The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-12-03 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN,

At the half-yearly collection of rents on the Airlie
estates the new earl granted a redaction of 10 per cent.

In order to take part in the observations of the
transit of Venus in 1882 the German Government will
despatch an expedition to Magellan Straits and to the Falk-
land Islands.
The net profits of the French Post Office, which
were 23 millions in 1879 and 25 millions in 1880, will this
year be 38 millions.

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The fastest train journey between New York and
San Francisco has just been made, namely, five days and
twenty-three hours.

The Prince Imperial of Japan is coming to Paris to
finish his education.

The proposed electric railway rountl Paris seems
likely to be carried out. The railway would be about 15f1.
wide, supported on pillars 130 ft. to 160 ft. apart, while there
would be stations at intervals of 400 yards. The gauge
would be 41t.

The import of live stock and fresh meat from the
United States and Canada, landed at Liverpool last week,
showed an increase in live stock and a somewhat large
decrease in fresh \ meat in comparison with the preceding
week. The totals were 314 cattle, 1,672 sheep, 2,830 quarters of
beef, 225 carcases of mutton, and 150 hogs.

The Queen of Spain lately appeared at a charity
ball arrayed in a blue dress, with pink hollyhocks in her
hair.

During the storms of the present year the life-boats
of tlw National Life-boat Institution have saved 874 ship-
wrecked sailors, in addition to bringing safely into harbour 29
distressed vessels.

• The religious census of Hungary is as follows :
Catholics, 7,502,000; United Greeks, 4,600,000; Orthodox
Church, 2,456,000 ; Lutherans, 1,100,000 ; Calvinists,
2,300,000; Unitarians, 55,000; Nazarenes, 2,200; Jews,
552,000; Alahometans, 80; total, 16,417,280.
It is stated that P. T. Barnum, the great American
showman, contemplates visiting London with the largest
circus and menagerie in the world, some time durinz the
coming season. He will also make a tour of the provinces
previous to his retirement from the business.

There were 91 British and foreign actual wrecks, of
which 62 were British, 6 being British steamers and 4 foreign
steamers, reported during last week, making a total of
1,775 for the present year or an increase of 305 as compared
with toe corresponding period of last year. The increase on the
week was 36. The approximate value of property lost was
£9,000,000 including British £6,000,000.
A Protectionist agitation has been started in Paris
with the object of 'preventing the commercial treaties which
have lately been negotiated between France and other
European countries from being voted by the new Chamber
until the whole of them have been concluded. It is con-
tended that if the Belgian treaty, for instance, were ratified,
England might refuse to negotiate, and export her manufac-
tures into France through Belgium.

The latest American " notion " for exportation to
Europe is gloves made of fishes' skin.

AB a lad named Islughes, a factory operative a
Accrington, was in the warehouse of a mill, his clothes got
entangled with the strap which drives the machinery, and
he was carried up to the shafting, ills arm was torn from
his body, and he dropPed to the ground, falling on a pipe,
which was broken. He was quite conscious when picked
up, aid was ill a most pr6canions condition.

The London Gaze te of Tuesday night contains two
orders in Council, one declaring an area in the county of
Bedford to be infected with foot-and-mouth disease, and
the other relating to the movement of animals to Scotland.

A Sheffield Correspondent states that Mr. Ruskin
has changed his plans with respect to the Museum he has
founded at Sheffield, mid it is his intention to devote the
remainder of his life to making it the most complete institu-
tion of its kind in the world. He has decided to send there
his unique and almost priceless library -from Brentwood,
and a portion of the books and plates have already
arrived. Plans for the extension of the buildings have been
prepared, and a public subscription, which Prince Leopold
has promised to head, will shortly be opened to defray the
cost of the enlargement.

Mr. Goschen, speaking at Rugby on Tuesday night,
dwelt at length upon the subject of local government, and
upon the necessity of discouraging centralisation and
awakening an interest in local life, especially among the
rural classes. He recommended a consolidation of all rates,
and their division between owners and occupiers, and, in
regard to the question of local burdens, said he was opposed
to further grants in aid.

At the close of his visit to Edinburgh last Saturday,
Mr. Henry Irving was presented with an interesting sou-
venir—a gold repeater watch, once the property of John
Philip Kemble. It is said that the total receipts for ldr.
Irving'sl3 performances in Edinburgh amounted to no less
a sum than £4,300.

We believe that next year Parliament will again
meet at an earlier date than usual—probably on Thursday,
the 19th of January. The recommendations of the Govern-
ment for the conduct of the business of the House of
Commons will be Immediately brought forward.—Times.

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Some curious five-florin notes have lately been
Issued in Austria. On holding the bills to the light the
vignettes of the Emperor Francis Joseph on the face and
reverse are so blended as to produce the likeness of the
German Emperor. This is considered a good omen, and the
bills are called accordingly "alliance bills."

