The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-09 00:00:00

,Vonbon Cornspolibtnt.
[We Aaiun It right to state that we do not at all timed
.lentify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.)

The principal measure of the Government for the
present session—the Licensing Act Amendment Bill—
has naturally been the subject of much discussion, and
as the laws affecting the sale of intoxicating drinks
excite quite as much feeling as religious or political
controversy, I shall say nothing in this column to
kheighten it. The extension of the hdier of closing bt
Londoia lkozza twelve- to half-peat had, it is generany
understood, been agreed upon by the late Ministry-,
seal would have been embodied in a bill had they re-
mained in office. By thus extending the time half an
hour, the liaise Secratary ....,I.les the theatre-geera
anal the large number of hands employed at these
Places to ebtain tefreshinent sin leas ihg the
Withollt to houses fir th at
purpose in the immediate neighbourhood. There
is another class of house whose special licenses
Mr. Cross would abolish by his bill, and these
are for the exclusive accommodation ef those
who are engaged in getting out the morning papers.
No one who is not so employed can obtain admittance, ,
and the fact that these have been accessible between
two and five in the morning has often proved a great'
convenience to many who are performing an exhaustive
labour. The doors are guarded by men who know well
the faces of their customers, and only those with
whom they are so acquainted are permitted to enter.
The intention of the new bill to shut up these places
causes much lamentation in Fleet-street, where the
aces of the journals stand so thickly together, and
the unhappy people at work there will be unable in
future to obtain anything between half-past twelve and
five o'clock unless they can bring sufficient pressure to
bear upon the Home Secretary to induce him to
favourably consider their case. The necessity for some
such accommodation has hitherto been recognized by
every minister who has ruled at the Home office.
There are also the houses in the immediate vicinity
of Covent Garden Market which would be shut
up all night by the proposed abolition of all
exemptions. Often enough at four o'clock on a cold
minter mornieg has a half-frozen carter, who has made
a journey of several miles from the country, been glad
enough .4 such a revival as can here be afforded.
l'here is one remarkable fact in connection with this
subject, which partially accounts for that elasticity in
the revenue so often a topic of conunent from the
Chancellor of the Exchequer, of whatever political
creed he may be. That is, that since Lord Aberdare's
Act f 187'2 Caine into aperation, while the number of
publicheusee has become fewer, the consumption of
beer and elicits has largely increased. In 1869, thirty
million gallons of spirits were consumed ; in 1873,
thirty-nine millions. During the same period, the use
of malt fer Leer increased by deven million bushele,
and the consumption of wine has gr awn by four million
gallons. Such facts tell very strongly of the ex-
traordinary prooperity which the country, and more
especially the wage-paid portion of the population, has
lately enjoyed.
The ball at the Matision Howse to the Duke and
hicheseef Edinburgh was one of the most magnificent
gatherings which the Civic Palace has witnessed. The
decorations were upon the most lavish and splendid
scale, mei the Lord Mayor kindly allowed his official
t.• be thrown al-en for the inspection of the
public fee several hours on the following day. In
addition to the Duke and Duchess, the members of
the Royal family present were the Prince and Princess
of Wales, the Duke of Cambridge, the Duke of Trek,
and the Grand- Duke of Al esklenburg-Strelith There
were about 900 guests; anal the Royal party did not
leave the Mansion House nail half-past one in the
morning. Seine serprise has been expressed that the
sell didnot take place at the Guildhall, a much larger
building, flllll one which would have accenuraslated
many hotels als more than the Lord Mayor could
receive at the Mans' name. Occasions of t' is
kind are, lsa,wcier, governed by strict etiquette, fir
it is eenerally undendoed that Guildhall is
used only for the entertainment of a reigning sove-
reign. For instance, that was the scene of the
festivities last year in honour of the Shah of Persia,
and it is at Guildhall that the Czar will be received,
when his Imperial Majesty pays his approaching
visit to the City. Fancy the Emperor .4 all the
Itussias being presented with the civic freedom ! And
what a contrast to the story of this time twenty years,
when we were preparing to attack Sebastopol, the
great stronghold of Russia in the Black Sea! His
Majesty, who will spend a day 41r two at Berlin with
his; uncle, the German Emperor, en 'wife to England,
is 'Token ef as a fine, handeome twin, as indeed was
his father Is-fare him. During his brief soj. emu with
us he will be lodged with every marreundin; .4 state
in Windsor Castle, a residence with which his
datuditer, the Duch.es .4 Edinburgh, is much de-
lighted. The most complete arrangements have been
made tar give a cordial welcome to the august
monarch who will 81.11 be amongst us.
The propriety of issuing a Royal Commission to in-
quire into the causes of railway accidents will be gene-
rally endorsed by the public. It appears that in the
year 1872 there were 246 accidents, returned as such
by the railway companies themselves to the Board of
Trade. In three casualties upwards of 1,100 persons
were killed, and mere than 3,000 were injured ; and
238 out of the 216 accidents were classed as preventable.
What particularly concerns the public is that the
number ef Collisions ShOWIS an alarming tendency to in-
crease, This has been developed more especially since
1870. One cause of corny a f these catastrophes un-
doubtedly is a want .4 punctuality. Formerly the
arris al .4 a train could he depended upon almost with
the certainty of a rise 14 the tide, but this has Ia 'rag
ceased to be the case. Punctuality is now the ex-
eeption ; consequently a complicated system suffers
perpetual derangement, anal loss .4 life is the reshlt.
Two or three years ago a gun if vast power was
constructed in the factories of the Royal Arsenal, to
which the mime " The W... dwich Infant" was
playfully given. It weighed 35 tons, awl was! alieved
tar have reached the limits of construction of whieh
modem artillery was capable. We are now tbl that
a series of colossal cannen has been &gigue i which
will throw it completely into the shade. Emir .4
these are intended to form the armament of the in et.
clad Inflexible, and each weighs about 81 tons. The
length of the Vlll is 27 fret, and it will throw a shot
ft-ins 1,000 11, to 1.20011-h i,i wrigllt. A charge
of 200 this. of powder will Le necessary to fire it, anal
eompetent autheritiee estimate that it would penetrate
79 or 20 inches of armour, with their backing, at a
distance ef 5010 yards. With facts like these before
them, it is not to be wondered at that the Lords of
the Admiralty 111,itate to order the building of a lare
number of irenehele, seeing that the most powerful
',hip afloat ceufil easily be knocked to pieces by one of
these immense guns.

