The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-08-05 00:00:00

Our geOott (forrtsponlitnt.
twe deem it right to state that we d. not at all times
tlentikv ourselves with otir Coerespoialent'4 opinions)

Ministers§ may have reason to deplore the hot and
partially suecessful opposition of their political tuft
n Parliament, but certainly they have nothing to
complain of with regard to theirruception at the mind
municipal banquet at the Mansion House. " And
sloth not a !Meting like this make amends " Pns our
want of succeis at Westminster, I eat. huagine Mr.
I owe saying b. Mr. Gladstone. Whether this be so or
not, the ministerial speeches at the Lord Mayor's ban-
quet, have produced a good effect out of doors, with
what ultimate result remains to be seem Meanwhile
there is a good deal of discussion 61 ti what the
Premier meant when, after referring to the action of
the Government in respect to the Royal Warrant, he
said, " However, happen vi hat may, this is an appeal
which we are perfectly content to take to the en-
lightened judgment of or country." It may be
very natural to infer that Mr. Gladstone here
uses a threat of dissolution, but on the other hand it
must be remembered that it was of the attitude of the
House of Lords, not of that of the House of Commons,
that he was complaining, and a general election is
ecarcely the step to take on that account. An infusion
of new blood into the House of Peers - and we all
know what that means- - would be a more likely course
for the Premier to advise her Majesty to take. But
to turn hom the vortex of home politic*, we must most
of us feel gratified at the way in which Ministers have
been able to refer to their foreign policy, and especially
to the Washington Treaty. To whomsoever the credit
may be due --and both great political parties deserve
come of it -that treaty is a glorious episode in modern
history, ant bisla fair to strengthen still more the good
feeling that had happily been of late gaining ground
between America and ourselves.
I an happy to learn from the authorities of the South
Eastern and the London, Chatham, and Dover Railways
that the relaxation which the French Government has
mule in the paasport regulations, Po far as Calais and
Boulogne are concerned, is having a decidedlybeneficial
effect, and that numbers of people are going there for
their holidays. English earurdonists who wish to spend
their vacation at either of these places must make a
dee:land' 'liefore a magistrate in the form prescribed
by the 6 George IV. (abolition of oaths), giving name
age, birthplace, and occupation. This of course is a
nuisance and a bore, but it is bearable, and, provided
with this declaration, you obtain, on landing either at
Calais or Boulogne a permis 86our, or holiday
permit. It may be well to mention that at the head
offices of either of the railway companies men-
tioned, or at those of the General Steam Navi-
gation Company, blank forms to be filled up,
can readily be obtained. Unfortunately this
permit will not enable you to travel beyond these
towns- and the very fact of your not being allowed to
go will make you want to go—and unfortunately, too,
Calais is not a particularly charming place to stop at;
but then Boulogne is delightful, and a week or two
there may be most pleasantly spent. It is to be hoped
that these permits being granted is the first step to-
wards the re-abolition of the odious; passport system.
Depend Olson it that it may be ao regarded. France
having once tasted the sweetness of free visits from her
English friends and having proved the pecuniary
benefit* of this freedom, will not long be able to main-
tain her exclusiveness,

