The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-03-15 00:00:00

Distr."!murals Yntellignut.

HOME, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SALMON FISIIING.—The salmon net fishings in the
Tweed have improved slightly, although the price per
pound is still high. Very fair catches both of salmon
and trout have been experienced. The prices on
Saturday were: Salmon is. 9d., and trout is. 9d. per
lb. In the corresponding week of last year the prices
were: Salmon, is. 7d.; trout, is. sd. per lb. The net
fishine on all the stations in the Coldstream district
have improved recently, the takes being considerably
over those of the previous week. There were no boxes
of salmon sent to Billingsgate Market from Berwick
for the week ending the 23rd of February this year,
whereas there were twenty at the corresponding period
last year.
DEBTS OF LOCAL AUTHORITIES.—The "Statist "draws
attention to the fact that the outstanding debts of
local authorities have increased 50 per cent, in five
years. They now amount to £151,704,640. Urban
sanitary authorities owe £70,000,000, and School Boards
£12,000,000. Birmingham has a debt of 7,000,000,
Manchester of £7,250,000; and even Bolton, with a
population of 108,000 owes nearly £2,000,000, or £2B
9s. 2d. for every man, woman, and child within the
borough boundaries. Still Bolton has spent £161,000
on its municipal buildings, and the inhabitants are
happy.
A METEORITE IN SWEDEN.—A scientific journal
states that on a summer night of 1882, a woman in
FlOgsby parish, in Sweden, saw a shining object fall
from the sky, disappearing behind a stable. Search
was made for the meteorite, according to the state-
ments of the woman, but without success. Last
autumn it was, however, accidentally discovered near
the spot indicated, and has now been forwarded to
proper quarters in the town of Oskarshamn. The sur-
face of the meteorite appears as if it had been welded
from various substances; it is about the size of a
billycock hat, very thick, and weighs a little over 141 b.
FODDER FOR Cows.—One of the most successful
dairymen in Illinois keeps 100 cows on 300 acres of
land, and has not raised a pound of hay for years. The
corn is sowed in drills 3i feet apart, and about the
time it blossoms it is cut with a self-raking reaper,
cutting one row at a time, the machine throwing it off
in ganels. When sufficiently wilted it is bound and set
in large stacks and allowed to cure standing on the
ground until winter sets in when it is hauled to the
barn. He secures a yield of about seven tons of cured
fodder to the acre, worth as much as the best hay.

A CARD-PLAYING INCIDENT.—An unpleasant incident
which has given rise to some official communications
between the Bulgarian and Austrian Governments,
occurred recently at a public ball given at Varna for
the benefit of the Greek schools. Some card-playing,
in which tle Greek Consul was a participant, was going
on in one of the rooms when the Bulgarian Prefect of
Police entered and ordered the game to be stopped, as
both the national law and the police regulations forbade
the playing of games of chance in public places. A
disagreeable altercation ensued. The Austrian Acting
Vice-Consul, a native of Varna, who had not been play-
ing cards, joined in the dispute, and, it is alleged,
insulted the Prefect of Police. The Bulgarian Govern-
ment has addressed a communication to Vienna asking
for due satisfaction for the affront offered to the repre-
sentative of the local authorities at Varna, and has on
its part expressed regret at the incident, promising that
the Prefect of Police shall be punished if it is found
that he exceeded his powers.
FOUNDERING OF A VESSEL AT SEA.—The English
steamer Morenzo, which arrived at Boston on the 22nd
ult., reported having encountered icefields which, as far
as the eye could reach, seemed interminable. The
vessel left Hull on the 30th January, and had heavy
weather almost the whole of the voyage, so much so,
that between the 9th and the 16th no way could be made
in consequence of the prevalence of hurricanes and
heavy seas. On the 16th immense masses of ice were
encountered studded by numerous icebergs. The
111orenzo had to steam for several hours in a southerly
direction in order to get into clear water. On the 21st,
when within one day's steaming of her destination the
Morenzo sighted a pilot boat standing by anOthei
vessel, which had a very heavy list to port. The pilot
boarded the Morenzo, and informed the captain th&
vessel was the barque Ester, of Portland, and that hei
cargo had shifted. The steamer took all the crew wit 1
the exception of the captain and the mate, who re
mained on the pilot boat, and in an hour after th
Ester was seen to founder, disappearing head fore-
most. She was a vessel of 512 tons register, and had a
cargo of coal.

