The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-14 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The number of farmers who have appealed against
their anessments has been much smaller than might have
been anticipated.
--

--Mount Vesuvius is once more in full blaze. New
streams of lava were on Friday night in last week streaming
from the Norih-V est, the crater forming a cone of brilliant
red tight.
The Queen on Saturday telegraphed, through Sir
John Cowell, to the general manager of the Brig Wu.
Aquitriurn, expressing a desire to present to the compacf,,.;
West Indian turtle. Instructions were dub, sent fl
immediate removal to the Aquarium, where it
exhibited.
in the Burme.e Oberland during the recent frost,
the ground was frozen so hard that before a grave cool r
dug great fires had to be made in the Churanyards, an
some instances, when this expedient proved b
d the Women'sunavairtne
gravediggers were compelled to use dynamite.
Some of the more enterprising o
un
Rights Society in Paris have drawn up an indigneo protest
against the inequality of the Republic, the MaYors having
trheteuseamtubpeurst
atuthor
heirnhaemdetshoennitthoedeolescotoral registers before--
According to returns just issue 4 therao
Ant
etrian
s
revenue arising from direct taxes in 1879 to
94,249,000f1, being 891,000f1 more than in the ceoing
øooii
in excess of the receipts frQm the same source n Ih7B.
'ear; and from indirect taxes to 178,933,000iLcr_c_047
i ,
The allowance to be granted to the officers of the
Royal Navy and Marines serving on shore ill South Africa,
which was announced by the First Lord of the .tAxindralty in
the House of Commons on Monday. asnoun to 3e. a day
from their ships. tkete calqtrA,Vetc Ftusilly landed
for the time during_which
'ehe Paris Correspondent of The Times say that an
Italian priest and philologist, Bernardino Peyron, has die_
covered in the bledit.g of s Greek manuscript from the
ancient library of S. Ambrose, on Mount Athos, two frag-
ments ot St. Paul's Epistles in the Greek text. Similar frag-
ments at Faris bare long been highlY rained..

In the House of Lords on the first night of the
session the Earl of Derby took his seat on the cross benches
of the House of Lords, the same neutral place which he has
occupied since his secession from the Ministry.

A Philadelphia bride, a pupil of the School of
Design, at her wedding during the holidays, quietly broke
through established rules by wearing a gown of royal blue
velvet, with an underskirt of cream-coloured brocade. The
Childs medal, one of the prizes which she has received at the
School of Design, hung around her neck, and the art idea
was carried out by bracelets containing medallions of porce-
lain. The principal of the School of Design, who attended
the bride, wore dark blue velvet.
Great alarm was canned in Plymouth on Monday by
the perilous position of the Australian steamer Hankow,
from Sydney, which had anchored outside the breakwater
during a heavy gale, with her engines disabled, and was
unable to enter the port. She WAS ultimately towed in, and
it is believed has sustained no serious injury.

Prince Bismark's little grandson is reported in so
precarious a state of health that his life Is well nigh des-
paired of. Ile was christened in extreme haste a few days
ago in order that he might not die =baptised.
A bequest of about 230,000 has been left by Miss
Janet Marshall, of Bridge of Allan, who died a few days ago,
for the establishment of an Industrial Training Institution
for the benefit of destitute boys in the counties of Lanark
and Stirling.

A Ply month corresporvient state that, in order to
guard against risk of fire through loose particles nt tobacco
tlytng about the decks in windy weather, rro pipes are In
future to tVe used on board ship unless protected by wire
guards. Officers commanding corps and depOts preparing
troops for embarkation are to provide these guards at the
cost of the men.

-- ---
The Canadian timber trade for the preeent season
is in excess of that oi the previous one. The total quantity
of saw logs in course of manufacture on the Oltawaltiver,
the chief centre of the trade, is 2,200,000, which, with
800,000 made last winter, bring the grand total up to
3.000,000 pieces, which is a million in excess of the previous
season. If this be the case with all the "lumber 'exports
from the port of 'Quebec, 1880 ought to be a good year for
English builders.

