The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-05-30 00:00:00

LOCAL T AXATION.

A Parliamentary return just issued gives Par-.
ticulars of the sums received by the several classes of
local authorities in England and Wales, inclusive of
the metropolis, of the amount of loans outstanding
the case of each class of authority at the termintion
of each of seven years, and of the population of Eog:
land and Wales and the poor-rate valuation in each
year. The total net receipts of the local authorities,
inclusive of the metropolis, for public rates, rose from
£20,147,849 (Metropolis £4,700,952) in 1876-77 tic'
£24,477,086 (Metropolis £5,982,736) in 1882-3, while
the receipts from other sources, including tolls,
duties, fees, rents, Treasury subventions, and loans t0£46,722,689
£46,722,689 (Metropolis £9,078,095) in the former
year, and to £33,412,055 (Metropolis, £11,209,582)
s,
in the latter year; but the largest yearly receiptl
were in 188142, when the total net receipts from all
sources were £57,300,617 (Metropolis, £12,255,391)- ~
The outstanding loans of the local authorities
1876-77 were L 106,045,465 (Metropolis, £93,253,748),
and gradually rose to £159,142,926 (MetropolY4
£33,416,590) in 1882-83. The population in 18764',
was 24,460,000 with a gross estimated rental oi
£146,989,979, and a rateable value of 0E124,587,474 ;
while in 1882-83 the population was 96,406,820, gross
estimated rental, £167,449,369, and rateable valuer
0E141,407,686. Of these, the figures pertaining to t 1
metropolis only were, in 1876-77, population 3,489,423:
gross estimated rental, £27,609,649, rateable yalue`
£22,763,087. In 1882-83, the figures were popula-
tion 3,893 272, gross estimated rental £33,855,917'
rateable value 0E27,973,978.

