The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-11-23 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

An interesting trophy has just been presented to
a museum at Berne, consisting of a campaign alarnm clock
which once belonged to the Duke of Cumberland, and was
captured on the field of Fontenoy by an officer of the Swiss
Guard, in whose family it was kept until quite recently as an
heirloom.
The manager of the Jardin d'Acclimatation at Paris
has directed the attention of African explorers to the zebra
as a beast of burden, better suited to the climate than any
of our domesticated animals, not even excepting the ass.
Several zebras, now under his charge; have been successfully
broken in.
A pilgrimage composed of. a.bout 300 4arehbishops
and bishops, and more than 100,000 other persons, is being
organized for the nd of the present month t0..G0a,-avhere
the remains of St. Francis Xavier, which are delimited there
In a mausoleum will be exhibited during three days Great
religious and e:ther fetes will be celebrated at the_lnsule
time.

d Todleben is stated to have met with a

6-enera'
brilliant reception at Philippopolis on Sunday. The town
was illuminated in the evening.
It is rumoured that the Queen intends to confer on
her son-in law the title of viceroy.—Court Journal.

It is said to be stated on good authority at St.
Petersburg that the Russi.n papers have been semi officially
recommended to moderate their language towards foreign
Powers, on the ground that their attacks are in opposition
to the Imperial pulley. _

- -
Great - dmtress prevails in Glasgow through the
dullness of trade.

I have just been shown a blackbird which has been
slot in Ftfeshire. Tne head of the bird is covered with
pure white feathers, while otherwise it is the same as other
birds of its kind. The specimen is being preserved—U., in
Lan and Water.

Tile Tagblatt of Soleure says that a genuine pheno-
menon has just been placed in the zooplastic musenm in the
palace of the bishop of that city. It is a chamois, white as
snow, with red eyes, and white horns and feet. It was killed
In the Savienthal (Canton of Grisons), and is the second
specimen of the kind found in the Swiss Alps for thirty
years.
Lord Arthur Russell, M. P., in speaking at Tavistock,
said that as the people had pronounced in favour of an Im-
perial policy he questioned whether they had got the genuine
article they were willing to pay for. Lie thought the Govern-
ment had undertaken a task doomed to failure in attempting
to bolster up the sinking power of the Turks, and keeping
down the rising power of the Christian populations. He de-
plored the suspicions and bid feeling prevailing in England
against Russia. Instead of thwarting each other the two
counts ies might come to an understanding which would be
to the common advantage, and co-operate in bringing civili-
zation to the Immense continent of Asia.

A meeting between the representatives of the North
coalowners and the miners was held at Newcastle on Satur-
day, and the latter agreed to an extension of half an hour,
but not an hour as proposed by the owners. This compromise
was agreed to, but the negotiations subsequently broke down
on the question of wages. The owners came down from 121
to 10 per cent, reduction, but the men would agree to no
more than 71, and it the 21 per cent, in dispute is not
bridged over the men will receive a fortnight's notice to
leave. • " -

An agitation for the re-enactment of capital punish-
ment for murder in Switzerland, has been commenced in
Lucerne. Tt is propssed to present a monster petition in
this-sense to the National Assembly.
it is now almost decided to have the electric light ii,
both Houses of Pirliament. Experiments will be made in a
few days, and it is confidently hoped that by the time the
Sessions meets, the arrangements will be complete.