The Lord Mayor of London received the following
telegram on Saturday from Baker Pacha, dated from Dlar-
belch :—" Great distress from famine in the neighbourhood
of Mosul and towards the Van districts. I shall pass
through. If you have funds I shall be happy to undertake
the distribution, in conjaction with Lieutenant Chermside,
Vice Consul, who accompanies me."

There were 30 British and foreign wrecks reported
during the past week, making a total of 158 for the present
year, or a decrease of 112 as compared with the correspond-
ing period of last year. The approximate value of property
lost was £450,000, including British £325,000.
Another African explorer has died in the perform-
ance of his mission—M. l'Abb6 Debaize—who was engaged
in the attempt to cross Africa from Zanzibar to the west
coast, and had reached Ujiji, on Lake Tanganyika, He had
intended to establish dep6ts at the north end of Tanganyika,
and to explore the countries between thence and the
southern end of the Albert Nyanza, as well as the western
slopes of the Blue Mountains.
At a Legitimist banquet at Rennes an address was
adopted to "the King," which asserts that the House et
Bourbon made France great and prosperous, that that House
alone can save her, and that before long all France will ex-
claim " Viva le Roi ! "
A handsome memorial has recently been erected by
the friends of the late Major Whyte Melville over his grave
at Tetbnry. The memorial consists of a large foliated and
carved marble cross, about seven feet high, standing on an
enriched base, at the head of a marble sarcophagus, on
which is inscribed, "Erected by many friends in affec-
tionate remembrance of George Whyte Melville."

“A long and wearisome tragedy was being played
at a provincial theatre. Everyone was half asleep. The
third act was drawing to a close, and the plot showad no
signs of unravelling. At this point a duel was fought on
the stage, and one of the combatants fell. Thank good-
ness l' cried a voice in the pit, there's one of 'em we shan't
see again.'”—Sporting Times.
• -

The Republique irancaise of Tuesday, published an
article in which, after declaring that France governs her-
self, it says :—"France thinks only of peace, and desires
nothing but peace. The .counbry knows its own mind,
and does not allow itself to be disturbed by sinister and
alarmist rumours which are being circulated. France has
right and justice on her side, and is ready to defend them.
She is resolved to abetain from all provocation, and wishes
to affirm her intention of devoting herself more ardently
than ever to labour in silence and self-concentration."
The Rnssiam Commission on the revision of the metal
tariff has made a report to the Council of State recommend-
ing the importation of pig iron free of duty, the imposition
upon assorted iron of thirty-five copecks, of fifty copecks on
sheet iron, of one rouble on manufactured articles and
machines, and of thirty copecks on agricultural implements
per pood.
Mr. Lowe addressed the Croydon Liberal Associa.
tton on Tuesday evening, and indicated what he conceived
to be the state in which the Forefga Policy of the last five
years had landed the country, maintaining that that policy
had been injurious to our interests.

In Rome, on Monday morning, a solemn requiem
mass for the repose of the soul of Pius IX. was celebrated in
the Lateran Basilica, Cardinal Chigt, Archpriest of the
Basilica, assisting. The mass was sung and absolution given
by Monsignor de Neckere, Archbishop of Menton., assisted
by three Canons.

The Daily News correspondent at Larnaca tele-
graphs that WO cattle are already dead of the cattle plague
in Cyprus, and many more have died of starvation.
-

-- -
Switzerland has lost two Men of some not, Captain
Perret and General Schmid. The former, who took a lead-
ing part in treeing Neuchatel from Prussian rule, has been
drowned while skating on the Like of Neuchatel. General
Schmid has died at Altorf, at the are of 87. He commanded
a brigade for the Sonderbund in 1847, next entered the Ponti-
ficial service and suppressed the Perugia revolt in 1859, but
In 1860, after a vigorous resistance, nen to capitulate to
General Fanti. He then returned to Switzerland, the Italian
Government allowing him a pension.

