The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-01-18 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BBITISH AND FOREIGN.

Barnum's manager has arrived in England in search
of novelties for "the greatest show on earth."
Telegrams from Rio de Janeiro state that the
Government of Brazilhas proposed to extinguish all monastic
orders and apply their property to the redemption of the
National Debt.
Mesbengera from the Indian chief, Sitting Bull,
have arrived in United States territory to tender hls sub-
mission on condition that the Government will give a gua-
rantee of protection.
Mr. Simmons, of the Agricultural Labourers' Union,
in his weekly manifest, contradicts the statement which has
gained currency that large numbers of the locked-out men
have returned to work and that the strike has come to an
end. Ile asserts that close upon nine hundred men are still
receiving strike pay. He combats the statement that emi-
gration to New Zealand will prove a bad speculation, and
arsaits that there is plenty of work to be done, and that
employment will be found for all the men sent out.
At the present time there are altogether twenty-
one men-of-war being built for the English navy, either in
Government er private yards; the vessels ranging in size
from the Ajax and Agamemnon, each of 8,492 tons displace-
ment, to tbe little Insolent, of 253 tons.
At the Exeter Probate Court the will of Mr. Henry
Samuel Ellis, three times Mayor of that city and well known
to all railwsy proprietors for his efforts to induce the present
and the previous Government to abolish the railway
passengers' duty, has been sworn under £35,000, and the
whole of the proper' y is left to the widow.—The will of Mr.
Ricte‘rd Randle, woollen manufacturer, of Plymouth, was
sworn under £lO,OOO.
A descendant of Martin Luther is studying theology
at the Strassburg tniveraity. Herr Friedrich Luther comes
from Salzur.geb, near the village of elohra in Thuriugla, the
cradle of the Reformer's family.
With tte consent of the Lambeth Vestry a sec-
tion of the Waterloo-road, London, was on Saturday evening
lighted by the Minix Gas Company upon an improvset
principle, embodying an increase io the quantity of gas em-
ployed end a better application of its illuminating power.
Lord Tullemache has had a gathering of his Peck-
forton tenantry, in order that he might address them on the
influence of foreign competition upon the Cheshire cheese
trade. His Lordship attributed the fall in the demand for
the produce of their country dairies to the large importa-
tions from America and other countries He warned bis
tenants that this competition would continue, and said that
instead of sighing they mast face the difficulty and try to
overcome it. They must improve the commodity, and re-
dune the cost of production by adopting all known im-
proved methods of chtexemaking. One of the principal
makers present admitted, after a trial of the specimens
before them, that "Cheshire cheesemakers had more to fear
from Americans than ever."
Lord Richard Grosvenor, M.P., in sending a con-
tribution in aid of the Mold Relief Fund, writes :—" I fear
there will be very little revival in trade until the spring;
but I believe there is some hope at busier times in America,
and if only there was some prospect of peace in Europe, I
believe that trade would spring up again in Enaland, and
• what I do hope is that the working classes will see that there
is a neicesslty tpr thrift. I would most strongly ,urge tllat no
relief 'whafefet be given in the farm of money without
wetk."

All lodging-houses in Russia are ordered to be placed
under the supervision of the political police, and a number
of cafes in the university towns, frequented by the students,
have been closed.— Vanity Fair.
The annual show of pigeons held by the members
of the National Perlsteronic Society was op-ned on Tuesday
at the Crystal Palace. Although neither money prizes nor
medals are offered by the society, the exhibition was one of
considerable_ excellence, and included some hundreds of

valuable birds.
Two hundred and ninety-two persons, alcording to
news received by the Russian Allnistries of the Interior and
of War, had been attacked by the plague in the village of
WetHanka, in the government of Astrachan, down to the 641:1
Inst., of whom two hundred and forty-six died.
A Massachusetts man proposes to travel across the
Atlantic, double the Cape of Good Hope, and cross the Indian
Ocean to Australia In a boat 19 feet over all, 5 feet beam on
top, and a little wider on the water-line, her sides having
considerable "tumble in." Her depth of hold is 2i feet
She is to have an iron keel of about 150 pounds weight.

