The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-19 00:00:00

EPITOME Or NEWS:

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The total number of students who have been attend-
ing lectures in the eight Austrian Universities (dot
including Hungary), daring the present winter season
Is 10,578.
The Government of Bombay has published-a long
memorandum on the plague among cats, which
appeared at Ahmednuggar two sears ago, and at
Siroor last June. The Government seems to think
that the plague may have some connection with the
cholera, and invites opinions on the subject. -
In the Upper House of the Hungarian Parliament
on Ssturday, the bill legalising marriages between
Jews and Christians was again rejected by 200 votes
to 191.

It is stated that the services of Major Barrow; of the
Scottish Rifles, and Captain Fenwiek, of the Dorset.
shire Regiment, have been lent to the Egyptian
Government for a period of three months, in order, to
assist in the reorganisation of the Egyptian police._
The remains of Captain Webb were found to be so
decomposed when an attempt was made to remove
them from their temporary grave, that their final inter-
ment in Oakwood Cemetery, near the Niagara Saspen-
sion-breiee was resolved upon; and the cerenvr,dy took
place with Masonic honours. _ - • -
It is announced that Mrs. John Elder has purchasea
North Park House and grounds, Glasgow, &rat pre-
sented them to the Association for the Higher Educa-
tion of Women, to be wed ea A college for that purpose.

There are no fewer than 65 lawyers in the American
Senate, though not a few of them have retired,from
practice. There are also 12 Northerners and 20
Southerners who fought in the Civil War. Fife
Senators are of foreig, birth—three Irish, one -Eng.
lish and one Scotch. ,

The additions to the Zo)logical Society'e Gardens,
Regent's Park, London, during last week included- a
bonnet monkey from India, presented by Madame
Kettner ; two B.huft monkeys from India, prennted
by Mr. G. Glynn retre, F.Z S.; a white•throated
capuchin, a crabeating opossum from the West
Indies, presented by Lady Brassey, F.Z,S. ; a common
genet from West Africa, presented by Captain- A.
North Daniel; a Canadian porcupine from North
America, presented by Mr. A. Glidden; a kinkajou
from Brazil, prwsented by Mr. Byres Moir; a ring.
bale snake, a Robben Island snake, -an Egyptian
cobra, a rhomb-rharked snake, a manrepotted snakeia
hissing sand snake, a rmooth-bellied snake, a- is
slowwworm from South Africa, presented by thrtaa.
G. H. R. Fisk, ; two gold pheasants from
China, two common peafowls from India, deposited;
five knots, a common guillemot, British, purchased.

Intelligence from the West Coast of Africa states
that Biahoo Crowther has auceeeded In erecting a
church at Chrik. The work was done by the natives
under the supervision of the Bishop and hie party,
who taught them not only to make bricks but to do ell
the necessary work.

Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports were 911,00 n bales; since let SeEtimbet
4,435,000 bales, Week's exports to Great Britain.
12,000 bales; to the Continent, 48,000 bales; total
since let Sftntember, 1,987,000 bales; stock at all
ports, 1,198,000 bales.

The secretary of the Najrnshhe Farmers' &mod*
lion for the Destruction of Rooks and Wild Ageons
reported at a recent meeting that 10,000 rooks and
2,000 wild pigeons had been killed by the society's
agcnts in the district within the last two years. • -

The demand for salt during the past year hawbeen
enormous all over the world. There has been &sin.
gular failure of the .brine springs, producing for the
last four months a compulsory stoppage In many
works. The total exports of 'sit for 1883 were 1,187,169
tons, against 1,091,825 for 1882.
At a general meeting of the Lanarkshire steel
workers, held at Glasgow, It was nnaiimottsly agreed
to request the masters to submit to arbitration the
dispute as to a reduction of wages, the men binding
themselves to accept the decision, whatever it night
be, et thA IsiTrA tAme resuming work at the old rate
vending the decision.

Lloyd's agent at Shanghai telegraphs that the Hula
Yuen (4) has been totally wrecked on Hieshan Island.
Five natives were saved. Nothing was known as to
the remainder of the crew, consisting of six Europeans
and 198 natives.
The Quen has sent £5 to John Lovejoy, who was
In the unployment of the telegraphic department of
the Great Western Railway, and who was knocked
down by a passing train, having his arm so injured
that it had to be amputated. He had been in the
habit of travelling with the Royal train in charge, of
the telegr phic apparatus.
THB Two SFXES IN AIISTRALIA.-It is observed
that the recently compiled census returns for Victoria
show a closer approximation to uniformity in the rola.
Live numbers of the sexes than at any previous period
of the colony's history. The average number
femaiee to every 100 me!ea was nearly 91, as against 82
In 1871., 64 in 1861, and 67 in 1851. It is obvious.
therefore, that Australia is rapidly ceasing to be the
great matrimonial market for marriageable women
which it has long been represented to be; but though
these are the proportions for the whole colony, the
returns still show a great disparity in many localities.