The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-12-17 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Sparrows are 50 cents a brace in Paris.
The new way of spelling softly is " psoughtleigh."
11.1rnonr has given the Duke of Devonshire as the
prol.able chairman of the Captain commission.

- -
The lad of the Mohicans is in the insane aeylam at
Middletown, COUINCLICUL lie 111 ninety-elght years old.

- - -
Gustave Dore, who recently returned to France from
London, has been missing for many weeks, and no informa-
tion whatever can be obtained of his whereabouts.
In reply to a deputation headed by Mr. Merriman,
the Lord Mayor of London declined to convene • public
meeting at Guildhall, to consider the position of France and
the means of securing an honourable and enduring peace.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges (as
conscience money) the receipt of the first halves of notes for
&lb, and 45. 2d. in stamps, from" N. K. K," on account of
income-tax . . .

The soldiers at Aberdeen, while on their 'march
Cu t" a few day. ago, were preceded by two deer, walking
loosely along Unionoitreet. The spectacle was largely pat-
ronised by the city boys. The band played "Thou art no far,
and yet so dear."

On Tuesday the final operation in the construction
of an immense gun was performed at Woolwich. It weighs
35 tons 7 owls., and will throw a 704 lb. shot, so an to pierce
Iron armour 15 Inches in thickness. The ordinary charge of
powder I. calculated id 120 lbs.

The Rev. Canon Harcourt, prebend of Carhale
Cathedral, died on Saturday morning at Car Hale The
canonry thus rendered vacant is worth about £750 per
annum, and the deceased prebend held other appointment.
'A
about £l,OOO

ortli

At a New York wedding the groom forgot the ring.
traditional curtain ring was unavailable, and matters
were at a standstill, till an ingenions lady cut off an end of
one of the bride's curls, and framed out of this a ring with
which the marriage was consummated.

A young nobleman proposes at his own expense to
give s dinner to all the poor of London on the receipt of the
news of the first really great French victory. Our neighbours
have therefore some/11133g to fight for quite novel—namely,
for charity's take.

The president of Cornell University presented Mr.
[Higbee to the company in a happy style. He found some
difficulty in calling him name, hesitating at Tom Brown, Mr.
Mugby, Thomas Oxford—no, I mean Mr. Thomas Brown,
author of "Tom flushes at Rugby."
A somewhat curious discuraion in the Virginian
press aa to the exact baptismal name of General Lee has re-
vealed the singular fact that the whole country has known
him by a wrong name, as Robert Edmund Lee. Ilia name
appears to have been Robert Edward Lee, and is thus en-
graved upon his colt nplate. History, must, therefore, thin
speak of him.
Lord Hotlam, an Irish Peer, died on Tuesday, in
the city of York, In the 77th year of his age. Ills lordehtp,
Who fought In the Peninsula a. far back as 1812, represented
Leonduster and the East flitting, in the Conservative in-
terest, from 1820 until the general election of 1868 when he
retired from public life.

From April ht to December KU the national revenue
amounted to £51,713,053, as compared with in the
corresponding period of last year. The expenditure has been
£54,503,043, of which eighteen millions and a hall represent
the interest on the national debt. The balance in the Bank
of England on Saturday last wan rather over £3,000,000.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer haadiecovered that
in many I.—ndon firms it Is the custom to pay empk,e4
partly by salary, and partly by a commission on the profits,
but that whereas the employ's return the first for anew
meet to the income-tax, they forget to mention the reward.
So he is Just Now causing much portnrbaticn in clerkly circles
by inquiries which he thinks very pertinent and they think
very Impertinent.
An American correspondent, writing from St. Louie,
alludes to a mechanical curiosity exhibited there, styled a
"steam man.' This extraordinary machine is turned to
practical use. The "man" Is about nine feet in height, and
walks behind a carriage containing four men, the carriage
being pushed along at a very rapid rate. The correspondent
states that a more natural affair he never saw than the
"steam man," which looks Just like a man mulling a peram-
bulator, with four men in the latter. This singular specimen
of Yankee ingenuity Ii said to be a decided success to the
Ingenious inventor.

