The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-02 00:00:00

Otr Pam gorrtspedtut.
[We deem It right to state that we do not at all tiMell
Identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

The week preceding the opening of Pariiament is
always a busy one with members of the Hoe of
Commons. The recess has lasted over five mocths,
and those honourable gentlemen who have not in that
time addressed their constituents hasten to do so. It
must be admitted that by this time the tale is liable to
be regarded as a thrice-told one. Such are the facilities
of journalism now that the reports of speeches of
members of Parliament, which were once confined
mainly to their own constituents, are now read all
over the kingdom; so that reviews of last Session,
comments on the Ministerial policy in Egypt, criticism
on the course which should have been pursued in
South Africa, vaticinations as to what will be done in
the Session now so close at hand, possess not the
vivour and freshness which always belong to a new
subject.

In the Palace of Westminster the most ample pre.
parations are always made for the beginning of the
Session. In each a vast building these are very
numerous, and one is singularly quaint, but the cere-
mony will, no doubt, be carried out as long as time
and the Houses of Parliament shall last. Nearly 280
years after the discovery of .the Gunpowder Plot, the
precaution is observed of solemnly searching the
vaults of the sumptuous structure on the banks of the
Thames to find if haply there may be secreted any
of that explosive material with which Fawkes,
Catesby, Percy, and Winter had intended to
blow King, Lords, and Commons into the air. In
thess modern days it would not require thirty-31x
barrels of gunpowder to effect the purpose aimed at by
those desperate conspirators. An infinitesimal quan-
tity of dynamite would deal out a vast taiount of
destruction; hence, probably, the care which is taken
te cisntleaut with all formalities a ceremonial which the
authorities by no means regard as ob,olzte.
The health of the Sovereign is a matter in wh&i all
classes of her subjects take a deep interest, and trom
time to time the Court newsman imparts to the public
through the press some informa`lon which
Is always eagerly read. It is, therefore, grati-
fying to be assured that, although the Qieert still
feels to some extent the effects of the accident which
took place in the early part of last year, herl.l.lljesty's
general health is not affected. One thing is, however,
decisive enough, and that is that the Sovereign will be
unable to open Parliament in person. The last time
on which a Royal pageant was witnessed Wa3 at the
commencement of the closing Parliament, in which
the late Administration held office, early in February,
1830. The opening ceremonial will this time, there-
fore, be shorn of the imposing surroundings which
are the accessories of the Sovereign's presence. Five
Lords Commissioners will be there, and the Lord
Chancellor will declare to the assembled Parliament
that her Majesty's most gracious Speech Is in her
Majesty's own words.

The deaths of two prominent noblemen within a few
days of each other, one a Liberal and tat) otter a Con-
servative, have plunged many noble familiee into
moarn;ng, and from their attendant circumstances
have attracted more than an ordinary amount el
attention. It is just twelve months ago that Mr.
Fa wcett, her Majesty's Postmaster-General, success-
fully wrestled with three diseases which attacked him
at one and the same time—diphtheria, rheumatism,
and typhoid fever. Mr. Fawcett is 50 years of ;
but his splendid constitution enabled him to plee
safely through the ordeal. It is, therefore,
startling when we find Earl Grosvenor, 20 years
Mr. Fawcett's junior, succumb in a few days to
an onslaught of congestion of the lunge, He
was the heir to the richest of the rich dukedoms in
England; and to those who have to toil and to spin,
It must often have occurred that, if there was a lot
favoured upon earth, it was such a lot as that. A day's
shooting, a chili, a brief delirium of disease, and all
was over. The heir to the vast posse=sions cf the
Duke of Westminster, which comprise the wealthiest
part of London, is now a little boy less than five years
old, who, by the time ha attains his majority, will have
riches compared with which the fabled wealth ol
Oros sus would be but a poor show.
The other death was that of the Marquis of Hertford,
a nobleman more than twice the age of Earl Grosvenor,
and who might have lived for years but for the
fatality in the hunting-field, which resulted in his
death. Lord Hertford, who would have com-
pleted his seventy-second year in the ordinary way
on the 11th of February, was for many years
closely associated with the Court. During a great
part of the late Administration he was Lord Chamber•
lain—.an office of great importance in connection with
the carrying out of ornate Court ceremonials. He ful-
filled his duties with dignity and urbanity, and his
resignation was received with much regret. Almost
immediately after Lord Hertford'a withdrawal from
the Chamberlain's office, his son, the Earl of Yar-
mouth, then M.P. for South Warwickshire, was ap-
pointed Controller of the Royal Household, the
family connection with the Court being thus main-
tained. It may be remembered that Lord Hertford's
predecessor in the title was unmarried, and left a large
sum of money to Sir Richard Wallace.

