." Then, after a moment's lapse into dreamland,
she added: "He is so soft-hearted, dear fellow."
The other day a husbind was reading that the pre-
monitory symptoms were a wild look, flushed face,
thick speech, &c., and he handed it to his wife, and
remarked, "Mary, if ever I come home looking that
way, you'll know what it means, and you'll know what
to do. "Yee, darling," she softly replied, as she laid
the paper down; "I'll have an emetic and a thick
stick waiting for you."
On his return from India, Brown was asked how he
liked tiger-hunting. "It is very good sport as you
hunt the tiger," he replied; "but if hard pressed, he
sometimes takes it into his head to hunt you, and then
it has its drawbacks."
The last St. Louis story about the Chicago girl is
really too bad. It says that she insisted upon throwing
her shoe after a newly-married couple. The carriage
is a total wreck, the bride is in the hands of a doctor,
and the groom was with difficulky dug out from under
the ruins.

The Standard says :—" We hear that the proposal
of the Government with regard to Scotch business will
include the creation of t! Department tor Scotland, at
the head of which will be a Minister for Scotch
Affairs."

A telegram was received in Durham on Tuesday
announcing the death by accident of Professor
Walker, who recently accepted a professorship in
Adelaide University.. On Monday his father received
a letter announcing his arrival at Adelaide, and next
day a telegram from Sir Francis Bell stating that Pro.
fessor Walker had met with an accident in New Zea-
land, and was dead.