The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-08 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Another serious landslip took place on the Oxford
and Birmingham Canal at Fenny Compton, near Ban-
bury, on Saturday. The damage done is considerable,
and cannot be repaired under a month. The traffic had
already been suapended for three weeks in consequence
of a landslip whinh occurred a short time ago, and the
repairs done during that period have been demolished.
The bed of the canal for some distance has been en-
tirely carried away.
The recent severe storm caused several wrecks on the
New England and New Jersey coasts, chiefly of
schooners, by which 10 lives were lost. Five others
were drowned by the capsizing of a sloop at Bolivar,
North Carolina.
Th Odessa correspondent of the "Daily News" has
the b at authority for stating that, despite the formally
prom lgated tax on English coal entering the Black Sea
pons, Odessa will be exempted from its imposition.
Thirteen thousand emigrants arrived at New York
last week, showing that the incoming current is swell-
ing. Castle Garden Labour Bureau has many requests
for employment, and the belief is they will mostly be
satisfied, as there is an increasing demand especially
from the South for all kinds of help.
In Paris the other day a member of the staff of the
" Gaulois " had an interview with the Queen of Tahiti,
who in the course of a 'conversation, said: "I propose
visiting England, and will reside with an aunt of mine,
who dwells near London. Then I shall return to Tahiti
as I came, but neither in London or New York will I
receive journalists again."
A small box exploded in the parcels department of
the Post-office at Gnesen in Poland on the 28th ult.
The official on duty was severely injured in the face
and many windows were broken. The box was found
on examination to contain a clockwork arrangement,
which had been connected with some explosive materiaL
Her Majesty has been pleased to confer the dignity
of a Viscounty upon the Right Hon. Sir Henry
Bouverie W. Brand, G.C.8., late Speaker of the House
of Commons. The title by which he will to elev Ited
to the Peerage will be that of Viscount Hampden, of
Glynde, in the county of Sussex.
A Parliamentary return of loans sanctioned under
to the Irish Land Act from the 21st of December, 1881,
the 31st of January, 1884, shows that 76.150 applications
have been found inralmissable and 322,515 have baen
recommended, while 108,525 are at present being con-
sidered. The amount actually advanced is about
£127,000.
A labourer named William Ashton, of Ambergate,
who was in custody at the Belper lock-up, committed
suicide by hanging himself with his scarf during Satur-
day night. He was waiting his trial on a charge of
stealing wine from the White Horse Hotel, Ambergate.
The Printers' Pension Corporation Council have the
gratification of announcing that John Saunders Gil-
hat, Esq., Governor of the Bank of England, has con-
3ented to preside at the anniversary festival of this
Corporation for 1884.
At a recent sitting of the Dominion House of Com-
mons at Ottawa, Sir S. L. Tilley, Minister of Finance,
stated that while the credit and financial condition of
Canada was never better, the state of trade was unsatis-
factory, owing to the prevailing depression, which he
attributed to the decline in the exports of lumber, and
to over importation.
From Philadelphia it is reported that the loss by the
recent fire at Powers and Weightman's works is esti-
mated to exceed $1,000,000. The property destroyed
consisted largely of Peruvian barks and their products.
The firm were extensive manufacturers of quinine; and
a large number of workmen must lose employment.
Last week was another quiet one with respect to
actual shipwrecks, the number reported being 30, or
about the sane as the previous week, against 44 at this
time last year. Though the weather in the Atlantic
particularly was very bad, most vessels escaped with
whole hulls, only four having been abandoned at sea.
British wrecks numbered 17, of which six were
steamers. Total lives lost 115, five vessels being lost
with all hands. The aggregate wrecks since Ist
January, 1884, are now 401, against 474 last year.
A shocking accident happened to an Artilleryman
during the march of the troops from Barham Downs to
Dover, after a review at the former place. One of the
drivers fell off a gun carriage while the horses were in
full trot. He was run over, and had both legs broken
below the thighs.
Lord Randolph Churchill has collected some inte-
resting statistics showing the various periods which the
House of Commons has occupied at stages of successive
Reform Bills, which will be made use of during the
coming debate.
It is stated that 46,000 inhabitants of Somersetshire
have declared in favour of the Sunday closing of public
houses, and petitions are still being signed.
An explosion recently occurred at a powder mill near
Omaha, by which four boys were blown to atoms.
From an official paper issued by the Government of
Bombay it appears that a mysterious epidemic exhibits
itself from time to time among cats in India. It is
stated that between the Ist and the 25th of July, 1881,
750 cats died at Ahmednagar ; and in 1883, 125 cats
died in Poona, the chief symptom being vomiting.
A letter from Constantinople states that the ball
lately held in that city on behalf of the Armenian
Schools yielded a sum of £BOO. It was attended by
Lord Dufferin, and most of the European residents.
The Municipal Council of Paris has passed a resolu;
tion to exhibit, in each of the 20 town halls of that
city, the meteorological notices issued every day by the
French Office.

It having been represented that the tower proposed
to be erected on the South Nab, near Bolton Woods, as
a memorial of the late Lord Frederick Cavendish by
the people of the West Riding of Yorkshire, would tend
to mar the beauty of the landscape f Wharfedale
Valley, it has been decided to abandon the scheme, and
to erect a monument in Bradford instead.

Mr. M'Cullagh Torrens is endeavouring to form a
Committee of Members of Parliament to promote the
movement in favour of relieving parents who send their
children to denominational schools from the paymeni
of the School rates.