The Prince of Wales has just presented to the
Z)ological Society, Regent's Park, London, a fine series of
Indian pheasants from his aviaries at Sandringham. Among
these are three pairs of Impeyan pheasants, a male of Tem-
minck's tragopan, and a pair of horned tragopans. The
Prince has also presented to the society two examples of the
:axe Filmalayan wild gocti, IrtinWlrl Rs the the?, or tahir (=Fret
Temlaica), one of which was brought back from India on the
Prince's return in 1876, while the other was born in England
from the pair introduced on that occasion.

At a ball given at a ducal residence last week, the
long-neglected polka was introduced and danced with great
zest by a large assembly of titled guests. The freaks of
fashion are boundless, for it was only recently that all
quick movements when dancing were considered plebeian,
and the old drat set of quadrilles doomed for ever. At the
ball mentioned above, the old-fashioned country dance
'called the "Triumph" was revived.— Court Journal.

At Geneva an international exhibition of clocks and
watches, and of all machines, implements, utensils relating
to clock making, will be held during May and Jane next.
Peter the Great's correspondence is going to be pub-
lished by order of the Czar, and one edition of 1,700 copies
will be printed in special type to preserve the peculiarities
ot the famous Emperor's handwriting.
A Bristol gentleman who forwarded to the Prince
of Wales a specific for the removal of tattoo marks has re-
ceived a letter, in which Mr. Knollys is desired by his Royal
Highness the Prince of Wales to thank the gentleman for
his communication, and to inform him, in reply, that there
is no truth in the report to which he alludes respecting the
two Princes now serving on H. 3.1.8. Bacchante.

The mortality in Paris last week was very great
being nearly three hundred more than during the previous
week, and six hundred more num the average during the
corresponding periods of the last three years. The deaths
from typhus fever rose from tkirty to one hundred and one
Cod small-pox from ilfty•six to seventy-two.
The chairman of the meeting of the Cork Ferment'
Club on Saturday, referring to the state of the country,
said the tenants were in better spirits now than they were
six months ago. Ile saw in a large portion of the country
the ploughs at work and the farmers engaged In agricultural
operations, and the prospects were better and more cheer-
ing than they were some time ago.
According to the Cologne Gazdte, the Finland wolves
have been unusually bold this winter. In Veklreis they
attacked a peasant in his sledge, taking possession of it, so
that the man only escaped by jumping on to his horse's
back, whence he shot one of the brutes and frightened off
the rest.—At Hunito a wolf entered the village in broad
daylight, and alarmed the inmates of a cottage by appearing
at a window and gazing np..them.—At Nystadt wolves have
also made some attacks on wayfarers; but tbe worst case is
one in which a child eight years of age was carried off
before its parents' eyes, and on pursuit was dropped horri-
bly mutilated and dead.