The Gorman papers quote some stati4ics comparing
the proportion of married persons in the populations of the
different countri,s of Europe. Germany ranks only seventl
in the list. To 10,000 souls in each c;aintry, there are ii
Hungary 6.475: in France, 5,566; in England and Wa'es,
5,398; in Austria, 5 271; in Italy, 5 270; in Denmark, 5 191 ;
in Germany, 5,107; In Norway, 5,065; In Sweden, 4,952; in
the Netherlands, 4,948: in Scotland, 4678; in Belgium,
4,634; in Switzerland, 4,582; and in Ireland, 4,313.
Not long ago a large hotel was burned at Selina,
Alabama, and during the burning a continuous swarm of
moths from the cotton fields on the other side of the river
attracted by the light, poured into the flames. There were
not thousands, but millions of them, and the volume did
not diminish while the attraction lasted. Hundreds wit-
nessed the scene, and all were surprised at the number of
moths thus tempted to detitruction. It is suggested that
burning an hotel or waste material might be an effectual
and economical means of getting rid of these pests.
Among the valuable objects in the Paris Exhibi-
bition lottery, the lucky winner may, for instance, find him-
self possessor of an iron gate, a locomotive steam-engine
a tower, a smith's bellows, an anvil, a barrel of salted cod,
1,000,000 pins, a stained window, a live monkey, a fixed
cannon, twelve dozen false noses, a church clock, a plough,
fifty packages ot mustard, a life-sized statue, a boat, a grind
stone, ctc.

The Agricultural Labourers' Union of Kent and
Sussex report that between 600 and 700 men have been
locked out in the various districts, and that other masters
are waiting to see "how things turn out" before proceeding
to active measures.

Miss X. was asked recently which she preferred of
the two brothers L. She responded: " When I am with
either of them I prefer the other."—Court Journal.

Mount Etna is reported to be showing signs of an
eruption. Several severe shocks of earthquake and loud
subterranean rumblings continued recently for a week, and
the inhabitants of Mimea were so alarmed as to quit the
town altogether.
German artists are complaining bitterly of the hard
times, and scarcely any pictures have been brought by pri-
vate persons at the Annual Exhibition of the Berlin Art
Academy. Indeed the Council of the Academy have peti-
tioned Governmentt o devote 150,000 marks (£7,500), to the
purchase of picturesl n order to support art under Each un-
favourable circumstances.

Intelligence has been received of the arrival at their
destinations of the ships May Queen, Timaru, and Hydaspes,
convoing emigrants to Auckland, Otago, and Canterbury
respectively, and despatched by Sir Julius Vogel, the Agent-
General for New Zealand, in July and August last.

Part of one of the banks of the Bolton and Bury
Canal gave way late on Thursday night in last week, at
Little Lever, at a spot where a similar accident occurred
about 26 years since. The water rushed from the canal into
the River Irwell beneath, and before the rent in the bank
could be stopped, about 400 yards of the canal were drained
hlmost dry. A number of boats were stranded by the rapid
subsidence of the water, and several parsons who were sleep-
ing in them had very narrow escapes. One old woman was
50 Irightened that she died next day.
A correspondent of the Standard at Erzeroum says:
--The Russith army has once more been placed upon a war
footing. There are 30,000 men in the annexed brovinces, and
• a force of 40,000 will pass the winter in large camps•near
Oumri and Erivan. Recruiting Is going on incessantly. Some
heavy guilt are being mounted at gars. This. condition of
things furnishes a strong contrast With the peaceful attitude
of the Turks•and the unarmed state of Erzeronm.

Professor Bell has discovered simple and efficacious
means whereby not only is induction from contiguity of the
wires prevented in the telephone, but the clearness and force
of the telephonic vocalization greatly increased. Professor
Bell says that practical demonstration of the importance of
the discovery will be given in London as soon as the neces-
sary preliminaries are complete.

At a largely attended meeting of farmers,
and corn merchants, held at the Town•hall, Northampton,
under the presidency of Earl Spencer, KG., on Saturday,
the following resolution was passed :—" That this meeting is
of opinion that grain of all kinds and the dry products
thereof should be sold by weight only." Mr. P. Phipps, M P.,
.protiaed the following resolution, which was carried.
-although an amendment was submitted: "That this meeting
is of opinion that the cental of 100 imperial standard pounds
would be tbe most convenient selling standard, and would be
glad to see it become the legal denomination for general
use."

