The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-08 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

There were 17,182 applications for patents during
the past year, being an increase of 52 over 1884, and of
1001 over 1885.

---We;VS-iiiiesched New York of an engagement in
Sinaloa between the Mexican troops and the rebels, re-
sulting in heavy losses to both sides.
The Institution of Civil Engineers has now 5224
members of all classes, being an increase at the rate of
5± per cent. in the past 12 months.
Mr. Shaw, M.P., is to present a second donation of
£lOOO to the Halifax School Board for scholarships in
connection with the Queen's jubilee.-.
The cyclists of the United Kingdom are raising a
fund for a lifeboat in commemoration of the Jubilee.
Successful telephonic trials have been made with the
newly-established wires between Brussels and Paris,
and the line will be in working order in a few days.
The Crumpsall Spinning Company's mill, near Man-
chester has been entirely destroyed by fire. A dense fog
hindered the fire brigade in their operations.
The Attorney-General has appointed Mr. Charles
Frederick Gill as a junior counsel to the Post Office,
in succession to Mr. Baggallay, M.P., now the seninr
counsel.

—it—is-said that the Japanese Prince who went to
London to present the Chrysanthemum Order of his
Sovereign to the Prince of Wales is to viiit Berlin
about the middle of January, to pay a similar coinpli-
wen t to the German Emperor.
It is authoritatively stated at Shanghai that the
Marquis Tseng is likely to succeed Li Hung Chang as
Chinese Foreign Minister, and the change has raised
expe-tations of a new era of progress in China, and a
policy of increasing intercourse with foreigners.
The Government of Tasmania hasinstructed M. Adye
Douglas, its Agent-General in London, to send out 12
experienced sergeants to instruct the artillery volun-
teer force of the colony.
A farmer named Thomas Devins was stabbed during
a street brawl in Sligo, and was so fe.irf ally wounded
that he died soon afterwards. _ _

A declaration appears in the "Gazette" for pro-
longing the duration of the Copyright Convention
between her Majesty and the King of Italy of Nov. 30,
1860, till the International Copyright Convention,
signed at Berne, September 9, 1886 comes into force.
The next examination of candidates for admission to
the Royal Military Academy, Woolwich, will com-
mence in London on Wednesday, the 22nd Jane, the
medical examination takisg place at the Academy on
the previous day. The number of vacancies to be com-
peted for will be 60.
Mr. Worthington, a graduate of Cambridge, has been
appointed chief master of the school for engineer
students at Portsmouth; Mr. White, formerly head
master at Sheerness becomes second master, with
special privileges; while Mr. Quentin W. King has been
appointed acting assistant master.
Last year's income of the three principal English
Masonic charities supported by voluntary contributions
was ascertained the other evening to be £46,767, or
£7648 less than in 1885, and £2lOO less than in 1884.
The Royal Masonic Benevolent Institution heads the
list with £18,194; the Royal Masonic Institution for
Girls comes next with £15,516; and the Royal Masonic,
Institution for Boys has £13.056.

h. Queen n Tuesday sent an afloat to Portsmouth.
to visit the scene of the explosion on Sunday evening,
and to convey a message of sympathy to the sufferers
in the hospital. Another soldier died on Tuesday after-
noon ficra the injuries sr/stained in the explosion. The
inquest was opened on Tuesday, and after the jury had
visited the scene of the accident the proceedings were
adjourned.
The Civil Guards of Spain has succeeded in dispersing
a band of brigands who have been the terror of Anda-
lusia for twelve years by levying blackmail with great
audacity. In the pursuit several of the brigands were
killed.
At Kirkcaldy Police-court on Tuesday, Thomas
Beveridge, labourer, a young man 23, was charged with
a desperate assault upon his mother on Monday night,
and with inflicting injuries upon her from the effects of
which she immediately died. The woman's body was
discovered by the neighbours lying upon the staircase
o. her dwelling. The prisoner made no statement in
deience, andihe was remanded to the Sheriffs Court on
the charge of murder.

At the- Masche,ter County Police•court on Tuesday
morning, a blindsnan named Harris was charged with
disturbing the congregation at Urmston Wesleyan
Chapel by singing hymns other than those given out
by the minister. Though rere onstrated with, defen-
dant persisted in the practice. On the part of the
defendant it was urged that owing to his infirmity he
could not read the hymns given out. Upon promising
not to repeat the offence the case' was adjourned for a
month.
Colonel Fitz Gerald telegraphs to Shwebo a native
report to the effect that the chief Hla oo has sur-
rendered to the Deputy-Commissioner in the Tsaigan
district.
It is proposed at Calcutta to transfer the power of
imprisoning a debtor from the creditor to the Law
Courts.

At a meeting of the Surrey magistrates on Tuesday,
a resolution was passed, on the motion of the Earl of
Lovelace, lord lieutenant of the county, expressing
approbation of the Prince of Wales's plan for establish.
kg an Imperial Institute and insttucting a committee
to consider "the urgency of one general memorial to
,her Majesty." Similar resolutions were passed at
meetings in Dorsetshire, Essex, Gloucestershire, and
Lincoln. Other and more local forms of celebrating
the Jubilee have been approved elsewhrre. In the
East-End of London, an industrial exhibition is to be
held at the People's Palace, and the Beaumont Trustees
are appealing for support-,
Two deaths are reported from Acton and Shepherd's.
bush as having been caused by the explosion of kitchen
boilers during the late frost.
Godfrey Gurney was charged at the London Mansion
House on Tuesday with conspiring with another in
fraudulently obtaining £3lO from Mr. Lichtwitz, a zinc
merchant, and was committed for trial.
John Sullivan, a very old man, was charged at
Lambeth, on Tuesday, with failing to report himself to
the police, he being a convict on license. It was stated
that the prisoner had for years lied by defraudieg
charEtable persons, and he wa,. last taken into custody
for obtaining money by false pretences. He was
sentenced to six months' imprisonment.
Alfred Oaudlin was charged on Tuesday with em..
bezzling £74 belonging to a friendly society at Poplar,
London. The prisoner was arrested on board ship at
Queenstown, whence he was about to elope to Ameriea
with a martied woman. He now pleaded guilty, and
was sentenced to four months' imprisonment.
Two men named Davis and Caton were convicted at
the Middlesex Sessions of burglaries which they had
committed in North London. The former was sen-
tenced to five years' penal servitude, and the latter to
14 months' imprisonment. - -

