The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-12 00:00:00

INDIAN COAST DEFENCES.

With reference to the various schemes of military
reform and frontier defence, which are believed to be
engrossing a large share of the attention of the Govern-
ment both at home and in India, the Calcutta cor-
respondent of the Times says, "without in any way
underrating the great importance and pressing urgency
of those matters, the wish may be expressed that the
authorities would show a little more activity on the
subject of maritime defence. It is true that steps are
being taken for the better protection of the principal
seaports, and although in ordinary circumstances it
will probably take some years to finish the complete
system of fortifications, it is, perhaps, safe to say that
even in the event of immediate hostilities with a
naval Power those ports would no longer offer
the easy prey to an enemy's cruisers which they
offered -a year ago. The maritime trade of India,
however, still remains entirely dependent upon
such protection as the Royal Navy can afford.
At present the squadron in the Indian seas is
composed, with one exception, of small ships,
having a low rate of speed and a week armament.
Doubtless it would be reinforced on the outbreak of
war, but reinforcements must needs be limited by the
demands on the resources of the navy from Other
parts of the world, and some time must elapse before
such ships as could be spared could reach the Indian
Ocean. Had war with Russia broken out last March
or April, Russian cruisers might have scoured the
Indian seas with impunity for some weeks, and cap-
tured many merchant vessels, thereby dealing a
severe blew at the commerce of the country, and
what was possible then will continue to be
possible till remedial measures are taken. The
best means of providing against such an emergency
would appear to consist in the revival of the Indian
navy, a project which has been discussed for years,
but never carried into effect. The matter is one
which especially affects the mercantile community
of England and India, and if they are alive to
their interests they will lose no time in pressing it
upon the attention of the Government.

EPITOME OF NEWS:
BRITISH AND FOREIGN.
The Cunard steamer Etruria, which arrived at Queens-
town on Friday evening, made a remarkable run from
Sandyhook to the Fastnet, having passed the latter at
6.25 p.m., the passage having occupied six days four
hours.
The son of the Servian Minister, Gudovich, has
been sentenced at Vienna to one month's im-
prisonment for frauds he had committed on several
persons. This was not his first appearance before a
criminal tribunal.
The proposal which it is said Sir Frederick Roberts
will lay before the English War Office with reference to
the contemplated increase in the Indian army will be
to supplement this by 10,000 British and 17,000 native
troops of all arms.
Further particulars respecting the death of Major-
General Babington show that he was out shooting on
Craigend Moor, near Rocherhe,al, in company with
General Elliott, and that while climbing over a fence
his gun went off, the shot passing obliquely through the
left armpit to the base of the heart.
A terrible murder, with robbery, has just been com-
mitted at Cracow, where it has caused the greatest
sensation. The victim has been identified as the mother
of the Polish poet, Baluki. The mutilated corpse was
found by the police lying in the road of one of the
principal thoroughfares of the city.
The secretary of the Indian Association at Calcutta
telegraphs as follows: " NatiTe public opinion strongly
condemns Lord Randolph Churchill's attack on the
Marquis of Ripon. The native press unanimously de-
fend Lord Ripon's pnlicy, and condemn Lord Randolph
Churchill. The proposal of a Parliamentary inquiry
finds much favour.
The Grand Lodge of Good Templars' Political Action
Committee have issued. by Mr. W Dodgson, of
Stockton-on-Tees, their hon. sec., a special manifesto
to the district electoral superintendents within the
English jurisdiction of the Grand Lodge with re-
spect to the action to be taken in view of the general
election.
On Saturday at Nottingham Town-hall a single
woman named Hitchcock was brought up under extra-
ordinary circnmstances. She was the mother of two
illegitimate children, and as the father refused to sup-
port them, she for warded them in a hamper, by train,
addressed, "William Barnes, mason, Church Buking.
ham, Kent." The infants woke up during transit, and
as the prisoner consigned the hamper in her own
name the police effected her arrest. She was re-
manded.
At the meeting of the National League at Macroom,
Mr. John O'Connor, M.P., animadverted on Lord
Hartington's recent speech, and on articles in the
London press which reflected on Mr. ParnelPs policy.
The history of Irish legislation, he said, proved that
the English press had again and again declared things
to be impossible which had afterwards been accom-
plished. He urged his audience to stand by the
Parnellite party, which would recover their native
Parliament, even though they had to overthrow an Eng-
lish Ministry.
The Manchester police found in the 'River Medlock
on Saturday the body of a child, which has since been
identified as the child of a married woman named
Margaret Higgins, who on Friday gave herself in
; custody on a charge of murder, stating that she had
' thrown her child into the river. The body, however,
could'not be found, and the police thought that the
woman had been drinking. It is said that the woman
and her husband had quarrelled about the child with
whose murder she will be charged.
The herring fishing for the season has closed at most
of the Scotch ports. It is, of course, too early to pre-
sent the exact returns, but it is believed they will be
up to those of previous years. One complaint is very
general, namely, the immature state of a large quantity
of the fish caught. While the season to most of the
crews has proved unremunerative through loss of nets
caused by stormy weather, some of the boats, especially
those from Anstruther' have been very successful, the
sum of £4OO for the take of each boat being quite
commog.