The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-20 00:00:00

Our foOrm tsrrtspuiatut.
Me dons II "lobe t• elute lesst ere to use lbws
ulestlfy ourselves with our IlessespeadouVe egluissel

The Queen has sent a present of game to the patients
of St. George's Hospital. 0. everal similar presents to
other hospitals have been thsde by her ValestY. Some
of her distinguished subjects might take the hint.
We often read of such or such a nobleman and party

-
enjoying splendid sport at so-and-so, and bagging so
many head of game. What becomes of this game?
The sporting party cannot devour it all, and even the
pampered menials must get tired of toujners perdrix.
Much of the game thus shot is, of course, sent up to
market for filthy lucre, and its owners have a perfect
right to do so. But if distinguished sportsmen —and,
undistinguished, for that matter--would send a fair
proportion of their " bags" to the hospitals, —why
some of us would not be 80 bitter against the Game
Law& _

--
The "no news" that we have recently had with
regard to the condition of the Prince of Wales has been
emphatically "good news," and what scraps of intelli-
gence we have subsequently obtained are highly satis-
factory. Among other items it has been very pleasant to
read that Dr. Gull had returned to town to resume
his ordinary duties. I presume that when the Prince
has quite recovered we shall hear that Dr. Gull has
received the honour of a baronetcy, an honour that
will certainly be well deserved. It is said that a day
of general Thanksgiving will soon be appointed, and
that her Majesty and members of the two House's of
Parliament will assist at a thanksgiving service at St.
Paul's Cathedral. How headily the nation, too, will
exhibit its spirit of thankfulness, as far as can be
judged by outward show, need not be insisted upon.
From the 23rd of November, when the first bulletin
relative to the Prince was issued, nothing in these
documents has been so cheering as the little negative
sentence of which everybody is talking—' No further
bulletin will bedssued." It would now seem to be only
a question of time and care. Time stops for no man,
and care will not be wanting. We may now look for-
ward tohis Royal Highness's re-appearance, and When
he once again appears in public, what an ovation he
will receive:
The recent speeches of several public men, of vary-
ing shades and politics, fairly lead to the conclusion
that next session is likely to be a stirring one in re-
spect to party battling. Several subjects have cropped
up during the recess, which will afford foot-hold for
the Conservatives, and we may fairly look for some
vigorous attacks, with what success remains to be
seen. Wlutt will interest the general public far more
than mere party strife will be the Budget. Shall we
have any reductions of taxation? If not, the country
wiil assuredly be considerably disappointed. The
rumour was, and a pleasant rumour it is, that the
income-tax will be reduced '2d. in the pound, and it is
said that there are to be some modifications as to the
mode of its assessment.
The Labour Representation League have issued a
stirring address to the working men electors, stating
that their cause was " betrayed " by Liberal mem-
bers, and asking the former, "Will you again submit
to renewed betrayal ! " Ac. This appeal refers to
the striking out a certain clause freeing candidates
from official expenses at elections. Now, on the
general question of the representation I will not enter,
but will merely point out that this League misses the
point, the eras 14 the whole matter. " Official ex-
penses" are but a part of the whole. If we are to have
working-men M.P.'s they must be paid. Why not
boldly acknowledge an undeniable fact?
Newspaper readers had, on the whole, probably be
come wearied with that apparently interminable
Tichborne ease, but the commencement of another
net and a change in the " cast " have revived the pub-
lic interest in this remarkable case. Whatever the
result may be, the Tichborne case will be among the
most wonderful trials that ever took place in Europe.
Of course the jury empanelled to try the Rev. J. S.
Watson could arrive at no other conclusion than that
he was guilty, and I think few.people will blame them
for witting a recommendation to mercy on acetand of
his advanced age and previous good character. The
dreadful facts and the self-conviction •could not be
gainsaid. As far as I can form an estimate of public
opinion, I think there is a general feeling of regret and
sorrow that the evidence in favour of insanity was so
weak and unsatisfactory. People appear to wish that
he conftt have been proved insane, but the failure on
this head only makes a terribly painful case still more
painful. Whether it be right or wrong I will not
argue, but I believe the prevailing opinion now to be
a hope that the wretched man will not be executed.
It is somewhat strange that it is only after the trial
and sentence that an important document is signed
and published— the testimony of five medical gentle-
men, whose names necessarily carry great weight, that
the condemned man was of unsound mind when the
