The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-03-26 00:00:00

Our lk,'onbou CoatspoOtnt.

rwe deem it right to state that we do not at all limos
I ,utiiy ourselves with our correspondent's opinional

Of course a great deal can be said on both sides in
reference to the Peace Preservation Bill that is now
before the House of Commons, but I think the prevail-
ing opinion is that Ministers have done their best, and
done it well, in the interest of Ireland herself and
for the security of life and property. That the
measure will become law there can be no doubt, and
the best results may be anticipated from it. No one
can say that the measure is a hasty one—ln fact Govern-
ment have been blamed for delay ; nor can it be truth-
fully asserted that it is too severe, considering the
alarming condition of Ireland for some time past.
May it produce tenfold the good results that its most
san4uine admirers look for, We want to be good
friends with Ireland; in spits of the lawlessness of too
many Irishmen we like the country and the people,
and would be only too happy to be goo .l friends; but
assassination and incendiarism—these we must put
down if there he any power in Parliament.
It is a pity that there should be any doubt about the
legality of Mr. Bernal Osborne's return for Waterford.
The petition against his return charges him with being
guilty, "by himself or his agents," of conduct which
will at least endanger his seat. Without any reference
to political considerations, it would be a thousand
pities if the hon. gentleman were unseated, for really
he is so funiiy—and something more; he is witty and
humorous, and has already enlivened a rather dull and
heavy session.
Among the facts mentioned in the seventh report of
the select committee on public petitions, just issued, it
is stated that "only 25 petitions, having 4,152 signa-
tures, have been presented in favour of payment of
members of Parliament." Only 25! Most people will
be surprised that there have been so many.
Did you ever notice, my observant readers, how
uniformly a Latin quotation made in either House of
Parliament is followed by cheers? On the occasion of
the second reading of the Education Bill, for example,
Mr. Gladstone quoted six Latin hexameter lines, and
they are followed, aa a matter of course by ("Cheers.")
Slow many members cheered, I wonder; and how many
of those that cheered understood them? Of course it
will be said that most of the members have had a
University education, and therefore understand Latin.
Oh indeed ! Supposing that the first remark is true,
the truth of the latter by no means follows. I should
say that while a few of the members are good classical
scholars, the majority understand "a little Latin and
leas Greek." But then, you know, to cheer after a
Latin quotation is the correct thing to do, and it is
always safe—if the orator is on your aide. The quota.
tion mod be appropriate; or it would not be made.
The announcement that her Majesty again intends
to sperd a few days in the metropolis has no doubt
given general satisfaction not in London alone, but
elsewhere. II it too much to say that these visits, now
neither so short nor so far between as formerly, in-
dicate the Queen's intention to relax the rigour of a
comparative seclusion which, while it excites the sym-
pathy, also excites the regret of the people to whom
she is endeared?

A strike among the bakers would be awkward, and
no bread would be more awkward still. A London
local journal tells us that in consequence of police pro-
secutions, the journeyman bakers of the metropolis are
agitating for a strike all over England in ;the event of
Government refusing to strike out the word "baker'
from the Smoke Nuisance Bill ; that the masters will
support the men, and that should the strike be or-
ganised, the result will be a general closing of shops.
How awful ! But the calamity is not at all likely to
occur. It is to be hoped that the Government will not
do what the bakers are agitating for. Why should
they be exempt? A general closing of bakers' shops is
so utterly improbable that we can afford to laugh at the
nue impending calamity. Bakers, like other trades-
men, have too much sense to throw away their means
of livelihood,

From bread to butter is a natural transition.
People were recently startled by the discovery that
" butter " was made from Thames mud; that the stuff
was sent over to Holland, and then imported as Dutch
butter. And now our correspondent writes to say that
butter is also made bi beating up American tallow
and mixing mashed carrots and yolks of eggs with it;
and another states that some time ago a butterman
sold the putrid remains of a tub of butter at a penny a
pound—to a dealer in" rich currant cake." Such
revelations are very uncomfortable; and the sooner we
have an Act of Parliament that will severely punish
such practices the better.
Slowly but steadily, Australian meat is coming—not
into fashion for that is never likely to be the case— but
Into use ; but an event has occurred which foreshadows
a greater alteration in the meat supply to England
than any efforts yet made. A steamer belmring to the
River Plate Company has arrived with the first cargo
of cattle ever brought from the River Plate—which
means so ranch beef to our plates. The steamer
brought about 500 oxen, sheep, and horses, and the
cargo is hut the first of a series. The company has
obtained from the River Plate government the exclu-
sive privilege of exporting cattle to England. This
fact is of no little importance. It has long been known
that in South America there are large supplies of cattle
and if these can be regularly rent over in exchange for
English gold, the effect on our markets will be con-
siderable. Animal food is in greater demand than
supply in England in one sense, seeing that there are
thousands of poor families who scarcely ever taste it.
What a boon therefore will South American oxen and
sheep prove to the under-fed poor!
At the time that Captain Shaw, the superintendent
of the Fire Brigade, met with his recent severe acci-
dent, the Metropolitan Board of Works were consider-
ing an application from him for increase of salary.

