The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-06-18 00:00:00

Our IS °An Corresponbtot.
two deem It right to state that we do not at all times
Liontify ourschrea with our conespundeut's opiuiuus.l

Parliamentary business is still brisk, and, indeed,
there is more work to be done than there appears spirit
to do it, The House of Commons, these fine evenings
Ii often scantily attended, and the attendance is likely
to be rather scanty now to the end of the session.
When that end arrives I have little doubt that the
performance a, the close will contrast strongly with the
promise at the beginning. The Irish Land Bill is now
generally regarded as tolerably safe, but the fate of the
Education Bill is rather doubtful. As to the University
Tests, the Parliamentary Elections, and law reform,
we may make up our minds to see no measures on these
subjects this session.

It is much to be regretted that our Irish fellow-
subjects should Fe from time to time tantalised—or is it
that they tantalise themselves ?—by rumours which
turn out to be untrue, relative to a residence for the
l'rince and Princess of Wales. A few days ago the
rumour ran that his Royal Highness was in treaty for
Tollyruoro Park, and glowing descriptions of the place
and the district were indulged in, but it turns out that
Hope told a flattering tale, and that disappointment
has waited upon Hope. And now there is another
rumour that arrangements are being made to obtain
the renowned Lake Erne Hotel as a residence for their
Royal Ilighnesees. Is this rumour, too, to be denied?
Most people, here and in Ireland, would be glad to
hear of a royal residence in the latter country. In-
directly it would certainly benefit the Emerald Isle,
and directly it would please the Irish. That Hibernia
has been rather slighted by royalty of late years, can
scarcely be denied ; whether Hibernia has herself to
blame for it, would not be a very profitable question to
discuss.

The Game Laws exerts perhaps asmuch strong feeling
on either side as any public question, and it is evidently
very dittimlt to come to a satisfactory settlement.
From the discussion which has just taken place in the
House of Commons, it seems that no lees than five
Game Bills have been introduced this session, four of
which still "remain on the table." One of these, as
regards game in Scotland, the Government will press I
forward, and it will be a good thing, I believe, if it be
passed. But it seems a pity that we should have such
piecemeal legislation for one part of the kingdom at a
time. This Scotch Game Bill, however, is of general
interest, inasmuch as it is a good question. If it be
true, as stated, that in four Scotch counties alone a loss
of 1:250,000 a year in food and wool has been sacrificed
to deer, the general interest of the subject is at once
apparent.
In the death of Charles Dickens the world has lost
one of its brightest literary ornaments. Perhaps no
author had a more widely-extended reputation. In
America his works were as familiar as in our own
country, and their translation into several European
languages popularised them throughout the civibsed
globe, ant it is pleasing for us to remember that
he probably never wrote "one line which, dying,
he might wish to blot," at all events on the ground
of morality. His works were and are a prolific
source of amusement, but they were also for the most
part written with a purpose. One work did much to
procure for us administrative reform ; another
ameliorated the treatment of our paupers; a third
effected a reform in the system of cheap and bad
schools ; yet another helped to procure Chancery re-
form ; and so on. It is not easy to calculate how
large an amount of good was thus done. It will be
learned with regret that the " Mystery of E twin
Prowl" is left unfinished, and the fifth monthly part
will be the last. It will be learned with pleasure that

the Queen sympathises deeply with the nation in its
loss. As soon as Mr. 1 fitkena's death was known, his
friend Mr. Arthur Helps telegraphed the sad in.
telligence to her Majesty, and she immediately
expressed " her deepest regret at the sad news of
Charles Dickens's death." how sincere is this regret
need not be insisted on. It will have been noticed
that a few weeks ago our lamented novelist paid a visit
to the Queen, and it now transpires that her Majesty
"Won ready to confer any distinction which Mr.
Dickens's known views and tastes would permit him to
accept, and that after more than one title of honour
had been declined, her Majesty desired that he would
at least, accept a place in her Privy Council." Death
has lotervened or we might have seen this proposal
carried our. But it is at least satisfactory to call to
mind that the great writer of fiution, who made fiction
truth, was equally honoured by Queen and people.
It is yet early tospeculate on the prospectsof our. har-
vest, but there is some satisfaction in finding from more
than one journal, which speaks with more or less
authority, that these prospects are on the whole good.
Meanwhile our financial and commercial position is
favourable, and business, though still dull, is steadily
reviving. The labour market must be influenced,
though almost insensibly, by the number of emigrants
who have left our shores. The British and Colonial