It is related that when Sir James Graham, in the
Chloe debate, !poke about the approval of conscience. and
the future ratification by • higher Power thanmanota Policy
of Judie° and honesty, that Lord Palmerston—with an 1/11-
comet°. Ingennonssess which, greatly to his own surprise,
made the House of Commons laugh at him—declared that
for his part he did not look so far. and war content with the
Support of that House.

--
If all stories be true Count Bismarck has his hands
full just now. Besides his projects Inc aggrandizing Prussia
at the expense of Pearce, and absorbing Luxemburg, he has
fixed a covetous eye on the New Worlds, well A rumour Is
said to be current Is." diplomatic circle." In Washington
that Prussia desires a foothold in the West Indies, and has
asked the assent of the United States to her acquiring a naval
statian there, either by purchase or conquest; offering by
way of compensation to facilitate the acquisition by the
American Llovernment of a naval station In the Mediter-
ranean.

In the action of "Wilson r. Webb" for seduction of
the rlaintiff's wife, tried In the Dublin Courts, the Jury on
Saturday found a verdict for S:1,000 damages and costs. In
hie charge, Mr. Jusiice Fitzgerald said that allualon had been
Made to the Divorce Court; he hoped no Parliament would
ever indict upon Ireland the injury of such a court "We
don't want It. We have no necessity for it; and I believe I
speak the truth when I ray that fire-sixths of the population
—I do not allude to any particular Church, but speak equally
of Protestant. and Catholics—believe that the tie of math.
morn , can only be diasolved by th 3 hand and minlatry of
death.

Imitation of the Parisians has become inch nettling
passion in Belgium that rots are being eaten there, not, of
course, from necessity, but to order not to Miss the genuine
Parisian ton.—A Tourney paper mentions the fact that ant
supper had occurred there. Two well -dressed ratcatchers
ply their vocation in the slaughterhouse, where the animals
abound, and the finest specimens are selected for the kitchen.
A second feast Is coming off in a day or two, and the guesta
at the first were too much enchanted with the trial of the
new dish not to wish to repeat the experiment. With Dinah.
rooms rat is said to be delicious

A fleet of 50 veesels have left Fecamp for English
ports; they have been arriving an the week at the M ether.
bank and at Portsmouth The Prussians were expected
hourly, and the place not being defended, the captains
thought best to take their wives and furniture on board and
leave the place. recamp is a well.known fishing station.
On Saturday evenings French corvette came into Spithead
and landed • gentleman with dispatches. who left by South.
sea Tramway for London. The corvette was from Cherbourg,
and proceeded again, !supposed for same port.

- - -
At the Southwark police-court in London, on Mon-
day, a shopkeeper stated that he had received a letter ad-
dressed to him from New York, enclosing a price lint of to-
bacco from a firm la the Broadway and a "strictly confiden-
tial circular:. Tilts docameat gated that the firm had suc-
ceeded in •' minting" counterfeit English sovereigns so per-
fect as not to be detected by aids or the most accomplialted
experts, and offering to forward to applicants any number
UP to 650 at the following rates :—Twenty sovereigns for .00 ;
31, £3; 42, £,4; 73. £5; 64, ; 75, ; 88, £8; 97, £9; 108,
£10; 218, £2O; 330, £3); 440, £4O; and 650, £5O. Beyond
that number they decline to send to any one person, an
greediness might cause detection. The sovereigns, they
allege, are made of aluminium found In the Rocky Moun-
tains. The Magistrate asked If any of the so-called
sovereigns had got Into circulation in this country. The
applicant said he was not aware that they had, but an im-
mense quantity of the circulars had lately been delivered to
tradesmen all over the metropolis.

A war oorrepoudeot of the Daily Telcgr aph is of
opinion that mldlghl on • raw December night is not tLe
most cheerful hour in which to begin a J ,urney by sal !