Mr. C. F. Hade-has given notice of his intention to
propose the following resolution at the next meeting of the
Bristol Chamber of Commerce :—" That this Chamber,
whilst affirming its thorough belief in the principles of true
free trade between nation and nation, views with appre-
hension the great decrease in value of British exports and
manufactures, and the vastly increasing proportions that
imported manufactures bear to them; and is of opinion
that as no foreign nation will, at the present time, receive
our goods duty free, we should impose a duty on their
manufactures of a sufficient amount as to be on the one
hand a fair source of revenue, and on the other to maintain
to this country the manufacture of these goods for which we
are equally adapted, while admitting, duty free, all food,
raw produce, and material, unassisted by bounties from
meting nations."

A strike has taken place in the building trade et
Banbury. The masters had given notice of a reduction of a
penny an hour, and this was met by the men with
an •offer to work short time at the old pries The
masters refused, and gave notice that the men earning high
wages, 7id an hour, would be reduced a penny an hour, and
the others a halfpenny. The men consequently came out on
strike last Saturday.

Sir Henry Havelock has sent a letter to the secre-
tary of the Afghan Committee requesting that his name be
added to the memorial propos...A to be presented to the
Prime Minister, asking that either Parliament may be as-
sembled, or some authoritative statement may be made
public, before war is declared against the Ameer of Cabul,
because he believes the proposed request to be in accordance
both with the established practice of former Governments,
and with the constitutional rights of the people of England.
Sir H. Havelock adds that he reserves his judgment as to
the justr..ce or injustice of the impending war until all the
papers- are laid before the House of Commons, but such
opinion as he has already formed on this point ts opposed to
that held, he imagines, by the majority, of the Afghan Com-
mittee.

On Monday a fire occurred on the Danbury Palace
Estate, near Chelmsford, the residence of the Bishop of St.
Albans. The orpperty destroyed comprised several large
hay and straw stacks, shedding, c: but fortunately the
palace itself was uninjured. The Bishop of• St. Albans took
•in active part in directing the firemen. -

The rains of last week have produced serious floods
In. various districts of England ; but Norwich seems to havo
suffered most. The low-lying portions of that city on Sunday
were submerged in water, many hundreds of houses being filled
to the first floors. The people were rescued in boats, and were
housed in schoolrooms and other puhlic buildings. Relief
Committees were at once formed to supply tlie_poor people
with food and other necessaries. Untrotunately, four lives
• were ,last. fo flood, so severe, it is said, has occurred In
'Nbrwich for ovg..a hundred years...
There are at 'present fewer prisdEers in Walton and
Eirkclale Gaol, Liverpool, titan have been for several years
past. :tn.Walton Gaol there are X,o3Tcells, of which only
881 are occupied.'
The Rev. C. H. Spurgeon, who has been very un-
well for the last week, was not so far recovered on Sunday
as to permit of his officiating at the Metropolitan Tabernacle.
Ihe services on Sunday night were conducted by the Rev.
Mr. Spurgeon, jun.
The length of the Belgian State railways was at the
end of 1877 2,156,743 metres and that of Belgian private com-
panies' lines 1,728 484 metres, of which 1,487,001 were on
Belgian territory. The total length of the Belgian railways
was, therefore, 3,643,744 metres.

By the will of the late Mr, Charles Randolph,
engineer, who was at one time a member of the ship-
building firm of Messrs. John Elder and Co., £60,000 has
been left to the building fund of Glasgow University.

At a large public meeting of the farmers and millers
at Bedford on Saturday a resolution—or rather an amend-
ment to a resolution—was carried, by a majority of aiX Votes,
in opposition to the new—the cental—system of weighing
corn, and in favour of the present method of 1121bs. to the
cwt. _ _ _

In London, on Saturday, a private soldier of the
17th Lancers was killed at the Gloucester-road station of
the Underground Railway. The deceased, who was stand-
ing on the platform in company with another soldier, dis-
covering that he was on the wrong side, attempted to cross
the line, when he was caught by the buffer of the engine of
a train just entering the station, and was killed.

