The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1866-12-08 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

be anything like—e-aricient ilflaC-0 In- the -idle grainde,--
they were by no tro-alie crowded at any period of the
afternoon. It was stated that the arrangement, for
the Ripply of the magnesium light had failed, but
whether it had or not, there was evidently no necessity
for it, for no the speaking came to an end at each
platform, with the usual vote, of thanks to the chair-
man, and in most cases cheer% for Mr. Gladstone, Mr.
Bright, Mr. Stuart Mill, and Reform, the various bands
struck up, the marshals got their different cheeses of
men in order, and each party left the ground in the
most peaceable and orderly manner. Once out in
the open Greets the various processions became
dispersed among the general mum of pedee-
trio.. and, with the exception that the streets
appeared rather more crowed than usual, and
that the crowd appeared to be all moving one way,
nothing very 07 tmordinary was observable.
Shortly after four even the refreshment booths
became deserted, and, with the exception of a few
people in the immediate vicinity of the canteen, which
was lighted up, hardly a stra,qiler remained in
the ground. Indeed, nothing more remarkable oc-
curred in the dispersion of this enormoue MOM
of people than in the breaking up of an ordi-
nary crowd, and certainly nothing at all like the
confusion that generally occurs on the dispersion of
the spectators of a review, a race, or any other public
epectscle. A few policemen in knots here and there
' were observed in Brompton, but in no one case was
their services required to quell any disturbance, and
in the whole of the distance from Beaufort grounds
to the ulidille of Piccadilly, not a single man the
worse for drink could be seen. In fact the proceedings
altogether were conducted in the treiet perfect order,
and the conduct of the people, both those who took
art in the demonstration and the spectators, was
beyond all praise.
When the procession passed along Piccadilly, on
reaching the home of Miss Burdett Coutts, that
benevolent lady, who WM standing at one of the
windows with a few friends, was recognised by one
of the trot sections of the leading division. As if by
one common impulse, the whole body uncovered,
cheered, waved their hate, and bowed as they primed
the reeidenite. Each section, as it cams up, followed
the example of Apron who had preceded; and for grime-
thing like an horm and a half that nohle.hearted lady
was the object of an ovation almost Royal in its
character, Miss Coutts, who was evidently taken by
surprise, made the most cordial acknowledgment of
the spontaneous homage.

During the assembling and formation of the proces-
sion, telegrams with reference to the aspect of affairs
were deepatched at intervals from the authorities in
the metropolis to the Queen at Windsor Castle.

'ommenting upon the speech of Mr. Leicester, the
Daily Teh graph writes :

We do not know whs the Mr. Lelce.ter has ever taken the
trouble to visit the Moose of C dnmons: hat,., an Intelligent
workman, he really ought to know that the majority of the
menaners ere not "one-eyed scoundrels " Mr. Lsice.t.r's
to' II ie. however, wasiout for aholid sty, andhe .aggfti It to the
following effect : WI at hmi Lord D rhy (tone ? Ile had ...wi-
ld.' Romer, rut he could not make one of th ,ss lies-slut
specimen, of plan-work which bad been carried In procession
that day" b ferns the mere Nets go, the orator Is probably
right Lord D-rhy certainly has translated Homer, and
would probably fail AS • glass-blower. Mr. L-Iceater probably
succeeds MI a plan-blower, but he certainly has not traria-
bated Isomer, and, work for work, Lord Derby is the better
workman of the two.

The Times, in concluding their notice of the meeting,
sap :
It lea subject for great public malefaction and thankful-
ness, alter the just apprehensions of danger and disaster
which the demonstration had recited, that the occsalon
passed off with scercely a single casualty or accident of any
kind worth mention. There were many robberies In the
crowd, especially mar the entrance to the grounds of
Beaufort house; hut they were oniy rich as are ordinarily
committed at any great popular gathering, The creditable
bearing and conduct ol the men as • body who actually
took pert in the demonstration were the theme of
constant remark throughout the day, and the police
authorities on duty fully hear out the general opinion
In that respect. Upwards of four thousand foot and
NO mounted pollee were pisc.d upon and near the line
of route, and In different parts of the town, hut they were
kept as much out of sight ast possible, and balmily the ser-
vices of those actually on dit'y were eel 4cm culled into re-
quidtion. They report that the total tumor of m,03 be-
longing to the va,lons trw,es trite left tit. Jame's'. Park In
procmsion was shout 22600, and they 54,1 Vtat not snore
than half t I them entered the ground. at Beanfort-house,
the gates being closed against the rest Tony likewise
errs that the streets were kept clear from obstruc•
tion just an on online!), day. The procession neva
stopped in consequence of so neglect of the pollee,
and it was only necess.ry two or three times to
break it in order to allow vehicles to cross It at means
Points These delays lasted but a few moments. and the
procession speedily re-united, no id demper being sheen
on account of the breach. The reports from the name
quarter state that not a single !lemon in the procession was
observed the nurse for drink that there were no en., for
particular Indielitnals, nor any mention made of Reform ;
that the demenstralon altogether hini been a most vac.
able one, and had Riven no trouble ; that at four o'clock
numbers who had taken part in it were returning peace-
ably along Piccadilly on *Mir way home ; that the
omnibuses were crowded with those prince inc, easter:lr I,
and the m-n se. re still wearing their cards in tin It hate
The trocession moved always ass quick pact—not less then
three or there and a half mile, an hour Chief euperlutendent
Walker had the charge of the po'im, arrangemetite along tie
line of route, and the whole force in reserve anti on actual
duty was 4,1-4 of all ranks. This num'er le eluded 18 suoer-
ititetidents. inspectors, 358 sergoant., 35:8 police-eon-
and 20 constables in phi. clothes. There were
also 32 inspectors mounted, and 115 sergeants and constabies
mounted.

