The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-14 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

A dense yellow fog rendered the use of artificial
light universal throughout the metropolis on Tuesday morn-
ing, and caused some delay in the traffic on the suburban
railways.

In the whole world twenty years ago the steel pro-
duction amounted to little more than 300,000 tons, at an
average cost of about £3O a ton. Last year the production
went beyond 2,200,000 tons, and its cost only showed an
average of £l2 a ton.

Lord Duff erin, on taking the chair for the first time
as President of the Royal Geographical Society on Monday
night, was very cordially received by a large gathering of
the members. Several papers on Arctic exploration were
read.

The Hampstead Vestry has authorized its surveyor
to expend a sum not exceeding £.20 in Christmas fare, to be
distributed among the workmen in the employ of the Vestry
on the parish roads, in lien of their asking the ratepayers for
Christmas boxes.

During the present week there have been heavy
snowstorms and keen frosts throughout the south of
Switzerland and Savoy. The Alpine routes are snowed up.
There were 29 British and foreign wrecks reported
during last week, making the total for the present year
1,457—a decrease of 274 as compared with the corresponding
period of last year. Tee approximate value of property lost
was £380,000, including British £200,000. The tonnage
aggregated about 8,000 tons.

The Commune of Davos, in Grauhiinden, has
granted land for the building of an English church, which is
to seat 500 persons.
Dr. Maclagan, Bishop of Lichfield, having become
aware of the dearth of religious teaching in the district of
Woodsetton, Sedgley, has intimated his willingness to give
£5OO towards the maintenance of a clergyman during the
nest five years. A site has been selected, and it has been
decided to erect a church.

The Daily News states that, in consequence of a
severe bilious attack, Lord Granville was prevented from
being present in the House of Lords on Tuesday evening.
He had intended to speak in support of Lord Halifax's
amendment.

The Albert medal of the second class has been cou.
ferred by the Queen on Ilr.William Buyers, late second mate
of the ship Harlaw, of Aberdeen, for his gallant conduct
when that ship was wrecked off the coast of China.

Tuesday (10th) being the anniversary of the
capture of Plevna, the occasion was observed as a general
holiday throughout Roumania, and services in commemora-
tion of the event were held in all the churches.

Notice has been given by the master cabinetmakers
of Leeds of a reduction of 5 per cent on the general run of
work, of 7f per cent. on furniture made of ash, a reduction
from Bd. to 7fd. per hour for day work, and no extras for
overtime.

A telegram from St. Petersburg states that the
Russian Admiralty has under consideration a plan for the
formation of a Naval Reserve on the English system.
The bard frost that has occurred during the week
covered the lakes and ponds upon the Royal demesne about
Windsor Castle with ice of considerable thickness. On Tues-
day ice carting was commenced—a number of men, horses,
and vans beii.g pressed into the service, tons of ice being
stored in the wells in the course of the day.
A telegram from Sydney says that the strike of sea-
men there, commenced as a protest against the employment
of Chinese sailors on board ships sailing from that port, still
continues. _ _

The" Commercial Compendium" shows that there
were no less than 2,500 bills of sale registered last month in
England and Wales.

The Mark Lane Express remarks that winter sowing
has made but comparatively slow progress in the latter dis-
tricts, and that, no doubt, a smaller average will be devoted
to the culture of wheat.

The electric light is to be adopted this week by the
Royal Carriage Department at Woolwich Arsenal, in a large
building known as the mounting ground, where the various
Iron gun carriages, platforms, ezc., with their gear, are
examined and packed prior to issue.

A return of "persons in penal servitude or imprison-
ment by sentence of naval courts-martial," orderedby Parlia-
ment has jut been issued. On the date when the return
was prepared, the ltsh of August, 1878, there were 252
prisoners under sentence of naval courts-martial, of whom
43 were held to be in penal servitude and 209 unaergoiug
various terms of imprisonment.

The Lords of the Admiralty arrived at Sheerness on
Tuesday morning by special train, and were received by
Admiral Sir W. Kingshall, K.C.8., and the officers of the
naval and dockyard departments. A salute of nine guns
was fired by her Majesty's ship Duncan and also from the
batteries. Their lordships, after inspecting the dockyard
naval barracks and the works in progress, lunched at the
Admiralty House, and left for town at 3.30 by special train.

