The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-05-06 00:00:00

(Our Tonto Corrtsponbcd.

I Or a

deem It right to state that we tl., ',et at all rind
ourselvca oith hr eorre,pon,t, its opinions:,

The terrible crisis in which France now finds herself
through the surging and uprising of the Reds, whose
name of Commune is so painfully suggestive of their
real object, would seem to be capable but of one out of
two solutions—either that the troops organised by the
Versailles Government will before long succeed in
restoring order, though they may not be able to
"stamp out " the spirit of the revolution ; or that the
reign of anarchy will become so dangerous to the fob
fitment of French obligations to Germany that the
Prussians will feel bound to restore order. That the
Commune will finally triumph over the Versailles
troops and establish what this wretched Commune may
call a settled Government, does not appear at all pro-
bable from the tenour of the news from Paris. The
struggle between order and disorder, between Govern-
ment and Communism, is painful for a time, but
everything tends to show that it cannot leak
This miserable excrescence of the Commune
must be put down if there he any patriotic
spirit left in France, and the unhappy sountrY,
torn and lacerated by her own hot-blooded sons,
will only too gladly hall the advent of any firm
government which may bid fair to rule France power-
fully for the welfare of the French as a nation. Sadly
and expectantly we are watching.the progress of events,
and while it must generally be felt that the Mahe
through which France is passing is not likely to be of
long duration, there must be a prevailing doubt as to
what is to follow it. France does not yet appear ripe
for a Republic, the restoration of the Empire under
Napoleon seems scarcely likely to be effected without
serious bloodshed ; and perhaps the same remark is
applicable to the placing of an Orleans Prince upon the
throne ; but, neverthelese, most Englishmen appear to
believe that one of the latter events will take place.
At present, however, all is uncertainty, and we must
mournfully wait and watch, but not without hope that
the black cloud which hangs like a pall over Paris
may ere long be dissipated, and that the day of peace
and prosperity may dawn for bleeding, suffering
France.

Those enthusiastic ladies who are in favour of women
posseesing the franchise are certainly making some
little progress. They have just held a meeting at the
"Langham," one of our finest hotels, and most flume.
rously was this meeting attended. But such a gather.
lag as this cannot be taken as a fair criterion of the
feeling existing among women on the subject;
In fact, I doubt whether one woman out of ten,
throughout the country, either wishes to have a
vote or cares anything about it. Mrs. M`Laren,
however, speaks very differently, and maintains
that in Scotland, at lsast, large numbers of
women am a anxious for a vote. If so, Scotch women
are different to English and Irish women. Well, by
all means let the ladies advocate woman suffrage;
It will please them and not hurt us, and let them can.
sole themselves with the rs tiection that as soon as
women really do express a general desire for the
suffrage, it will not be long before they have It; but
that time has to come. Where, however, do the ladies
mean to stop? One lady at this meeting complained of
the exclusion of women not only from the franchise,
but from our Universities and the learned professions !
Mercy on 113, what are we coming to Are we to see
.• Prudes for proctors, dowagers for deans,
And sweet girl graduates, with their golden hair r
Are we to have not only lady doctors, but lady lawyers,
lady barristers and jury-women, and lady judges!
Evidently some of our enthusiastie advocates for
women's rights are endeavouring to lead us in this
direction.

There is a notice on the notice paper cf the House
of Commons, in the name of Mr. Seely, in favour of a
penny postage between England and America. Why
should we not have such a postage ? Of course, in the
first instance it would not pay, so far as the postage
Itself is concerned, and perhaps it would be many
years before it would pay, if ever; but the postal
communication between two mighty countries akin to
each other ought to he looked at from a different point
of view from the mere pounds-shil ngs-and.pence
Point. It woull benefit the two n..tions, strengthen
our mutual friendship, and &ye! p our commerctsl
relationship ; and surely these c.insiderations are of
more value than the petty question whether such a
postage would pay. It would pay a hundred•bld
Indirectly.

