The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-11-14 00:00:00

I, isteliantous bttiligenta

EOM, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

PAPAL ENCYCLICAL LE I'I'ML-The Pope has issued ee
important Encyclical letter on Liberalism. In this
document his Holiness deals with several prominent
questions, and while pointing out that the form of civil
Government is not an article of faith, condemns both
the liberty of the Press and universal suffrage. The
Pope urges the Catholic Press to continue manfully to
combat the growth of error and impiety.
GREAT BANKING DEFALCATIONS.—M. Ludvig Hansen,
the head partner in the old-established banking firm of
H. P. Hansen, jun., of Copenhagen, has given himself
up to the police, stating that he had unlawfully dis-
posed of money entrusted to his keeping. The deficit
in M. Hausen's accounts is stated to be from 1,000,000
to 1,500,000 kroner.
BOARD OF TRADE RETURNS.—The Board of Trade
returns for the month and 10 months ended October 31
were issued on Saturday. The imports for October
amounted in value to £29,757,327, a decrease of
£1,339,805 compared with October, 1884. For the 10
months just expired the value of the imports was
£312,812,458, a decrease of £13,145,768. The exports
for October amounted to £18,674,498, a decrease upon
the value in October, 1884, of £1,739,664. The exports
for the expired 10 months of this year are valued at
£179,362,729, a decrease of £18,020,530.
VBNICE.—The Piazza of St. Mark's at Venice is being
repaved, and the opportunity has been taken to search
for the remains of the ancient buildings which formerly
stood on the site of the present square. Probably the
excavations will occupy two or three years, as it is in-
tended to determine the original area of the Piazza, and
to look especially for traces of the native church of St.
Giminiano, built in 552, and of the wall raised against
the Hungarian pirates about 900. Some valtfable
twelfth-century sculptures have already been found in
the mud. _

LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—Nineteen shipwrecks were
reported during the past week, of which only six were
British owned, making the total for the present year
1067, against 1335 for corresponding period oi last year.
Five were lost off the British coast, four foundered at
sea, and two sank by collision.
SERVIAN Hosourt.—The King of Servia has conferred
the Knight-Commander's Cross of the Royal Order of
St. Sava on Mrs. Louisa llay-Kerr, the translator into
English of Leopold Ranke's History of Servia."
LADY STITDENTS.—In the Zurich University one tenth
of the students aro female. Twenty-nine young ladies
study medicine, 14 philosophy, wad two politica2
economy. Out of these 45 students, 15 are Swiss and
10 Russian.

Cons AVERAGES.—The following are the average
prices of British corn for last week, as received from
the inspectors and officers of Excise: Wheat, 31s. Id:;
barley, 30s. 3d.; oats, 18s. 11d, per imperial qr. Corres-
ponding week last year: Wheat, 325.; barley,
31s. 10d. ; oats, 19s. 4d.
FOREIGN LITE STOCK AND Foasn MEAT.—The
arrivals of live stock and fresh meat at Liverpool
daring the past week from American and Canadian
ports amounted to 1296 cattle, 551 sheep, 11,213
quarters of beef, and 485 carcases of mutton, against
the preceding week's imports of 2457 cattle, 920 sheep,
10,020 quarters of beef, and 590 carcases of mutton,
showing a decrease in the shipment of live stock and
mutton, but a slight increase in fresh beef. The con-
veying steamers were as follows: Oxenholme, 363
cattle, and 299 sheep; Kansas, 631 cattle, and 860
quarters of beef; Lake Winnipeg, E 32 cattle, 352
sheep, 860 quarters of beef, and 60 carcases of mutton;
Helvetia, 170 cattle, 910 quarters of beef, and 100
carcases of mutton; British King, 921 quarters of
beef; Pavonia, 2000 quarters of beef; Britannic, 840
quarters of beef and 75 carcases of mutton; City of
Blontreal, 1560 quarters of beef and 100 carcases of
mutton; Wyoming, 2720 quarters of b, ef and 100
carcases of mutton; and Adriatic, 700 quarters of beef
and 50 carcases of mutton.
A PARISIAN NOVELTY.—A "Convicts Bcershop i 3
one of the curiosities of Paris just now—a caf.s care-
fully arranged as a realistic copy of the galleys. The
waiters appear as convicts, with the orthodox green
cap, and bring the customer his " bock" in a drinking
-
cup shaped like the heavy weight attached to the ,
convicta' ankles, while the head officials of the esta-
blishment wear the gaolers' uniform. As a great treat
the " soupe des Canaques " is occasionally given—a
New Caledonian concoction much relished by the
convicts, and duly manufactured by the keeper of the
café, a famous Communist who has served his time
beyond seas. The number of these naturalistic
restaurants rapidly increases in Faris, and a Rabelaisian
café—the Abbey of Thelema—will be the next novelty.
THH PARIS EXHIBITION. Doubts having been
expressed as to the intention of the French Government
to proceed with the Internatiomal Exhibition of 1889,
the Paris Municipality, by 47 to 6, has expressed a
desire that the works should be promptly commencee•

