The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-03-28 00:00:00

REMARKS ON PASSING EVENTS.

WV'ism Wortley, condemned to death at the Bedford
Sallies for the murder of William Bradbury, at Luton, is to
be executed on the 31st instant. The Bedford borough
magistrates have memorialized the Government tqr hurry
through the l'rlvate Executions BM in time to meet this
case. A requisition to commute Worsley's sentence is also
being signed, on the grout that Levi Welch, who was sen-
tenced to fourteen years' transportation for lodating to rob
the murdered man, was equally culpable with Mi companion
In the brutal crime.

The thirteenth annual report of the Registrar-General, re-
lating to the year 1807, has beet. published. It shows that
llt IS births, 69,024 deaths, and 22,521 ...arrives were
registered In Scotland during the year and when these
nunilmrs are compared with the estimated reputation, it
appears that the proportion of births considerably exceeded
the average of the ten previous years, that the proportion of
deaths fell below the average, while the marriages were in
the exact average proportion of the ten previous)ears.

There seems every probability that the question of
technical Instruction for Scotland, will now be taken up
with great earnestness. Conferences and meetings of a vet y
numerous and influential character have been held in
Edinburgh, Leith. and the neighbourhood during the past
week Dr. Playfair, Mr. Scott Russell, Mr. Buckmaster,
Professor Thomson, and others, have addressed large and
enthusiastic meetings. Nearly a thousand skilled workmen
were present at a meeting held in the Led ure Hall of the
Industrial Museum on Saturday. An influential committee
has been formed to conduct the examinations of the Science
and Art Department.

The Mil no amended In committee for amending the laws
relating to election petitions, and providing more effectually
for the prevention of corrupt practices at elections, has been
• issued. After providing for matters in connection with the
presentation of petitions to Parliament in reference to elec-
tions, the hilt states that the trial of such petitions shall be
conducted by one or two of the judges of the superior courts
of common law, not members of the House of Lords. Those
Judges shall be styled "the honorary justices of the Court of
Common Picas;" shall have the same rank, salary, pension,
,tc. se if they hail conflicted to be ordinary justices and
shall not be required to perform any other duties than those
stated In the bill. The bill then lays down rules for the trial
of petition. The report of the judges on any petition is to
be treated exactly as a report of a Parliamentary election
committee; and he submitted to the House of Commons.

A deputation of more than ordinary weight and influence
waited upon the Prime Minister on Tuesday afternoon at
his official residence in Downing-street, on the subject of
locally rating the various charitable institutions of the
country. The Earl of liarrowby introduced the deputation
as one which represented nearly all the charities in England
and Scotland. His Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge,
as President of Christ's Hospital, first addressed the Premier
and was followed by Archbishop Manning, Messrs. Lingham,
Hoare, Baines, M. P., de. Mr. Disraeli promised that the
question should be carefully considered by the Cabinet.
Later In the afternoon another deputation waited upon Mr.
Disraeli to press up-n him, as head of the Government, the
application made a few weeks ago to the Lord President of
the Council for a grant in aid of the extension scheme of
Owen's College.

Mr. T. II ughes, M.P., presided in London on Monday
evening at a meeting held at the Lambeth baths to promote
the establishment of a cooperative provision store for the
working classes. Mr. Ilughes advised the working men to
work heartily and earnestly in this movement if they joined
it at all, and said that he was not frightened by the threats that
had for some time been circulated among the electors of
Lambeth, that the tradespeople would forsake him if he did
not give up his advocacy and promotion of co-operation.
If it were necessary to choose between the two he would
not relinquish what he had considered for twenty years, and
still believed, would prove a great benefit to the working men
of England. However, he had no fear, whatever the shop-
keepers might do, but that the working men of the great and
Important borough of Lambeth would corns forward in all
their strength to ensure his re-election.

On Monday a deputation front the corporation of Birming-
ham waited upon Mr. Disraeli at his official residence,
Dawning-street, and presented a memorial on the subject
of national education. The deputation, which was intro-
duced by Mr. Dixon, M. P. consisted of the Mayor ,Mr.
Thomas Avery), Alderman Sadler, Councillor Edwards, anti
Mr. Stantibridge, the town clerk. The memorial recom-
mended the introduction into Parliament of a comprehen-
sive measure ot national education, based on local rating
and management in union with State aid, and including com-
pulsory provisions directed against parents who neglected to
avail themselves of the means of education so afferded.
Alderman Sadler mentioned that the Factory Act had re-
cently been extended to the trades in Birmingham, and
manufactureru had found it more convenient to discharge
the children in their employ than submit to the regulations
imposed by the Act. Those children were now wandering
about the streets, and elle corporation was utterly unable to
provide them with education. Mr. Disraeli expressed his
pleasure at meeting the deputation, and said that the Lord
President of the Council would introduce a Government
measure on the subject of education.