dreadful deed wits perpetrated. Even taking into consi-
deration the medical evidence on the other side, the
Home Secretsurracasuld-hardly be blamed by the public
were he to give effect to this document.
Working-men are becoming excited, and not without
cause, at the interpretation which magistrates are
putting upon certain clauses in the Criminal Law
Amendment Act of last Session. Under these
clauses a workman was some little time ago sen-
tenced to a month's imprisonment for having, as
was alleged, molested another workman. The offence,
i is stated, however, merely consisted in the former
persistently asking the latter to pay money due to a
trade society, and on appeal, the Recorder quashed
the conviction. Another case is that of an engineer
who has been sentenced to two months' im-
prisonment for having intimidated and molested,
not a fellow-workman, but a master; and this convic-
tion is ti be appealed against before the Court of
Queen's Bench. It is evident, therefore, that the new
act is not yet thoroughly understood, and at present it
seems that it is more severe than the Legislature in-
tended it should be. Whatever be the decision of the
superior Court in the latter case, it is pretty certain
that an effort will be made next session to procure the
repeal or modification of the act. It is high time that
picketing should be rendered illegal, even in the
interests of working men themselves, but at the same
time masters and workmen ought to be able clearly
to understand what the new act does prohibit.
I observe that Mr. Gathorne Hardy, nr., has sent
£5O to the Charity Organisation Society. I know
nothing of this association but what I have read, com-
bined with some knowledge of the public character of
the gentlemen who manage its affairs; but this know-
ledge leads to the desire for the success of the society.
I think it would be well if similar associations were
established all over the country. Ito main objects are
to relieve real distress and repress professional mendi-
cancy and indiscriminate alms-giving, and an immense
deal of good has been done in this way. There out
to be an organisation of this kind in every large town,
and the professional beggars would have a hard time
of it, while the really distressed would far more easily
than at present obtain relief.
I ELM not at all surprised to find that the railway
traffic of the United Kingdom generally exhibits a
decided increase as compared with this time last year.
The more the railway system is extended in and about
the metropolis, the more travelling there is on each
line of branch. On several of the metropolitan lines
lately, I have noticed that the directors appear unable
to meet the enormous demands made upon their
trains. Especially is this the case on the "Under-
ground," and on the line between Ludgate and
Victoria. The traffic is really fast and furious, and
people seem to rush in anywhere, irrespective of the
class for which they have paid. That this is actually I
is to a considerable extent, must be well known to the
. directors, but at present they appear to prefer taking
things quietly.
Os die that the University boat-race will take place
on the 23rd of March, and that preliminary practice
has already commenced. This is good news. This
great contest for "the blue riband of the Thames "
deservedly unites an interest among all classes. It is
known that it is honourably rowed, and that the
honour of victory is the only prize, and this in itself
gives a dignity to the struggle for success. Were
£lO,OOO to depend on the anival at the goal, these
University athletes could not row with more thoroughly
British pluck allackeray used the word at one of his
fashionable lectures, and why not I?) than they do. In
this thoroughly commercial age of ours it is pleasant
to see honour valued above money.

MR. SPURGEON ON LONG SERMONS.—In the
mrse of an address delivered on Saturday to work-
men, Mr. Spurgeon commented on the excuses people
made for not going to church. Some persons, said'
Mr. Spurgeon, complain that they cannot understand
the sermons they hear. The reason was that ministers
would use big words. He (Mr. Spurgeon) always en-
deavoured to get rid of all the big words out of his
sermons, and was as particular as their wives were to
get the stones out of the plum-pudding. They would
get in somehow, but the main thing was to preach as
imply as possible. Long sermons, also, were a great
If a person preached a long sermon, it
•caum he had nothing to say. It might
odd, but it was nevertheless a fact,
311 people had nothing to say they took a
3 about it; but when they had got something
ling they out with it at once. Therefore, he
, when a man makes a long sermon he sets out
very little, and begins to spin, spin, spin. He
the same opinion as Dr. Chalmers, who was
Ihow long it took to make asermon. "That,"
"depended upon how long you wanted it.
sermon is to be half an hour long it will take
see days. If it is to be three-quarters of an
may take you two days, or perhaps only one;
on are going to preach for an hour, why there
such occasion to think a great deal about it. it
done in an hour."

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