The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-04-04 00:00:00

INDIAN ADMINISTRATIVE
EXTRAVAGANCE.

Under the auspices of the East India Association
a meeting of gentlemen interested in the affairs of
the British Empire in the East has been held in Exeter
Hall (Air. D. 11. Macfarlane, M.P., presiding), foithe
purpose of considering the costliness of Indian
administration. A long and elaborate paper was
read by Mr. Robert Brown, of Glasgow, Numerous
illustrations of extravagance were cited in the home
charges, in the expenditure of India, and in the army
administration; and Mr. Brown urged that while the
cost of government must at all times be closely con-
nected with the prosperity, comfort, and happiness of
the people, there was additional ground for narrowly
scrutinising Indian Government expenditure, inas-
much as the people affected had no control, and the
necessary funds are provided with difficulty, and only
with the aid of a substantial supplement from a
demoralising trade forced upon another nation. In
the home expenditure, for which enormous drafts
were made upon the Viceroy's Government, there
was snrcely one item which we would venture to
charge p, Power that could give effect to a protest. In
the course of a discussion which followed there was
general agreement with the views of the opener.

There is a Chinaman in San Francisco who sails
under the euphonius and appropriate cognomen of
Lie Young. He is thoroughly Americanised and
is reading law. If there is anything in a name he
will one day stand at the head of his profession and
get rich.
The new literary venture--Editor to contributor:
"Your story is too long for one issue." Contri-
butor: "Well, then, print it in two." Editor (re-
flecting seriously) : "My dear sir, there will not be
two issues."
The Russian language has thirty-five letters, so
that when a Russian writes his name, he tries to
make it long, so that none of the letters of his
alphabet shall be wasted.

Eisteilancous
HOLM, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL.

SINGULAR OMISSION.—it is rather a strange thing
that in the new post-cards of which a consignment has
just been received from abroad, the royal arms usually
placed between the words " post " and "card "are left
out, leaving an unsightly and altogether inexplicable
blank.
A GERMAN ART ExlnsmoN.—A Grand Interna-
tional Fine Art Exhibition will be held at Berlin from
May to September, next year, to commemorate the
centennial of the first art exhibition in the German
capital. Besides modern works there will be a retro-
sj collection of the masterpieces of the century,
and a display of decorative art industries, both con-
temporary and historical. _ _

EGYPTIAN ART.—A rare specimen of Egyptian bronze
work is now in the collection of Mr. John W. Trist. It
is a small statue of the Egyptian god Phtah, about
8- in. high. The hair and beard are inlaid with niello
work, and the 'sacred collar has been decorated with
gold and enamel. The work is believed to be one of
the best periods of Egyptian art, namelY about the time
of the Eighteenth Dynasty, nearly 1600 B.C.
THE ROYAL ACADEMY.—In consequence of the addi-
tion of a spacious new gallery to Burlington House, in-
tended for the reception of water-colour drawings,
etchings, black and white work generally, and archi-
tectural designs, a new arrangement will hold good at
the forthcoming exhibition of the Royal Academy.
The rooms which have hitherto been devoted to works
of various kinds will for the future be occupied exclu-
Bively by paintings in oil.
OBJECTS OF CONQUEST.—Arminius Vambery, in " 1119
Life and Adventuree," says "Russia conquers in order
to Russianise and to absorb all the various nationalities
in the large body of the Russian people; while England
conquers in order to civilise, to give the unhappy
nations in Asia for a while an education, and to let
them afterwards loose, matured in liberal institutions,
and able to take care of themselves."

WIND WAVES.--A learned person assures us that
there are waves Of wind travelling round the world at
the rate of 700 miles an hour, started in 1883 by the
great eruption in the Straits of Sunda. This is no
Yankee meteorological wheeze, but a scientific fact.
Fancy catching one of those waves turning sharply
round a corner! The chances are that you would lose
your hat, if you eseaped with your head.
RIBBONS FOR UNMARRIED MEN.—It is not likely the
English will ever heartily adopt the foreign habit of
wearing medals or decorations. The blue ribbon cer-
tainly has broken the ice, but the fashion is not likely
to go much beyond that. Now an American lady is
anxious to add to the assertion of opinion by proposing
that all unmarried men are to wear a little bit of white
ribbon in their button holes when they are paying
visits.