In St. Peterelonrg, according to existing police
regulations, all public and private vehicles which carry
lamps, such as carriages, closed and open, phaetons, gigs,
ite, are compelled to light their lamps slmultaueaualy
'with the lighting of the street lamps. Should the coachman
fail to comply with this regulation, the Pori" ciaworufhea
"protocol" of the case, which is handed to a justice
peace, who defines the penalty to be exacted, _
ranges
from Ito 25 roubles, according to ciresion t e 5
A deputation of mayors from various provincial
towns waited upon Mr. Sciater-Booth on Tuesday, at the
Local Government Board, to urge him to bring in a Bill
ane which
enabling municipalities to extend their boundaries without
special legislation. Mr. Hill, M.P , introduced the deputa-
tion. In replying, Mr. Booth said he apprehended it any
proposal had been made in Parliament to take power for
the Government to tamper with manicipal boundaries, it
would have met with serious opposition. He could not
undertake to ask Parliament to interfere in the matter, hut
would be happy to confer with Mr. Hill when the Govern-
ment thought the time had arrived to take some action.
The Prince of Wales, it is said, does not like late
dinners. It has lately 'become the fashion for very exquisite
people to dine at nine o'clock; and that was the hour at
Marlborough House. This was fatal to the evenings. It
prevented attendance at the teeatre. It was beginning to
ruin the opera. So his Royal Highness has been pleased to
dertl are that he will henceiortn utn.:, all seven, and all seven
the fashionable dinner hour will henceforth be.—Court
Journal.
The expense of trip round the world is calculated by
The Railway Age, on the basis of 180 dam as £l7O for
first-class and £l2O for sec nd-class accommodations. Under
the first head are included these entries :—New York to San
Francisco, £dB; sleeping oar, £2O; meals en the road, £2O;
San Francisco to Sydney, £4O; expenses in Sydney, £8;
Sydney to Melbourne, £5; expenses to Melbourne, £8;
Melbourne to Adelaide, £5; expenses in Adelaide, £8;
Adelaide to London in sailing ship, £45; England to New
York, £l5.
On Saturday last, Frederick Collins, need 20, was
working in the pits belonging to the Charlton Chalk and
'Wait Company, uear Woolwich, ts,,d was on one elt the
ledges formed by the excavation, when a solid mass of earth,
nulbm79beur.meloerrettl.hasanp;osi.depnucreinn:
above, and fell upon him. The danger was discovered by
the other workmenln time for escape, but Collins seemed
eighlug about 200 tons, became detached from the ledge
sed and unabff to .210VO. Whet. tne body was recovered
paral9
j, was found to have been onshed nut of all shape.
The inauguration of the new Crematorium at Milan
rpo2w6,
pr. de Cristoforis, who is president of the society. The
the three years it has existed, forty-eight oremations have
taken place, among which was that of Alberto Keller. The
subject of the cremation was the body f o a young girl, which
was conipletely reclaced to ashes in less than three hours.—
totoeenk.ibPElrasceo
to stih De
societye ce In b
British Medical Journal.

Tuesday' Vosesche Zeitung contains an article
comparing the dangers which may threaten Europe, and
Germany in particu!ar, from France on the one hand and
Itussia on the other (says a special telewsam to the
Pall Mall Gazette) The writer comes to toe conclusion
OW the necessity of a "watch on the Rhine" has givon
place altug,ether to the far more urgent necessity of a
"watch ou the Niemen," because the peace of Dirope eau
only be maintained so long as Russia is compelled to
ohs( rve the provisions of the Treaty of Berlin. Should she
attempt to disregard them, the Voasischs Zeitung is of
opinion that It will be the outy of Germany and Austria at
once to cheek her and keep her in bounds.

The Duke of Argyll's motion in the House of Lords
for Friday week has now been amended as follows !--"To
call the attention of the House to the conseque,ces which
have resulted from the policy of Her Majesty's Government
towards the kingdom of Afghanistan, and to move fox
Papers; and to move Address tir copy of any correspondena
found at Cabal between the late Ameer Sere Ali Khan and
the Russian authorities In Tarkestau or St. Petersburg." .

The Dean of Salisbury, the Very Rev. Henry P:trr
Hamilton, M.A., F.R.S., died at the Deanery, in the Close,
Salisbury, last Saturday afternoon. The late dean, who was
87 years of age, had been in a delicate state of health for
some considerable time past. Ile was appointed to the
Deanery of Salisbury in the year 1850. In the restoration of
the cathedral the late dean took a very active and prominent
.part, ancf the 470,0414rbActOial .40.tgi:ftljiinded in 1.,
tern ml and-internal renovation and embellishment a
sum was contributed by the dean himself, whose munificent
liberality was not confined to this 01113 work alone, but ex-
tended to almost every public and private object In the city
and locality needing pecuniary assistance The late Dean
leavewa widow and daughter. The deanery is in the patron-
age of the Crown.

ttadist.„4
lirgf

including four foreign
friglattei:weet
raet.edde sttrhoayted2stry the precent storm at the Phillip-
pine Islands, and a large number damaged. Forty.la
persons in all were drowned.
It is rumoured in Paris that the Emperor of Russia,
Is about to send an autograph letter to President Grevy, ex-
pressing his gratitude for the attention shown to the Empress
during her sojourn at Cannes.
Mr. Bright, M.P., has been prevented from attend-
ing the House of Commons by a severe cold from which he
has been suffering daring the last ten days.