It is stated that the Register-General of Seaman is
paying Mans to the chief seaports of the United Kingdom,
with the view of amertatoing how far Cod by what means the
Royal Naval Reserve Force may be Increased.
- - -

No lees than four inqueets were held in London laat
Saturday on children who hut lott their lives by tire, under
the meal preventible circumstances common to this clams of
aCcitleot.

A story is current that a signalman who prevented a
catastrophe at a siding • few montho aco, was magniticenUy
rewarded with " • hal! crown end US thanks of the Board of
Directors !"

The Boston Teat:tilt r ie an expreFe admirer of GeneTal
Butter. hasp, hi, style of speech-furktug mud letter-writing
Is the harnm.scarum-helter skelter, knock-Ousen.and.drag-
out, ore-down.auother-come-on, go-it ye-cripples 4)le.

A serious riot occurred M Granville on Saturday.
A great mob Mopped the .:dement .1 gonds by ihe Jersey
steamer Grahuille. The crowd stoned the crew mil damaged
the steamer.

A gushing American editor remarks that it is plea-
ant fur been to sit 011 the porch three evenings, and he
happy In the thought that their blood is cumtuingling be the
Mlle mosquito.

The Empreen Engenie has, it in stated, invited Dr.
Please to Chislehurst, to tate part in a consultation tn refer-
race to the formation of. society to aid the reach prisoners
In the various tortreases in Germany.

A memorial has been presented to the Treasury,
urging the granting of • newton to Dr. Bake. author of
" °tisanes Biblicre," and 'Toe Sources of the Nile," who Is
now In the 70th you of his age, tint is in iii heath.
The Princess Louise has been gracionaly pleased to
accept a shawl which has been spectally worked for her ty
one of the girls hi the Edinburgh Blind Asylum. The same
girl has had the honour of doing work tor her Majesty and
theists Prince Consort. The shawl sill he exhibited is the
Institution during the Christie.. and New You weeks. ,
The Earl of Faversham has settled the church-rate
question on his Yorkshire estates, by making the rate an Im-
post upon himself lnetead of upon his tenants. When the
parish is wholly his lordship's property he pays the whole
rate, and when held jointly with other proprietors that part
of the rate chargeable on his portion of the land.

The Dean of Chester preached before the Queen last
Sunday in the private chapel at Windsor. On SAturday the
Prince and PithCOS. Christian, the Prince and Princess of
Tech, the Duchess of Roxburgh°, the Hon. Lady Enchan.ui,
and Sir Stafford Northcote diced with the Queen, and on
Sunday the Lord Chancellor dined with her Majesty.

Mr. Richard Wallace, the testamentary hue of the
late Marquis of Hertford, has given away £2OOOO In Farts
alone within a period of little more than two months to
necessitous Englishmen and the inhabitants generally, and
continues to subscribe most munifi,ently to various objects
raised to mitigate the sufferings of the poor in that city.

Mr. Hammond. writing on behalf- of Earl Ge,nville
to the Mayor of Birmingham, acknowledging the receipt of
a resolution passed at a public meeting there, says I no,
to inform you. in reply, that her Majest)'s Cloven:meet Cr,
earnestly desirous to maintain peace with Russia by all vo-
latile means compatible with the honour and Interenta of this
Country,"

An action to recover damages against the North
London Railway C irepauy has been tiled in the Court of
Common Picas, In London, and ended in a verdict for the
detendanta. Chief Justice Borth, in expreuing ith con-
currence, remarked that during the late sitting. at West-
minster, ftur or five railway actions were tried, and in every
case the verdict was for the company.

- -
A curious swindling project in reported from Atm.
twin. A deposit of gold and quartz, recently supposed to
have been discovered in Victoria, Australia, created much
excitement. A company was formed, and the shares ware
rapidly taken and paid for. Further investigation, however,
chewed that the mine htd been veneered with gold leaf, laid
on with sins or vandah. The projectors of the company have
been wetted.