A meeting Of managers of the Liverpool theatres and
music halls,and representatives of the tradespeople of the
town was held on Tuesday to pro' est against the continu.
!Ince of the Exhibition for another sear. A memorial
was unanimously adopted for presentation to the City
Council at the next meeting, in opposition to the pro.
posed continuance of the Exhibition; and a deputation
was appointed to wait upon the Council to submit the
memorial for consideration. The exhibition is being
promoted in order, if possible, to wipe off the deficit on
the one recently closed.

Dr. Churtoo, of Chester, Coroner for the Borough
of Birkenhead, opened an inquest on Monday at the
Arco le Hotel, on the body of 'William James, foreman
rivetter, who, with six other men, was killed by the
explosion on the petrsleutn steamer Petriana. James
was removed to his home after the explosion, and died
there from the injuries he sustained. Wm. James,
his son, identified the body, and the inquiry was then
adjourned till the 19th inst., when the inquest on the
bodies of the other six victims will be proceeded with.
On Tuesday, at Derby Sessions, Thomas Greenfield,
formerly a Sergeant-Major in 'the 9th Lancers, was
sentenced to six months' imprisonment for defrauding
the Midland Railway Company of two sums of money
by levying excessive rates in the parish of Berkeley,
Gloucestershire, in which place he was rate collector.
It is stated that he had obtained about £2OO from the
company by this means. He will lose his pension.
A young man, named George Bryden, a clerk with
Messrs. Rankine and Sons, Glasgow, was ont shooting
on Monday on Glenmanna Estate, Dumfriesshire, with
Mr. William Rankine, when a hare was seen and both
man raised their gun,. The animal ran in front of
Bryden' and Rankine fired, shooting his companion in
the back, and causing such severe injuries that the
poor fellow died at midnight.
Lord Young, in the High Court of Justiciary, Edin-
burgh, passed sentet,ce on Tuesday on the seven Ski
Crofters convicted on Monday of rioting and deforcing
a sheriff's officer. John Macdonald, Alexander Mae-
milieu, and Donald Beaton received too months'
imprisonment, and William WArthur, William Beaton,
and Charles 111,'Intosh one month's imprisonment.
A fire broke out on Tuesday evening on the premises
in Caroline-street, Birmingham, occupied by Mrs.
Ellen Hall, jewel case maker. Five girls were at work
in a room on the upper storey, and on the alarm being
given four of them escaped, but the fifth, Florence
Thompson, 15 years old, fell down in a faint, and was
suffocated by the smoke.

The Princess Christian on Tuesday inaugurated a
series of free dinners, which are being given in the
Guildhall of Windsor, daring the present inclement
season, to the children of the poor, The Princess was
received upon her arrival from Cumberland Lodge by
Mr. Simpson, the mayor.
The Yen. Archdeacon Bardsley has been appoint° I
.to the Arctdeaconry of Liverpool, vacant by the re-
signation of the Yen. Archdeacon Jones, and the Rev.
Canon Left ay, incumbent of St. Andrews, Liverpool, has
been appointed Archdeacon of Warrington, in succes-
sion to Archdeacon Bardsley.
The living of St. George's, Bloomsbury, London, in
the gift of the Lord Chancellor, void by the translation
of the Rev, Field r Goe to the See of Melbourne has
been offered to and accepted by the Rev. Archibald B.
Carpenter, vicar of St. James's, Hull, and brother to
the Bishop of Ripon.
At the forthcoming examination for commissions,
Colonel Lynes, R.H.A., has been selected to examine
the gentlemen cadets of the Royal Military Academy
In riding, Colonel Onslow in gymnastics and artillery
exercises, and Majors Spens and Saward in company
drill.
The Lords of 'the Admiralty have selected Rear
Admiral Henry Fairfax, 0.8., to succeed Rear Admiral
Georae Tryon as Commander•insChief of the Austra-
lian station, his appointment to date from the Ist of
next month.

Baron Henry De Worms, M.P., Parliamentary Sec.
retary to the Board of Trade, has consented, in accord-
ance with the wish of the late Count Beast, to edit
the English translation of the Count's political memoirs.
A reduction of 10 per cent. hes been granted the
tenants on the Milton estates, which are roughly esti.
mated at 24,000 acres, and were recently inherited by
Mr. George C. W. Fitzwilliwn, of Peterborough.
The'Earl of Iddesleigh has consented to preside at
the nex,, festival of the Society of Friends of Foreigners
in Distress.

The Bishop of Southwell and Lady Laura Ridding
have left Nottingham for Palestine.
On the recommendation of the Indian Government,
a good service pension hag been bestowed upon
Bri,adiel,Gmeral W. W. Willoughby, of the Bombay
Staff Corps.