The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

tirtE PMOTTIIII-kilIG-V, OtgERVEM

Ibig
SCENES from the BRIGHTON REVIEW. force, and this ludicated to the spectators on the Wooden-
dean-hill what General Lysons' disposition of forces was
likely to lie; but eleven o'clock came, and half-past eleven.
Ttl an interesting sketch by the lareeeial Correspon- and still., signal gun was fired, and the waiting began to grow
dent of the Daily 11",ara, aft, obscrit;ing the departure theil%.e:
LlFrougithg, just to the mande of a quartan to twelve,
en did retch all ears for miles round,
fr 'vi: Loatiell aud the arlaval at Frighten, the writer er..! a Attention" was Intense for the next two or three
~mtinues tea t the end of which skirmishers were seen
to au .-eilmast biles when the order "Forward " wee et a a . - ' e u all directions from ;`. ridge: n
the lion. Artillery COlKtipiy a eding the ea; , utieleht up the .' ' ',lei 1:r an uede U the . en teem:eat Hors-
elle Happily shout thfli moment the uky cheered ma Cm I tord's extreme neat end : . 11 of Woedendean
ae, sued : all eeeie add rays that lespired a faint teao had hl,l hr ;ht to 1 ...- en ow-, reirndshers, it wont
the ground on the Level was detestably soft, and the chalky have been impossible for them tur descend as he as they did
mud of Brighton has a peculiar property of To, 11,0 towards the volley without receiving a decisive check, if not
netts, garments the appe lainve of 'mein.; been lately sustaining total a/main:Mien ; but for some cause or other
handle' inch a shaving brush. The read up the hill to artillery was not brought to bear upon them for some
the. Downs wan equally ...eked with the lute rains, minutes. In the meentime the enemy's cavalry was emerging
but the step was firm, uevertheless, and the condition from behind the Barn and from general Honford's right
of the lien ou Arriving on the huighta t verything that skinnieliers were rapidly throws out, and, under cover of the
could be desired. The town was by this Hine getting into a batteries on the extreme right, advanced to check the
wild state rof excitement, and people were busily Preparing enemy. Front the ridges between the Baru and la ewnell ket
to leave for the sent of War t'abS, which were ready to lull infantry poured down by various paths, but caiverged
do builuese Oil strictly moderato principles an hour in a mass about nails ay believes the two points. Cavalry
ago, now refused to stir uuder nre shillings rising elmreed on either side, but without any decisive effect.
sixpence every .inarter of an hour. Mr. Disraeli's There were not more than 150 of them with each army, so
" fair and fond horsewomeli " was by no means a rarity, that it was not expected that they should play any very pro-
se:no very handeeme equipages, fours in hand, and henna part in the operations. The advance of the attack.
drags were driving up and down the Parade, and as ing army was supported by artillery from the ridges ; but
the vareotta riding schools had been emptied of their Lord Truro's Batteries and those of the let Silasvi Artillery
live lama it was but natural that an occasional heater kept up a tremendous fire against the centre of General
holiday nicker, with his trousers half way up at the knee, Lysoffs line.
