The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-08-26 00:00:00

IL

ear Tolbert CorrespoOent.
Pre deem it right to state That we do oot it all Clines
.deouty ourstlti, with or Corrospendent's opinlenol

The noble lords and the hon. gentlemen who do ns
the favour to legislate for us, must rejoice greatly that
their legislative labours are over till next February—
unless we have another war, or some other unforseen
calamity occur; and the public generally, muff be
heartily glad also. The past session— I was about
to take a retrospective glance, but I refrain. Your
readers have doubtless by this time heard quite enough,
and perhaps, too much, about the past erasion.
Politics Apart, mold people will be plowed to hear
that "Mr. Bright's health justifies the hope that he
will be able to return to his parliamentary duties next
session, as completely restored to mental and
physical vigour as was the tease after the illness
of similar character and duration which befel
him fifteen years ago." This statement is given 'on
the best authority.- Now the best authority can only
be that of Mr. Bright himself, or at least of his
medical adviser. At any rate the announcement is
very gratifying. How seriously the right hon. gen-
tleman's political friends must have missed him during
the session which has just closed! To say nothing of
other measures, the Army Bill and the Elections' Bill,
were just those bills on which hiss eloquence would
hate been exerted powerfully in favour of Ministers.
But quite independently of such considerations, men
of all shades of political opinion will be glad to hear of
his probable restoration to public life.
I think it may now be confidently said that we have
heard the last .4 promeutione for Sunday trading. The
new act to amend Chad. the Second's Sunday Obser-
vance Act, prohibits any prosecution except by or with
the consent in writing of the chief officer of police of
the police district in which the offence is committed, or
with the consent in writing of two justices of the
peace, or a stipendiary magistrate having jurisdiction
In the plated. Now is it well known that the pronecu.
Mons hitherto have been initiated by societies or indivi-
duals who have sought to enforce their own views of
Sunday observance upon other people, and that the
police or the magistracy have not taken the initiative;
and, therefore, I believe that we shall —for a long time
to come at least—hear no more of such prosecution&
The new Act will have the effect of making Charles
the Second's Act thoroughly effete and obsolete, and
for my part I wish it had been entirely repealed. This,
however, is to come sooner or later; and I hope that
next session we shall have some Act to regulate
Sunday Trading in the metropolis, whatever be done
or left undone elsewhere. Especially in the interest of
petty tradesmen and the working classes do I express
this hope.
The concluding scene of the session of 1.571 was the
tamest affair imaginable. Right hon. and hon. gentle
men seem to have been wearied out, and those that
aid amid at thecloeing ceremony probably thought they
were very kind to come at all. And the Royal Message,
too, is rather tame. Doubtless there are many, how-
ever, that applaud it ; but, among these the are per-
haps some who applaud on the principle of the French-
man who, evidently boreal during the performance of a
long sonata, clapped at the conclusion, "because,"
said he, "I rejoice myself of that it in over !"
The health of her Majesty is a matter on which we
all, more or leas, feel interested, and an authomtive
statement on this subject is therefore important. The
Lewd tells us that the queen isnot physically capable
of bearing the effects of crowded or over-heated rooms,
or of prolonged residences in London ; and that the
effort of entertaining in the evening produces great and
immediate discomfort, followed by sleeplesenees or
disturbed rest an severe headache, her Majesty rarely
visiting Buckingham Palace without suffering in this
way. Such an announcement as this, made, as it evi-
dently is, on authnrity, will tee received with regret.
At Balmoral the Queen a-ill. at any rate, be
free from any .4 these causes of Indisposition,
and heartily do I express the desire that doubtless is
general that the bracing air, the lovely scenery, and
the quietude of the Highland Home, may conduce to
the restoration .4 her Majesty's health. The telegram,
however, which has arrived from luverary is of a
somewhat disquieting character. Iler Majesty has been
obliged to postpone indefinitely the visit which Ow had
intended to pay to the Duke and Duchess of Argyll on
the 26th, "swing to the state of her health." This an-
nouncement will create greatdiaappointinent farbeyond
the precincts of Inverary. May we soon hear more
agreeable news.

There are very troublous facts awl rumoum flying
about with regard to the probabilities ,4 another war.
A hitch In the negotiations at Frankfort Prussia
refusing to accept French notes for the indemnity with-
out collateral security; Prussia, too. scheming to
retain possession of the Paris forts the I ;erman presA
adopting a threatening tone towards Franc; desperate
quarrels between French awl German indiv;dnals ;
Prussia collecting stores awl armaments ; Prince
Bismarck shortening his holiday, and haatening to join
the Emperor of Germany ; and an impending rupture
between Russia and Prussia: such are the di4luieting
items of new, true or false, that are floating about.
Hope as we may that all matters in dispute will be
amicably settle!, we can scarcely real suck statements
as the above without a sholder at their pcesible con
sequences.