A Crry Arcr GALLERY.— The ariangem 6nts for opening
a permanent gallery filled with the works of art in the
possession of the City are nearly completed. The
gallery will be in a portion of the old law courts in
Guildhall-yard. The appointment of a curator is under
consideration, and as soon as that official is appointed
the gallery will be opened.
A SUCCESSFUL JOURNALIST.—The veteran journalist
and critic Robert Springer, who has just died at
Berlin, was originally a compositor. He will be chiefly
remembered by his valuable contributions to Goethe
literature —" Weimars Klassischo Stitten," "Die
Klassischen Statten von Jena and Ilmenau "" Anna
Amalie von Weimar und flue Poetische Taielrunae,"
and others.

INDIAN LITERATURE.—The total number of books
and periodicals published in Madras during last year -
was 818. Of these 142 were in English, 539 in the
vernaculars of the presidency, and 76 in the Inclian
classical languages. The most noteworthy literal -
feature of the year was the great increase in the number
Jaf original works in the vernaculars, which were 343
compared with 225 in the previous year. '
HUGE GOVERNMENT OFFICES.—Two hundred men are
busy working upon the immense new granite building
devoted to the State, War, and Navy Departments, -
Washington. This mammoth building within two
years, at furthest, will be a finished structure. It has
already cost about 9,000,000 dols., and when it is &Jae "
its aggregate will foot up at least 10,250,000 dols. It is
the largest building in Washington, and is said to be
the largest granite building in the vvojld. It covers
about 4-1- acres of ground, or an acre more than the ,
Capitol.
TRAVELLING JUIZIES.—The French Government has -
aunt created a certain number of travelling juries. This
is a modified form of an institution established by the
first Republic. In the organic law of the Institut it
was ordained that the Institut was to select yearly 10
citizens to travel abroad and collect information useful
to science, commerce, and agriculture. These scientc
travellers will not be appointed by the Academy of
Sciences or the whole Institut, but by a special adminis-
,trative commission on the basis of a competitive
'examination.
DISSOLUTION OF PARLIAMENT.—A dissolution of PRr.
liament in November is a comparatively rare incident.
Since the early pact of the 16th century there have .
been only three November dissolutions—namely, in
1558, 1701, and 1863. Of the months in which dissolu-
tions have been most frequent during that period,
March stands the first with 15; April next with 14;
July follows with 10; January, June, and December
with 8; February with 7; May and September with 6
apiece; August with 4; November comes next with 3; -
and last on the list October figures with the mOdest
number of 2. • _ _ •