THE BLENHEIM TREASURES.—The National Gallery
is being besieged. The £70,000 Ansidei "Madonna,"
by Raphael, with Vandyke's "Martyr King," close by,
is on view. If you are passing (says "The Age ") a
peep at both pictures will repay you. But I would
advise you to wad your ears, otherwise your artistic
susceptibilities will be deadened by the ever repeated
remarks of the bystanders: " What, seventy-five
thousand pounds!" "Ah !" " Well !" " Ali ! "
" What ! seventy thousand pounds !"
AN Hisroßicer, TAPER.—In the collection belonging
to the late Mr. W. Terry, of Peterborough House,
Fulham, recently sold, was a wax taper said to be the
identical one carried in penance by Henry 11. to the
shrine of Thomas a Becket in Canterbury Cathedral.
It was found in the year 1773 in the shrine. Matthew
Faris relates that the king did penance to expiate his
participation in the murder of the archbishop, bearing
a taper and laying it upon the shrine, and that after-
wards he was scourged on the bare back by many
clergy assembled for the purpose. It was sold for 26.
THE PARIS SALON.—The pictures sent into the Paris

Salon number 7200, but are 500 fewer than last year.
There is an unusually large proportion of huge can- ,
vases. A. tombola, or lottery, at 1001. per ticket, is
about to be organised in connection with this year's"
salon. The enterprise is under the patronage of several
leading French painters, and the profits will be applied
to the purchase of the works of well-known and deserv-
ing artists whose labours have been overlooked owing
to the great depreciation in the market value of works
of art during recent years.
A WELL-DRESSED Wow.—Elizabeth, Countess of
Harrington, is one of the best dressed woman in
London. She has a peculiar taste of her own, and her
garments are most artistic and elegant. At a recent
entertainment she wore black elvet, trimmed with
metalic and coloured beads; and in bcr hair an aigrette
of pale-blue feathers fastened with diamond stars. She
likewise has set the fashion of wearing odd earrings—
one a biz diamond, the other a sapphire.

. .
REQUISITE PRECAUTIONS.—In order that delays to
the great ocean steamers, such as often occur at this
season of the year, may not witness the possible starva-
tion of the passengers and crew, each ship is provisioned
as follows: 35001 b. of butter, 3000 hams, 16001 b. of
biscuit, exclusive of those supplied the crew; 80001 b. of
grapes, almonds, figs, alai other deserts; jams and
Jellies, 15001 b.; tinned meats, 60001 b.; dried beans,
30001 b.; rice, 3000 lb. •, onions, 50001 b.; potatoes, 40
tens; flour 300 barrels; and eggs, 1200 dozen. Fresh
vegetables, dead meat, and live bullocks, sheep, pigs,
geese, turkeys, ducks, fowls, fish, and casual game are
generally supplied at each port. In the summer
twenty-five fowls are often used in soup for a single
dinner,

ELECTRIC' LIGHTTNG fl GERMA.NY.—Train lighting
by electricity has been undertaken in Germany, where
some trains on the Frankfort-Fulda-Elm line are now
fitted up with a dynamo placed in the baggage car on
one side and accumulators on the other side. The
dynamo if driven at 750 revolutions, gives a current
of .12 aniperes, which by an automatic switch is sent
into the accumulators. The dynamo is driven from. •
one of the axles of the van, in a similar manner to the
plan adopted to the London, Brighton, and South Coast
Company's trains. The cost of installing the plant is
given at £125 for dynamo, driving gear, and accumula-
tors, and at 655. to 80s. per passenger coach. The
light itself is estimated to cost .85 of a penny per
lamp hour.
THE ROMAN CATHOLIC CErrncnEs—The Sacred Col- -
lege is now composed of 29 cardinals created by Pius
IX., and 29 by Leo Xlll.—in all, 57, leaving 11 hats
vacant. The cardinals of foreign birth number 28—
namely, six Frenchmen, one Corsican, four Spaniards,
two Portuguese, three Englishmen, one American, two
Germans, one German Pole, one Russian Pole, four
Austrians, two Hungarians, and one Croat. Two are
above 80 years of age, 26 above 70, 16 above 60, 14.
above 50, and one below that age—namely, Cardinal
Neto, Patriarch of Lisbon, who is only 44. The deai.
of the college in point of age is Cardinal Newman, aged
85, and in point of seniority of creation Cardinal Prince
Schwarzenberg, who has worn the purple for 43 years;
but the dean by right is Cardinal Sacconi, senior of :1;4
six Cardinal Bishops of Suburbicn sees.
CORN AVERAGES.—The following are the average
prices of British corn for last week, as received from
the inspectors and officers of Excise: Wheat, 325. 7d.;
barley, 31s. 4d.; oats, 20s. 10d. per imperial qr. Corre-
sponding week last year: Wheat, 38s. id.; barley,
31s. 3d.; oats, 19s. 10d.
LAST WEEK'S WRECKS.—OnIy five British vessels
were reported as actual wrecks last week, while the
foreign-owned vessels numbered nineteen, making the
total losses for the year to date 269. Off the British
Isles four vessels went down, two of which were foreign
owned, one of the latter sinking by collision. Two
British vessels sunk by collision off Great Britain.
Lives lost for week, 47; vessels with all hands, 2.
Corresponding week of last year: Wrecks, 32; total
for the year, 510; collision, 4; live', 29.