Leo XIII. has sent 2,0001. to the Apostolic Inter.
nuncio at the Hague in aid of the sufferers through Om
breaking of the dykes at Bois le Duo.
A sportsman near Rheims has been killed by a,
wounded wild boar which he had imprudently endeavoured:
to despatch.

Professor Nordenskjold has presented to the King
of Sweden a Report on the infinenoe upon commerce be-
tween the North of Europe and Siberia of the discoveries
made by him during the voyage of the Vega. The Russians
regard these discveries,as the commencement of a new
agricultural and commercial era for Siberia.
- -

A telegram from Calcutta ssys that a eevere shock
of earthquake occurred in the Karam valley on the Bth
Inst.

The Pennsylvania Railway, having comprosnised
its claim against Allegheny Connty, Pennsylvania, on account
of tbe Pb ts burg riot losses, has received 1,600,000 dots. cash in
settlement.

A CninePe laundry in San Francisco has been burnt
down. Eleven Chinamen, who were in the building at the
time, and who, it is supposed, were in a state of stupor pro-
duced by oplnm-smoking, perdstled in the flames.
An evidenoe of the revival in trade is afforded by
the report that at Tuesday's meeting of the Preston
board of guardians it was announoed that the stoneyard,
which had through the winter found work for no many men
out of employment, was about to be closed, as no applies-
tions for admission thereto were being made.

The deaths of three reputed centenarians are re-
corded in the Registrar-General's returns this week. Two
were female inmates of the Westminster and Pancras Work-
houses, whose ages were stated to be 101 and 102 years re-
specbively ; and one was the widow of a builder, who died
in Lambeth, and whose age was stated by her daughter-in-
law to be 125 years.

A guarantee fund of £4,000, £2.000 of which has
been already promised, Is being got up at Leloester in order
to meet the expenses of the Church Congress to be held
there this year.

-
There will he five Sundays in February on four
()wagons in next century, viz., 1908, 1986, 19644 and 1992.

The Government of France and Belgium are nag°.
Witting about an international postage-stamp. Payments of
small sums ia postage-stamps would thereby be rendered
possible between the two countries, and an international
stamp might be enclosed for a reply. _ _

- -
The Lady Mayoress of Dublin throws art and wit
into her "at home" invitation cards. In that for Shrove
Tuesday, a chef is rather well drawn in the act of turning
panoakes.—The World.
The New York Times announces that it is authorised
by a near personal and political friend of General Grant to
state that should the National Republican Convention nomi-
nate the General for the Vresidency of the United States,
he wlll accept the candidature.

The Sultan of Turkey has ordered his second eon,
Mehmed Selim, and Abdul Azlz's second son, Mehmed
Schevket, to entet the ranks of the Army as privates. A
few days ago the ceremony of their joining the first regiment
of Foot Guards was solemnised, in the presence of the
Minister of War and the Sultan's Private Secretary, the
latter addressing the troops upon the signal importance of
the event, and dwelling upon the Sovereign's love and
affection for the defenders of the faith.
Some of the journals in Perim are comparing the
present state of affairs on the Continent with the conditions
which prevailed in 1866, which ushered in an attack on
Austria, and the correspondent of the Standard states that
in well-informed circles there is a feeling of alarm.

The "Merchant of Venice " has been translated
Into Portugese by King Luis of Portugal, who, it may be
remembered, recently published a translation ot Hamlet.

- -
A telegram from Dr. B. A. Gould, director of the
Observatory at Cordoba, Argentine Republic, received on
February 6, by Professor Peters, of Kiel, editor of the
Astronomieche Nachrichten, states that a great comet is
passing the sun northwards: it may be expected therefore to
be soon visible in these latitudes just after sunset or beton
sunrise.