A Blackburn correspondent telegraphs that thou
sands of operatives in that town are begging irom door to
doer, so depressed is the state of trade.
The King of Denmark has conferred upon his
Royal Highness the Duke of Cumberland the Order of the
Elephant.
The Lord Chancellor has authorized the closing
of the off.ces of the County Courts on December 28, 27,
and 23.
Accounts from Rotterdam state that the late rains
and storms have produced their inevitable effects in Holland.
The districts of Friesland and Overyssel have been inundated,
and presented the appearance of an immense sea. The
damage done is very considerable. As far as the eye can
reach a vast expanse of water presents itself, from which
rise at intervals clamps of trees, the roofs of houses, or the
spires of some churches.
- - - - -

The annual meeting of the National Education
Union was held at Manchester on Monday. Mr. Wilbraham
Egerton, M.P.' Mr. Mrley, M.P., Sir, J. Kennaway,
and others strongly urged that there was still a pressing
necessity for the Union, and it was resolved that the com-
mittee, should pay special attention to the rating of ele-
mentany schools, the remission and payment of fees by
school•boards and guardians, and the lavish. expenditure
upon board schools.

Says my learned and amusing friend, the author of
the delightful Book of the Table:. 'The controversies that
have arisen as to whence the whitebait comes are as inter-
minable, curious, and furious as those concerning whither
the lest Ten Tribes have gone,' They are now at rest.
Evidence was given last week before the Sea Fisheries Com-
missioners at Rochester that whitebait is simply.the fry of
sprats or herrings, and that therefore he should not be
taken. Perish sprats- and herrings I Bat let whitebait live
—till eaten I—The World.
. .
'A discovery of some interest has been made during
the progress of certain alterations and restorations now•
going for Ward at the church of St. gartin-in-the-Fields,
Trafalgar-squaKe, London. Among other works, the whole "
of the paint has been removed from the tine, old oak doors
at the east and west ends of_the church. The faces o ithe
panels ,and other portions of several of the doors were found
to be deeply indented with shot pellets, and from this it
would appear that in former times the church was tired
upon:
Prince Bismarck is accredited with a pretty fair
bon mot*. Apropos of the marriage of the Duke of Cumber-
land with the Piincess Thyra, he said : "There are now in
the Danish Royal Family two crowns (Denmark and Greece),
two half crowns (England and Russia), and It is not surpriang
that the famHy wants some smaller change, and takes a
Duke of the Blood."—London.
"The Canadian Government, always ready to take
advantage of the labour disturbance here in order to get re-
cruits to settle on the unoccupied wastes of the Dominion,
have offered 6,00 acres of land to the men on strike, and
the offer has betn accepted by the Union. Whether the
men will go to occupy their unknown property is another
question. It was reported that the Immigration policy of
the late Canadian Government was to be discontinued ;
but this does not look like it. Unless reports are very de-
ceptive, to take labour to Canada just now would be like
taking coals to Newcastle."—lfark Lane Express.
The Rev. Dr. Plumptre, in preaching at St Paul's
Cathedral on Sunday morning on the subject of the impend-
ing conflict in Afghanistan, deprecated that war "with a
light heart" which the voices of clamorous passion were
eagar to urge upon us, remarking that it was the duty of
every minister of Christ to proclaim that they who "sow
the wind" of an aggressive ambition should I.reap the
whirlwind" of a disastrous failure.