The wayfarer through the Westend of London
may, if he possess an observant eye, pretty well weer•
tam non whose property he Is. Take, for instance, the
Grosvenor estate, containing streets, squares, gardens,
and crescents, called after the family name and titles
.--Grosvenor, Belgrave, Ebney, Wilton, and so on.
Hertford-street, Mayfair, indicates the noble owner of
the property there. Lord Portman's estate, in the
immediate neighbourhood of the square of that name,
Is net so large as some others, but it is of great value.
Then, along the Strand, every side thorough-
fare is suggestive of the name of some of
the most historic personages in our annals 33 a
nation. Northumberland, Craven. Villiers, Bucking-
ham, Wellington, Salisbury, Cecil, Burleigh
Sarre7, ct.muudl, Eretar, EI3OZ, Norfolk, Nevcastl,.,
and Badford, give names to the streets running north
and Fouth of the Strand, while Fleet-street can show,
branching to the southward, Bonverie and Pleydel!.
streets. The Bedford estate, situated in the wed
central part of London, is a property of very gr3at
wealtb. There are the squares of Bloomsbury, Bed-
ford, Tavistock, Woburn, and Russell, with a host of
streets in the immediate neighbourhood of Covent
Garden, and the market of that name, the inagleqn3cy
of which to the wants of the present day is so app rent
to all who have to do business there. The difficulty
is how to enlarge it, looking at the great value of the
house property which surrounds it.
The closing day of January will long be remembered

In these islands for the terrific gales from the south-

west, which caused great loa-s of life at sea, and
scattered havoc far inland upon the shores. A little
while ago it was announced that a cold wave of extra.
ordinary intensity had visited the United States, and
had arrived at the seaboard with the evident intention
of coming over here. It has never survived the vicis-
aitudes of the most tempestuous sea upon the surface
of the globe. The blasts of last Saturday's gale were
of the &reed description even in crowded London;
and what the weather could have been in mid-Atlantic
we can only faintly imagine.

' ,The Cambridge University crew, always first in
the fiell to commence operations, began their practice
on the 'lam about afortnight ago for the great annua
university boat-race. Now, however, we hear that they
are going to rest for a short period, and this shou:d
leave ample time for preparations to be made between
now and the date of the contest, April sth. Follow-
ing the example of their rivals, the Oxford crew were
not ff.c behind to begin work; they have accepted the
challenge which has been sent in by Cambridge, and
we may exoect to see a good struggle for victory
this rear. Last year, from the time the Cambridge
Crew made their appearance at Putney up to the day
of the race, they were the favourites, the betting at
the start being stol on them. How far these 10,og
odds were justified by the result is a thing of the past,
as on the 15th of March the Oxonians breasted the
ship at Mortlake three lengths ahead, it being almost
dark as the crews shot under Hammersmith-bridm
and the snow falling thick and fast. This was the
first time that the result bad proved different from
that foreshadowed by the state of the betting, as it
was considered a good prospect for the Cantabs.
Possibly the Oxonians are to have another consecntive
nine years run of victory; but, on the other hand, the
Cantabs may he relied upon to spare no effort to break
the spell of ill-luck, and win the University beat race
of 1884,

DEATH FROM Folsom:v:4.—A. man named George
Wray has just died, at Sheffield from poison adminis-
tered to him by his mother, under the belief that it
was a dose of medicine. The deceased had been under
medical treatment for indigestion, and had been
taking medicine. After he retired to rest the other
night, his mother, an old lady of 80, gave him what
she thonght was a dose of the medicine. The bottle, how-
ever,co ltained strong ammonia, whichWragg purchased
some time before to clean some clothes. He soon
afterwards experienced all the symptoms of having
taken an irritant poison, and, in spite of prompt
medical attendance, died in three hours.
RIOT AT TRIPOLL—AS the Arab population of
Tripoli was celeorating the birthday of Alahomet by
walking in procession through the town, an Italian
quarrelled ivith one of the Marabouts, whom he
severely wounded. This act of aggression produo2d
the greatest excitement. Crowds of Musaulmans rushed
about the streets crying "Death to the Christians ! "
and further collisions occurred between the natives and
the talians, Order was only restored by the adoption
of e ,rge ,ic messures. 'The Italian whose violence
lel to the disturbance was arrested.