The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-23 00:00:00

'Oa *inn tartspond I Wine drama On Op
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sArdema wed to *as that we do not at all Wag
sessolvas with our gorrespendsnrs oplation)
A very cheering item In the current news is the de.
elanais al pauper, at ail events In bber metropolis,
Wed perhaps on *eyehole Mornay bet** as a criterion
of • diminution of the same unpleasant thing else-
where. The returns for last week show that compared
with the corresponding week of 1871, 1870, and 1869,
there was a decrease in the numbers of paupers of, in
round numbers, 11,000, 28,000, and 38,000 respectively
—that is to say that for the last four years our pauper-
ism has been on the decrease. This is encouraging
Indeed, and, taken in connection with other facts, it
indicates the general prosperity of the country. But
an the other hand the most trying time hoe yet to
come. The cost of living is still very great, and the
weather Is, and seems likely to be, very unfavourable
to outdoor employment, so that it behoves the working
climsestoexercise pmdenoe and economy. It would appear
Indeed that the rime of trial is already commencing.
A welinformed journal says, "In several important
branches of manufacturing industry in London work
Is exceptionally scarce, and there is no prospect of im-
movement until the month of February or Meech at
the earliest." After mentioning special cases of slack-
DINIP, and the discharge of 400 hands by one firm, it is
added, "Both manufacturers and merchants agree
that stooks are heavy, and that business is much less
brisk and active than it has been at this time in the
last two years." This is rather serious news, but it is
just sabot most of us who have watched the high-
pregame lalour movements for the last year or so must
have been looking for.
A very curious compilation has been made, founded
to • ten years' series of that well.known paragraph
beaded "wills and bequests," and giving a record of
all those fortunes where the personality amounted to
armada of • quarter of • million. The parts thus
trought forward are astounding. One of the items is
• fortune of three millions ; there are two of .21,200,000
and one of £2,800,000; while there is an immense
number fluctuating between half a million aud s
million, and it is remarkable that the name of Mr
Breasey is missing. And it must be remembered
that this is only the personal property. Coald
we ascertain the value of the real property also, the
gross result would be startling. Here is a test on
which • very valuable homily might be preached. No
country in the world can exhibit such monster fortunes
as England, Scotland, and Ireland, and especially the
former. It may be—indeed it must be—that there is
something in our laws and our social relations that
favours this accumulation of wealth, and it would be
Interesting to know not only what this Is, but how
It acts on the happiness of the community gene-
rally. I have often heard it stated that our rich
me becoming richer anl our poor are becoming
poorer. I will not attempt either to prove or dis-
prove this, but certainly the number of great fertunes
and theft enormous aggregate amount, taken in con-
junction with our masses of poverty, with all its con-
comitant evils, afford matter for serious reflection.
The prevailing tone of the reports relative to the
coal, iron, and metal trades, whatever may be the
opinion of thaw engaged in these trades, must, on the
whole, be rather pleasing to the public, as it is indica-
tive of falling prices, which for a long time have been
artificially high. So many other departmenta of in-
dustry depend on thew, and thus affect the conditions
of the working classes genelally, that a moderate fall
In prices will, in my opinion, benefit the country at
large.

Persons of all shadee of politics, and indeed the
public at large, will be happy to hear that Mr. Jokn
Bright'e health has lately been progressing most satis-
factorily, and that his re-appearance in the Rouge of
Common s neat wog in may be confidently reckoned upon.
At one time, and that not so very long ago, it might
have been truly said that Mr. Bright was the best-
abused public man in the country, but it is different
now. Political supporters mad opponents alike respect
him, and the public will be glad to find him once more
taking a part in the debates. The Liberal party will
certainly want him next cession, and I believe that
even Her Majesty's Opposition will not be sorry to see
him once again in the Howie
Recent e,periments, at which a large paddy of naval
and scientific gentklnen assisted, appear to have com-
pletely establisheelthe feasibility of the plans of kik.
Stemmer and Mr. Reed for obviating the reaulta of
vessels pitching and rolling at sea. It may be quite
trio that the motion of • machine constructed to
Imitate exactly the roll of a ship cannot be regarded as
proving the non liability to sea-sickness in all oases,
but it Is indisputable that if the plans are fully
carried out the mat de mer on those veseels
In which these plans are adopted will become a
rarity. And what a happy result this will be I For
the Channel and coast service especially this freedom
from a distressing malady will tend to promote short
pleasure voyages, but lithe plans are extended to long
voyages, they may produce consi.aerable effect in de-
veloping passenger traffic for long distances, and trips
to New York, or Norws;‘, or Ireland, or Spain, and
back, will become srae common in the vacation season.
The Position of the Claimant in the Tiehborne case
curiously illustrates an argument that has long been
insisted on in many quarters, and which will in all
rdrobability be urged with increasing force till come
alteration is effected—and that is that the legal vaca-
tions are now too king for the increasing business of
the courts. The leading counsel in the prosecution o
the above case having applied to the Lord Chief Justice
to appoint a day for the trial, his lordship declines to
displace the other suitors in the court, and intimates
that the Tichborne trial may be commenced in the first
day of next term, find that the whole of that term and
the after-sittings can be devoted to it ; while the coun-
sel for the Crown expresses a doubt whether even this
will be long enough. Here we have brought strikingly
before the public a fact which is increasingly felt, that
the legal terms are not long enough for the legal busi-
ness of the country. The lawyers' holidays are too
long, both for themselves, the suitors, and the public
at large.