The Howard Association has put forward a paper
which contains one noteworthy suggestion respecting
prison labour. They advocate cumulative sentences
for small offences Oh the ground that these are neces-
vary to prevent an admitted evil - the undue en Invent
tration of gaol labour 4.n the trade of mat-making. It
appears that the majority of prisoners in county and
lmrough gaols are committed for such sin at periods
that mathmakirg is the 4ally profitable 444,upation to
which they can be put. There must thus be a sharp
competition with honest matmakers outside the walls ;
whereas, with longer sentences, a greater variety of
trades could be taught, and no honest handicraftsman
Wills! be injured. There is, however, another way of
14 eking at this matter— viz., whether it would be jut
to give to a 1,644441.er a punishment on heavy as to be
totally incommensurate with the gravity of his offence,
merely for the purpo,.e of widening the area and en-
larging the sphere 4.f prison labour competition.

The arrival iif the mouth of May witne4l23 the re-
suscitation of two kinds of lIIMIKVIrIuIIt in considerable
favour amongst the upper classes here. The first is the
Polo, which although ileserihed by ...le as a
rough-and-tumble sort if recreation, finds its advocate:.
in those who declare that one of the happy character-
istic, of the young men belonging to the wealthier
sections of the English people, is a wholesome liking
for sports that have a tendency to produce a robust-
ness of health, a government of tetriper, and an atten-
tion to diet, which are highly to be desired in our
young men. Polo has not long been added to the list
athletic sports, hut it has rapidly become a favourite
panne.

. .
. It is described by its enthusiastic admirers as
affording all the change, excitement, and hard work
which a strong man likes to have in his reer a-
tion ; it gives him an opportunity of showing hie
`cry over a horse, and thus affords to gentle.
who are good riders a capital chance of
tying their skill. The game, indeed, seems to
us back to many old English pastimes which are
to be seen only in ancient engravings, and heard
historical romances. There are many who are
osed to condemn an excessive attention to athletic
ts, on the ground that it wears away the mind from
intellectual exercise which is necessary to those
have to play their parts on the great stage of
an life. At the same time, it must be remembered
the influence of such sports on the health of a
from which the country largely recruits its naval
military officers, must be very considerable.
'ever harm is wrought in Germany by the en-
. withdrawal of the young men of all ranks from
,lecupations to fulfil their term of military ear-
the national phys!clue is enormously improved
three years' exercise and drilling to which the
fellows are subjected. Money cannot purchase
stitute, and the plea of delicate health is at all
scrupulously investigated before it is allowed.

Aubatitute,