The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-14 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Lord Wolseley will go to Moscow with the Duke of
Edinburgh to represent the British army at the Czar's
coronation, Land Lord Clanwilliam to represent the
navy.

Dupleix, Lord Olive's antagonist in India, is to have
a statue in his native town, Landrecies.
Seven thousand dock labourers went on strike at
Marseilles on Tuesday morning. The docks and
harbour consequently presented a forlorn and deserted
appearance. The streets were patrolled by police and
geudarmes.

When Lafayette revisited America in 1824, a car-
riage specially constructed, with a back seat in the
style of the period, was placed at his disposaL An
auctioneer has just "discovered" the vehicle and
succeeded in selling it for 90 dollars.

The Spanish Chamber of Deputies has approved,
by 164 votes to 42, the Parliamentary Oath Bill,
which allows Freethinkers and Protestants to enter
the Cortes.

At Salez (canton of St. Gallen) some 60 bronze
hatchets have been found imbedded in the ground only
one metre deep. Their age is stated to be at least
2,600 years.

"The Premier, while in London, being compelled to
leave off cutting trees, has been advised by his medical
man to take to cutting jokes."—Punch.
According to official returns, the average population
of the German capital during the budget year, ending
April 1, was as follows :-1879, 1,043,260; 1880,
1,080,478 ; 1881, 1,114,973 ; 1882, 1,148,188; 1883,
1,183,150, All these figures are inclusive of a military
force varying from 20,293 to 20,736 men.

A Paris telegram says that an explosion of dynamite
occurred on Saturday night at the house of a mining
overseer at Monceau•les•Mines. The building was
damaged, but no one was killed or injured.
Mr. Herbert Adams, an undergraduate of Hertford
College, Oxford, was thrown from his horse whilst
out riding on Saturday afternoon in the Iffley-road.
The injured gentleman was removed to the infir-
mary, when it was found that he was suffering from
concussion of the brain, and he died at an early hour
on Sunday morning without having regained conscious-
ness.

In London last week 2,928 births and 1,948 deaths
were registered. Allowing for increse of population,
the births exceeded by 147, and the deaths by 131, the
average numbers in the corresponding weeks of the
last ten years. The annual rate of mortality from all
causes, which had steadily increased in the seven
preceding weeks from 20'1 to 28'3, declined to 25.6,
Twenty•five British and foreign actual shipwrecks
were reported during last week, making a total of 670
for the present year, or an increase of 203 as compared
with the corresponding period of last year, the decrease
for the week being two. British-owned vessels num-
bered 13 ; three were steamers, with an aggregate
tonnage of 2,683 tons, one being British owned, with
a tonnage of 1,442 tons. Total tonnage lost for the
week, 7,399 tons. Total number of lives lost and
missing, 36.

A public meeting in Edinburgh on Monday evening
passed a resolution expressing hope that the Govern.
ment would withdraw the Affirmation Bill, and with.
hold its sanction from any similar measure. It was
stated that a petition against the Bill had been signed
by 12,000 inhabitants.
The story that a bottle of explosive matter had been
thrown into the Eastern Department building at
Ottawa is now declared to be a hoax and utterly des.
titute of foundation.

"Mrs. Ramsbotham says two of her nieces are going
to a fancy ball as Carmen. She does not like the idea
of the thick boots, smock frocks, and corduroys, and
thinks they might have selected a more ladylike cps•
tome. "—Punch.

The return for Ireland relating to property and
income-tax assessment, poor rate, &0., for 1881.82,
showed the gross annual value of property to be
£13,337,768; while the profits assessed amounted to
£34,061,553. The net annual value of property rated
to the poor was in 1880.81 13,766,595, and the total
expenditure in poor relief, and for all other purposes,
amounted to £1,251,617.

The following cable message was received from New
York at the London office of the New York Herald .--
" Unsettled weather will prevail over the British
Islands and Northern France during the week:
several depressions are crossing; one will arrive
between the 10th and 12th, likely to develops dan-
gerous energy."

-
With respect to the illness of Prince Bismarck, the
Norddeutache states that the nervous affection from
which the Chancellor has been suffering is disap-
pearing but only very slowly. The recovery of the
patient is retarded because he is unable to assimilate
a sufficient quantity of nourishment to keep up his
strength.
From a return of the traffic on the St. Gothard
Railway it appears that whilst the number of passen-
Fero who fa. evened in October, 1881, was only 45,395,
in the same month of last year (the latest date to which
the returns are made up) the number had risen to
81,504. The goods traffic had increased from 6,925
tons to 33,360 tons.

