The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-01-21 00:00:00

an address, which was splendidly engross-11—d
illumii.ated, and bound In red morocco. A large
number of signatures, including t.,•se. of mix native
female teachers, were attached to the addreas, which
speaks most strongly of the value of her services to
India.

gentleman,
A SOMMW.It Pfto/3PECY !—.An old
over eighty, writes tl a friend in London, from the
neighbourhood of Cl ;Item; 'saline, as follows :
My nephew, the farmer, near Metz, had all hts honer
taken by the PrIISIti•118, end his ploughs destroyed. Ills
brother, living here, took his horses and ploughs to &met
him in preparing hie fields They began to p!..,ugh a ca.
hectare neld, but were oblised to desiet, as at every stryt
they turucd up a dead body; and co, over all his farm, the
lie do cannot be tilled. The battles emeceded each other CO
qWekiy, and the number of dead was to great, that they had
merely time to cover them with the earth inatead of bury-
ing them properly. Wiest we shall have to endure hi the
heat of summer, Plod only knows; but, from what I remem-
ber slaty year, ago, I fear we ehall hare a fearful plague,
which will decimate our population"

CHRISTMAS MUSIC FOR TFIRATREF. - The
Waits: between the Actg.—Punch.

accepted.
ntpheni atchi.
,snetrrv(
parTtreoEf
llrttialhsHpaplrank-e7Swehnos
complain of
recent
—cenAt
statement has been forwarded to Mr. Fortescue on the
be
e ity
tti.h.,,,:e
ht,
itetcrrhha trade e
English contenda
ntdh ast,, theeh
regulation which directs that in future supplies of pa
furenhed for use in the Girth offices shalt be seat to
Loudon to be examined, instead of to the Custom-house
resultli
centralization
dilit,l 'wi.ilonsu,Bl v
,dultul
here. The Government offer to pay the carriage of the
effect of the change ve, uld be to shut them out of the -
irieli market. The cost of freight would make, they '' I
say, a considerable increase in the cost of the article, ''
good would be selected in preference. They have held -.
meetings en the subject, and the journals ere us.
muchthey say,
il h:ltebeer:g
aromous in eondemuing the project an an instance of
injurious to Irish interests.
Mt:um—Falsetto singing is not punishable with
forged notes—Puede
REQUIEM MASS FOR GENERAL PRIM. —On
Monday morning, at ten o'clock, • solemn Requiem
Mass was celebrated at St. James's Spanieh-place, fur
the reprise of the soul of the late General Prim, in the
presence if a large number of Spanish subjects resid
leg in London, who were admitted by ticket, and for
whom about 400 seats were reserved. Among those
who attended were the Spanish Minister and the
Consul for Spain. under whose care the arrangement'
for the solemn office were made, and Mr. Murietta,
the well-known banker. The Mass was performed by
the Meru of the church, the Rev. W. Raleigh being
the celebrant. The music was Moesn's Requiem,
which was most efficiently executed by the priucipal
singers of the church choir, supported by a grand chorus
of about thirty voices, with a full orchestral baud,
under the direction of &leo? Lago, and Mr. Fsgan,
the organiet of St. James's. The high altar was draped
in black, and black hangings were paced on the front
of the organ gallery and some of toe pillars of the
church. A grand catafalque was erected in front of
the altar ion the top were placed a coronet, a marshal's
1 eton and sword, and numerous liehted candles sur-
rounded it. The ceremony, which concluded with the
ineenslog of the catafalque and sprinkling of it with
holy water, was brought to an end about half-past
eleven.
PAWNBROKERS.—The unfinished inquiry, com-
menced last session by a Horne of Commons' Select
Committee, into the laws affecting the nawnbroking
trades showed that in the fuaaucial year 1869-70 Loudon
had, for good or for ill, as many as 461 licensed
pawnbrokers : 17 in 'the City," 56 in the borough of
the Tower Hamlets, 41 in Hackney, 87 in Finsbury,
68 in Maryleboue, 34 in Chelsea, 41 in Wertmitster'
49 in Lambeth, 44 in Southwark, 20 in Greenwich.