A Spanish vessel has landed at Ferrol the only two
survivors cf the English steamer Mayard They were picked
tip in a boat half starved, having tasted scarcely anything
for a week.
It is reported that preparations are being made by
the Russians to quit Adrianople shortly.
On Monday the mechanics in the foundries and
smiths shaps at Bangor and the surrounding district turned
out against a reduction in wages of Is. per week, and later
In the day the men employed in the building trade struck
against an order for extended hours of work. The ship-
builders are also on strike, and the quarrymen, owing to the
bad state of trade, work but four days weekly.
The whole of the carpenters and joiners in Sheffield
have received notice of a reduction of wages from SO. to
70 per hour, and an extension of their working time from
4ei to 51/ hours per week. Tbe changes era to take effect
from June 25 The new rules, of which these proposed
alterations form a part, are in great diafavour with the
men.
"Is it generally known that one of the last devicls
resorted to by the expeditionary force in Afghanistan is the
use of the heliograph as A telegraphic appliance? Every-
body remembers having handled in his boyhood a email
looking glass, by means of which the rays of the sun were
reflected across the eyes of the passers-by. The heliograph
is little more, except that by dint of successive interruptions
the letters of the Morse alphabet are signalled, and a cheap
as well as handy military telegraph is thus provided':—The
World.
There will be no strike at present of the South
Yorkshire colliers. Delegates from the men attended before
a committee of the Coalowners' Association on Tuesday, and
represented that the whole of the lodges had not had time
to take the opinion of the men on the question of arbitra-
tion, and thereupon the committee decided to issue a cir-
cular asking the masters generally to postpone the notices
for a fortnight.
A 1 loyd's telegram says :—The Albion, Captain
Wilson, arrived at Bahia. Dec. 27, has landed thirty-nine
passengers and crew of the British ship Northam, Captain
Thorne, from London to Sydney, which vessel was burnt on
the 21st of December in tat 9 208.. long 31 W. The crew
and passengers were all saved, part by the Albion and the
remainder by an Italian barque, name unknown.
The southern ride of the block of houses bounded by
Broadway, Grand-street, and Crosby-street, New York, con-
taining extensive clothing and fancy good sten s, was
destroyed by lire on Tuesday night. The damage is estimated
at 2,000,000 dollars. One fireman was billed in the efforts to
subdue the flames, and several were injured.
The last statement from the Statistical and Corn
Department shows that the average price of wheat in the
British market last week was 395. 7d., whilst the average
price during the corre,ponding week of 1877 weans. 3d., and
last year it was bls. id. The exceptionally good harvests in
America, Russia, and England last year have therefore
materially contributed to avert a national disaster In this
country. What would be our condition if bread were 25 per
, cent. dearer than it is.—Echo.
- - - - - -

----- --
The Buesian Budget estimates for 1879 have been
published. According to the Gobs, the increased expenditure
2,000,000 roubles), which is mainly owing to the charges
or the new loan, will be more than covered by increased
taiation. This will be raised by augmenting the stamp
duties and customs, and by taxes upon insurances, cotton,
railway passenger fares, and liquors.
By the Queen's command, the mourning ordered to
be worn by the officers of the army for the late Princess
Alice will be discontinued on the 29th instant.
A farmer and his family living at Pignon, on the
borders of the Marne, have had a narrow escape (says a Paris
correspondent). A huge piece of rock fell from the
heights on to the farmhouse, smashing it almost as fiat as a
pancake. Happily none of the inmates were at home, as
the accident took place in the afternoon. Several cows and
pigs were killed.
The death is announced, at the age of 79, of Mrs.
Sarah Farad4y, *How of the celebrated Professor Michael
Faraday, who died August 25, 1865.