It is said that the usage recognised at Foreign
Courts, which includes in Royal invitations all members of
the Sacred College by virtue of their office, will in future be
extended to Cardinals Manning and Newman on the occasion
of Royal receptions in this country.

A New York telegram says that the visible supply
of wheat on Nov. 25 was 20,600,000 bushels, as against
21,000,000 last week, Visible supply of Indian corn,
22,400,000 bushels, as against 24,400,000 last week. Export
clearances of wheat for Europe during the past week,
910,000 bushels; export clearances of Indian corn for Europe
during the past week, 1,090,000 bushels.
It is reported from Berlin that Count Von Moltke
is about to retire from the active duties of chief of the staff
of the German army. He will still, however, retain a certain
"supreme supervision" in army matters.
An American paper says that probably the oldest
twins in existence are George and Edward Gravely, who, In
good health, are still living within five miles of each other
and within three miles of where they were born at Leather.
wood Post-office in Henry County, Va. They will be 93
years old on December 1, 1881. Their mother lived to be
over 100 years, and their father died at the age of 90.

Last week's receipts of cotton at all United States
ports have been 220,000 bales, and since Ist September,
2,026,500 bales. Exports to Great Britain, 64,000 bales, and
to the Continent and Channel, 56,000 bales; total since Ist
September, 972,800 bales. Stock at all ports, 905,000 bales.
A telegram from New York says that all branches
of the wholesale trade in that city are doing an enormous
business, working far into the night to execute orders. The
electric light is in general use for packing and shipping
goods. Unprecedently heavy orders come from the
South.

The first evening service ever held in Exeter Cathe-
dral took place on Sunday night, and was attended by a
crowded congregation. The Bishop of the Diocese was
preacher. The opening o; the Cathedral is very popular,
and the Chapter have taken steps to ensure a large attend•
ance by providing that the service shall as nearly as possible
be limited to one hour, and all the singing is congregational
The men who have taken up the scheme of the
Channel Tunnel are not inclined to let it drop, or to, be
deterred by the apprehensions and critisisms that have been
put forth on the gounds of national defence. They are cor-
dially supported by the two great railway companies which
control the routes to the Continent, and mean next year to
ask Parliament to sanction their scheme. Should this
application prove successful, the Channel Tunnel Company
will forthwith be launched with stupendous capital, and
the works will be pushed forward simultaneously on both
sides of the Channel.—Court Journal.
In London last week 2,401 births and 1,601 deaths
were registered. Allowing for increase of population, the
births were 166 and the deaths 159 below the average
numbers in the corresponding week of the last ten years.
The annual death-rite from all causes, which had been
equal to 22-3 and 19.5 per 1,000 in the two preceding weeks
rose again last week to 23.8. The 1,601 deaths included 20
from small-pox, 50 from measles, 52 from scarlet fever, 26
from diphtheria, 50 from whooping-cough, 5 from typhus
fever, 41 from enteric fever, 4 from ill•defined forms of con-
tinued fever, 10 from diarrhma, and 2 from dysentery of
the 20 fatal cases of smallpox, 15 were recorded in the
Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals, and 5 in private dwelling.
houses,
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At a meeting of the Committee appointed to carry
out the arrangements for a proposeknew church at Whitby,
a letter was read from Sir George Met, M.P., in which lie
stated that he was prepared te give the site for the church
and a contribution of £2,000, which together, he estimated,
to represent nearly £5,000, as soon as the plans have been
approved, and the requisite funds for the completion of the
work raised.
Intelligence has been received of the death of his
Excellency Elie Schoumoff, for many years chess champion
of Russia, which took place at Sebastopol. Besides being
a first-rate player, Schoumolf was the composer of numer-
ous chess problems, among others being his celebrated col-
lections, published in 1867, under the title of " Recueil de
Problemes Scaechographzques." He was born in 1819, of
noble family, and educated as a marine officer. In 1847 he
entered the Ministry of Marine of Russia, and in 1867 that
of Domains, and on his retirement during the current year
he received the rank of State Councillor, in recognition of
his services. The entire Russian Press, as well as the chess
community, express regret at his decease.
A meeting of landowners and tenant farmers of
Kent was held at Canterbury on Saturday, to consider the
Bill of the Farmers' Alliance. After Professor Hunter had
explained its provisions, Lord Brabourne made an energetic
speech against the measure, and moved, as an amendment
to the resolution approving the Bill, that, while they ap-
proved compensation being given for unexhausted improve-
ments, the proposed Bill did not secure that principle with-
out counterbalancing disadvantages which it was undesirable
to accept. The amendment was rejected by a large majority
and the original motion was passed.