So completely is the pawnbroker a man of the teener
that more than five-sixths if the whole 2,954 lien:red
pawnbrokers in England are resident in cities no
boroughe. The list shows 189 in Liverpool, NS in
Manchester, Shin Salford, 218 in Birmingham 77 in
Hull, GI in Leeds, 52 in Sheffield GO in Sunderland. 50
in Newcaetle.upon•Tyne, 54 in Wolverhampton, 40 in
Bristol. In Bradford there vnee only 23, in Notting-
ham 20, in Norwich 16. le Glasgow there were but
113, and in Dublin only 61.
ARCHBISHOP MANNING ON THE WAR.—Last
Sunday morning Archbishop Manning preached at the
High Mass at the Pro-Cathedral at Kensington on
behalf of tbe French sufferers by the war. He trek
for his text the well-known words of our Lord, "Thee
. that take the sword shall perish by the sword." De.
precating all imention of making any political allusions,
or of judging as to the justice of either side in the
present war, the Archbishop drew an eloquent conned
between the modes and laws of warfare in the Pagan
and the Cnristian world, and also between the suffer-
ings of the Continental nations now and those which
were witnessed by such generals as the first of the
Ca-sars, urging that the Roman Empire as it had risen
by force arid by bloodshed, justly also Empire,
by the same
means, and that the warfare of modore Europe bad
' been much tempered by the influence of the Church
and the arbitration of the Holy See. The Archbishop
also read portions of a letter from the Bishop of Ver.
tailles, in which that prelate depicted in graphic and
harrowing terms the sufferings if his starving flock,
and appealed to the charity of the great English nation
for support. A liberal collection was made for the
1 sufferers.
ARMY REFOILM.—A crowded and enthusiiietie
' meeting was held in the Birmingham Town Hall, on
Monday night, under the auspices of the Birmingham
Liberal Arreociatioa to discus' the question of army
reform. Mr. Wright,l the President of the Liberal
Association, was in the chair; and among those who
attended were Mr. Trevelyan, Ml'., Mr. Suberon
Herbert, M.P., Mr. Meer, M.P., Mr. Dixon, M.P.,
and Mr. Lea, M. P. Mr. Trevelyan, in an addrem
Listing one hour, set forth the evils of the present army
system, severely criticizing the Hetess Gusrds, and de-
manding, as a preliminary to any reform, the dismised
of the Duke of Cambridge. Mr. Councillor Harris
moved, and the Hon. Auberon Herbert, M.P.,
seconded, the following resolution, which was carried
unanimously
That there Is an urgent need for the reorganisation of the
army, and that to render It efficient the present system of
. the age and purchase of commissions should be abolished.
A vote of thanks to the chairman concluded the meet-
ing.
A REMEMBRANCE. Artemus Ward, when
contributing to these c dumne, ebeerved (it was on tie
let of September, 1866), "I say to that gifted but
bald-headed Freshen, Biennuck, 'Be good and gentle
in your hour ef triumph.'" The hint of the kindly
hurnourist has been forgotten by the stern Chancellor.
—Pave/I.
Beer OFFICE MONEY ORDERS A contemporary
has suggested (says the Civil Service Gazette), that Mr.
Meneell should commence his tenure of Office in St
Martin'e.le-Grand by reducing the charges for sending
post-office orders. If the new Postmaster-General
would act upon this suggestion, his administration
would be signalized by the grant of an immense boon
to the public. A person who is sufficiently well off to
keep a banking account can write • cheque, and thus
transmit any KUM of money he liken to any part of the
kingdom, the only charge being the Inland Revenue
stamp. But a poor man who wishes to send away a
sovereign roust either regieter his letter or pay 11. for
a post-office order, end should he send mere than 2.2
he is charged 6d. N,rw this is placing him at a great
dieadvantage when compared with the rich man, and
we should like to see a movement made that would
bring the two on terms of greater equality. If the
suggestion to give the public post-office orders at the
rate of a penny a El were adopted, we believe the nh.
partment would even then profit by the transaction,
while the advantage to the public would be immense.