Lord Shaftesbury, in opening a coffee tavern in
Portsmouth on Tuesday, urged that in the interests of the
working claEsea themselves it should be made self support-
ing. He impressed upon the meeting the importance of
responsibility, and contended that there was none too
humble to help forward the cause of temperance and religion.
The spirit of the times was becoming more and more demo-
cratic, and other organic institutional changes were
Imminent, but with the cultlvation f high principles al
moral control on the part of the people be was not afraid o
a still further extension of political power.
"When people talk of the low per-centage which
land 3ields, they forget that their statements only apply
re-
turn
recent purchases. Present rents afford a very handsome
turn upon the cost of land bought, or thevaluepoofaiittioasteitno-
herited, fifty years ago. Landowners were ,n a
into a
position
let rents go up, and they will have to et i
compatible with the fall whl ch nLeatutrtgahlelym
comes
swe what
some Period of agricultural depression-t
some of them, have recently preached—habits of thrift"—
Mark Lane Expree.

The distress in Sh,ffield is becoming worse. The
Sheffield Telegraph of Monday declares that the poor people
lo toe East-end ‘• are not living—they are existing in a slowly
famishing condition?"

Mr. Sam Bough, R.S.A., the well-known artist,
died on Tuesday night at his residence In Edinburgh, a.t the
ace of lill3-seven. Although long resident in Scotland, Mr.
B ouch was an Englishman by birth, having been born in
Carlisle in 1821.
There are now about 230 pairs of millee, comprising
nearly 850,000 spindles, idle in Preston. and 1,000 to 1,500
looms. The number stopped increases from week tc week
Near Plymouth Noe, on Sunday afternoon, a young
man, while walking on the edge of the rocks under the
citadel, was seized with a fit, and in spite of the efforts of
two companions to hold him he rolled over the cliff into the
sea. Death was instantaneous. Ills body was recovered
from the sea by diving.

"A Scot" writes :—" It may be true that in some
parts of Scotland people look upon eels with horror, and re-
fuse to cook them, but not in all. When a lad I caught in
the streams of Perthliire hundreds of eels, which were duly
skinned, fried, and eaten by the natives. There is, however,
a stupid prejudice against eating eels in many parts of the
country which time will no doubt cure."—Echo,

A six days' competition for the bicycle champion-
ship of the world commenced in London on Monday morn
log at the Agricultural Hall.

A return has been issued of the pauper inmates of
county, borough, and private lunatic asylums and licensed
houses in England and Wales on the 28th day of September,
1877, the cost of whose maintenance was paid either in whole
or in part by their relatives, together with the amount paid.
The effect of the long commercial depression upon
the German people is best seen from some recently published
statistics. In the kingdom of Prussia marriages have de-
creased since 1872 by about one-sixth, births remaining
at a figure much more closely approaching that of six years
ago.
The annual value of silk ribands exported by
Switzerland to the United States has fallen in the last live
years from 20 million francs to rive mdlions.

One hundred and two societies, 28 newspapers, and
SS books and pamphlets have been prohibited in Germany
since the promulgation of the anti-Socialist law.

Montreal, as the commercial capital of the Canadian
Dominion, is in a fever of excitement about the visit of the
new Governor• General, and prayers were offered up in all the
churches on Sunday for the safety of the Marquis and
Marchioness of Lorne, now at sea. Great preparations te
being made to illuminate the city.

A conference of poor-law guardians, &c., has been
held at Wakefield. Mr. W. J. Stanhope, M.P., presided,
and said that in consequence of additional burdens on the
rates the question of local taxation was of considerable im-
portance, especially when they took into account the costof
education through the establishment of school boards. It
was a question whether it was wise that all increased ex-
penditure for the education of poor children should be
thrown on the rates. Mr. Peel, M.P., speaking on the
charitable endowments scattered throughout the country,
advocated their being applied to a certain extent tc the edu-
cation of the people, and also providing places of amusement.
In European Russia there are seven large establish-
ments tor the reception of convicts, and among them are
distributed nearly 2,500 criminals. The largest one is at
Wilna, where there are 515; the 'smallest at Sembirsk with
only i
. 208 inmates. The remaining establishments are n the
governments of Orenburg, Kharkoff, Perm, and Pakoff. All
of them are described as being overcrowded; Perm, for in-
stance, having 21 in witless of its maximum number of 200,
and at Wilna 15 more oonvicte being confined within the
walls than the architect arranged( or.
The Giffard great captive balloon was disinfiated
last week without accident. The following statistics in
connection with the enterprise may be interesting. The
Tuileries grounds were opened to the public during 100
days but the balloon was unable to work, owing to the
state of the atmosphere, during 30 days. The number of
ascents was 1,024, the number of passengers 31,000. The
number of pioneer balloons sent up 25. During this period
the sum of 840,000 francs was collected. The expenses of
building the balloons, of machinery, and working, reached
about 600,000 francs, so that the enterprise was a financial
success.

