The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-03 00:00:00

Tao remarks under this head are to be regarded es the i.
goremlon ef independent opinion, from the pen of • geutletesa
I-. whom we hays the greatest confidence, but ter which
we
- " rida not bold ourselves responsible.]

,;•;e;i'Calras

It is a 'amnion remark, and certainly a true one,
WIIIS it takes a very long time in this country to effect
• inform, and one result of this is that long before the
reform is atoned the pubis get weary of the labour
expended in the effort to procure reform. Whether
the Irish Church Bill will, if passed, bring about a
reform I will not discuss, but undoubtedly the public
are becoming bored by the subject, and, pernaps, the
most prevalent feeling with regard to it is a hope that
the bill will be passed if only to get rid of an unwelcome
topic. At the time of writing I think the bill will be
passed. True, there is at first glance a formidable list
of amendments, but it is not likely that any that
seriously affect the principle and the measure will be
carried, while the Government of the Commons will be
only too ready to accept any amendments that merely
deal with matters of detail. Meanwhile, the interest
that was recently manifested by the House of Lords
being filled every night with a brilliant assembly has
fallen off, though their lordships themselves, feeling
that the bill is in a most critical stage, manifest no
lack of interest in this important subject.

The Viceroy of Egypt might have had some reason
perhaps to complain of his reception when he previously
viaited this country, but on this occasion he certainly
can find no fault. His welcome by the royal family is
all that his Highness could have desired or expected,
while the aristocracy are competinx with one another
for the honour of his company. There have not been
wanting efforts to show that he has been slighted, but
aU this has been explained, and when the Viceroy
leaves us it must be with pleasant memories.

The presence of the Viceroy of Egypt in this
country has naturally drawn unwonted attention to
the great work in which he is so much interested
and with which his visit to Europe has some
connection; but it now turns out that the opening of
the Suez Canal will take place much later than was
stated only a short time ago. The official inaugura-
tion of this splendid triumph of engineering, this last
great illustration of the old Latin adage, labor omnia
Mneit, will take place on the 17th of November. It is
said that in October the canal will have throughout its
entire length the necessary depth of 26 feet, with a
width varying from 327 to 196 feet. All ships convey-
ing passengers as visitors will be admitted toll free
during the inaugural ceremonies, and doubtless the
fete will be a splendid one. Excursions from all parts
of the world will probably be organised, and, as a
matter of course, there will be an immense number of
English Nisitors there. T. the world at largo this
wonderful undertaking cannot fail to be of great im-
portance in practically drawing the nations of the
world nearer together. It is said that the idea of cut-
ting a canal through the Isthmus of Suez was main-
tained by the Egyptians before the Christian era.
What is certain is that the first Napoleon advocated
such a communication, but it has been reserved for
M. de Leaseps to carry out the splendid idea. From
the English Channel to Bombay or Calcuttathe Isthmus
of Suez canal will save vessels about 5,000 miles ; the
isthmus will save about 2,400 miles between New York
and Bombay; New Orleans will be 2,700 miles nearer
Bombay, and Constantinotle 4,300 miles nearer; while
India, China, Siam, dm, will also be practically con-
siderably nearer to Europe. Of course it is too early
yet to sing a pairin of triumph over an nnaccomplished
work, but there is every reason to believe that ere
leng the triumph will lie complete. If so, it will add
another to the long ist of what may be termed realised
impossibilities. For years it was maintained that this
great enterprise would he defeated by insurmountable
obstacles, the chief, being that the Mediterranean and
lied Sea were of different altitudes. This has been
shown to be an error, and at the present moment there
seems nothing to prevent the successful completion of
the work. M. de Lesseps ought not to go unrewarded.
The highest honours that European and Eastern
sovereigns can confer upon him should be awarded to
him. We raise monuments to great heroes who
separate nations by sanguinary wars; why should we
not honour the greater hero who unites them by such a
work as the Suez Canal?

