The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-16 00:00:00

OPENING OF MUSEUMS ON SUNDAY.

On Friday, in last week, about 70 clergymen and
ministers ,4 various denominations, accompanied by
several members of Parliament, waited as a deputa-
tion from the Lord's Lay Observance Society, upon
the Lord President of the Council, to iresent to him a
memorial against the proposed opening of the State
museums and art collections on Sunday.
Mr. W. MArthur, M.P., in introducing the deputa-
tion, said that the subject was one of deep importance
to the public and to the working classes generally.
The deputation were of opinion that if the museums
wer ' on Sundays it would be in opposition to

,ere opened
the wishes of a large majority of the working cla-ses,
and would lead to a still further desecration of the
Sabbath.

supply anu 0e,..-__ _ _ graphic, ste—r.
the bishop pointed out the sinfulness of those who . - e ---___.
ebief difficulty with which they were beset was the A ter the presentation of the memorial the Rev. Dr.
encouraged the novel-writer by providing the gold f ,
system of slavery which prevailed. The masters of Irons said, whatever might be the clamour of the few
which purchased the fluent and facile pen. He .
the slaves were the most confirmed enemies of the
warned readers not to delight in those books the ! The Times has published the following letters on the above who advocated the opening of these places, he believed
expedition—greater enemies, indeed, than they found the minority had no nght in any case to do anything
perusal of which raises a blister and leaves a cicatrice ' subject : the Ashanteee to be after crossing the Prah.
upon the mind, and earnestly besought them if Sir,—l was told it would be a charity to escort some that would be an annoyance to the majority. In many
(Laughter.) Instead of assisting the expedition with
they took up a wicked play, a wicked novel, a wicked ladies to the Dressing; Room on Tuesday, as the crush Roman Catholic countries, where licence had prevailed,
the services of their slaves, the masters put them into
poem, to ask themselves, `AmI so strong or brave , would be " awful." '1 he expectation was, undoubtedly,there was a general longing for what was generally
that I Call afford to read this ? " The preacher pro- fully realised; there was a "tremendous struggle," all chains to prevent then joining the Queen's forces; called "an English Sunday." The English lie Tile of
but that difficulty, of course, was eurmounted. The
ceeiled to speak of sensationalism in religion, re- sorts of debris being profusely scattered about' but I all denominations, of Church a.nil Dissent, he believed,
gallantly held my own, and succeeded triumphantly expeditionafterlandingerossed the Volta at Blappahott valued their Bible and their quiet religious rest on
marking that Pantheism had been described as the Christmas-day. Theday afterChrietmas.dayhereceived Sundays more than all other things put together, and
religion of verbal sensationalism. He contrasted the in landing my charge, safe and pound, in front of
Royalty. I was congratulating myself that the best 1 orders to march to the Prah with his dieciplined forcs, he had no hesitation in saying that to rob them of their
alio:see of the apocryphal gospels and epistles with
which numbered under 1,000 men, and to cross it on Sunday would be robbing them of their religion.
the canon of Holy Scripture, pointing out in eloquent , part of my day's work was over' but, alas ! my exs
the 15th January. He succeeded in doing that at •I he Lord President of the Council was next addressed
terms how free the Evangelical writings are from sen- . pectations were soon to be (Melted to the ground. noon on the day named. They had great difficulty as by the Rev. Daniel Wilson, vicar of Islington, and the
sational description', and how simply told are the ! Where was the carriage? Would you believe it, it took ey proceeded on their march to prevent themselves
stories of the wondrous events in our Saviour's life on 1 till nearly seven o'clock to get it, and malty did Rev. Dr. Rule, Weeleyan Minister.
earth. Passing from sediationalism in the library and I not get theirs till much later? Now, the moral I ailing down the gold pits, which thickly studded elie m'lntoeh, president of the Glasgow branch of
1 each side of the narrow pathway along which they
in the Church, the bishop alluded to its presence in wish to draw from this is, limit—if better arrange- the society, argued that if the museums could be
1 were advancing. The natives sunk the pits to a cer-
the newspapers—startling leading articles, vivid de- merits cannot be made—the number of ladies attendingopen to the working 'dames three evenings each week
tam extent and then aoandoned them; they had no e
scriptions of murders, interviews with murderers, the Drawing Room, and, if necessary, have an extra t iere would be ample time for every working man to
idea of working in subterranean galleries. At Akro-