ossibly that fall may have had something to du with
the Board deciding that to his £750 a year shall be
added £lOO a year, and £5O a year afterwards till it
reaches I:1,000. That will be a liberal salary, hut not
too much for such arduous and responsible duties, in.
voicing the chnnces of being frequently called up in
the night, to say nothing of risk of life and limb.
But the thought occurs whether the ordinary firemen
are sufficiently paid. Probably not; but in any case
there ought to be more of them, and in the present
slackness of employment an increase of the force
would be a public benefit.
It is stated that several antiquities have just been
found during the excavations now being made for the
foundation of the new Post-Office in St. Martin's-le-
Grand, and that the Postmaster. General has given
orders for the careful preservation of them and of any
other relics that may be found. The statement may be
true enough, but it is just possible that the alleged
antiquities are not antiquities at all. It is well known
that "antiquities are manufactured; there is always
a market for them and demand creates supply. Some
people are man ellously r in making these so-called
relicinof antiquity, and it has been proved that they
are conveyed to any place where excavations are being
made, and that then they are "found." Many a
zealous antiquary has been taken in in this way.
A curious little fact is just worth mentioning.
Everybody remembers that soon after that magnificent
work (the llclborn Viaduct) was opened by the Queen,
the splendid pillars were found to have cracked, and
that as too curious observers made the cracks larger by
chipping the edges with their knives, the pillars were
surrounded with pens. These ugly "temporary"
barriers still remain, after the expiration of more than
five months ! There was a committee appointed to
examine and report upon the state of the Viaduct.
ll'hey soon reported that it was all safe, and stated that
they would further report as to the cause of the granite
pillars splitting; and there the matter remains. It is
curious that a splendid work should thus be spoilt by
ugly barriers, which appear destined to be permanent.
Schemes or uniting England with France by railway
communication continue to be broached. The last plan
is that proposed by Mr. Bateman, C.E., who proposes
a tunnel from Dover to Calais, thirteen feet in
diameter, the sides of the tube being of cast iron eight
Inches thick. The work could be accomplished in five
years, at a cost of about eight millions. And no doubt
the scheme Is feasible enough. Probably not one
engineer in a hundred would deuy the practicability of
a tunnel under the bed of the Channel, though each
one might possibly have his own idea as to the kind of
tunnel. Ent then there is that little difficulty of
"about eight millions.' We all know how estimates
are generally exceeded, but supposing that it should
coat only eight millions, where is this to come from
Would a sufficient number of people be found to take
shares in so gigantic a scheme, considering that there
could be no return for the money for at lest five
years

On 'ld, that Mr. F. I. Scadamore, the "second
secretary" of the Post.ollice, is to be knighted.
Well, this is no great honour, and perhaps ere long
this gentleman may have earned it, but he can scarcely
be said to have yet done so. The telegraph depart.
ment at present does not work so smoothly as might
be desired, though Mr. Seudamore is evidently work.
ng hard to bring it into good working order.
In a breach of promise of marriage case, before Mr.
Baron Martin, a widow swore that the defendant had
promised her marriage, and her sister gave corrobo-
rative evidence, but it having been proved that plain-
tiff and her sister had tried to suborn another witness,
the case was stopped, the learned Baron remarking
that this was just what he expected from the new law
which allows the parties to actions to be exemined in
their own behalf. And no doubt the judge is right.
Buch cases will sometimes occur, but the new Act

undoubtedly enable juries to get at truth which other-
WillB they could not arrive at. It has been suggested
that a formal act of betrothal should be establi-hed as
a legal promise 44 marriage. hut this would be ve: y
awkward, and would destroy a great deal of the ro-
mance of courtship.