and his arm affectionately hugging tie steed's neck, Within a few minutes the battle was raging in a semi'
should already come in for a fair share of admiration and circle on both rides: and for mine time the struggle seemed
banter. to be a doubtful one. Evidently the attacking army was
The expreas and excursion trains from London had also getting the worst of it on Lyseme left immediately below
commenced to pour their multitudes into the town, and by the Barn. Colonel Parke's Brigade was outflanking him, but
the numbers that crowded, panted, and laboured uphill, it round in the direction of General Hereford's centre and left
would seem as though the fond expectations of the railway the enemy was literally pouring down infantry into the
company were fully realised. valley. The end and 3rd Brigades were advanced to check
Every cowl is said to lead to Rome, anti by the same token the approach of the skirmishers, who, having gained the
every Brighton street leads to the Racecourse and the Grand hollow, commenced the ascent of the Downs on the Brighton
Stand. A very sumptuous breakfast haul been provided by side. From Woudendean.lall to the Warren Farm, all almost
the town council in the Pavilion—but the attractions outside simultaneous advance was made all down the slopes, and
were doubtless greater, far the greater part of the mats being for threeeinal tors of an hour the rattle of musketry and the
unoccupied. Whatever was done in the way of repast and booming of cannon were deafening. The changes of position
refreshment was gone through—and with apparent zest on e ere frequent on Hereford's side, and though these were not
the Deans—under the pavilion of nature and in the enjoyment executed with all that precision which waa witnessed on one
of a decoration which the greatest painters have vainly en- or two of the great occasions in the Hampshire alaraeutaes,
deavoureul to reproduce. Your thoroughbred Londoner is a when the regular troops had to meet a staiden and over-
man of coal and brick, but when he gets a glinmse of the real, whelming onslaught, there was a prompt obedience on the
fresh, honest country he knows how to enjoy and appreciate part of the Volunteers which showed that they are quite
it icon CAll see that he is not selves. the mythical origiu sialiciently trained to derive very great benefit from each
of his name must have Mutat back to very remote ages in- strategic movements as that in which they were engaged.
Two portions of the contending forces did certainly
deed—for there is none of that doltish, etupid stare about
him that indicate a total ignorance of the natural He find themselves in a position which world have been amply
is a wideawake man ; there are few who have not
impessible is actual warfare. A line of Lysons' skirmishers
a
WasapproaChitig in the direction of Woodendeamhill when a
speaking acquaintance with one costermenger at least,
and what crop there was on the fields became double line of ilorsford's infantry was lying down and keep.
a ma ter of considerable interest tut the sub- ing up a Are at some object opposite to them. The advancine
.me view oi the ocean, shaded by the clouds to eeirmishers nial those lying on the ground were at right
a deep blue-green, and lighted up at the far horizon with a eagles to each other, at a distance of only a very few hundred
bright streak of sunlight, dotted with a few glitterieg yards, butt they were so mutually aceommodatieg as not to
sails, and rolling in steadily with mighty sweep, could not disturb the order of this arrangement.
but impress them deeply. It is a sight that cannot be When the fight had been earl* don between Lysons'
enjoyed by the population of any other large European ceetre and right and iloreford's centre and left for nearly
capital. Paris knows it not; Berlin, Vienna, St. Peters- three-quarters of an hour, Colonel Parkes Brigade had sua
burg, and Madrid would no doubt give something hand- ceeded in turning the enemy's left and forcing it to retreat
semethieg to be within an hours ride of a view that up the heights under cover of the Batteries. This enabled
never changes, and is never anything but sublime. General Hursforul to bring up retuforesenente to his centre
The racecourse was already tilled wall a goodly crowd of from his right, at the eame time as his Second Division, en
the k•ft, opposed the elven.: from the centre, which wes
spectators. They were mostly of the lower classes, decently
now nwile mere serious by a deployment Mach Lysons sue-
dressed and wellambaved, apparently uletermined to be
ceeded h, effecting on his right from fie ridges at ale a--
amused, and entering with energy into the various pastimes
market-hill ; but
l still there pea the danger that the
that had been provided for them by the inevitable and far-
attack hy Lysene• eft might be reuewed, for the infantry
seeing lees at supply and demand. There were net many
and Cavalry which had retired were still in sight on the
income-tax payers anyet , I should roughly estimate the sum
brow of the hill near the Baru. tauter these circumstances,
derived from that source, as there represented, at a thous-
Parke's brigade wheeled route', and while remaining in its
and {wands. Nevertheless, the Aunt Sallies, the cocoa
position on the right of the Division directed a well.sus-
nuts, the " three shies a penny," the merry-go-rounds, and
tained fire on the flealk of Lysons' centre. But still it was
whatever else the imagination may please to picture to
evhlent that the Lewes troops were makieg their advance
itself, were in great request. The far away hills were lined
further and further into Hereford's left centre, and that
MIA a black mass of spectaters, and in the valley
if the battle was to be continued he mull retire and take
parts of the 15th and 6th Brigades were poeted in re.