The proposed inland African sea is now declared to
be perfectly feasible by M. de Lessepe, who has
closely inspected the district to be inundated. Exca-
vations to a depth of nearly 220 ft, have produced
nothing but sand, and M. de Lesseps estimates that
the work could be successfully accomplished by 100
excavating machines, representing the labour of 100,000
workmen.

A new plan has been adopted in Tennessee for bring.
kg the liquor-sellers under proper discipline. A law
has been passed by the Legislature of that State pro-
hibiting the sale of intoxicating liquors to minors with-
out the written consent of their parents or guardians.
Nor are intoxicating liquors to be sold in future to
habitual drunkards without the consent of their wives,
A woman belonging to Fidehead, near Taunton,
who was passing through a field on Sunday night, on
her way to a place called Woodlands, . was savagely
attached by a ram, her. dead body being found next
morning in the field frightfully mangled, and with
scarcely a thread of clothing upon it.
It is announced from Dante° that the Vistula,
swollen by the melting snows, is bursting its banks,
and working great havoc among the crops and live
stock. A large military force, with 2,000 sandbags,
has proceeded to the scene of the inundations.
The ship Samuel Plimsoll, of 1,444 tons, Captain
Simpson, chartered by Sir Saul Samuel, K.0.M.G.,
Agent-General for New South Wales, sailed from
Plymouth for Sydney on the 6th inst. with 427 emi-
grants, under. the supervision of tr. H. Button as
surgeonauperintendent, with Mrs. Stevens in charge
of the single women.

A large and enthusiastic meeting was held on Sun-
day in the Nine Acres, Phcenix Park, for the purpose
of opposing the proposed Sunday closing measure.
Four or five trade bands were in attendance. Several
resolutions were adopted in opposition to Sunday
dosing, which the various speakers violently de-
nounced as coercive. A petition to Parliament
against Sunday closing was adopted, and was exten-
sively signed at a number of tables placed under the
trees near the outskirts of the crowd.
We hear that Mr. Edward Johnson, M.P. for
Exeter, has lately made some experiments with dyna-
mite in his own park. A charge containing less than
three ounces of the material blew an elm tree a die-
tance of one hundred yards.—Daily News._ _

The cherry tree which Mr. Gladstone felled in the
snowstorm during the Easter recess, and presented to
the Burslem Liberals for the purpose of making objects
to be sold in aid of the debt on their club arrived at
Bnrslem on Monday. It measures 281 t. in length.
The Daily News is informed that the Committee of
Privileges in connection with the Wesleyan Methodist
Conference have passed a resolution to the effect that
the Government Affirmation Bill lies outside the
questions which they are appointed to consider. This
decision was arrived at in consequence of a division of
opinion on the subject among.the body.

The Best Thing Oat for the Toothache.—The Tooth.
—A Poor Look-out. —A workhouse window.—Funny
Folks.

A terrible conflagration, resulting in the destraction
of 145 houses and of property valued at 2,000,000f4
has devastated the village of Valiorbes, in the Swiss
canton of Vaud.

Mr. Fawcett was sufficiently recovered from his oold
to appear in the house of Commons on Monday night
during the early part of the proceedings.

Last week's receipts of ootton at all United States
ports were 77,000 bales; since the let September,lBB2.
5,394,000 bales. Week's exports to Great Britaint
29,000 bales; to the Continent, 63,000 bales, Total
since let September, 3,768,000 bales. Stock at all
ports, 830,000 bales.
" Dogberry " in the City Press remarks: Matra.
tions ot the value of City of London property: A
lease fell in of £BO a•year ; the renewal is at the rats
of £l,OOO. Another of £l5 is now £250. And both
were for short terms only.

Miss C. Hutton, of Lincoln, haa given £4,000 to the
Church Missionary Society, to the Pastoral Aid
Society £5OO, to the London City Mission £2OO, and
£5OO to the Bishop of Rupert's Land, to be applied to
the establishment of a scholarship or fellowship at
the College of St. John's, Winnipeg, for the benefit of
sons of native Indians.

It is proposed to hold an International Forestr7
Exhibition at Edinburgh in 1884. The exhibition lip
in furtherance of a movement for the eetablishment of
a national school of forestry. At a meeting of noble-
men and gentlemen held in Edinburgh it was agreed to
open a guarantee fund.