Several person/ laat week went to Havre from
Southampton with the expectation of witnessing the expected
attack on Havre by the PTILLIIII. Two of them, Sir. Cooksey,
a Southampton magistrate, and Mr Keane, the wharfinger of
that port, were viewing the fortitications of Havre on Friday
last, when they were apprehended as spies, and for some
time their safety was in Jeopardy.

_
The old workings of the Oaks Colliery, the scene of
the terrible explosion in IVA, have been re-opened during
the last few days, and on Saturday and Sunday several of the
unreeovered bodies known to be in the pit were found. The
bodies were in such • state of preservation as to be easily
identilleaL It is expected that the exploration will lead to
the recovery of the greater portion of the bodice yet lu the
workings.

"The last two numbers of the Tuileries papers,"
write. a Paris c irrespondent, "are mainly filled wilts tele-
grams from the Emperor, his wife, ministers, generals, &c,
between the opening of the campaign and 4th September.
Even after what you already know of the heedlessness with
which the war was entered on, the ineapacity with wh.ch it
was conducted up to Sedan, and the lying that cluthed an am
with a garment, these telegrams surprise you."

- -
A correepondent mites :—"Seeing a letter in the
papers recommending copying Ink to be wed on postal
cards—a more simple plan la new rodk ; when dry there Is no
appearance of writing, held before • tire lt becomes bright
red Marking-ink is not always available, more particularly
In the country, and At is not a bad teat In towns as tO the
purity of the milk.

-
From& and brother officers of the lamented Lieut.-
Colonel Pemberton will be agreeably Interested to learn that
the teatimonial clock designed by him, before leaving
England, for preeentation to the Guards' mess at the Si.
James's Palace la now completed. It to modelled In exact
representation of the frontage of St. Jomes's Palace, and the
Inacription tells that it is " From Christopher Pemberton to
the dear old regiment, in memory of the many 'cheery Claude'
they have had together. 1870."
A gentleman named Smallbonea, reeiding at Whit-
church, near Southampton, having been usessed In slum of
40. 34. ea a church-rate, refused to pay it on the ground that
it had been illegally made The question come before the
Court of Arches, when Mr. Smailbonee was ordered to pay
the rate, with coats. The Judicial Committee of the Privy
Council has now reversed Oh dechlon, and the church-
wardens are to pay the wets In both courts.

A gallant proposal to victual Paris has been made by
Mr. Pnilip Brannon, of Hyde, who has written to the London
Standard to state that the firm of which hot, the senior, are
prepared to construct such large and safe balloons, that Parte
could be supplied with provisions during the continuanoe of
the alone. He *hews that by means of ten of his aerial
machines he could supply Paris with 90,000 rations daily, and
he promises to equip Ws balloons with formidable light
Weapons.

During the past week Dr. Moberley, Bishop of
3ali3oory, confirmed 53 of the convicts in Portland prison.
In the course of his sermon on the occasion the 13Ishop,
quoting from the chaplain's report, stated that of 119 pri-
soners admitted to holy Communion at Christmas, 1968, only
Si were reported for breach of the prison rules during the
succeeding 12 months, and of these 28 were reported once
only; the number of Protestants in the prison being 1,809.
The confirmation took place in the large chapel of the prison.
_ _ _

• - •
The Independantc Bcl9e says that the ex-Qae-n of
Spain lately attended a great religious celebration at
Csronge, near Geneva, and was very badly received by the
crowd. Reproaches were addressed to her on various
subjects, but especially on her supposed culpability 41th
regard to the present war, which has so seriously injured
the trade and industry of the neutral countries, particularly
the canton of Geneva The ex Queen was loudly accused of
having made an arrangement with the Empress, by which
her son was to be replaced on the throne of Spain. Alto-
gether the crowd seems to have expatiated at great length
and with considerable acumen on various portiorui of the
Queen's career, which it was no doubt qualified to do, as In
Switzerland the very apple•women read the newspapers.