The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-01-24 00:00:00

aim
uur Yuba Corrtspaent

[We deem It right to stste that we do not at all times
sl-utify ourselves with our Corzespondont's opinions.]

For a whole twelve months a bold and striking
figure has stood out in the public life of this country.
On the 18th January, 1834, in response to a general
demand on the part of the people, " Chinese " Gordon
was despatched to the Soudan with a view to its paci-
fication. At that time we had not heard of the whole
o: the disasters which afterwards came to our know-
ledge, and therefore were unable to appreciate the
fall extent of the difficulties which Gordon would
have to encounter He undertook his remarkable
mission with the utmost faith in his ability to carry
it to a successful operation; and he had all the good
wishes of every class in the community. Gordon
was not long in reaching Khartoum, for he was
there in a month from the time of his leaving the
Briti:h capital. He had not to transport an expedi-
tion acress the desert; and, being a man of simple
tastes and habits, • travelled with as little
id?p, diamta as possible. A year has glided past, and
still stands Gordon out as one of the most conspicuous
figures on the political horizon. For his rescue from
the beleagured city of Khartoum, an expedition has
been organised, novel in its details, and supplied with
the means of encountering difficulties such as were
never heard of by Lord Napier of Magdala in
Abyssinia, or by Lord Walseley himself in Ashantee,
It has been sent out regardless of expense, and of its
ultimate success there cannot be the slighteet doubt.
The mysteries of Egyptian Finance still present
themselves for the consideration of the Cabinet, and
the latest counter-proposals of the French Govern-
ment were headed by M. 'Waddington, the Ambassador
of the Republic, to Earl Granville on Seterday
afternoon. Egyptian has taken the place of
Italian finance as one of the mazes into which
ordinary people dare not venture. Year; ago,
between Garibaldi's expedition to the Two Sicilies and
the occupation of Rome, if a newspaper editor wanted
a stock subject for a leader which could be used at
any time when nothing else turned up, the finances
of the Italian Kingdom were always a safe topic.
The scene of comment is now shifted to another part
of the Mediterranean coast. Lord Northbrook's
mission to Egypt in the early autumn was undertaken
with a view of settling the bewildering puzzle; but
we find that what are called the susceptibilities of
France have to be consulted, although when an insur-
rection in Egypt had to be suppressed and Arabi
brought to his senses, the French ships of war scuttled
out of Alexandria harbour, and left us by sea and by
land to undertake the pacification of Egypt alone.
Almost the last of the proceedings associated with
the coming of age of Prince Albert Victor took place
at Marlborough House more than a week after his
Royal Highness attained his majority. Marlborough
Home is the town residence of the Prince and Prin-
cess of Wales; it is entered from Pall Mall, and over-
looks St. James's Park. It was here that the Dutch,
Belgian, and Swedish envoys were received by the
Heir-Apparent and the Princess, and presented to
Prince Albert Victor the highest marks of distinc-
tion which their respective sovereigns could bestow.
Some of the newspapers habitually describe his Royal
Highness as Prince Edward, which is only the last of
his four Christian names. In his letter to Mr. Glad-
stone acknowledging the
.receipt of the right hon.
gentleman's birthday con,sentulations, it will have been
noticed that he signed himself "Albert Victor."
A mass meeting on the flags of the Royal Exchange
in the afternoon is a most unusual occurrence, still
more so was the cause of that which took place last
Saturday. The Lord Mayor had felt compelled to
refuse the use of the Guildhall for a public meeting
to be addressed by Mr. Henry George on the
causes of the present commercial depression, because
a Guildhall gathering is a City gathering to a
great extent of an official character, and the chief
magistrate himself is expected to preside. To
stamp the opinions of Mr. George with the seal
of the Corporation of London was impossible; so that
gnatleman and his friends advertised a meeting in
front of the Exchange on Saturday afternoon. It was
the best day of the week that such an assembly could
take place, for on a Saturday the City becomes thin
early in the day, and there was no serious inconve-
nience to the traffic flowing east and west through
Threadneedle-street, Cornhill, Lombard-street, and
King William-street. On the previous two days pro-
cessions of the unemployed at Birmingham formed a
painful incident in the social life of a great commu-
nity. The depression which, during the last six
months, has settled down on so many departments of
industry seems to be more serious than has been
known for years; and it becomes increasingly clear
that the time of Parliament will not altogether be
taken up by the affairs of Egypt or the details of
redistribution.