Five steamers loaded with immigrants arrived at
Victoria (Vancouver's Island), last week. No diffi.
culty has been experienced in findinr employment for
them. Two thousand Chinese are also expected, but
no more will be engaged, the contractors for the
Canadian -Pacific Railway preferring white labour.
An hotel at Greenville, in Texas, has fallen In. The
building subsequently took fire, and was completely
destroyed. Fourteen persons were either killed by the
collapse of the building or burned to death, and others
were injured. It is believed that the disaster occurred
through an explosion in a powder store below the
hotel.

In reply to an antograph letter addressed by the
Crown Prince to Prince Bismarok on his recent birth-
day anniversary the Chancellor has written to his
Imperial Highness, repeating a former declaration
that he purposes devoting the rest of his life to eat*.
blishing on a firm and sound basis the finances of the
German Empire.
The last quarter's return of the Sheffield trade with
America shows a falling off of no less than £130,000,
compared with the exports for the corresponding
quarter of last year. The exports of steel have de.
clined £20,000.

The Railway Age reports that 766 miles of new
American railways were laid in the months of Jan-
uary, February, and March last, as against 1_,200
miles in the corresponding period of last year. It is
estimated that an aggregate of 8,000 miles will be
constructed this year.
The Queen still:suffers, it is understood, much in.
convenience from the sprain caused by her reeent
accident, her ankle being somewhat weak, and other.
ing strength but very slowly. Sir William Januar
is still attending Her Majesty.
The Tewn Hall at Itochdale, which was built at a
cost of many thousands of pounds, was found to be on
fire on Tuesday night. The octagonal spire WAS
entirely destroyed, but the hall itself was saved; and
by one o'clock the flames had been all but extin•
guished.

The Berlin Museum has purchased at the Narishkine
sale a celabrated painting by Albert Darer for 750,000
franca (E 30,000
"In view of the divided skirts and fantail dresses,
can 1883 be termed, as far as it has gone at present,
'this Year of Grace '7 "—Punch.

The Postmaster-General has (according to a Peter-
borough correspondent) bestowed a badge of merit on
Joseph Kirby, rural pestman for the Deeping dis-
trict, who has, during the past 14 years, walked on
his round over 100,000 miles.
An extraordinary project has been suggested In
Paris. It is to connect the capital with the city of
Rouen by a tunnel. The length of the work would be
117 kilometres, or over 73 miles, while the cost is calm-
listed at five millions sterling.

The Duchess of Sutherland was among the many
persons of social distinction who, during ()anon Wil-
berforce's mission at Torquay, signed the total
abstinence pledge and decided to wear henceforth the
blue ribbon badge.

A phenomenal baby has been born in Turkish
Kurdistan with the unusual accompaniments of a
beard and moustache, a perfect set of thirty-two teeth,
and forty fingers.

-
Intelligence from Baku states that immense reser.
voirs of naptha have been struck at Balachana and
Sabuntscha, in the neighbourhood of Baku. There are
at present 20 springs in full flow. The gush is described
as extraordinary. The price at present is a little lea
than two copecks per pond, or a fraction less than one
halfpenny per 361 b. English.

We learn that a memorial to the Prime Zinnias;
declaring that no further extension of the franchise
will be satisfactory which does not include women who
possess the necessary qualification, has already been
very influentially signed by members of Parliament.—
Daily News,
On Monday Sir Charles Dunce reoeived three
deputations, who urged that the Local Government
Board should encourage the efforts now being made to
promote the emigration to Canada of pauper children.
The President of the Board said as the Dominion
Government had undertaken the periodical inspection
of such children, the Board would not resist the applf.
cation of Boards of Guardians to send out children,
provided proper restrictions were imposed until the
effect of the experimental working of the system had
been seen.

The total number of persons employed in and about
the mines of the United Kingdom under the Coal
Mines Act was 503,987 in 1882, against 495,477 in 1881.
The average output of minerals per individual em-
ployed over the year was 339 tons in 18S2, 340 tons in
1881. This includes the fireclay, ironstone, and shale,
as well as the coal raised in both years.
The star granted by the Khedive to the British
troops who took part in the late campaign has been
presented to the Fourth Dragoon Guards at Preston
Barracks, Brighton, by General Shute, 0.8., formerly
colonel of the regiment, in the presence of a large
number of spectators.