minute descriptione of bodies of eminent or notorious one. There are plenty of Princeeses. But the most derive from them the benefit he wielied.
pong the mountainous country commenced. The Mr. Bryan and Mr. Noble endorsed the views of the
persons after death, and so on, concluding a remark- cruel part of yesterday 8 Drawing Room was to see the mountains are entirely composed of quartz and granite, peeveme, speakers.
able sermon, delivered with wonderful power and ladies waiting fer their carriages either standing or and the streams along the line of route were every-j Mr. J. Stewart, M.P., said that he could say for the
marked effect, with some observations on the general sitting on the doorsteps with a north-easterly wind where dammed up for the purpose of washing the majority of the people of Scotland that they were en-
effect iif sensationalism on society at large. blowing. Some ladies more courageous than the others, gold. He was certain, if the country were explored tirely in accord with the views of the aeeociation and
tired of waiting, walked out of the Palace thi ough the by geologists, it would be found to be extremely rich he believed that should Mr. Peter Taylor's Bill become
crowdto their carriages. Now, Sir, I just ask you, is this in gold, but where the richest auriferous regions were I law there would be a strong national feeling of indigna-
what it ought to be? Nrot so much as a cup of tea tube got had yet to be discovered. From Accra to Bocata the
et
for love or money, and, though it may not be iquette, tion.
march was over ten miles of sandy plain, but after The Duke of Richmond, in reply, said he had to
any medical man will agree that a forced abstinence that they passed through a fertile country, and thank the deputation for placing the question in such
of food from twelve o'clock till past Eleven in the en-
log is not conducive to good health. Cannot in future gained a higher altitude above the level of the sea as lucid way before him. In the position he held, it was
they proceeded. Every possible device was resorted a great advantage to have such knowledge on the
some more considerate arrangements be made for the to to render the transport of stores difficult and ex- matter. He looked upon it as a subject which ought
weaker sex? A Cmtrznos. per.eive. One small case, containing 450 rounds of to be coneidered most carefully, affecting. as it did,
1 ammunition, ei,A 3-le, for conveyance from the Volta the consciences of the great body of the people. It
Ito the Prah. The River Berem was said to he very was a subject which had been frequently brought
, rich in gold, and when it was low large quantith aof before Parliament, but up to the present time the
the precious metal were obtained from the b.:Adders Legislature had not thought fit to alter the law upon
which had previously been split open by the foice of the subject. There would be a Cabinet Council the
the current. Coming from Odoomasey to the line of nest day, and he would then lay the subject before
the Prah they found the gold pits as common and Ministers. Ile could promise the deputation that the
numerous as gravel pits were in gravel-producing. dis- question should receive. as it deserved to nexive, the
islets in this country. But from the prah the forest "'net serious considernt ion.
began, and they could never see for a hundred yards
' clear in any direction before they arrived at Coomeesie.
There was an absence of animal life here. Ther
were not even antelopes or leopards to be seen,
and no birle except a few parrots, which EVlTletilfleti
screamed from the tops of the trees. The only
things to Fe seen were outs and snakes. At Abogoo
they managed to secure some 200 sheep, but fi m
that time they never saw any living animal until they

was present at Her Majesty's Drawing
Roma, and I think the 3,000 unfortunates who have
survived the struggle, heat, and nrahlle will agree
with use that the utter want of management was most
deplorable. Being in attendance on two ladies, I went
thrnigh the first crush-room, with about 2,000 other
fellow loyal subjects of our Queen, at the exact rate
of six feet in every ten minutes, so that at the end of
the first heir and ten minutes I had, by the meet
careful tactics and by taking every possible advantage,
arrived with my charges at the door of the first ante-
room.
After two more long waits, and stampedes through
and over a series of chairs fastened together in rows,
apparently for a concert, the Presence Chamber door
was reached, and we were hurried through a narrow
1 vista, with Court officials on one side and the Royal

Tlie (cen visited the Emit:ees Etlgtinie at Chisel-
- tn saturdr.y afkimoon
The A2trieultnral Department at Washin;ton hal
i,SUCIi a highly favenrahle report reepecting the condition
of the will, wheat crop In the United Slat's. The winter
in all hoctiona has been extremely ftronratile, no preTtfrig
Beacon 4ince. the Llepartment wee crganize I having been co
Much so.