The Russian Government is said to be negotiating
with the Shah of Persia with a view to obtain leave to con-
struct railways in his territory.

A thanksgiving service in celebration of the Emperor
William's return to Berlin was held on Sunday in all the
churches of the capital, and was attended by large congre-
gations. A. Ts Deum was sung in the Catholic church of
St. Hedwig. The Emperor and Empress and all the mem-
bers of the Royal Family attended Divine service in the
cathedral, and the members of the magistracy and the muni-
cipal authorities in the church of St. Nicolai. On the Em-
peror's return from the Cathedral the people in the streets,
numbering many thousands, formed a line along his Ma-
jesty's passage, and cheered him heartily all the way to the
palace.

On Monday night a number of persons were
skating on Merton-lake, near Warrington, among them
being a cashier named Joseph Walker, aged 27. Ile had
taken off his skates about nine o'clock at night, but put
them on again to have another run down the ice, and, going
in the direction of the bridge, fell through and was drowned.
The Agence .Russe of to•day publishes an article in
which it dwells upon the improvement which has been made
in the general political situation. It denies all reports of a
joint occupation of Constantinople being contemplated.

At a meeting of the Newcastle Presbytery of the
English Presbyterian Church the Rev. G. Thompson sub-
mitted a motion strongly condemning the war waged by
British troops against the Afghans as unprovoked, unjust,
ana unchristian. The motion was seconded, and an ani-
mated debate followed, but a counter proposition of the
previous question was ultimately carried by a majority.

The American Correspondent of The Times states
that General Grant has telegraphed from Europe to the
Secretary of the Navy, stating that he will make a tour of
the East Indies, China, and Japan, and accepting the offer of
the Government to place a vessel at his service. The
steamer 'Richmond, flagship of the American Asiatic
squadron, leaves the United States this week for that pur-
pose.

The electric light is likely to be largely adopted in
Sheffield, according to Engineering. In Sheffield and the
neighbourhood, the mills are of exceptional magnitude, and
from the nature of the work carried on are mostly on the
ground floor, being thus more easily lighted. On account
also of the extensive nature of the machinery there is
generally from ten to twenty horse-power unemployed in the
engines,—the amount of the steam which is seen "blowing
oft" showing clearly the waste—and this power may be used
for the producing of the electric current recessary to the
light. One firm has already illuminated their large works
with the light and have found it highly satisfactory.

The Revisers of the Authorized Version of the New
Testament met on Tuesday at the Jerusalem Chamber for
their eighty-fifth session. Twelve members 'were present,
the Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol being in the chair. The
Company carried on their second revision to the tenth
chapter of the Revelation.

The Midland Company have recently introduced a
number of new carriages on their system, which should
gratify the most exacting members of the travelling public.
These carriages are all third class, and run on " bogie "
wheels, and they have a continuous footboard. The seats
and backs are cushioned, and altogether these third-class
" bogies " are as comfortable as the first-class carriages of
some other lines.

Mr. Frederick Gye, whose sad death from the un-
fortunate gun accident at Ditchley-park, Oxfordshire, has
created such mournful interest among all classes of society,
was interred on Monday aftersoon in the family vault at
Norwood Cemetery. The funeral was quite private, being
attended only by a few intimate personal friends and some
old and attached servants.