- -
" It certainly is an ill wind that blows nobody good.
A Scotch frienerof mine, when I was bewailing the recent
glacial epoch, said, 'Ab, but think of the amusement the
Ice affords to thousands —gratuitously.' There are, indeed,
few pleasures to be had nowadays without paying for them."
—The World.
"A clever little book was published a few years
ago under the title of 'The Secret of Long Life,' The
work contained the unravellings of so many secrets, together
with so much pleasant philosophy and such varied digres-
sions, that the precise secret was perhaps a little bard to
come at, theugh to live a quiet country lire and avoid worry
were the main points. Whatever the secret may be, however,
It appears to be very generally possessed by the members of
Her Majesty's Privy Council. Of this august body there are
236 members, nearly a third of whom have passed the
allotted spin of man's life, three score years and tea. No ,
fewer than 73 Privy Councillors are over 70 years of age, as '
many as 20 have reached or passed their eighty-first year, and
there are two over 90.—Evening Standard.
"A day or two since I met a well-known member
of Parliament whose seat is pretty safe, though it is certain
to be contested, and asked him wnen the di-s Autien is to
take plfice. 'I don't know,' he said, ' but I wish they'd have
it at once "Are, you anxious to spend k 5,000 or £10,000!
I inquired. Not at ail,' he replied; 'but it must come
soon, and the sooner it's over the better. Anything is pre-
ferable to holding on till the last minute, as it we were
afraid ot going to the country.' There are not many Con-
servatives, probably, who look at themaiter in this light."
—Truth.
A uotice appears in the London- Gazette stating that
tbe Government of France have given notice for the termina-
tion of the commercial treaties with this country.

The velvet manufacturers of St. Etienne have re•
solved on a reduction of wages of 20 per cent., as the only
Means of facing foreign competition.
-

- -
The Queen has been pleased to confer the (Nulty
of the Grand Cross of the Order of the Bath (Civil Division)
upon the Marquis of Hertford.
The end of the year has been thought a fitting time
for making a calculation as to who has made the most peers,
the late Premier or the present one. The result of the cal-
culation is to give Mr. Gladstone a majority of three. In
18E8 Mr. Disraeli had made nine peers, and during his
present tenure of office he had added twenty-six others—
total, thirty-five. From 1863 to 1874, Mr. Gladstone caused
thirty-eight elevations to the House of Lords to be made.
The Prussian Superior Court has just given judg-
ment in a case of compensation to the widows of soldiers
who have died of wounds received in military service, in
which it has been decided that even a woman married after
the occasion on which her husband was wounded is en-
titled to compensation if he dies in consequence of his
wounds.
Information has been received at the Board of
Trade that a trading vessel has recently visited the Pitcairn
Islands, and has supplied the islanders with some of those
stores of which they stood so much in need on the late
visit of Rear Admiral Da Horsey, Commanderin-Chief in
the• Pacific.
On Saturday about SOO lacemakers engaged in the
plain net, quilling, and tape departments of the Nottingham
lace trade were locked out, owing to their refusal to accept
a reduction in the rate of wages of one-eighth of a penny per
rack on certain classes of goods which they make. Besides
the laeemak era themselves, a number of women and children
employed in these branches of the trade *lll be thrown out
of employment by the lock-out.
The Athenceum says :—" The Standard, which has
outstripped its penny contemporaries in the length and
excellence of its telegrams from Afghanistan, has accom-
plished this creditable feat at an outlay almost unprece-
dented in the annals of Enesh journalism. A single
telegram cost upwards of £600.'
It is announced that Mrs. Bennett, of Priory-house,
Dudley, recently deceived, the sister of the late Mr. Guest,
who loft avoo to found the Guest Hospital, Dudley, has
by her will bequeathed £3,P00 to the Wolverhampton
Orphanage. £5.00) to the Guest Hospital, Dudley, and £2,000
to the Dudley Dispensary.
The total receipts of revenue from the let of April
to the 11th inst. were £57,284,710, against £56,681,340 in the
corresponding pet iod of last year.
The Home Office, having had under consideration
the proposed lottery in Devonshire on behalf of the West of
England Bank shareholders, have replied that there is no
reason why the existing law against lotteries should not
apply to this project, either for money prizes or in the form
of an Art Union Drawing. Any newspapers advertising the
scheme will be liable to prosecution at tht3 instance of the
Crown.
The strike in the buildirg trade at Banbury has
terminated, the men having accepted the reduction of one
penny per hour.
A national jubilee of temperance societies in the
*United Kingdom is being promoted to celebrate the fiftieth
anniversary of the first temperance society formed in this
country.
The movement inaugurated by the Irish Associa-
tion for the Prevention of Intemperance in favour of the
Bill introduced into Parliament by Mr. A. M. Sullivan,
Nix., for the early closing of publichouses in Ireland on
Saturdays hag resulted in the subscription of a fend, already
amounting to £4,500, for the purpose of furthering the agita-
tion. A memosial expressing approval of the earlier closing
of publichoueea on Saturday nights has within a few weeks
received several hundred signatures of magistrates, clergy-
men, members of corporations, and poor law guardians,
several opponents of Sunday closing being among the signs.