The herring fishing on the coast of Skye has been
extraordinarily productive daring the last few days, the flab
having been got in such quantities that the price has fallen
from 265. to Bs. per cran. At Lynedale the whole population
have been employed in salting and packing, and barrels
having run short a portion of the fish will be lost.
The Lake of Zirknitz, in Carniola, has been a solid
mass of ice, myriads of fish having been killed: and several
arge lakes in Upper Austria have been also frozen solid, a
phenomenon which last occurred 25 years ago. On the Lake
of Constance, near Bregenz, a newspaper has been printed
to commemorate the " ice jubilee," the lake being frozen
over about once in 50 years, the last date being 1829-30.
The Wesleyan Methodist Thanksgiving Fund still
continues to make good progress, and is likely to reach
£250,000. The president of the Conference, the Rev. Ben-
jamin Gregory. and the ex-President, the Rev. James H. Rigg,
.1)
ump.dt
0., are
ai,hr
ereecesoudimletrei
dnpgarteovma
ail
sumeadobulaenntand
rpdeasicpdoenienttlitnyhueelalydasitffoseirszetnza nt
ocistoot
dautchteds
£81,738.

A. Berlin telegram says the special train in which
the Empress of Russia travelled to St. Petersburg a few days
ago was very near being set on fire. The did break out in
one carriage—the carriage assigned to her Majesty's servants
—but it spread DO farther. The carriages were heated by
steam, and some detect in the heating apparatus it said to
have been the cause of the accident.

After fifteen months of short time the 5,000 hands
employed at the London and North• Western Railway works
at Crewe have had notice that lull time, less two hours,
would now be commenced.

TWA year the number of men who are to enter the
Russian navy is filed at 1,700. The sect of Mennonftes, who
have hitherto been tree from military service, will this year
for the first time furnish a contiogent.
A. telegram from Constantinople Bays that a terrible
accident has occurred at Baykal, near Constantinople. The
troops stationed at the former place invited a regiment in
the capital to a ftte, and while the festivities were proceed-
ing,',3he barrack, a building three stories high, suddenly
fell in. Two hundred of the soldiers are reported to be
killed and 800 injareg.

There were 2,684 births and 3,376 deaths registered
in London last week, the latter having exceeded by 1,657
the average numbers. The annual rate of mortality was 48
per 1,000, and, under the influence of the cold and fog, WU
higher than it has been in any week since the cholera
epidemics. Of the 3,376 deaths there were only six
from diphtheria, while 1,557 persons died from disease of the
respiratory organs.
A meeting of the Association to Promote Women's
Knowledge of Law was held in London on Saturday night,
under the presidency ol Viscount Harberton) when it was
resolved to adopt a petition to the House ot Commons re-
questing that a measure might be passed for establishing for
women the same rights and liabilities with regard to pro-
perty and contract as appertain by law to men.
An electric novelty was introduced at a recent
fancy dress ball in Paris, and canned considerable amuse-
ment. One gentleman in the costume of an alchemist had
an electrical star attached to his cap, and when he stopped
before a pretty woman the star began to scintillate, while
when a man approached it immediately became dlm—the
change being effected by means of a conducting wire.
Official returns show that the revenue of Queensland
from Customs duties and other sources is increasing, and
that trade is improving. There has been a very fine season
throughout the colony. The exportation of sugar since July
last has reached 9,200 tore.

The forty-eighth issue of " Dorl's Parliamentary
Companion for 1.4330 " has just been published by Messrs
Whittaker. It shows that 140 members wholly new to
Parliament, or not included in the previous Parliament,
have been elected einem the last general election.
The Bishop of Gloucester and Bristol on Tuesday
opened the new sailors' church in Prince•street, Bristol,
close to the docks. The buildirg was filled with clergy,
sailors, and ladies and gentlemen interested in the work.
The cost of the church (£4,500) is borne by a merchant of
Bristol, Mr. W. F. Lavington. Having watched the work
of the Missions to Seamen Society in the port of Bristol for
some yeara, and being alive to its value, he decided to build
a church and institute.

Harvard College has brought out a monthly Maga-
zlne—the Harvard Register—mainly devoted to items of
information respecting the Institution, and the well-got-up
periodical will be appreciated by readers taking interest in
the cause of higher education across the Atlantic Harvard
College now has 1,422 students, and the Register tells Us
that a young man may exist at college with an annual ex-
penditure of 4100, may live there comfortably for £l6O, and
lavishly for Z 273.