up a new position. Under these circurestanees, the Um-
serve, 'lime firing, which was anxiously looked oat for,
pins mdered the tiring to cease. The battle could scarcely
did not commence till after twelve, but when from the be repueled as a ulecisive one, for oven in a new position
extreme right the white cloud floated airy from the
tieneral Ilonford might give the defenders of Eneland
summit of the hill, and the dull boom of the signal gun
semething to do before they could fight their way back into
fell upon our ears, there Inns an immediate rush in Viet
direction. There was no danger that the crowd Bright Ons
should at the outset interfere with the movements of the
troops, fir the walk from the town to the racecourse had
alrealy satisfied most pedestrians, and the attacking forces
were at least two nines ahead, and coUld only be recognised
by the douse appearance which they presented in the valley
or against the crest of a hill : Bed by the occaelonal sput-
tering of the skinniehers in front.
Presently, however, there was a cry of "They come !"
and a certain activity was discernable amongst the reserves.
The hulls that touched the henzon new became lined with a
long file of skirmishers, and the fight Menne begun in real
earnest, was watched with ignorant. but none the less un-
broken attention. eresently, too, the batteries began to play
In every direction, and vast clouds of smoke swept over the
hills. Then the heavy lapeueder battery won brought up
from the reserve and posted near the south side of
Warren Farm. It is needle. to say that the opera-
tions of the artillery became immediately the centre of
attraction ; and notaithetanding the deafenine effect which
their reports Mel liptin the ears of the bystaulere, they pu r-
elated in meal.; round oath one, with both ears se-
curely protected, and ready with a chorus of excle-
mations when the word "Fire I" was given. The eum.
brow machines were drawn by six dray-horses each,
and it was probably somewhat amushig to the mili-
tary critics to hear the non-professional's " Whoa back !"
and "Gee tip I" whelewith the smoca-frocked artillerst
pro fens, managed his sturdy team. The laymen were un-
snaring in their remarks and gentle insinuations; nor
did the giumers, aulmirably as thu hr work was performed,
eseape with' nt comment. There was a happy absence of for-
mality about the opieions expressed : indeed, the a tudienee may
be seidtobave been infected with what rare lieu Johuson calls
an" itching leprommy of wit: "lilt tilt men were ernairt at their
work, and they knew it. There was wide iii their counte-
Bailees, mid pleasure in their eyes, as they performed thew
preferesional amities about the inetruments of war; and those
behind them calmly contemplated, amid even rejeleal, in the
utter annihiletion of the enemy, chose nose was juet antic'',
leg over the creek of the hill.
How the fight went, who was winning or losing, pobuely
seemed to know or care about, and even when the extreme
left wing opened a miuderous fire upon some person or
persons unkeown the strategical meaning of the manoeuvre
was not in the least inquiral into. There illin a
sudden halt after this, and a general feeling that
It was •' All over," whereupon a " skedaddle" to
the Grand Stand became a matter of primitive
necessity. The crowd had now become Immense and
the crush just about the Stand was at one moment
inconvenient : but u hen it became plain that there was
as good a view to be obtained anywhere else the cleave
spread itself with intelligent rapidity on both sides, Las hug
the course open for the troops, who could be seen massed
In dense squares about half a mile to the north. There
was no lack of fun even then. The British public is as
innocent as a child, and draws its recreation from the very
heavens. A sudden though very brief shower of rain caused
endless laughter, fuel a company of Ethiopians, who re-
hearsed the marvellous adventures of one Samson wtn
walked away out of the town with the gates on las hook,
gained as much attention as a deserving citamissionary hard
by, who was singing the " Old Hundredth' within a small
and devout circle of adherents.