tories. -
The Fordouu Free Presbytery have resolved to
warn congregations within their bouuds against the City of
Glasgow Bank Lottery Scheme, which they regard as
" wrong in principle and ensnaring in tendency." The Brechin
Free Presbyterians also adopted a resolution condemning
the scheme. The Roxburgh Commissioners of Supply have de-
nounced tbe lottery as "repugnant to the national con-
science, and injurious to public morality."
The newspapers of the State of Maine are beginning
to be alarmed lest lobsters on the American coast should
become as scarce as oysters on the coast of England, and are
calling on .the Legislature to pass a Bill prohibiting lobster
catching during the mouths of August, September, October,
and November in every year. During these months the
lobster Is very thln, the meat dry and poor, and it takes
several to weigh as much as an ordinary good-sized lobster.
An explosion occurred on Monday on board the
schooner Union, of Portsmouth, lying at Sunderland. It
was caused by an accumulation of gas in the lazaretto, from a
cargo of Ryhope Wansend coal hi the hold. The cook, on
going ihto the lazarette for some stores, struck a match,
which caused the explosion. The cook and captain were ,
severely iejareci, the deckhouse was blown to the port
de, the after part of the deck was touch shatt.red, and the
sides of the vessels were seri oisly injured,
The Earl of Beaconsfield, as Prime Minister and
leader of the Hones of Lords, has caused invitations to be
issued tor the customary lull dress Ministerial banquet on
the 12th proximo, the eve of the meeting of Parliament.
Two ladies, named Francis and Petter, living to-
gether in Little Haven, near Horsham, _have been found
dead in their bedroom. They had warmed their roem with
a coke fire in a pan.
Many capital devices have this year been adopted
b,v Paris shopkeepers to draw attention to their windows,
but the beat is a representation of tl.e Berlin Congress (sass
the Court Journal). The several P!enieo cutleries are repre-
sented by small figures, each a good likeness of the original.
These are seated round a horse-shoe Congress table, and by
ingenious mechanism the automata open their months, as if
talking, move the papers about on the table, turn towards
each other for the exchange of conversation, and se on.
Lord Besconetield, in gorgeous array, is represented as talk-
ing freely to Prince Biemarck,
M. Debelle. a young doctor living at St. Denis, has
just died uhder siegularly painful circumstances. He was
In the very act of being married when he was suddenly
taken 511 and fell es nsete,s before the altar. He was con-
veyed home' where he expired in a couple of hours. It is
supposed the jo) tul emotion of his wedding, combined meth
heart disesne, waS the cause of death.—Paris correspondent
of the Standard.
After an is dation of eleven days (says the Glasgow
News of Monday), Wick has been again pieced in raiiway
communication with the south, a single train having
managed to force its way through the snow. One can
the d necw‘ms".
calve with what impatience e eleven dayssp sp e r wereloo
thatk e looked tb
oo rill s: 12e mails
how crniaidshionewgtp malls
haepetanwl
awdh
be
en e int
wasdiscovered
useless
egb eshinp
evit swd alb
°arm.
Thnoeboitriayinc4rhaed4b;bobuugth,t
vio.nu thely:ome
Most important part of the freight bud be tor gotten gotten

The 'United States Supreme Court has decided that
Congress had the constitutional right to pass the law pro-
hibiting polygamous marriages against which the Siormons
appealed.

At a meeting called by the Leeds and District Trades
Council held on Saturday a resolution was unanimously
adopted that a "Nine Hours Maintenance League" be estab-
lished for the purpose of opposing the proposed extension of
the hours of labour.