Saturday (7th) being the thirtieth anniversary of the
birth of the Duke of Albany, the balls of St. George's
Chapel and St. John's Church, Windsor, rang merrily
In honour of the occasion, Royal salutes being fired 111
the Long Walk and nt Virginia Water.

There are many conflicting reports published in the
United States papers concerning the prospects of the
wheat crop. The best authorities consider there will
be an average crop in California, and that it Is WO
early to give accurate estimates of the outlook in the
other States. They believe the reports widely circus
lated of damage by the intense cold are exaggerated
and that there is a fair prospect of an average crop.

There was a large attendance in both Houses of
Parliament on Monday. The Duke of Edinburgh
was in the Peers' Gallery of the House of Commons
during the discussion on the Exp'delves Bill. The
Duke of Albany went to the House of Lords to hear
the debate on the Indian Criminal Procedure Bill.

Canine fashions in Paris are guided by as strict
rules aa thoae for human beings (says the Court Jour-
nal). Thus, no poodle belonging to a fashionable
mistress must wear the metal bracelet which replaces
the collar on the right foot, but the tiny ring must
always encircle the left paw just above the fringed
tuft which ornaments the ankle. If "Moustache"
is black, his bracelet should be silver; but if his
shaven coat is snowy white, a golden circlet is more
becoming,

A. New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on April 6 was 22,600,000 bushels, as against
22,900,000 bushels the previous week. Visible supply
of Indian corn, 17,800 bushels, as against 16,600,000
bushels the previous week. The export clearanoea of
wheat for Europe during last week amounted to
1,030,000 bushels; the export clearanoes of Indian
corn for Europe during last week amounted to
1,310,000 bushels.

_
When the late Bishop of Gibraltar paid the laat
Pope the courtesy of calling on him at the Vatican,
the Pope, with his usual dry humour, remarked, "
believe, Dr. Harris, that lam in your diocese." In
consequence of the withdrawal of Prussia from the
treaty of 1845 the bishopric of the English church in
Jerusalem will cease to exist, and the jurisdiction of
the Bishop of Gibraltar will be extended from Rome
and Constantinople to any English clergyman who may
be resident in Jerusalem.—Pall Mail Gazette.
"The attention of the Postmaster-General has been
called to the heavy tax that will be imposed upon
country newspapers by the introduction of the new
parcels post. Hitherto mail carts have been largely
used by the newspaper publishers for the carriage of
parcels to places not served by railways. The drivers,
although prohibited from taking passengers, have
been allowed by the Post Office to carry parcels at
rates far below those now proposed under the new
parcels post. Under the new tariff, mail cart drivers
will be forbidden to carry parcels. The mattes has
also been brought directly under the notice of members
of the House of Commons and the suggestion is made
that in the case of newspaper parcels proprietors
should be allowed to make their own bargains as here-
tofure with mail-cart drivers."—Daily News.
The Council of the Society of Arts have appointed
a committee to consider the question of preventing
collisions at sea. The work of the committee will be
confined to a consideration of the best means of pre.
venting collisions in fogs. The committee will be glad
to receive any information on this subject from per-
sons who have given their attention to it, or to con.
sider an proposals having for their object the preven.
tion of such collisions. All such communications
should be addressed to the Secretary of the Society of
Arts, John-street,
,Adelphi, London.

The Daily News understands that an influential
private meeting, convened by Mr. S. Morley, M.P.,
Sir J. W. Pease, M.P., Sir W. McArthur, M.P., Mr.
H. Richard, M.P., Dr. Hannay, Mr. Stopford Brooke,
and other well-known Nonconformists, has been held
In London at the Memorial Hall, to take into consider..
ation the present attitude of the bishops and certain of
the clergy in relation to marriage with a deceased
wife's sister. Every section of Nonconformists was re-
presented at the meeting. Important resolutions were
passed, which will at once be submitted to every Noir
conformist minister in England and Wales,
The additions to the Zoological S.)c.i-ty's Gardens,
Regents Park, London, last week I;C:tided an Arabian
baboon from Arabia, presentPl Ili% F. E. Goodner;
a sharp-tailed grouse from North Ani..-rica, presented
by Mr. Henry Nash; two sea Ue from British seas,
presented by Mrs. A. Brownit g ; an olive weaver
bird from South Africa, presented by Mr. Zdward
Ling; two bonnet monkeys froal India., deposited ;
a red-vented parrot from South Amerca, a sordid
parrot from Venezuela, purchased; a long-eared fox
from South Africa, received on approval; a Samba
deer an Axis doer, born in the Gardens,

Al