The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-02-20 00:00:00

Metropolitan 6fissip.

BY IKE OWN OORRESYVNBENZ.

(The remarks under this head are to be regarded as tile ex-
preseem of independent opinion, from the pen of a gentleman
to Will/111 WC hove the greatest confidence, but for which we
nevertheless do not hold 4orrselves responsible 4


Before these lines are read the session will have re-
commenced, but meanwhile the leading political topic
Ii the Ministerial baropiet at Fishmongers'
affording as the speeches an opportunity of an-
ticipating what the Ministerial policy may be. Mr.
Gladstone's speech VIM specially important inasmueh
as there has been a rumour that the Premier will not
venture on the carrying out of the scheme relative to
the Irish Church which he foreshadowed in his cele-
brated resolutions. I merely mention the existence of
the rumour without offering arguments for or against
its probability. But at all events we may look in vain
to his speech to find any confirmation of this rumour.
We all know that he alluded specially to the Irish
Church when he told us that the issue which had gone
to the country was definite, and that the verdict which
bad been given was also definite, and that we—that is
to say the Ministry—are not to look back, but with
faces steadily set onwards, to persevere, with pru-
dence and consideration, but without heeitation
and without, delay. This does not look much
like an alteration of policy. But a truce to all
speculation on this subject. The Queen's Speech will
be a better guide than anything that Ministers have
already said. With regard to that. speech it may be
worth while to note in passing how contradictory have
been the rumours as to that speech being delivered in
person, though it is not worth while to mention what
these rumours have been. One, however, may be
referred to, as it appeared in a usually well-informed
Conservative paper, to the effect that the Queen would
not open Parliament in person, because she would not
"herself utter the words which Ministers will pro-
bably put in her mouth as to the disestablishment and
disendownient of the Irish Church." The best answer
to this is the statement of her Majesty herself to Mr.
Gladstone, that she would open Parliament, in person
if her health would permit; and we therefore have all
the more reason to regret the result. Reverting to
the Irish Church, and without speculating on what
may be the character of Mr. Gladstone's measure, we
may look for that measure being introduced a fort-
night or so after the meeting of Parliament, and its
being possibly read a second time before the House
adjourns for the Easter vacation. The Budget is not
likely to be brought forward till the House re-assem-
bled after the holidays. The policy of retrenchment
on which Ministers have already entered leads people
to look forward to a favourable financial statement,
but it also enables us to anticipate what the Conser-
vative line of opposition will be. They will no doubt
accuse Ministers of sacrificing clerks, working men in
dockyards, Au., in order to show a surplus, while the
reply will be that nothing has been done, or will be
done, but what is necessary in the interest of the
public. Altogether the session bids fair to be a rather
stirring one.

"Post thou think, because thou art virtuous, there
shall be no more cakes and ale?" says Sir Toby in
"Twelfth Night." Cakes and ale are certainly not
incompatible with virtue, but it cannot be asserted
that they promote political virtue—the ale especially.
The election petitions have proved this to a painful
extent, and it is, therefore, cheering to see that a good
result seems likely to follow the Bradford inquiry. A
meeting presided over by the Mayor has been held
there, in which it has been decided to discontinue the
use of public-houses at future election contests ; and
what is more remarkable is, that many of the publicans
themselves are opposed to their houses being used for
election purposes. This is rattier a striking feature of
the times. Expressing only my individual opinion, I
believe it would be a great boon to society were a law
pwed closing public-houses during the actual time of
an election, but in default of this, a local determination
like that alluded to is highly cheering.