The Australian Eleven which lately visited England
have played a three-clays' cricket match against 15 local
players at Sydbeve resulting in a victory for the latter by
innings and lti runs. On the first day Bailey, one of the Aus-
tralians, fractured his right arm above the elbow' while at-
tetupting to throw the ball. He is progressing favourably,
but will probably be unable to play again for several secsons.
On the third day Spofforth was unwell and unable to play;
At a wedding ball at Chisseaux, near Tours, on
Wednesday in last week, the roof fell in. The married pair
and three of their friends were killed and ten persons

seriously injured.
A Frenchman, eight days after marriage and while
en his wedding trip, received a telegram announcing the
death of his mother-in-law, and with touching a ncerity has
had her epitaph put up; " ro the best of mothers-M-law."—
Court Journal.
From the statistical summary appended to the Year
Book, it appears that there are in England and Wales 2,886
Congregational churches and 1,682 branch churches and preach-
ing and mission stations. In Scotland, there are 110 churches,
and in Ireland, 88. In the past year £2 new churches have
been formed in the United Kingdom, and 51 chapels have
been built or rebuilt. There are in the United Kingdom
2,670 Cohgregational ministers, 2.048 of whom are pastors of
churches. Tue total amount exp.-nded for missionary pur-
poses at home, in Ireland, the Colonies, and foreign lands
was £179,163.
- -

•
At a confc r2nce held between representatives of the
southFrn scction of the Central Co-o ,erative Board of Great
Britain and ri-presentatives of working men's clubs in the
metropolis, a re3olotioo that it is desirable to extend to the
working classes of London the advantages of co-operatlon
was agreed to and a committee was appointed to coafer
with the executive of the Guild of Co-operation on the best
means of promoting this.extension.
New kid gloves for full-dresa occasions reach almost
to the elbow, are buttoned by nine buttons, and have three
rows of inch-wide Valenciennes lace inserted round the arm
between kid b.s_rlds of the same width; the top of the glove is
then finished iiith a kilted frill of lace. The finest white
undressed kid gloves are trimmed in this way. Black kid
gloves have also insertions of Valenciennes lace. These black
gloves are considered especially stylish for the opera, and are
thought to make the hand look small.—Court Journal.
Sunday (12th) was Hospital Sunday in Liverpool,
and the fears which were expressed last January appear to
have been realised this year. The receipts in many of the
principal places of worship show a decided decrease, due,
no doubt, largely to the terribly depressed condition of
business affairs, and also to some extent to the dreary
weather, which told upon the numerical strength of the
congregations.

The Earl of Carnarvon presided on Monday at a
great gathering of Somerretshire Freemasons, and conse-
crated the new lodge-room which the brethren of Taunton
have acquired. During the proceedings in the lodge the
craft congratulated the noble Earl on his recent marriage.
Speaking at the banquet which followed, Lord Carnarvon
warned his audience against allowing Masonic lodges to
become mere convivial cluhs ; he pointed out that they had
great practical duties to perform, and reminded them that
the code of Masonry was one ot high and great morality. He
also warned masons against allowing politics to interfere
with their proceedings.

The Midland Railway Board have taken the first
steps in what will be, if effected, a salutary reform for secur-
ing the safety of human Life in connection with railway
traffic, namely, the application of a system of continuous
brake power to their goods and mineral trains. This will
also be a benefit to the employes, who were hitherto without
any such protection.
- - - -

The other evening a labetuing man was found dead
on the London And Brighton Railway, at a level•crossing
near Honey Station, having been run over by a train, pre-
sumably the night mail. A near relative of the deceased
was killed at the same spot ab6ut twelve months since.

Another slight shock of earthquake was felt on
Friday in last week, at 3 a.m. at Cologae and Eschweller.
The death is announced of Prince Henry of the
Netherlands, brother of the King of Holland, which occurred
on Monday morning at live o'clock. Prince Henry, who was
fifty-eight years of age, was an admiral in the Dutch Fleet
and the King's Lieutenant in the Grand Duchy of Luxem-
bourg. the deceased Prince was twice married, his second
wife, whom he wedded last August, being the Princess
Mary, daughter of Prince Frederic Charles of Prussia.
The Crown agent of Scotland, on behalf of the Lord
Advocate, has forwarded a letter to Sir It J. M. Napier,
Bart , as chairman of the meeting held in Glasgow to pro-
mote the aid of the liquidation scheme, calling attention to
Its supposed contravention of the law against lotteries. The
hon. baronet has replied on neha'f of the active committee,
forwarding a copy of the authorised prospectus, and stating
that before publishing the same the committee will wait his
lordship's decision as to whether the proposed scheme is in
violation of the Acts in question.
-

When a country has become more or less im-
poverished by a succession of bad harvests, the people have
less money to spend on meat, butter, milk, poultry, eggs,
cheese, and beer. In this way there may be, and probably
Is, a reaction which Is Injurious to the agricultural interect.
On the other hand, if people eat less animal food and drink
less beer they must consume more vegetab'e food.—Mark
Lane Express.