The sentence of four months' imprisonment passed
last April by the Queen's Bench upon Mr. Edmund
Yates for a libel upon Lord Lonsdale, in the World,
was regarded at the time as being in excess of the
offence. Mr. Yates did not serve it at the time, a
technical point having been raised on his behalf that
had to be argued before the Court of Appeal, which
could merely decide the law, and not lessen the
punishment. The point having gone against Mr.
Yates, he was removed to Holloway. The sen-
tence can be mitigated only at the instance of the
Home Secretary, who will not hesitate to do so if
the health of the incarcerated one is proved to suffer
by prolonged confinement.
A very successful drama has just been withdrawn
from the Olympic Theatre. "Called Back" was
produced for the first time on May 20th last at the
Prine's, and transferred on Boxing Night to the
Olympic, and has altogether been played 216 times
in London, its career in the provinces being also very
prosperous. The next piece brought out at the
Olympic is a three-act drama entitled "In his Power,"
by Mark Quinton, in which Miss Ada Cavendish
appears; whilst at the Prince's, Mrs. Lin gtry,
in the adaptation of Alexander Dumas's "Princess
George," will, no doubt, draw crowded houses. At
the Adelphi "In the Ranks" has completed a
gigantic run of 400 nights, which is not only the
longest time a piece has continued at this theatre,
but it has also the distinction of having been played
more times than any other melodrama. " The
Sorcerer" and "Trial by Jury "at the Savoy, "The
Private Secretary "at the Globe," Saints and Sinners "at
the Vaudeville, and "Romeo and Juli et" at the Lyceum
all draw their different admirers. A word should
also be said about "Babes," at Toole's, which is de-
cidedly one of the most laughable pieces witnessed for
a long time. Mr. Wilson Barrett still continues his
much criticised " Hamlet "at the Princess's. Of the
pantomimes, the best is that of Drury-lane, entitled
"Whittington and his Cat," produced by Mr. Augustus
Harris. This is claimed to be one of the grandest
ever brought out t2l this famous temple of Thespis.
At Covent-garden, the immense building close by, is
Mr. William liolland's "Grand International Cirque
and Equestrian Pantomime" The only theatre on
the soutl side of the river is the Surrey, always a
famous place for pantomime, and it is decidedly not
behind the times this year with Mr. George Conquest's
"Aladdin."

Although this is a time of political quietude, there
is some speculation as to the course of events within
the next twelve months, by which time the Franchise
Act will have come into operation, and in all proba-
bility the Redistribution of Seats Bill will have been
passed. Assuming that the present Government
remains in power, and that Mr. Gladstone is Prime
Minister at the dissolution of Parliament, what then?
In enfeebled health, and with half a century and
more of public life behind him, it is believed to be
most improbable that he will again offer himself to
any constituency for election to the House of Commons,
By virtue of his office he is entitled by prescriptive
right to an earldom, an honour which was conferred
upon Mr. Disraeli and Lord John Russell, each of
whom, like Mr. Gladstone, was twice Prime Minister.
It is doubtful whether he will care to accept it.

Further than that speculation at present does not go,
but very few can reconcile themselves to the con.
tingency of Mr. Gladstone being a member of neither
House of Parliament.
The decision of the War Office to make Brighton
Downs the chief scene of the Easter Volunteer Ma-
nceuvre3 will give general satisfaction in the citizen

_
army. It is true that four regiments will take part
with the regulars at Dover; but there seems little
doubt that Brighton will be the principal point of
interast. It may be remembered that Brighton was
the scene of the first volunteer review held a quarter
of a century ago by the late Lord Clyde, who had not
long returned from the services which be hadrendered
in the suppression of the Indian Mutiny. As the
nearest seaside town to London, ample acco:..modation,
atida good railway service, the-choice of Lrighton is always certain to be popular with the volunteers
the metronolis.