•
That most wearisome of wearisome cases, the
"convent case," still drags its slow length along, and
the court has been daily crowded, though what there is
to see or hear to account for the crush, is not easy to
explain. It will be a mercy when it is over, and a
happy release for the poor jurymen, who get a guinea
each for the whole trial ! Surely here is sufficient
proof that "the palladium of our liberties" is not
wholly good.
The official Gazette contains an important announce-
ment relative to the dres, which may now be worn
at Court assemblies. Fr len:es gentlemen may wear
a "dark-coloured cloth dress coat, high-breasted, with
straight collar, gold embroidered collar, CUIL3, aml
pocket-flaps, gilt buttons," or they may wear a " black
silk velvet dress coat of the same shape as described
above, with gilt, steel, or plain buttons." Here is
what may be called a choice of evils, but the Lord
Chamberlain has nevertheless relaxed a little of his
rigour, though not much. For instance, either for
let4s or drawing-rooms a black cocked hat is de
rig,eur, though there is a choice between a gold lace
loop and button and a gilt or steel loop and button.
To WS outsiders, who never go to Courts, drawing-
minis, and knee the Lord Chamberlain's regulations
segu, very ridiculous, and it may be asked why gentle-
men should not be allowed to attend those fashionable
cruffies in plain evening dress, in which every gentle-
man I,s,ks well, aml in which no one but a gentleman
can look welL It is to be feared that none of the
Lord Chamberlain's modifications will enable Mr.
Reverdy Johnson to pay his respects to the Queen at
either the levee on the sth of March, or the drawing.
room on the 10th. His own countrymen will not
allow him to go in Cotot dress, and the Lord Chamber-
lain will not allow him to go unless every button is
of the regulation style, unless his collar in straight
and so on. By the way, does his lordship examine
the texture of the trousers before the person inside
them is permitted to enter? He is supposed to wear
silk velvet unmentionables if they are velvet at all ; but
what if in all other respects the visitor should be en
rNie, and his trousers should be of cotton velvet?
While the Lord Chamberlain here is modify-
ing the dress at royal assemblies, our neighbours, the
French, are talking of a change of more general
inteteet. Every Englishman who has seen a wedding
in Fr ,uce must have noticed in what a sombre style

the bridegroom is got up. He has always reminded

me if a victim dressed for sacrifice at the altar—and
perhaps he may have been. La France now tells us
that Frenchmen will soon abandon the anomaly of
dressing in the same style to lead a bride to the altar
or follow a relative to the grave, and that the present
wedding costume is to be superseded by "a dress coat
of light colour, either of cloth or velvet, a waistcoat of
white satin, and a lace cravat." When this change is
to take place, or by whose authority, and whether
Frenchmen will uniformly submit, is not stated.

Your readers are aware that there has long been a
talk oth of a tunnel under the Anglo-French channel
and a bridge over it. M. Boutet, the advocate of the
former scheme, has been working away at his crotchet,
and he hoped to have got his plane so forward that he
could have applied to Parliament this session for a bill
to enable him to carry them out, but he has had to
abandon that idea, though still holding to his subter-
ram-an mode of communication. The emperor of the
French is mid tube decidedly favourable to the plan,
and, although he cannot say with LOIIiS the Four-
teenth, "L'ilat eat moi," still his influence is of vast
importance. While the subaqueous scheme is being
urged in one quarter the advocates of a bridge are not
idle, and a company is actually in process of forma-
tion for carrying out the idea. From all I have read
of both plans, each seems perfectly poseible. It is
simply a question of money, time, skill, and labour. A
tunnel between Dover and Calais would be no more
difficult than that under the Thames; it would be the
same in kind though different in degree ; and the same
remark is applicable to a bridge over the Channel, in
compiarison with such bridges as those over the
Delaware, the Niagara suspension bridge, and the
Victoria Bridge over the St. Lawrence, Canada, the
largest tubular bridge in the world. The Channel
bridge would but be a continuation rather than an
increase of difficulties such as those that have been
triumpheel over in connection with these stupendous
works. The channel piers would of course be works
of immense labour and difficulty, but neither labour
nor difficulty would be insuperable.
The Saturdayhalf-holiday has become an institution,
but there are numerous exceptional cases in which it
cannot be adopted. Milliners, dressmakers, tailors,
&c., for example, often find Saturday the busiest of
all, and, flailing a half-holiday on that day, they do
not get any at all. Mr. Redgrave, the inspector of
tailieries, has now taken an important and apparently
unprecedented step, seeing that he has been allowed
to issue a ukase which effects some modifications in
Acts of Parliament, the Factory, and Workshops
Regnlatione Acts. Be this as it may, be has gazetted
the permission to substitute any other day than Satur-
day for a half-holiday, in all factories and workshops
connected with a retail business. in which articles of
wearing apparel are made, or which may be situated in
towns in which the market-day is Saturday. Some
persons may, under this new regulation, have a half-
holiday on katurday and some on another day, though
the relaxation insisted on by Parliament must be
given and taken on some day in each week. The
new system is of course intended for the benefit of
the working-classes, but whether it will work well
remains to be seen.

One of the last financial operations of the late Baron
James de Rothschild was the purchase of the Chateau Lafltte
vineyard. ilis heirs have just add the greater part of last
year's vintage at the rate of £24:0 per cask, Co that the
banker made a yei7 prentable investment.