" We learn that a poor fellow named Moreau, whose
jaw, nose, and two eyes were carried away by the splinter
of a shell at the battle of Bapaume in January, 1871, has just
been able to leave the Val-de-Grlce and to return home to
his native village, not cured but wonderfully patched up.
He has a metallic mask, provided with eyes, a false nose,
and a dental arrangement which allows him to masticate.
It appears that this unfortunate gunner before joining the
Army of the North was engaged to be married. Lie naturally
expected that after what had happened he would be rejected,
but this was not the case, and Moreau has returned home to
his wife."—Paris Correspondent of Pall Mall Gazette
The reports of the Liverpool working men who were
sent out by the municipal authorities to report on the Paris
Exhibition, just published by Messrs Lee and Nightingale,
of that town, sho w that the writers were wonderfully struck
with the good order of the streets in Paris, as compared
with those of Liverpool One reporter says :—" I saw only
one dirty ragged urchin, and I do not think the whole ten of
our party saw three beggars during all our stay, although
we looked for them." Those of the reporters who mention
Sunday work agree that it does not involve such slavery to
the workman as is sometimes supposed in this country; one
of them writes :—" Sunday work I find is the exception, not
the rule ,• there is no compulsion in the matter. If work is
brisk with them, or a job is in a hurry, they work on Sunday,
and seem to think nothing about it. I understand Sunday
work is more frequent in winter than in summer."

The Home Secretary has replied to a correspondent,
who had drawn his attention to the sale of French lottery
tickets in England, that the matter is already in the hands
of the Treasury solicitor, who will act under the advice of the
law officers of the Crown.

Dr. Millingen, the surgeon who attended Lord
Byron in his last illness, died at Constantinople on the Ist
inst. The Daily .News correspondent says that Dr. Mil-
lingen had written an account ot his intercourse with
Byron, which he intended to publish, but all his papers
were burned in the great tire at Pera in 1870, and he never
rewrote his reminiscences.
- -

On Tuesday morning, as an old man was crossing
the Great Northern Railway line at the Hatfield gate-house,
he was knocked down by an engine and killed immediately.
It is amusing, in reading the Afghan papers, to
notice the style in which the Ameer is addressed by that
estate diplomatist and warrior, General von Kant mann.
"Most High and Mighty Prince," " °exalted Lord," "'Prince
of the World," "Sovereign of the Emit," and "All-powerful
Ruler," may be cited as in General von Kaufmaun's happiest
style. The Viceroys of India, on the other hand, have
usually addressed the Ameer simply as "My Valued
Friend ;" so that it is no wonder the Ameer preferred to
correspond with General von Kaufmann. It is pleasant to
be told you are an "All-powerful Rider" and "Prince of
the World," especially by so important a personage as a
Russian Governor-General. One can fancy, however, that
in moments of despondency the Ameer must have had mis-
givings upon the point, and has them still more now.

A declaration by-this Highness the Sultan of Borneo,
extending the provisions of Clause VIII. of the Treaty with
Great Britain of May 27, 1847, to the case of wrecked vessels
belonging to States in amity with Great Britain, has been
published as a Parliamentary paper. The clause is as fol-
lows Clause VIII. If any vessel under the British flag
should be wrecked on the coasts of the dominions of his
Highness the Sultan of Borneo, his Highness engages to give
all the assistance in his power to recover for and to deliver
over to the owners thereof all the property which can be
saved from such vessels. His Highness further engages to
extend to the officers and crew' and to all other persons on
board such wrecked vessel, full protection both as to their
persons and as to their property."
At a board meeting of the South Yorkshire and
North Derbyshire Miners' Association, held at Barnsley, it
was unanimously resolved, with reference to the proposed
general reduction of miner's wages 12i per cent , that any
reduction was entirely uncalled for and unjustifiable under
existing circumstances. The Board believe wages are
already too low, and that they have reached starvation
point, and therefore advised all miners in the South York-
shire district to determinedly stand against any farther
attempt to reduce wages.
On Monday afternoon Lord Sandon received a de-
putation from the National Association of British and Irish
Milers, the Central Chamber of Agriculture, and other
publ c bodie., who presented testimonials in favour of the
lelation of the "ce.tal" of 1001 b, as a denomination of
we ,glit for grain and all other dry goods. The deputation
11 P., who pointed out that
by
iPyrbheePna'in use by the corn trade of
the introduced
ctai
ha d y
Liverpool for over twenty years.—A second deputat'on, from
the shipowners and Chamber of Commerce of Hull, which
also urged the adoption of the oental of 1,001 b., but under the
old name of hundredweight, and which suggested other
alterations in the existing scale of weights and measures
was also received by Lord Bandon, who promised to give the
arguments advanced by both deputations his best considera-
tion and to return as early a reply as peaeiblt.