Allow ow briefly to note, without sommenting on
the fact, a most important statement made by the
Pope. His Holiness ass," it is insinuated that
among the rights which spring from infallibility is that
of deposing sovereigns and releasing the people from
he oath of fidelity." This the Pope repudiates, and
referring to times when "the Popes were considered as
the supreme judges of Christianity, and exercised a
civil jurisdiction over Princes and States," he adds,
that "the conditions of the times are now changed,"
and that he "has no intention of exercising " the
ego! right. There will be plenty of comment on this
declaration, without my own, Litt the importance of
the manifesto suggests reference to it.
There has been a great deal said and written about
the death of a telegraph clerk in the head offee, his
death being alleged to have taken place AS the result of
overwork in the department. But the sensational
leaders that have been penned en the subject tern out
to be without foundation. Possibly could the poor
oung man have been entirely freed from work, alai
',mkt he have had a few weeks' holiday, his life might '
have been saved; but of how many others can this be
said every day? Be this as it may, Mr. Scudamore's
letter and the statement of the Postmariterdleneral in
the House of Commons happily disposed of the strong
remarks that were very naturally made on the ease,
founded on erroneous informstion. Incidentally, Mr.
Scudamore's letter is highly interesting anti satisfactory
on pulilic grounds. If the treatment of the deceased is
a fair specimen of that of others in the service, which
seems feasible, neither the public nor the employes
have reason to complain of overwork in the Telegraph
Department. Apropos of this department, the report
recently issued, showing how greatly the telegraphic
service has been developed, leads Us to expect that ere
long the Government will give US, what they long since
promised, cheaper telegrams. The public revenue and
the public accommmlation would be alike benefitsal by
such a movement.
If a number of gentlemen ,-house to have a grand
dinner for which they pay, no one else has a right to
complain; but this can scarcely be said to be a very
appropriate way of honouring the memory of one of
'the mighty dead." The centenary of Walter Scott's
birthday iS to be celebrated by two banquets—one in
the Cannon-street Hotel, and the other in St. James's
Hall—on the Litt], and probably enough those who
assist at the banquets will highly enjoy them
but the fame of the Wizard of the North, the.
Great Unknown, will not be raised by a few well-
to-do gentlemen eating and drinking together.
By the way, this date used to be a memorable one
in another respect. It was the first Napoleon's
birthday, besiiies a great religious anniversary in the
Roman Catholic Church, and was kept as the Nte
Nap01,,,,a in honour of an illustrious exile now amongst
us. How will it be honoured this year, I wonder 7 At
present the Napoleonic star, which once blazed KO
transcendently on the political horizon, seems more
than ever in the descendant.
The late Mr. Charles Dickens laboured hard to break
through the custom of excluding ladies from public
dinners, and several of the banquets at which he pre-
sided were remarkable for the presence of the fair sex;
in fact, if my memory serves me, he would take the
chair at no dinner from which ladies were banished.
But the force of custom is very strong, besides which,
it is well-known that the presence of ladies at the
dinners of benevolent institutions is discouraged by
committees and secretaries. Hence it comes to pew
that the 41 exclusiveness still prevails as an almost
invariable rule. There has just been one notable ex-
ception, however, in the presence of ladies at the
annual dinner of the Benevolent fund of the Mark
Freemasons of England, held at that agreeable place
for dinners, the Crystal Palace. Not being of the
Craft, I cannot speak with confidence, but I believe
this is the first occasion in the history of Freemasonry
on which ladies have been admitted on the principle of
equality and fraternity—or, shall I call it, to coin
a word, is,maity i-is, a masonic banquet. What
next? Tennyson speaks of
Trudes for proctor!, dowagers for deans,
Awl SWeet girl graduates with their golden hair.

Are we to have-sisteri as well as brothers of the craft,
and lathe chair at some futnre meeting to be taken by
s.aue Past Graiel Mistress?

A large gathering of "the Spiritualists of England
is a notable event, and one which, in my humble
ix much to be regretted. The occasion was
the bidding farewell to Mrs. lininia Hardinge previous
to her departure for America. I venture to express
the opinion that, we can well spare the lady, and that
she will find a more congenial sphere for her lecturings
and vfaners in the New World than in the Old, espe-
cially if it be true, as the Rev. J. M. Peebles says, that
In America there are 'eleven millions of people who
believe with Judge Edmonds that the .pirits of our
fathers, our mothers, awl our friends hold converse and
communion with us." I do not wish to obtrude my
own pinion in the matter, but having read a good
deal about Spiritualism, and having assisted at several
e(a,,ee3, I have failed to discover any good that these
Spiritualist have effected, or even any genuine practi
eat purpose, good or bail, that they have accomplished.
Mrs. Hardinge says that gpiritualiem has produced
and is carrying cut scientific reforms which the profes-
WW3 of science have not even dreamed 'if; but I ask,
where is one, even one, of these reforms?

From the Lge•Boat for August, I see that the Royal
National Life Boat Institution has during the find nix
months 14 the preaent year lseen instrumental in saying
the live, of sin less, than 74:7 persomi, ruel that einee the
formation of thin society it has; sawed 20,401 lives. The
institution has) now 230 life-boata on the shoran of the
'United Kingston). With ouch facts as the,.., lam
mire you '..1! pennit me to render my modicum of aisl
toward. the appeal for fund., which the committee L
new making. The mere Jaterns at of flu., fact.,
coupled with the az.,urance that fund.. are needed to
carry on the gc,iad work. ought to epeak more loudly
than any advocacy.

The youtv Earl of Pembroke gave a grand entertain-
ment on S.,turnaytv a large party of workmtn employed °chi,
estates with their wives and families. The entertainment
was held in a large marquee pitched On the lawn of his reed•
deuce at Mount Nierrian. The earl himself presided, sup-
ported hy the Lady Herbert of Lea awl Lady Mary Herbert.
The former lady responded to the heist Ipf her health in very
well chosen langnage, emielenling her address by remindinee
her ne:t ~.., . t t!..• ot ily
them I.y theii. 1 iii y i fiLl. 11 bildro ii..f tic
lii iiu_ t,tdtt; Wt It ale, h,,el.itai,ly