Notice has been given by Mr. Scout-field that, unless
great improvement take place in the meantime, he will
early next seasion call attention to the imperfect
accommodation MT f.fle.l to the public by the Telegraph
Department. That is a gentle hint that will in all pro-
bability he acted upon, and SO we shall thus base im-
provement f.,r which there is certainly ample sc Is awl
verge enough. That the Telegraph Department. as a
whole, is badly managed cannot fairly be affirmed, but
there is much bad management connected with it.
Messages are frequently and unncessarily delayed;
they are as a rule badly written, without any
punctuation (which often results in the receiver having
his choice between two constructi.,no of a very different
character) ; and they are unnecessarily dear, the
promised uniform sixpence being apparently as far off
as ever. But, on the other hand, the senders are
often to blame for the blunders that are placed to the
credit of the telegraph people, and it may be fairly
assumed that very few of the senders trouble any-
thing about punctuation; and moreover, it is not given
to everybody to express what he means in 20 words.
But still many blunders are made at the telegraph
offices, and the main causes appear to be want of edu-
cation, want of care, and overwork on the part of the
employ4s.

11Iaterfamilias is complaining, and not without
good cause, at the expense of houltekeepihg just now.
The prices of meat, bread, butter, and most descrip-
tions of food, range very high, and there seems no
probability of any reduction. Whl have ut m an immense
quantity of moat, fish, and several kinds of food im-
ported from abroad, but all this seems to make no dif-
ference in the prices of our unquestionably superior
viands, though it must make some difference. We have
also more butter imported front Normandy just now than
at any time since the cessation of the war, lint still
Lotter is wofully dear. I cannot understand this. It
was easy to see that when there was a drought, or
rattle disease, or even the fear of these things, butter
was naturally tear; but why, at the present time,
when there need be no fear of either, and after
oplendid crop of grass, butter should be as unconscion-
ably as dear, it is rather puzzling to nay, unless it he
that supply from all soirees does not keep pace with
demartL

Opinions may differ m to the pmpriety of exhibiting
eneh monetrteitiee m the en-eall.l " Two-hewlea

Nightingale," and I, for one, venture to object to such
exhibitions. This wonderful dual being, however, haring
long since received royal patronage, has na-
turally been run after by thousands of specta-
tors. But —as every "exhibit " of a monstrous
character, sooner or later, comes to London -we
shall probably have in due time a more wonderful
monstreity still. It is said that in Columbus, Ohio,
there are two infant twins joined together in a more
wonderful way than either the Siamese twins or the
two-headed nightingale. A Columbian paper says
The children lie in 3 cradle, a head appearing at
either end —a human head not only perfectly developed
but uncommonly handsome." There are, it seems,
two'heads, two pairs of arms, and two chests, but be-
yond this "the two is.dies blend, and hays the same
organs in common. On one side an imperfect leg is
seen, but on the other there are two complete legs awl
feet." Should this unhappy monstrosity ever be ex-
hibited in this country, doubtless cowls will Hoek to
visit it, or them, and your correspondent probably
among the number, but still the good taste of going to
see them may well be questioned. If the parents of
this prodigy are poor, there is great excuse for them
exhibiting it, and we cannot be surprised at ',wide
if 'wising to see what is announced for exhibition. But
still I think most people of well regulat,d minds WOUld
like to see such painful exhibitions prohibited.

EMIGRATION To NRW YORK. —The official
returns received by the United States Bureaus of Sta•
tisties chew that in the quarter ending June 30 the
number of passenger arrived at the port of New York
from foreign countries was 107,114, of whom 64,213 were
males and 42,901 females ; 101,015 were actual immi
grants—males, 60,082; females, 40,930, Ages -under
11, 19,812; 15 and under 40, 71,056; 40 and upwards,
10,117. The deaths on the voyage were 92, of whom 54
were males and 38 females. The principal nationalities
of the immigrants were an follows: England, 17,815;
Scotland, 4,613; Wales, 399; Ireland, 26,149; Great
Britain. locality unknown, 6,672; Germany, 30,814;
Austria, 1,983; Sweden, 5,727; Norway, 1,286; Den-
mark, 1,143; France, 49;8 Switzerland, 1,306; Spain,
104 ; Italy, 8,671 ; Holland, 409; Belgium, 78; Russia,
296; Poland, 183.