Now that the Government prosecutions of the betting
establishments is exciting so much attention The Times
deserves full credit for exposing the true character of
Tattersall's, as the great leading betting estalilishment
of the kingdom, and as practically as much deserving
of prosecution as any turf commission agency or betting
house or shop. There is, however, a great legal dis-
tinction. The members of Tattersall's bet with each
other, and not on agency, and they bet on credit, ruin-
ing each other as a matter of honour, without money
being staked. This makes just all the difference, so
far as the Act of Parliament is concerned, and the
framers of the Act no doubt knew this when they con-
cocted it. But it ought not to make any difference, for
morally the result is just the same. "If the State,'
very j tistly asks The Timis, "is to look after the morals
and fortunes of small tradesmen, why not of noblemen
and gentlemen also' Could any shop-keeper or ap-
prentice come to a worse end than the Marquis of
Hastings or the Duke of Newcastle ?" This is plain
speaking and wholesome truth, but very unpleasant
truth, nevertheless.
It is now becoming quite common to see velocipedes
in the streets of London. They may have frequently
been seen in the suburbs for some time past, but now
a velocipedestrian, or velocipeddst, whiAt ever is the
word, may of ten be noticed quietly threading
his way among omnibuses, cabs, carts, and vehicles of
all kinds, and he excites no particular attention. As
the manufacture of these new vehicles goes on apace
we may fairly presume that they are becoming in.
cressingly used, and certainly it looks like it. They,
at all events, possess one great advantage over all other
vehicles; they make no noise The bicyclist holds on
the noiseless, if not the even tenor of his way ; lie
takes up very little room, and he annoys no one. If
he hurts anybody it is himself; and already several
more or less serious accidents have occurred. We have
adopted the velocipede from the French, but there is
one thing it is to be hoped we shall not copy from them,
and that is women—l will not say ladies—bestriding
the new locomotive machine. There are some French
lady velocipedists who exhibit at the North Woolwich
Gardens, but I should think that no lady of good taste
would adopt the bicycle as a locomotive vehicle under
any cir curostances.
Ours is a droll language, and is. nothing is it more
curious than in its participles ; but some of our learned
critics would make it still more droll. Why, asks the
A thenirum, should we not see won and squoien, like
'rose and frozen? Ab, very good; let us do so. Let
us say, for example, that & crowd &ooze a man severely
or that his income-tax was squozen out of him. And
niece would come under the same rule. A man took
a pinch of snuff, and nose. What pretty variations in
our language !

The Society of Arts has done valuable service to the
public, but it sometimes does very funny things. It is
now appealing to the public not to "mob" great
personages when they appear in public, but to allow
them to enjoy any exhibition or entertainment as un-
molested as other people. Very good advice, no doubt,
but can we expect that the public will pay any heed to
such an unauthorative appeal? Of course it is very
wrong to press round a prince or a potentate, and very
rude even to stare at them, but all this is a penalty
that great people pay for their greatness ; and when
we little people feel that we can go ale ut the world
unmobhi-d and unstared at it is some little tin:isolation
for our littleness.

What the state of the weather may be when "this
comes hopping," I have no idea, but at the, presents
the change is very agreeable, and in regard to the har-
vest is decidedly cheering. A good harvest this autumn
will be an immense boon to the country. Trade is not
very brisk, speculation is in a semi dormant state, and
strikes are unpleasantly frequent. The harvest, there-
fore, is perhapa of unusual consequence, and happily
we have reason to hope that it will be a bountiful one—
to hope at lemt,

The police are rejoicing in beards and moustaches, if
they are so minded, and many of them, if "not
bear led like the pard," are decidedly hirsute. Perhaps
the Admiralty have taken the hint from the Chief
Committinm-r of Police, but if so they have not, like
him, left their subordinates free to act as they think
proper. Officers, seamen and marines are authorised
to discontinue the use of the razor under certain con-
6tions. "The hair of the beard, moustaches, and
whiskers is to be kept well cut and trimmed and not
to o long for cleanliness." Very good, lout what it
well cut and trimmed?" Opinions differ on this point.
Perhaps what in the captain's but a well-trimmed
moustache may be in the seaman flat insubordination.
Poesibly the Lords of the Admiralty will be good
enough to Wile a book of patterns or a code of rules
as to the length of whiskers, .te., and the number of
hairs that they may contain ! "Care is to be taken
that those officers and men who avail themselves of
the privilege are not to be whimaicol." The
Prirffor of allowing your hair to grow as na-
ture intended it ! And what is " whimsical"
n one person's opinion may be commonsensical
in another. Some people think that "Piccadilly
weepers" are whimsical, while others consider them
grac-fuL There is no ac :minting for tastes in this as
,n other mattsrs. "The beard is Lot to be worn with-
out the moustaches n ,r the laVer without the former.'
Put is not this rather a whimsical prohibition? Some
men can grow a moustache while the strag.;ling stub-
ble that they flatter themselves is whisker is scarcely
worthy the name, and any Lords of the Admiralty

might decide Chet it is not whisker and theu the
be hirsute sailor must shave off the hair where it mould
grow. Would it not be better to leave "officer', sea-
men, and marines " to do as they like, leaving good
tad.) and common sense to regulate the cutting and
trimming?