First-class carriages on the German railways are
likely to be abolished, as they are so little used as to be en-
tirely unremunerative to the companies. It is an old saying
that only princes, lunatics, and Englishmen travel first class
In Germany, where the second class carriages are quite equal
In comfort and appearanap to our first-class. Accordingly,
the various companies propose to have only three classes in-
stead of the four now general on many German lines, con-
sisting of one class with cushioned seats, like the present
second-class, one with woojeu seats, and one with no seats
at all, corresponding to the actual fourth class.

Trade in the United States is certainly showing
signs of brisk revival, the foreign imports for the year end-
ing November 30th amounting to £96,400,000 imports, and
£145,000,000 exports, there being thus £51,600,000 surplus of
exports. Compared with last year, the imports have in-
creased £10,400,000, and the exports £23,400,000.
A decree issued by the Congregation of Rites, by
direction of the Pope, warns the faithful against making
merchandise of relics, an abase introduced, particularly at
Rome, to the scandal of Catholics, especially foreigners.
Even purchase for the sake of redemption is inadmissible,
the proper course for persons to whom they are offered being
to give notice to the ecclesiastical authority, to whom it
appertains to take action.—rarill Correspondent of 2he
Times.
Intelligence received from New Caledonia reports
that a terrible massacre has been perpetrated by rebels on a
party of eleven unarmed white men, who were engaged in
conveying provisions and ammunition up the River Poya for
the use of the French troops. Their bodies were found cut
up, cooked, and placed In baskets Two thousand rounds of
Chassepot cartridges fell into the hands of the rebels, who
used them against the boats of a French war steamer which
was tearching the river. The rebels fired a number of shots
but the sailors were unable to reach them in the swamps.
Mr. Charles Cammell, chairman of the great iron
and steel company of Charles Cammell and Co., at Sheffield,
died in London on Sunday. Mr Cammell commenced life as
an ironmonger's apprentice at if He subsequently went
to Sheffield, and after holding the position of a commercial
traveller and being a partner in a small file and steel busi-
ness, he began the erection of the Cyclops Works and lived
to see them rank among the largest works of the kind in the

kingdom
Diamond lace has been the most fashionable New
Year's gilt amongst Transatlantic millionaires this season.
The lace is an imitation of old point, made in the finest
filigree silver, with diamonds set In the pattern, and costs
£l,OOO per yard. A set of lace consists of three pieces, about
4io. long. Diamonds just now, however, are not as fashion-
able as usual in America, as they have declined in price, and
pearls have taken their place.

Mr. Walter Spencer Stanhope, M.P., distributed
the prizes at the Barnsley School of Art on Monday evening.
In the course of his address the hon. member dwelt upon the
advantages to be derived from the study of art, and expressed
a hope that the number of members would now considerably
increase, as they had new and commodious buildings for
their accommodation.

At Hartlepool, on Monday, the first shipment of
fresh meat from the United States to the north-eastern
coast arrived in the steamship Averill, which brought also
a consignment of live cattle and sheep, as well as grain: She
experienced stormy weather in crossing the Atlantic, in
which afew beasts were lost as well as 100 sheep. The fresh
meat was in exce'lent condition.

Mr. Hutchinson, M.P., speaking at a Liberal satiric
at Siddal, an outlying distirct in the borough of Halifax,
on Saturday night, said the Conservatives need to talk agood
deal of the glorious Constitution under which we have the
happiness to live, but at the present moment they were
engaged, whether consciously or otherwise, in undermining
it. 'there was a general feeling all over the land that every-
thing in the shape of domestic reform would have to be
tyntponed until the present Government went out of office ;
and hence, be said, the first thing every intelligent
Liberal politician had to think about was the most effectual
way of getting rid of the Government