The result of Mr. Cowper-Temple's m Aion, "that it
is expedient that measures be adopted fcc preserving
as an open space for purposes of public health and
recreation, thcse parts of Epping Foreet which have
not been enclosed with the consent of the Crown or by
eget authority," is nighly satisfactory. The House of
Commons has affirmed that proposition by 197 to
and this after the Government hal appeslel to the
mover to withdraw his resolution. And it is to be hoped
that something practical will came of tide motion.
The preservation of what remains of this still
beautiful forest, though it scarcely now deserves the
name of • forest, is really a matter of national
importance, affecting as it d Jed the health of a
third of the population of England. It involves
not only the direct intlsence of a " hlppy hunting
ground" on the health of thoso who are within stilly
reach of it, but it indirectly affects tha health of VA,
entire metropolis, and therefore concerns the country.
Looking at the broad and general question of our open
'maces, it is a thousand pities that the numerous laws
affecting them are so complicated, aud one of the many
duties of 61 oven:molt certainly is to simplify these laws
at the earliest opportunity.
Our country cousins, especially thcse from the
North, when they come uo to pay a visit, are fee-
quently surprised at the price we in London pay for
coals; and many people are surprised also that the
co-operative eystem does not tl ourieh here. An at-
tempt iv now to be made to remedy the one by the
application of the other. At a meeting just held at
the Working Mat's Club and Institute Union, a pro-
posal has been made to establish a system of co-opera-
tion which will mutually benefit the working men
here and the colliers of Yorkshire. It is said we shall
be able to get our coals several shillings a ton cheaper,
and there certainly appears to be no reason why we
should not, but co many apparently wellconsidered
echemes fall when an attempt is made to put them
nto actual working that we must not be too sangnine.
When the "early cloning movement" commenced
In 1'3(32, it was pretty generally thought to be Utopian,
but how steadily has it gone on and prospered since
then A long essay might be written on the advan-
tages and disadvantages of this early closing, but I am
not about to attempt such a homily. Here, however,
are a few questions for the consideration of the reader,
or for discussion at any of those "mutual improve-
ment societies " which happily are so numerous at the
present day. Has the condition of the working classes
been beneficially or injuriously affected by early closing?
his it tended to make business more fierce and worry-
ing, by compressing it into fewer hours, or has the
relaxation which employ:a of all classes cow enjoy
more than counteracted this? Is the increasingly
active competition of foreigners, and their admitted
success in many departments, in any way owing to
their having continued to work as many hours as here
tofore while we have decreased ours? To what extent
the advance in the educational status of our
worklng classes owing to the early closing system?
These and other queries are suggested to me on reading
the report of the meeting of the Early Closing Aseocia-
lion just held, but I will not ask any more such diffi-
cult question& The whole subject, however, is • fruit-
ful one, and I commend it to the consideration of our
young men who perhaps little think how much can be
said on either side.
At the very time when people were talking about
tiU another Sunday Trading Bill having been thrown
out, two poor old women were being prosecuted for
exercising their worldly calling" on Sunday, and,
In default of paying the fines inflicted, they have
severally been sentenced to seven days' imprison-
mena• Now, whatever opinion may be enter-
tained about Sunday trading, I maintain that these
spasmodic and capricious prosecutions, under an Act
of Parliament passed two centuries ag do not
constitute the rlght way of dealing with this
eubject. And it Is curious to obeerve how magis-
trates differ in their interpretation of the Act
and of the alleged offences against it. One
magistrate imposes the lowest fine he can; another
vends women to prison,and of course all this while
there is an immense deal of Sunday trading with
impunity. The whole subject bristlae with difficulties!,
and the Legislature does not appear to he able to agree
on any law on the matter. But to put Charles the
Second's Act in force by fits and starts against poor,
eelpless women who are singled out for the purpose
seems very unfair to society generally.
The inauguration of the London International Ex-
dbition of 11171, on Monday, was rather a fussy than
imposing ceremony, ani I fancy that when the day
Arne to a close, and those who had twisted at this
ceremony came to review its incidents, they must
MVO concluded that the ceremony hardly repaid the
rouble of going to witness it, and waiting drearily for
J 1 hour or two to see what was to be seen. Nor is the
xhibitMn itself anything near an attractive as wxe
he International Exhibition of '912, or the Great Ex-
lbltion of The less said about the buildings them-
elves the better perhaps, but as: seen floes the Clean-
sell-road they are not very preposeesaing, the Albert
fall excepted. The interior, however, is very interest.
as, and although I do not believe this first of the series
• A C.mrespondent of the Daily News, in commenting upon
I. case, we They were too poor to Pity the
rere sent to pram Veering tile fostite orate s.anirece
' here Nit returned from the Police-court, whither I went
>tar the floes, an,' I round throe others there before me,
sat on Os Ism errand."

will ever be ii-c 7
thronged as were the exhibitions to which I have
referred, or, as I hope, succeeding exhibitions will be
this International Exhibition will doubtless prove
attractive ; and certainly it ought to prove instructive,
so far as the industrial products are concerned, while
the sculpture, paintings, and other works of art, give
• charm to the whole place. On the opening day the
neighbourhood was thronged with carriages, cabs, &c. ;
while flags floating from the several buildings con-
nected with the exhibition gave the locality a cheerful
aspect ; and the day happily being worthy of its
appellation of "bright May day" enhanced the enjoy-
ment of those who made it a holiday.