-
—Foegtex FINANCZ.—The Committee of the
French National Assembly on the Customs' Tar"
though it hats agreed with M. Thiers to impose duties
on "skins, wool, oh, and oleaginous seeds," is, we are
told by telegram, still adverse to taxation of textile
fabrics, with or without dr,wbaclf. As a case of textile
fabric, with drawback, Mr. Pilgarlick instances a
blister plaster spread upon linen, to be applied be-
tween the shoulders.—Puncit.
THE DEFAH ATION OF CHARACTER BILL—On
Surslay printed copies of the Defamation of Private
Character Bill (prepared and brought in by Mr. Raikes,
Mr. (ross, and Mr. Denman) were issued to order of
the House of Commons. The bill, after reciting
previous acts, and pronouncing on their inefficiency to
deter, enacts that persons convicted of disseminating
libel may, in addition to the punishments awarded by
previous enactments, be sentenced to be kept to hard
labour, and (if a male) be once, twice, or thrice '
privately whipped. Clause f runs as follows :-
"Whosoever shall accuse or threaten to accuse, or send,
deliver, or utter, or directly or indirectly cause to be received,
knowing the contents thereof, any letter or writing accusing
or threatening to accrue any woman of unchastity, with a
view or intent to exort or gam by means of such accusation,
letter, or writing any property, chattel, money, valuable
security, or other valuable thing from any nelson, shall be
guilty of felony, and being convicted thereof shall be liable,
at the discretion of the court, to suffer the punishment
awarded by the sail itath and 47th sections of the said act of
the session of. the 24th and 25th years of the reign of her
present Nlajesty, chapteraki, as altered by the second section
of the said act of the session en the 27th and 20th years of
the reig.i iif her present Majesty and the last preceding
section of this act."
•

AUSTRALIAN MEAT.—The Governor reports
ss follows to the Prison_ Committee of the Town
. .

..... -
Council at Dover on the 12th inst. :
" A trial of Australian preserved meat has been made in
the prison.. I have now to report that! found it an excellent
substitute for, and superior to, 'fresh boneless beef,' arid
that when used as such a saving of 50 per cent. is effected.
The whole of the prisoners (who were entitled to meat), with
but one exception, were satisfied with it, the exception being
a female, who has since been glad to cat it. I beg to give
you the following extract from the surgeon's journal :
' Having examined a portion of the Australian meat used in
the Borough prison, I certify that i is very good and
nourishing.'"
POST OFFICE SAVINGS' BANKS. —A return
was issued on Saturday showing the number and
amount of deposita in and withdrawals from the Post
Office Savings' Banks from the commencement,
on the 16th day of September, 1861, to the
16th (lay of September, 1871; together with the
amount transferred from old savings' banks, and the
balance due to depositors the amount paid to and
received from the National Debt Commissioners, and
the balance remaining to be paid to them on the above
dale. The deposits in the period amounted tin
£44,198,743 19s. 7(1., and the withdrawals to
£28,044,539 15s. The amount transferred from old
savings' banks was £2,604,688 ss. lid,; the balance
due to depositors, £16,154,204 4s. DL; the amount
paid to the National Debt Commissioner!, £35,972,280
19s. Bd. ; the amount received from the National Debt
Commissioners, £30,050 Os. 11d.; and the balance
remaining to be paid to the National Debt Commis-
sioners, £211,975 ss. 101.
NEWS FROM PARIS !—The Paris correspond-
ent of the Daily News writes :
Thanks to a well-informed correspondent which the Liberte
keeps in London to explain to Frenchmen the manners and
customs of the United Kingdom, I know something more of
the great boat.race than even the Daily Netc4 has published.