THE NEW PEDLARS' ACT. The Warwick
borough magistrates have given an important decision
under the new Pedlars' Aet. Four hawkers appealed
against the decision of the superintendent of police
refusing them certificates, on the ground that they ted
been convicted of felony. In one cape there had only
been conviction twenty-four years ago, and subsequent
good conduct as a hawker. The bench ruled that the
13th section of the act wal imperative, and that they
could not grant a certificate to any one who had hem
convicted ef felony. They also ruled that a chits
riveter, calling at houses and soliciting work, was I
hawker under the act.
Tine " AL•BAMA” CLAIMS.—A special nieetiri:
of the committee of the Brietel Chamber of Comma°,
was held on Friday, at which it was resolved,—
That this Chamber views with deep regret the continue
existence in what is known as the . A laSarna Question' A
a subject of controversy, which prevehts those thorough!,
cordial relations which "not to inn between Great Brisz
and the United States, and is of opinion that sound Oa
dictates that Nome renewed effort shou,d be made WOO
the question in dispute, and would respectfully bat WO
strongly urge I.er II sjestj's Goverment without delay te
take such steps as may lead to a ftual adjustmos 01 11
eoutroverey."
er
It was also further resolved that copies of the resolu-
tion be forwarded tu the Premi through Meese
Morley and Hocigeoo, the members for the city. sad
the Chambers of Commerce throughout the kingdele
asking their ooncurrence and support.
MEETING OF ROMAN CATHOLICS A? BIRO*
HAIL —A great Roman Catholic reunion took place et
the Town-hall, Birmingham, on Tuesday night
Viseount Camprlen preeided, and Lord Howard se
present. Dr. l_Tilathorne, &hop of B rmicghts,
proposed the following resolution in a strong speech :-
"That this assembly of Catholics of Birmingham and to
neighbourhood records its solemn proton against thn e
sloe of Bunn, the Pontifical States, and against the 111 rf.
Moils usurpation of the temporal power of the Strefierl
Pon/iff : and that we denounce it as a most it motel
of the law of nations, of the principle, of the
religion, and of elf/Hued society. We further denoalre„d enediee
as a moat criminal and sacrtiegiom outrage sgelese,tee
sacred person, the ofti., and the freedom of the 01%'
of (hoist; we declare it to be an wijust °ppm:sone
of the Ronan people inilicted against the will of tb .
sound mejerity of them, and we hid it is be 515"
sonable and dieloyal invasion of the rights, lintsunid
and privileges possessed under the decree of Gede V
deuce by toe Roman Pontiff I for more thau thuintl.ol,
yetre for the I:repent of the Christian religion and ot tlls
.
Catholic people of all nations. and the thenence of eirill _
Stoic throughout the world. We further resolve that a aaii
a
of this resoletton be submitted to tine sovereign Nato;
that a second copy be sent to Victor Emmanuel; and elc
a third copy he sent to the Films Minister of this counta•
The resolution was carried unanimouely.
SIX STEAMERS DESTROYED By FIRE AT RIF
ORLEANS.—lntelligence has been received In Liver:
pool of the destruction by fire of eix large steemere 0
New Or leans, together a itli a vast amount of proper*
fire broke out en board the steamship Magenta,7
epreed very rapidly to the stem:ere Grand, Era, J,,,,.,
It appears that early on the morniee
Rudolph, Thonwon, Dean, end John 'dotard,
wl, •
_°.!
which are a total Ices eicept the John Howard, m!`,.
hull it is believed will be saved. The splendid 1502i,:_.
ship he Solo, which sailed from New Orleanstfee=',...
York on the evening of the Slat December, Oa "1'
at eix o'clock in the morning of the let of Jee. '
when about 27 miles below New Orleans. The Cs-in
M'Coll's when'
mender ran the steamer aebore en
she burned to the water's edge. The steamer..e.e.re
cargo, which consisted of 988 bales of cotton,
heads of sugar, and I,eoo bangle of molamses viceeee:
complete lose Tet.
250500 dollars, are a'most a comp .s
...,
of the let ies..t. ed
fated steamer sailed from New Orleans for New . eel ,
on the 25thof December, brit was run intoby at gen
and wan en mpelled to return to New Orieon,:l i
,
eecad diameter occurieds
repairs, and was just resuming her voyage algrl /'