The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-04 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The REVENUE RETURNS of the quarter and year
which expired on Tuesday night verify the anticipations
which have lieen generally expressed of a falling off of the
public income of the country. The quarter's return shows
a net decrease of as much as £816,145 The diminution Mu
taken place mainly in the Excise and the Income and Pro-
perty Tax, the first of which shows a decrease of £379,000,
and the second of £429,000. On the other hand, the Customs
have yielded .i.:138,m0 more than in the corresponding quarter
of MG

Mary Ann Bartlett, convicted of the murder of her
child, and lying under sentence of death at Worcester, has
been reapited.

A serious boiler explosion, accompanied with loss of
life, t. iok place on Tuesday in South Shields. The holler
which exploded was connected with a cattle-food factory, and
a man and a hoy who were employed in an adjoining glass-
works were killed.

An buinett has been hell at Chndliegb, near Exeter,
respecting the death of a farmer's son, named Bather. It
appeared that the deceased was out rabbit shooting on Satur-
day, when the gun of one of the parties went off accidentally,
and the contents lodged in one of the legs of the deceased.
Ile died on Monday. A verdict of accidental death was re-
turned.

It is believed that the number of special constables
In and near London now exceeds 40,000.

Mr. Gladstone has contributed to the January
number of Good Words the tint part of au estay on the
method punned in "Ecce 1101.0)."

In London, on Monday, no fewer than 712 pereons
connedmil with the Bank of England were sworn lii as
special constables. At St Paul's, Covent garden, the Corps
of Commissionaires, who came nit headed by their band,
were sworn in to the number id 134. They are to be under
the command of Colonel Sargent, C. 8.

- •
The Italian Government has entered into an engage-
meet with France to finish the Wont Cenis tunnel and open
it to the public by 1871 The Opinione says that the French
Government has promised to advance its share 44 the ex-
penses in three annual payments, the first of which will fall
due in July, 1663.

A few -days ago an avalanche of snow came down
at Uuterschachen, in the canton of Fri, Switzerland, and car.
net away a house and its horn. A woman and child and all
the animals were swept oft One man, the brother of the
proprietor, and a female servant escaped, although it is net
mentioned in what manner.

A dreadful machinery accident occurred on the pre-
mises of Meads Wheeldon, bobbin turners., Stockport, on
Tuesday. James Mather, a boy, in adjusting a strap was
taken up to the shaft-drum and killed on the q.t. line of.
his arms was torn off and his body otherwise frightfully
mutilated.

In some of the Scotch towns the response to the call
for special constables seems to have Icmi very limired. This
arises, however, from the feet that no apprehensions of
danger are entertained in that part of the Island. Even
where the Iri,h are most numerous their conduct hitherto
has been such as to inspire the confident belief that they
have very little, if any, sympathy with Fenianem.

It is stated that the fishermen are abandoning the
taking of beninga off Greenock, because they can scarcely
get a market for them at any price. A large east coast boat
came into the harbour on Saturday morning completely
and the crew seemed willing to sell at almost any
price, and still buyers were few. A penny per 100 was even
spoken of as a price that would not he refused.

- • -
The Northern Whig suegeste that the punishment
the law now scants to gardters, and those who commit
highway rohlteries ac.rnpanied with vi Ii nee, might most
Pll7 he applie I to men who may he taken in the attempt
to commit outrages of a wanton and dastardly character.
The eat.o'nine-t ads vigorously applied to the bare hooka of a
few such offenders against society, it thinks, would not be an
ineffleaci. iii renely.

A strike among the South Yorkshire ironworkers
appears to be Milieu/Jim There was a meeting of the men
connected with the Parkgate works, near 11. therham, n
Tuesday, to consider the notice of reduction of lo per cent.
in the wages, and a re,olution was passed against returning
to wick until the notice Is withdrawn. ft is feared that the
name course will I. adopted by the men in other places, as
the Pal kgate men usually take the lead in these matters, and
guide the rest.

The Non Days :—After nine months of long and
laborious exertion the hottom of the coslpft of the Dm-
Blivenr has tweu renchnd. In the galleries at the level of
3so metres the ho.lles of eleven tint riunate workmen were
found, whit perished in the beginning oi last March Tile
corpses were All 111 a g 60.1 state of preeervation, and have
now been hurled in th- cemetery of Jernepp'. Still three
more remain to he discoseeet, completing the number of
21, the victims of this disaster.

The following explanation has been given in regard
to a nixes which was aaid for the Manchester Fenians at
Rome An Irishman employed at Piale's library went to
St Andrea dello Fratte and ordered a mass, the dumb to
be hung in black, the music of the fin, si; in short, no ex-
pense was to be spared It was to be a funeral service on
the most splendid seal. The oxen e was that It was ' for
three roart)rs fallen at !ifentsna ' They made one mistake in
the invitations, and the priest who receive 1 it 11:tetras4 to
expose the truth, happily in time to prevent this acsaidal.
It Is quite untrue that Cardinal A titonelli it, sent money to
the Fenians, though the statement is going the round of the
press, and many believe it.'