Emigrati, o Fund have sent out 4,000 people during
the present year. Add to this those who have been
00.3 outer aided by Government and by various other
agencies, and those who have gone out unaided by any
aociety, and it will readiiy be P, ea that the labour
market must have been considerably relieved.
Al. Ferdinand de Leaseps, who has made Africa an

island, and has accomplished the union of several
countries by severing two continents, has just received
an honour very tardily offered—not indeed our
country, but by the Society of Arts. They have given
him the Albert gold medal "for services rendered to
arts, manufacturers and commerce, by the realisation
of the Suez Canal." There can be no dipnting the
distix7uished merit" connected with this great
work, and this gold medal is at least a recognition of
Its ews pn the part of men of science and art, but
it can scarcely be called the reward of merit. M. de
Lessem,' reward ecnaiste in the honour conferred on
him by his own eountsy And his name being inseparably
linked with the greatest engineering work of modern
times. Gradually, too, this great work is being ire.
proved, and there would now seem to be ao obstruc-
tion to the passage of ships of large tonnage. flow
much we are interested in the Suez Canal may be seen
by the fact that a ship bas been chartered to load a
cargo of cotton and grain at Ismailia for this country.
The rise and progress of this port may be watched
with interest; it bids fair to become a most important
place, whereas only a few weeks ago it was nothing.
If the Freiecie net the fashions in matters of dress,
they follow us in sporting matters—a fact by the way,
shown by their taking our word sport. The latest
butanes, of this is pigeon shooting, and they have pro-
so far in the ignoble art of killing pigeor.s that
there h.," been ao international (Anglo-French) pigeon
"tub, the Vrench winning the first prize. This is piti-
able sport for t.".•0 great nations to contend in. Where
lithe glory of • harmless pigeon? where the
honour of wounding it, to hide itself and die f And
yet this pastime is becoming quite fashionable.
The Thames is about the, beet abused river in the
world, but at this time of the year we Londoners re-
joice that we have such • stream, and, with all its
faults, we love it still. The embankments o• either
/side have of late years done much to improve its ap-
pearance, and altogether it is not such a bad river
after all. Thousands of people at all events now enjoy
the company of old Father Thames. The river steam.
boats are filled with all aorta and conditions of men,
women, and children, enjoying the fresh breeze from
lb: water. Our above-bridge steamers tire very far
irOill what they ought to be, but they serve their par.
pose tolerably well. A trip up the river, leaving some
arowded stsset, if it be only as far as Battersea Park,
Is a pleasant bit of recreation for those whose scanty
means will admit of no dearer relaxation. This park I
kr still afflicted with newness, but it will not be denied
that it gets older every day, and therefore more like
what a park should be. And then it is very pleasant
to go further up the river to Kew, or Iliohmond, or
Bampton. We sometimes go further to see scenerY
not so charming in its quiet beauty. Or we may go
down the river to the well-known resorts of the
dwellers in Cockaigne, notably to one which we are
always being told is "the place to spend a happy day,"
and a charming place it Is. tha the whole the river is
peculiarly gay and lively just now. About London
Bridge there are ample signs of the enormous amount
of money that is spent in travelling on the river, to say
nothing of farther afloat. tisily dr 'sod people crowd-
ing the incoming or outgoing steemees, bands playing
merrily, and flags flying, makes the river look en fete,
and it is not very far from it.
The Paris Figaro, which by the way has given its
name to a smart London contemporary, has been play-
ing some curious tricks lately. It is a staunch Im-
perialist, but a day or two ago it suddenly transfonced
1?stel1 into • Republican paper, It contained articles
signet.: Victor Hugo, Felix Pyat, Rochefort, &a, but
when these articles were read they were found to bp
burglarise on the several styles of these authors, and,
of course, tended to throw ridicule upon J3epubli-
eanisin. And now another joke has been perpetrates].
Figaro pretends to have discovered a curious letter
written by a well-known lady, and parte of this letter
are supposed to be printed with insisjble ink, on
account of the indelicate scandals the letter evittelinv.
Of course, it was a hoax, but really it is impossible te
see the fun of the thing. If the Yrenrh journals
would only give their readers news, these penuicrous
attempts to be fanny would not be relented to.
Next year will be the Census year, and Government
Is being urged to procure, in addition to the ordinary
Information hitherto amassed through the census,
stati-tkit as to the numb.r of adherents to each