Despite what the press may hays to say about th•
matter, the Russians, after all, have a very great respect for
our prowess. The other day a friend of mine, who was out
in the last war, was talking to me about an unsuccessful
attack which some Russian torpedo boats made upon a
Turklah ironclad. After their failure the officers returned
to shore rather chapfallen. "Alit' said one of them, "I
know that that ship was commanded by an English officer.
I could see his red coat." An English sailor in scarlet, what
an idea I Frequently throughout the campaign, when the Rus-
sians got driven back from any attack, they would make the
excuse of having seen a red-coat. Perhaps they will soon
have a chance of seeing some more.—" The Tatler," In
Pictorial World,

The bark Selkirkshire, 1,191 tons, sailed from
Greenock on the 15th of November, with the following
number of emigrants for Brisbane ;—Eighty married peaple,
158 single men, 95 single women, 64 children, and 11 infants,
making a total of 398 souls.
The laiies of Edgefield, South Carolina, when they
attend political meetings, are mounted on horseback, and
wear a uniform consisting of red spencers and red caps, de-
noting principles of a Democratic shade.

It is stated that though the late Cardinal Cullen
held an immense sum of money in trust for charitable par-
posesot his death his Eminence was personally worth only
about £.1,000. Court Journal.

The amount subscribed for the relief in the Glasgow
City Bank shareholders amounted on tiaturday evening to
above £192,000. Of this amount Glasgow had subscribed
£141,600, and the subscriptions from other parts of the coun-
try amounted to over £50,500.

There were 2,448 births and 1,665 deaths registered
In London last week Allowling for Increase of population,
the births were 73 and the deaths 65 below the average num.
bers in the corresponding week of the last ten years. The
annual death-rate from all causes, which in the two pre-
ceding weeks had been equal to 20•2 and 232 per 1,000,
further rose to 24 8. The deaths included 16 from small-
pox, 22 from measles, 64 from scarlet fever, 18 from diph-
theria, 43 from whooping-cough, 37 from different forms of
fever, and 11 from diarrhcea.
_ _

The Americans are now boasting of their big trains,
one of which, on the Northern Central Railroad Is reported
to have been 6,200 feet 3 inches long, or a mile and 300
yards. Thts train is "claimed" by the Americans as the
longest ever drawn by a single engine.

The King of Denmark made a formal announce-
ment on Tuesday, in the presence of the Court, of the be-
trothal of the Princess Thyra to the Duke of Cumberland.
The epidemic of yellow fever in the United States
has for some few weeks been perceptibly on the decline,
not so much on account of the means that have been taken
to arrest it as of the decrease of temperature, and the fact
that, in consequence of the appalling intensity and univer-
sality of the outbreak, there have been fewer subjects to be
attacked. _

Mr. Collins, the Deputy Coroner for East Middlesex,
has held an inquiry at the London Hospital as to the death
of Rachel Harris, 48, wife of a teacher of languages, residing
.at 8, Goulston-street, Whitechapel. On Sunday evening last
she was.sitting by a table upon which was a lamp containing
burning•parsiiin oil. In rising she upset the lamp, which
fell against her dress, setting it on fire. Her son, Abraham,
who was in the room at the time, was much burnt about the
arms in extinguishing the flames, and she herself was so dread.
Tully injured that she died a few hours afterwards from the
shock. A verdict of "Accidental death" was returned.