THE PANAMA CANAL.—A Renter's telegram, dated
Panama, March 10, says: Several deaths hare occurred
here from yellow fever, among the victims being Mr.
Locker, an English missionary. The Europeans who
have lately arrived here in connection with the Panama
Canal scheme are apprehensive of danger from the
disease, and several ef them are leaving the place. The
work of construction is progressing satisfactorily.
Fifteen thousand labourers are already employed, and
hundreds more are arriving every week from Jamaica.
THE IzAn.mEns' ALIA kN era—The following resolutions
were unanimously passed, on Monday evening, at a
general committee meeting of the Farmers' Alliance:
"That the Government be urged to accept the Lords'
amendment to the Cattle Diseases Bill, and to add to
the bill the claus.Ps of Mr. James Howard's Contagious
Diseases (Aniieuls) Act, 1878, Amendment Bill."
"That no amendment of the cattle disease legislation
will be satisfactory which does not assimilate the con-
stitution of local authorities in England to what have
existed in Scotland since 1869," and copies of these
resolutions be forwarded to the Prime Minister and
Lord Carlingford.
THE QUEEN or TAHITI—The Paris correspondent of
a daily contemporary says that the Queen of Tahiti
went on Monday night to the Alcazar to hear
"Theresa," and smoked there to her heart's content.
When, a few evenings ago, she was at the opera, she
complained to the stage manager because smoking was
not allowed either in the saloon, the corridors, the
boxes, or behind the scenes.
THE CeAusiANT.—On Tuesday Mr. Gray, Southamp-
ton, Mr. Gardner, Stockton-on-Tees, and Mr. Gould,
Portsmouth, had an interview with the Claimant in
the Portsmouth Convict Prison. Mi. Gray informed
him that he was in the possession of an official docu-
ment showing that Orton had been in a lunatic asylum
since 1871. The claimant declined to entertain any
proposal with reference to his financial position, deter-
mining to deliberate in the matter after his liberation.
A STRANGE TriArrie.—The Paris police are at the
present moment endeavouring to suppress a strange
traffic in dead bodies, which they have discovered to
exist on the river Seine in and near Paris. It appears
that a reward of 15 francs is given in the Department
of the Seine for any bodies found in the river and
delivered up to the authorities. In the neighbouring
departments, if only a few miles away—as, for instance,
in the Seine-et-Oise—no such reward is offered. The
consequence is that boatmen finding bodies outside the
stipulated boundary, instead of giving them up to the.
police of their own district, sell them to men empheeed
higher up the river, who obtain the reward for them,
realising a profit by the transaction. This custom has
become so prevalent that there is a recognised tariff of
5 francs for bodies purchased in this way.
THE REDISTRIBUTION OF SEATS.—A parliamentary
return just issued shows that the net revenue of
£73,004,877 in 1883 of the United Kingdom, England
and Wales contributed £58,345,039, Scotland £8,005,709,
and Ireland £6,654,129. It is added that the number of
members of Parliament which each of the three divi-
sions of the kingdom would obtain if the 658 members
were allotted in accordance with the population, as
estimated in the middle of 1883, would be—England
and Wales 494, Scotland 71, and Ireland 93.
THROWN FROM A HOUSETOP.—At the Liverpool
Police-court on Tuesday George Thornton was charged
with causing grievous bodily harm to Thomas Buchanan,
a neighbour, whom he was alleged to have thrown from
the roof of a three-storey house in Wolfe-street. en
the night of the Ist inst. the prosecutor was startled
on going home by seeing a brick falling into the street
from off the roof of his house. Buchanan ascended to
the roof, where he saw the prisoner, who first hurled a
brick at him, and, missing his aim, rushed at the
prosecutor and pitched him over the eaves into the
street belbw, a depth of 501 t. Buchanan remembered
nothing more until he found himself in the hospital.
The magistrate said his escape from death had been
miraculous. The prisoner, who, it was stated, was
drunk at the time, was committed for trial.
DEATH OF MR. GEORGE BUCILLAND.—The death is
announced of Mr. George Buckland, the popular
lecturer and entertainer. He had been for some time
in failing health, and within the last few days circulars
had been sent out announcing a dramatic and musical
entertainment for his benefit at the St. George's Hall
for Wednesday, the 26th instant. Mr. Buckland ex-
pired on Sunday night at his residence at Dartmouth-
park-hill, London, in the 64th year of his age. He will
be best remembered in connection with the old Poly-
technic Institution, where his humorous songs, recita-
tions, and sketches of character for many years enjoyed
popularity.
SMCIDE OF M. SHAFlTtA.—"Writing from the Hague
on Tuesday, the correspondent of the "Daily News"
says: M. Shapira, the suspected manuscript forger, has
shot himself through the head with a revolver in an
hotel at Rotterdam. For a few days past he had not
left his room, the door of which was kept locked. The
Police forced the lock and found the bloody corpse lying
upon the bed. Cards were found upon him proclaiming
him the agent of the British Museum residing in
Jerusalem, and also a letter of recent date which proved
the mental aberration under which M. Shapira had been
suffering for some time.
THE POLICE Foßez AND THE FRANCIIISE.—It is said
that when the House of Commons goes into Committee
on the Franchise Bill, Mr. P. S. Macliver, Mr., will lead
a movement to extend to all the police who are houie-
holders and ratepayers the right of voting at Parlia-
mentary and municipal elections. The amendment to
be proposed with this view is likely to take the form of
a proposal to repeal such portions of the existing law
as disqualify them under penalties from the franchise
in the case of the election of members of Parliament
and of Town Councils. In London alone this inclusion
of the police, who are already allowed to vote in elec-
tions of school boards and poor law guardians, would
add upwards of 12,000 electors to the roll.