I have the satisfaction of learning from the LiberU that,
pursuant to invariable custom, the Archbishops of Canter-
bury and York and the Bishop of London were in a ferry
boat looking at the race ; that " almost all" the members of
both liousea of Parliament, "particularly the Lords," were
among the spectators; that the conquerors and the con-
quered dined together in a friendly manner at the "Cock
Pheasant " when "the fight was done," and all alike frater-
nised under the table in a state of drunkenness at the end
of the bouquet; and, finally, that b, the course of Sunday
fifty suicides among the backers of Oxford were committed
in Loudon, but that these kind of things were too common
; to excite any attention. It is an ungrateful task to send
coals to Newcastle, still, as the above items seem to have
' escaped the vigilance of your owu reporters, I hope you will
take them f rom me.

INFLUEN CE OF SEX ON HEART-DISEASE.—Those
ladies who suffer from the distracting grievance and
disability of being treated too much as drawing-room
pets, and shielded too carefully from the rougher blows
of the battle of his, may possibly learn resignation, if
they cannot derive complete consolation, from some
dry but significant researches which Dr. Quoin has
made, and of which he stated the result in his first
Lumleian Lecture on Diseases of the Heart at the
College of Physicians (says the British Medical
Joitinial). Enlargement of the heart, one of the most
distressing and fatal diseases, is more than twice as
frequent in insides as in females, the precise proportion
being eight to three. This remarkable liability to en-
largement of men's hearts, as compared with those of
women, is, he thinks, unquestionably due to the
greater amount of work and anxiety which, under the
!argent dispensation, falls upon men. Ladies may take
this fact to heart, and reflect whether, in elahning the
rights of women, they may not at the same time incur
the risks of men, and with them a new and unexpected
form of disability. They might do wisely to rest con-
tent for their sex, with hearts suffering, it may be,
Irons those tender affections which often pain, but never
kith
COLLIERY Ricagna.—lt will be recollected
that in the early part of 1870 a serious colliery riot
occurred at Thorncliffe, near Barnsley, where some
hundreds of men were on strike. At an early hour on
the 21st of January upwards of 1,000 unionists marched
in a body to Thorncliffe, and attacked and sacked
several of the housespf the non-unionists. 'The windows
and frames as well as the doors were demolished, while
several attempts were made to set the places on fire
after the furniture was destroyed. The rioters after-
wards had a fight with is body of police, who caused
them to beat a precipitate retreat. A number of the
rioters were afterwards apprehended, and three of the
leaders were sentenced to be imprisoned for five years.
It DOW app. are that, through the intervention of Mr.
Mundella, M. P., an unconditional pardon is about to
Ise granted to the prisoners. The following letter has
been forwarded to Mr. Muiadella on the subject:
" Whitehall, March 20, 1872.—Sir,—The Secretary of Stine
for the Home Department, having considered your appli
cation on behalf ot John Beevors, George Bradley, and Joseph
Tipping. I have satisfaction to acquaint you that he has felt
warranted, under all the eirministancds, in advising Her
Majesty to remit the remainder of their sentences. I am, Sir,
your oliedient servant, A. F. 0. LUMELL. A. J. Mundella.
Esq., 111 P."
A RELIC OF THE AMERICAN CIVIL WAR.—The
Detroit Tribune mentions the return to that city, from
Hampton Roads, Virginia, of two divers who have been
engaged in searching the wreck of the old frigate Cunt-
berland, sunk at that place during the war by the rebel
ram Merrimac. There was a considerable quanity of
money aboard ; but after several vain attempts to re-
cover it the wreck was abandoned by the Government.
A short time since a number of gentlemen of Detroit
and Cleveland determined to endeavour to recover it,
and procured for that purpose the services of these two
divers. They also, however, have been unsuccessful in
the accomplishment of the main object ; but a number
of valuable brains cannon have been raised from the
wreck, which richly rewarded the euterprise. The
divers state that the wreck has almost gone to pieces.
The cabins and upper works have entirely disappeared,
and, by reason of the bolts, Sze., being rusted and eaten
by the action of the saltwater, a considerable quanity
of the hull has fallen away. The parts which still re-
main intact are those fastened by copper boltis and
spikes, upon which salt water has no damaging effect.