A Bill has been passed by the American Senate
authorising the construction of seven steel vessels for
the United States Navy.
The Home Secretary has intimated that under all the
circumstances he feels justified in granting a reprieve
to Sarah Mallinson and William Sharp, sentenced to
death at the late Liverpool Assizes. A reprieve has
also been received for James Lloyd, sentenced to death
for murdering his wife at Birmingham.
Lord Rosebery, during his visit to Australia, drew up
articles for one of the biggest matches which has ever
been made in that or any other country. The animals
engaged are Buckingham and lolanthe, both two-year-
olds, the latter being in receipt of 21b., and they run
for 1000 sows. a side, half forfeit, the distance being six
furlongs. The match will take place at the Sydney
Autumn meeting in April.
The Registrar-General for Ireland reports that the
number of emigrants wh•:- left Irish ports in 1.883 was
10:318, an increase of 15450, as compared with 1882;
the number of males being 53,39, or 8147 more than
in the previous year; and of females, 53,523, an increase
of 11,203.
A ship captain, recently arrived from Callao, has just
presented to the Arbroath Museum a mtimmy which
had been discovered by some workmen while digging at
the site of an ancient burying-ground in Peru. The
mummy, which is in an excellent state of preservation,
is in a sitting position, and appears to be the remains
of a full-grown female. The robe in which the body is
wrapped is well preserved.
16,
3, The "Postal, Telegraphic and Telephonic Gathe
states that an intermediate scale of 41d. for 21b., 7.
for 41b., and 1012 d. for 61b. is to be introduced for the
Parcels Post. A system of receipts for parcels will
also tentatively be adopted in several large provincial •
towns.

Last year 220,922,650 lottery tickets were sold by
the lottery offices in the kingdom of Italy, on which
71,826,683 f. were staked. The
,winnings on theft
ventures amounted to 44,411,528 f. leaving a net profit.
of 27,415,154 f. to the State. 014 44 winnings were
about 10 000 f. each the highest two being one of
78,000 f. made in Turin, and the other of 50,090 f in
Naples.
The bill to amend the law regulating the duty on in-
habited houses has been brought in by Sir H. Drum-
mond-Wolff, Lord A. Percy, and other members, and
is intended to place lodging-houses on the same foot-
ing as shops, hotels, and farmhouses, which pay an in-
habited house duty of ed. in the pound instead of 9d.,
which they now pay like private houses.
The Board of Trade have awarded a binocular glass
to Captain Pietro Alsaki, master of the Italian barque
Risorta, of Genoa, in recognition of his humanity and
kindness to the shipwrecked crew of the barque
Burmah, of Dundee whom he rescued at sea on the
19th December, 1883, an landed at Gibraltar.

The "City Press" states that the arbitrator appointed
to determine the amount to be paid by the Metropolitan
and Metropolitan District Railway Companies, as com-
pensation for Weigh House Chapel, has now given his
award. The area of the site was about 7000 feet; the
amount of claim was £72,000; and witnesses for the
railway company valued the property at about £32,000.
The arbitrator has awarded £37,450.
In consequence of a statement received from the
American Consul at Birmingham, reporting the exis-
tence of foot-and-mouth disease in nearly every county
in England, the Washington Secretary of State has been
requested to instruct all the United States Consuls in
England not to certify cattle invoices nnless after
veterinary examination they are satisfied that the cattle
are in a healthy condition.
On Sunday, at Wrexham, where Sunday. drunken-
ness has greatly increased since the passing of the
Welsh Sunday Closing Act, the police made a raid upon
a number of illicit drinking dens in various parts of the
town. Finding wholesale drinking going on in some of
them they seized some dozen or twenty barrels of beer,
cans, jugs, &c., and conveyed them to the police
station.
The number of live stock and the quantity of fresh
meat landed at Liverpool during last week of February
from American and Canadian ports were considerably
in excess of any previous week since the beginning of
the year, with the exception of sheep, which were only
brought by one steamer last week, and consequently
the arrivals were unusually small. The total arrivals
amounted to 1007 cattle, 510 sheep, 9400 quarters of
beef, and 1615 carcases of mutton.
The additions to the Zoological Society's Gardens,
Regent's-park, London, during last week included a
Bonnet monkey from India, presented by Mr. W-
Graeme ; a Sambur deer from Ceylon • a European fla-
mingo from Southeni Europe, presented Mr- James
M`Gregor ; a vulpine phalanger from Australis, presented
by Mr. A. H. Lowder ; a pine martin ) pßritish),
by Mr. Edward de Stafford; a common hare Se m
presented by Mr. G. Fattier; a Rh,es.us. nk",
Mill two laughing
India, presented by Master A.
J.
kingfishers from Australia, presented by Dr. Evans; a
black-footed penguin from South Africa, presented by
Mr. F. Bloor ; a Greek tortoise (European), presented
by Miss M. L. Fergusson , (British) r
• a stump-tailed lizard from
gew:Uolland, a bearded lizard from Australia, presented
by Mr. J. W. Bostock ; a pike from British fresh waters,
presented by Mr. Charles D. Honlyn, F.Z.S. ; a lesser
White-nosed monkey from West Africa; a ruddy Ich-
neumon from India, a bactrian camel from Central Asia,
three white crov.-ned pigeons from the Wed Indies
purcohased.


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