DUELLING IN FRANCE.—lntelligenCe from Paris states
that a duel with pistols has recently been fought be-
tween M. Edmond Lepelletier and M. Paul Viadot, in
which both combatants were wounded. M. Viadot was
hit in the chest, but the bullet glanced off one of his
ribs, and the wound is not considered so dangerous as
that of M. Lepelletier, who was struck in the thigh.
The origin of the duel was a private dispute.
TD.E SUNDAY QuEsnow.—When Lord Thurlow brings
forward his Resolution on the 24st inst., in favour of
the Sunday opening of museums and galleries, the Earl
of Shaftesbury will again meet it with an amendment
similar to that adopted last Session' to the effeet that
such institutions as the British Museum and the
National Gallery should be opened on weekday evenings
to the public between the hours of seven and ten at
least three days in the week.
TH FALL orA TUNNEL.—The inquest on the body of
Rowland Evans, navvy, Amlwch, employed by Messrs.
Nelson, contractors, cutting the Bangor and Bethesda
Railway, has been concluded. It was stated that about
five tons of the heading of the tunnel fell upon five
men, killing the deceased and injuring four other men,
one ously. It is supposed that the overhanging
rocks had been loosened by the rain. A verdict of
"Accidental death " was returned.

RAILWAY ACCIDENTS IN BELOIT:M.—Two railway
accidents, both resulting from the foggy weather pre-
vailing, occurred on Saturday on the Belgian lines. A
passenger train ran into a goods train near Marchiennes
Station, not far from Charleroi, considerable damage
being done to the line and rolling stock. There was
no loss of life, but a guard was injured, though not
seriously. The second accident, which was of much the
same character, occurred at Jumet, in the province of
Hennegan, to the north of Charleroi.
AVERAGE PRICES OF BRITISIL CORN.—The following
are the average prices of British corn for last week, as
received from the inspectors and officers of Excise:
Wheat, 375. 7d.; barley, 31s. 5d.; oats, 19s. 11d, per
imperial quarter. Corresponding week last year:
Wheat, 425. (3d.; barley, 335. 7d.; oats, 225. 3d.
THE JEANNETTE PxpEorrioN.—The remains of Jerome
Collins, one of the victims of the Jeannette Arctic
Expedition, were interred in Cork on Sunday, and were
accorded the honour of a public funeral. The remains
arrived on the previous Thursday in the Inman steamer
City of Chicago, and until Sunday morning lay in the
Queenstown Cathedral_ They were conveyed by river
to Cork, where the trades assembled in large force, and
followed the remains to the grave. Two brothers of
the deceased, who accompanied the remains from New
York, where the chief mourners; while the Messrs.
Redmond, M.P., Harrington, M.P., and Mr. Davitt also
attended as representatives of the National League.
The Mayor and High Sheriff, with many members of
the Corporation and other local bodies, also joined the
cortege.
AN " Ersprx Honsz."—On Friday evening in last
week for upwards of a quarter of an hour the House of
Commons presented literally a scene of empty benches.
The Speaker had retired for his usual interval about
half-past eight, and every member present, including
even the member for Bridport, followed his example.
The result was that the only evidence of the House
being in Session for the next twenty minutes was the
presence of the mace on the table and the crowded
state of the Stranger's and Reporter's Galleries. It
was the first time during his long connection with
the House that Mr. Gossett, the Serjeant-at-Arms,
had witnessed such an occurrence.

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