THE "CIRCUS WOMAN I "—Mrs. DII Cane,
the wife of the Governor of Tasmania, recently met
with a somewhat singular adventure. A daughter of
Lord Lyndhurst, she inherits some of the strongly
I marked features of her father's character, and is by no
means a conventional granite dame. She takes an
active part in the management of the hospital, nurses
the sick with her own hands, and is very fond of
! solitary drives in a sort of tilbury, her horse being
gaily caparisoned si /a Reuse with a number of jingling
bells. A few days ago she got into a neighbourhood
! where she was not known, and pulling up to enjoy a
lovely bit of scenery, found herself surrounded by a
group of children. "Oh come here, here's the circus
woman, let's find out where she is going to put up the
tent." She tried at first to tuadefrive them, but it was
useless; they would have it that she was going to
"pitch" somewhere near their village, and were eager
to point out a good spot. At last she entered into the
epirit of the thing, allowed them to show her convenient
locality, and after hoaxing them with a most graphic
account of the wonders of her show, was allsoved to
drive away in peace. This little adventure has made
her more enamoured than ever of her solitary drives.
She has found that as a "circus woman" she was more
an object of interest than as the wife of a governor.
AN AORICTJLT URAL STRIKE. —A strike of
heat.--Punch.
THE FATE OF DR. LIVINGSTONE.—In the
course of a leans e at Ryde, last week, the Rev.
1101 ert Moffatt, the African missionary, referred to
his eon-in-law, Dr. Livingsstone, expressing his opinion
that he was quite safe, but was simply without re-
sources. His impression was that he was staying at
the head-quarters of some chief, who, finding him
friendly, and believing he was a great man, took
charge of him, partly under an impression that he
would be well pail when resources arrived for the
traveller. It was evident that Dr. Livingstone was
unable to pay his way, and nobody could get on under
those circumstances. He (Mr. Moffatt) had been
1,500 miles into the interior, and knew the habits of
the people as well as any European living, and he felt
positive that Dr. Livingstone was still alive, for had
he been dead be was sure definite news would have
reached England long ago.
TRAITORS.—A Society exists in London call-
ing itself "The 'Union." We confess to a little sur-
prise at finding that a society bearing such a name
could have a discussion, and decide "that early mar-
riagee are undesirable."—Punch.
A SUDDEN DEATH IN LONDON. —On Good
Friday evening, shortly before 10 o'clock, a down
Kensington train was about being started from the
Portland-road station of the Metropolitan line, when
, the guard notices! a well dressed young lady lying
! almost insensible on the seat of a second-class carriage.
She Was removed to the ladies' waiting room, where
Mrs: Vincent, the attendant, tried to restore her, but
without effect. She was ultimately taken ins crab to the
Middlesex Hospital, and though immediately attended
to by the house physician, she remained unconseious
until between 2 and 3 p.m. on Saturday, when she
died. The body was afterwards; recognised as that
of Miss Ann 'Marian Hilliers, aged 20, who had
been residing with the family of a gentleman at Ken-
singtan. It appears that on Good Friday morning
the deceased left home to visit some friends in Everett-
street, Brunswick-square, with whom she spent the
! afternoon and evening. As she had to return home by
the Metropolitan Railway, the proper station for her
to have started from was Goweratreet, but in her
dress pocket there wee a ticket issued for Kensington
:at Farringdon-ruad. The reason of her going out of
i her way to that station is not lrnowin—[With reference
to the last part of this paragraph, in which it is stated
that she had ha her pocket a ticket for Kensington,
which had been issued at Farringdon-street, and that
the reason of her going out of the way to that station
was not known, Captain H. P. de Kantsow writes to
The Times, to say that the latter part of the statement
is erroneous. The deceased was returnii.g quietly from
a visit ip Farringdon-street to her duties in his house,
where she was much respected and esteemed, when she
was taken with the sudden illness that caused her
death.]--In inquest has been held, when the jury re-
turned a verdict of "Death from natural canam",