The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-16 00:00:00

DEAN STANLEY ON ENGLAND'S
ADVANTAGES.

On Sunday morning the Dean of Westminster
preached at the Abbey for the first time after a
lengthened absence, and, although the service com-
mences at the early hour of ten o'clock, and the morn-
ing was bitterly cold, the building was crowded. In
the course of an able sermon the dean found occasion
to refer to the great natural bulwarks which sur-
rounded the kingdom of the Jews in Palestine,
and said that the valley of the Jordon, the
deepest fissure that exists on the face of the earth,
was so deep as to have its own pee aliar tropic...l
vegetation and its own mysterious history. Then,
turning to our "island home," he continued "Let
us, too, think for ourselves, as we read the words of the
Psalmist, bow mach of our repose, of our wealth, and
of our comfort depend on the physical features of our
own country, to which, after our summer or autumn
wanderings, we return home, and in which our duty
and our happiness lie. Think of the vast treasures
which God has laid up in those deep places of our land
which have been the secret of so much of our power
—those mines of coal which feed the fires of our
with

homes, our manufactories, and our steamships, _
their sails and flame, whereby we traverse the
'globe. Think also of that 'silver streak 'of sea,
those iron-bound coasts which have given Us Mg iso-
lated position, our rugged firmness, our impregnable
independence. 'Underneath the waters of the narrow
channel, scientific explorers tell ns, there still may be
discerned the forests which in former ages united the
forests of England with the forestt of the adjacent con-
tinent. What a marvellous providence, hardly less
than the passage of the Red Sea, was the great unknown
convulsion of nature which overwhelmed that green
valley with the salt waters of a raging sea, and rent
asunder the chalky cliffs on Either side and left our
island like a gallant ship to fight its way alone with its
own insular character through the tumults of the
world."

A RAILWAY ACCIDENT CASE,
The cause of " Swanborough and Wife v. the
Metropolitan Railway Company" was before the
Court of Queen's Bench on Monday. The action,
It will perhaps be remembered, was tried before
Mr. Justice Hannen at the last Middlesex sit-
tings, when the jury returned a verdict for the
plaintiff, damages £1,600 for personal injuries
of • serious character received by the plaintiff's
wife, who is known in theatncal oinks as
Miss Button, in a collision that took place
on the defendant's line near South Kensington
station on the 2nd of August, 1871. She was
thrown on the floor of the carriage, and was in.
sensible for some time. She was cut across the fore-
head, her knee was hurt, sad she was much shaken.
She wag unable to move about with that ease and
grace she was capable of doing previously, and her
memory was so impared that she was unable to grasp
and study her parts as before the accident. The de-
fendant had paid £1,200 into court in order to stay ex-
ecution and moved to reduce the damages.
- 'or a re'
damages
-ot be

Mr. Chambers, Q.C., now moved for a rule nisi
for a new trial, on the ground that the dam%
were excessive, or why the damages should not
materially reduced. He thought that, amongst oth
matters, too much strees was laid on the cut across
the lady's forehead.

The Lord Chief Justice said a formidable scar across
her forehead was calculated to affect her appearance
on the stage when playing youthful parts. A good-
looking lady would consider such a thing damaging to
her appearance, much more so an actress.

Mr. Chambers said there was too much conjecture
and eentiment introduced into it as to her being dis-
figured for life.

_
The Lord Chief Justice paid it was not a matter of
'sentiment, but a matter of fact.

Mr. Justice Blackburn said it was a serious thing for
an unmarried lady to have a scar across her forehead,
though perhaps less so to a married lady—(laughter)—
but that it was a more !seri ms injury to an actress in
her profession. It was doubtful if, after such a shock.
she would be so good an actress as she was before, and
that ought to be taken into account in assessing
damages.
Mr. Chambers said the defendants felt that they
could not yield to that sentimental kind of verdict that
was often given by juries unjustly with reference to
the actual damage sustained, and most injurious to
those who had through an accident, to pay such
damages as such juries assessed.

The Lord Chief Justioe said there was no ground
for disturbing the verdict. Itappeared that in all pro-
bability this lady would be dirqualified from exertion,
her profession for two years from the time of the
aocident. At that time she was earning ES per week,
which was supplemented by starring and benefits,
and there was evidence that led to the conclusion that
her talent was developing iteelf from day to day,
from which she would speedily acquire a higher salary.
In accidents of this had, where there were fair
grounds for thinking that sufferers had lost in a
pecuniary point of view, it was but lair that they

in al pro.
en
. ..