In L-Indon. on Monetay night, the Liverpool-street
station of the Great Eastern ltalway Company, was lighted
with the Wallace electr,c light. Six lamps are used inside
the station, and each lamp is calculated to give the light of
800 candles. The six lighta are sustained by a current
generated in a Farmer-Wallace dynan.o-electric machine, by
tbe propulsion of a 10-horre pnwer Robey engine, which
will shortly be employed to drive a second machine, sup-
porting another Bet of six lights. The lamps now in use at
Liverpool-street will, it is reckoned, work twenty hours
without renewal, but the period will probably be raised to
forty hours. In carrying out this system of electric lighting
the luminous arc is wholly unshaded, the jamp glass being
per(ectly clear.
There were 2,643 births and 1,873 deaths registered
In London last week. Alb.wibg for increase of population,
the birtus exceeded by 28, and the deaths I,y 155, the
average numbers in the corresponding week af the laat ten
years. The annual death rate from all causes, which had
been equal to 27.4 per 1,000 in each of the two preceeding
weeks, declined to 27'0. The deaths included 12 from small-
pox, 31 from measles, 56 front scarlet fever, 8 from diphtheria,
66 from whoopine-cough, 26 from different forms of fever,
and 9 from diarrhoea; thus to the seven principal diseases
of the zymotic class 208 deaths were referred, against =and
' 203 in the two preceding weeks.
An "Owl Costume" is the latest Parisian eccen-
tricity, worn by a foreigner at a recent ball. 'the dress was
dark blue satin, trimmed with feathers like those of the
little grey owl, the front being covered with fringes of the
same feathers; an owl's head in diamonds, sparkled in front
of the bodice, and another owl adorned the lady's head.
Another novelty is a stuffed mouEe worn on a fur hat.
The cold weathei round Bale has been so severe of
late that wolves have appeared in the canton for the first
time in thirty years.
The Chairman of the Glasgow Chamber of Com-
merce has stated that whatever other bodies might do, that
chamber would never waver in its allegiance to free trade.
The fear of protection need not alarm them. The extreme
dulne,s of every branch of industry would lead them to look
to protection as a cure pussets:d of cheap food, chet.p
material, and cheap labour. They need not fear other
countries would procure staple articles cheaper.
Edward Payson Weston will start a: five minutes
past 12 next Saturday morning on his "great pedeArian
tour around England." To be successful in the accomptir-g.
went of his task he must arrive in London at the star _
the forty. second
point before time ba called at 4 6. p.m. on sandayo
city, wh,n the 1,000 coasecutive h,nrs (deducting
with Sir J. Astley is
six furlongs, although We.top's wager w
ir
is
d. Weston is to
will have
thexepoirceddi;anTche emaapc,tuf ahuisitireouuitlec 12_stosinv_cine,uttets laid
out fro;n
deliver fifty lectures in the d:fferrit
t°
his feat Weston will
Should he succeed in accompi hipg
190" cities and towns.
to walk 2,000 miles in the time mentnicr
be
pass through 31 oouuties and c
Dea'n Irwin, R.E., of
Mr. Herbert Irwin, son of passes through.
completing his studies at the
h a taken as an opiate. He WU only 21
Ilgthartdbee urauleeesatng thett4ChrisandtpMrt
laudaoum which he a aewacielldae-knevolwfrneolliactereOrfertdhese
eEnet-
frEi relei En-
gineer g‘teonl
years of age, and certeesecr
it Bristol. ibsdeetioll.d
ty with a view to passing his examination as
not been able to sleep for
bU g
pro-
recess h o
newspapers which for the first time is diminished in-
three:oen,rTfl.:(:amrsjitinoserligonhhvate'dsrsr.dhteueredyhth.wahtoerhkbeiahmdg
rabLea:ll:l:hds; The Pw owing
leers' Register contains its annual list of the
adtacialyd of increased in length. From it we learn that there
are
againstug) w 1
newspapers in the United Kingdom, as
Eighteen are publithed in London, 65
1 but t
lastlt3
year. da i l y
in provinces, 2 in Wales, 21 in Scotland, 16 in Ireland, and 1
in Jersey. Seventy-eight are morning papers and 65 evening;
70 are published at a penry, 6:; at a half-penny, and the re-
mainder, ten, at prices varying from lid. to Sd. Sixty•four
114 0 rettancd'as Liberal, 37 as Conservative, end 42 as inde-
pendent et neutril.