There is a proposal to have • Hospital Sunday in
London, just the same as there is in some provincial
towns, and a meeting to promote this object, at which
the treasurers and representatives of most of our
hospitals] will be present. The design is a highly
benevolent and valuable one, and I trust it may be
carried out. It will be well to set apart one particular
Sunday in the year for collections at our churches and
chapels, on behalf of our hospitals that are supported
by voluntary subscriptions. The only difficulty in the
matter will be the appropriation of the money when
collected. It will be decided perhaps that the various
congregations shall choose to what institutions their
collections shall go.
Mr. Stanley's new book, "how I found Living-
stone' in, as might have been safely prophesied, a
great aurorae. The first edition sold out in • few
day s, and a second in in the press. Both publishers
and author are to be congratulated on the success of
the work. The former give the latter, it is said
£l,OOO down, £5OO more on the sale of every 3,000
copies, and half the profits on the whole sale. The
liberality of these terms cannot be disputed. Mr. Mark
Twain fie.. Mr. Clemmens) is sail to be engaged on •
book descriptive of the oddities and eccentricities of
the English. It is to be hoped he has well studied
what he intends to write about, but I am not aware
that he has had many opportunities of doing this. He
came over here some short time ago, but was ahnostim.
mediate's, called home on family business, whereupon
he wrute to us to say, in his usual good.humoured
and pleasant style, that he should return in the
summer, and "lecture on those scientific subjects
which he ktows least about !" Is he going to write
this book on the same principle ?
country visitors to the metropolis generally make a
pint id going to see the interior of St. Paul's, and it
may be of interest therefore to note that the Dean
and Chapter have just made a reduction in the
jharges. The terms now are—the Library, Whispering
Gallery, and Stone Galleries, fid., and with the other
Galleries and the Ball, 2s. It is much to be regretted,
In my judgment, that any place of worship should
thus be made a show, with charge for admission.
Perhaps this reduction, however, is a step towards
abolishing the tees altogether. At present the visitor,
charged for everything he wishes to see, may well
exclaim, "Verily, it is an imposing interior!"
The raid upon a number of betting men and members
of clubs, the sole object of which appears to be to faci-
litate betting, naturally excites great interest. We hear,
of course, the old argument about one law for the rich
and another fur the poor, consequent on such prosecu-
tions as these, and the freedom of such clubs is Tat-
tersall's. There certainly is an anomaly in all this,
but still if the law so stands that the Government Can-
not prosecute some and can prosecute others, I venture
to opine that they do the public good service by doing
what they can. Pew well-disposed persons will have
any sympathy with those who are now presecuted, or
be likely to consider their punishment too great. These
betting ash' and bookmakers are an intolerabls public
nuisance, and do an immense amount of harm in • way
tent is well known, and the sooner they are put down
by the strong arm of law, the better.
We have strikes and rumours of strikes enough at
home to prevent our caring much about strikes abroad,
but there is a curious strike in Paris which I think it
might be well to imitate in our own country. ' The
Parisian actresses declare they will no longer wear
such gorgeous and expensive dresses on the stage.
Any one who haa witnessed some of the splendid
spectacles of the Paris theatres—such, for example, as
"La Bloke aux Bois or "La Chatte Blanche" could
net have failed to notice the gorgeous character a tb.

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I— at many of
-.sees may be IN a similar extrassemace at display.
Surely the interests at dramatis set me not served by
snob lavish expeaditare aa this