„.
WIZ,CCITAITtOUS
ROME- FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.
A MONSTER Fossit.—An almost perfect skeleton of
the "amosesaurus” has just been found in a quarry near
Mons. It has the extraordinary length of 55ft. 9io.s
and will be preserved in the natural history maseum at
Brussels.
PRIVATE BILL LEGISLATION.—A return issued on
Saturday shows that of 248 bills presented to Parlia-
ment this session 32 are at the first reading stage,
.2e,r
second reading, 38 "report of committee,' 43 that,
reading, and 17 Royal assent. No fewer than 50 bills have
from one cause or another been dropped. The 32 bale;
which are at first reading have nearly all passed through
the House of Lords, except the Rates and Charges Bill
of the nine railway companies.
TUE PROFITS OF SILVER COINING.—Osving to the
continuous fall in the value of silver bullion in the
market, relatively to gold, during the last twenty years,
the manufacture of silver coins at the Mint continues to
be very profitable to the Government. At the average
price of last year a pound of silver, though coined ineg
sixty-six shillings, was intrinsically worth only 465.
Fifteen years ago the difference was only 9 per cent.
CHURCH PROPERTY IN NORFOLX.—Some church lanslS'
at Northwolds, Norfolk, have just been let by suctiqr
and the result shows conclusive evidence of the agli;
cultural depression existing in the county. One lot ct
land, which, eight years ago let for 58s. an acre, Ks°
knocked down for the next lour years at 16s. an
ow-
and another lot, which before fetched £3 per acre, n _
realised only 19s. The gross annual rental for tho
whole lot amounted to little more than one third of the
same for the previous eight years.
ATTEMPT TO GARROTTE AN M.P.—The
Mail" says that Mr. C. H. James, the junior Inerabes
for Merthyr, while in London, has been the victim
. os
a determined attempt at garrotting It appears thai
tc Westerrif
Mr. James was returning to his locigingi at the In °ss
Court Hotel, through Little Queen-street, when he v/,':
set upon by some men, who assaulted him,
apparent intention of committing a robbery. gear
sisted them, and was en,gaged in a severe struggle vusei.
a gentleman approached, and his assailants decansPe's
leaving him victorious, but suffering. from a violens.
sprain of one of his nees, and he is likely to be
valided for some time to come.
r the
ARTILLERY RANGES.—The Secretary of State ..or
War Department has purchased from the Corporatioy
of Lydd a tract of land to the extent of 407 acres.
large portion of the land consists of beach. It is state"
that the object of the Government in purchasing thiS
extensive tract of land is to enable them the better t°
carry on artillery experiments at the camp which WI
with Os;
been formed there within the last few years and use'_i
by the troops in the South-Eastern District for practicts`
field operations.
INCOME AND EXPENDITURE OF THE IRISH
The accounts of the Irish Society for the past Yes.
have just been prepared. The receipts, includiog;
balance of £1340, amount to £20,313. Of that
Derry and liberties produce £8276; Coleraine £2o2'
Culmore Fort, £800; fisheries rent, £5161; safe of PO;
perty, £1279. The expenditure includes pevlnanellia„
payments, Crown rents, &c., £1553; grants to schoo
£4016; charitable donations, £844: Corporation „°,
Londonderry, £1206; in aid of public improveraeS
£4729; pensions, £132; salaries and gratuities (Ireloafos ;-
£1776 : visitation and deputation expensefly
salaries (England), £997; the governor, dentist
governor, and assistant governors, for attendanceslier
meetings and administration expenses, £471%.479,
amount placed to deposit account at Derry is
and the balance is £226.—" City Press."
s ICI
FOREIGN LIVE STOCX AND FRESH MEAT.--A ---
expected, the week's arrivals of live stock and fAr?lia
meat at Liverpool from American and Canaulof
ports were considerably in excess of thosetio
the preceding., week, the total imports asuotin ,of .
to 3415 cattle, 315 sheep, 8104 quarters tbe
beef, and 1108 carcases of mutton, whilst stler
preceding week's importations amounted to 373 castors,
4998 quarters of beef, and 830 carcases of nallYvis:
The conveying steamers last week were as folio 05
Venetian, 721 cattle, 11.18 quarters of beef, and s of
carcases of mutton; Spain, 350 cattle, 740 quarter;
beef, and 150 carcases of mutton- Roman. 663 cas-tie- 456
Borderer, 045 cattle and 315 sheep; Domini°Nle
cattle; Nessmore, 520 cattle; Saturnina, 160 caw of
Wyoming, 1760 quarters of beef, and 400 caroled()
mutton ; City of Chester, 920 quarters of beef, andaeofs
carcases of mutton; Republic, 840 quarters of PBBO
and 200 carcases of mutton; British Crown' a
quarters of beef: and Catalonia, 1826 quarters
beef.
guest
root°
JAPANESE TASTE.—When you enter the gues"..a
in a man-ion of the better class you are at e!es-asill
pressed with a subtle elegance and propriety not rra pla
explained. The room may contain but a few
articles of adornment, and the chief, or only enel'osito
be a plant or a bouquet. I was once greatly struc
the unique beauty and effectiveness of a Ist, gcei b's
stainlessly white blossom of peony, accornoatuer„raish
single pearl-toned bud, which was thus made to bah
a drawing-room. The art of arranging flower; pro'
perhaps, somewhat naturally come to occupy lialog
minent place in Japanese education. Beside the,,e art
instructors, cheap work containing lessons in wof the
are widely circulated. The taste and culture
householder is brought to a focus at this Iscle.vaas of
the fertility of invention shown in the adornfilLitiog,
this simple recess never fails to interest one Tal'ea of
Japanese houses. I have often seen in the PA 50013
honour a bit of oyster-clad rock, or the quartev‘_ss lava
of a dwarf tree, 'carved in broad wavy lines bY tr,,ao or
of a large beetle, or arabesquesl with creamy vineiatea
hrisky scarlet lichen and set in deep green suanYss tias
-mostes, 4rom the dark velvet of which a sPragY &plat'
fern, or feathery plume of some fair woodl 11„010
would peep. Then, too, there are often n:TT:7f itt
relations of the flower itself to the form or col t°
containing vessel; and here the refined 105t101 islo3o
the true artist best display themselves.—Fauld 6
Years in Nioon."