ESTIMATES OF THE NIMBLER IN THE REFORM
PROCESSION.

The various London papers maims., the nurohers
that formed the procession in 31ondey'e demonstrstion
as follows :
The Tirnefi less than 25.000
Tle Morning Ilrra 19,300.
The Standard at mote than 30 NM to 35,000.
Toe Doily N ter* front 25 ('OO to 30,0 o).
The Morning Adrertior 30,000 to 4 000
The M °mow Poet to; more than 'TOO
The Morning Star 20,000. The Morning Star doe, not
glee A AA tOS eflimate,hut It say• tom • th.oe who com-
p...el the procession were not ooe In ten 01 the namhers
actually toting part In the eemooatra•tm :'' and that
"00Or) m.-n toot part to the proceedings as vootwors or
procestiohlats."

- bald 41 round top of hood; all lila— boird, which IS-
sandy, anght,y tinged with any, miner long oncer the chin,
hut Wien round the Jaw at pr caching the eat.: broad fore-
head, tender eye.. and has a peculiar habit of closing the
left eyo when sneaking ; high ch, elt•hot ea and rather tr,od
oonntenance; hands and hot rent.akably ,mall and well-
formed.

trance, and found ours, ves in a long vaulted room.
The walls were bare and whitewashed, streaked over
with broad stripes of coarse blue paint. A number of
deal tables were arranged about the place, which was
feebly lit by • fele gas jets. At these tables there were
awed group. of men more or less decently dressed,
and all drinking spirits of some Port or other. The
company seemed to be composed—as I was told it
actually was —of uppenclaen mechanics. A Monjik
in the national dress was not to be seen amongst them.
With the i.xoerition that most of the spectators had
fur caps and high hoots, I don't know that their aspect
d,ffered much from that of ordinary European
mechanics. There was very little smoking in the
room. The visitors were engaged in drinking, and for
the meet part drinking filen ly. Some few were
drunk already, although the hour was still early; but
even the drunken men were neither noisy nor quarrel-
some. Every now and then there was a beginning of
diepute being two topers. but it always ended speedily
in a mutual kiss and embrace. A few of the men had
women with them, who from their dress and look
might have been respectable. About the rooms were
a dozen girls or no, who had apparently the run
of the Wane. As to their character thereco old
be no manner of doubt. Still, for what they were, they
were not ill-behaved; they walked up and down the
ro ~,,, in pairs, exchanging words with the bystanders,
and drinking with anybody who offered to treat them;
hot they made no attempt when I was there to force
themselves upon people who did not seek their
company; nor except in the freedom of their manners
when addreared by any one, was there much in their
behaviour to indicate the clam to which they belonged.
At the end of the room there was a low milted platform,
on which s score or so of men, dressed in long braided
coats were stationed, all very dirty, greasy, and sallow.
looking. Every five minutes tgese men arranged
themselves in a semicircle. One of the band came
forward in the centre and acted as oondnotor. Beating
time with his arm, he led a sort of choral melody, in
which everybody sang at once, and everybody's object
appeared to be to sing al loud and break off as suddenly
as possible. After the song had meandered on for some
time in fits and start', two little Jew boys, dressed in
black velvet took'', crept into the midst of the singers
and began dancing to the music. They spun round
and round like teetotume, threw out their arms and
legs, contorted their bodies into every possible shape,
and whirled faster and faster as the men shrieked and
shouted, till at last they dropped half exhausted, as the
music ceased, with a strange unearthly yell. The words
may have been different in each euccessive song, but to
all appearance the same performance was repeated
time after time.