Tem WELSH LANGUAGE.—The spread of elementary
education in Wales under the national code does not
seem to have had the effect of discouraging the
persistence of the Welsh laoguage, as many people
thought it would. The inspectors both in Northand
South Wales find a marked tendency to cling to the
earlier speech of the country, and there is even A
demand for the introduction of such modifications in
the code as may result in the paying of greater
attention to the national language and literature-
Meanwhile a new society has been formed, of which the
main object is declared to be the utilisation of 'Welsh
as an instrument of elementary and higher education
in the Principality.—" Athenreum."
HISTORIC EXIIIBITITION.—It has generally been stir
posed that the exhibition which was held in the Town
Hall of Niirnberg in 1526 was the first display of its
kind. A Bible student informs us that the first fxhibi-
tion known is undoubtedly that organised by Icieg
Ahasuerus (Xerxes) in 472e.e.; for we find it steted
10
the fourth verse of the first chapter of the Book
Esther that he (Ahasuerus) "showed the richness of ine
glorious kingdom and the honour of his excellent
majesty many days, even an hundred and fourscore
days." It may be left an open question whether this
passage is to be read as meaning that King Xerxes;
King of Persia, held an exhibition of the products e'
his kingdom in the souse of our modern exhibifiene"
Supposing we grant that he did, then it may halretue
that a student of the " Shuking " or " Sseki "
furnish us with proof that shows of a similar kind vvere
held in China under the Hia, Shang, or Choy ar
n.ast ies.
THE ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY.—The additions to the
Zoological Society's Gardens during the past week P.
elude a macaque monkey, a bonnet monkey, fileeu:
India presented by Mr. C. E. M`Cheane; a maeaq",
monkey from India, presented by Mr. C. Canfor
Mexican deer from Florida, presented by Mr, G.
Marton; two spotted-tailed dasyures, three slut
headed phalangers, from South Australia, presenteP ;le
Sir W. C. F. Robinson, K.C.M.G.; an osprey, capter, e
at sea, presented by Captain Morgan; an Alexan4rl,l3,o
parrakeet from India presented by Mr. Ch„er'-e
Williams; a black-eyebrowed albatross from False Pad;
South Africa a vulturine eagle from South Afrilfr,
sharp-headed lizard from Madeira, presented bY
W. Ayshford Sandford, F.Z.S.; a black-crested
from South Africa, presented by the Lady Robint;
a rufescent snake, a hoary snake, a keeled ellPreti-pe
five rough-scaled zonures from South Africa, presen
by the IRev. G. H. R. Fisk, C.M.Z.S.; three grefie,
breasted parrakeets from South America. a P„s„d;
headed broadtail from North-East Australia, depesi`"r
V Madagascar ,13'
two lesser Vasa parrakeets frora Madagasc, 13'
chased. t rh3g
INTERESTING DISCOVERY.—The process of res 5 ;0
a characteristic old wooden church at HopPersta
lit
the Hardes district of Sogne, in Norway, haft nreeexe
to light an interesting Norwegian medimval reliciote,
a closed niche a book, consisting of six wa% tee ana
was found, carefully enclosed in a casket of
leather. The tablets are of boxwood, covered vwitti„ tee
I each tablet having a thin border, so as to hinq'ec,e;
tablets from sticking together on closing the llieeet
this precaution has helped to keep it in "e !ode
preservation. The contents are chiefly drawingset!cl
by a tine style, representing scenes from vills'r:ein
rural life. At the end there is a large cataleee,tioe
Latin of various kinds of animals, with a tran_sl,loo
into old Norwegian; and from this it het.detes
conjectured that the greater portion of the. ate—
b re
from the close of the 13th century. But here
te, e
indications that part of the book is of earlier lileocer,
tablets are fastened trigether at the beck, and ree-e,O
is carved and inlaid with various fitnalk, P.n. place g
differently coloured woods. The book hag 110u...5it5r
in the Museum of Antiquities in the Valtvu'eceis
Christiania, and, it is intended to publish it
fac-ti nile.

W. 14, 1885:1J