The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-01 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

An enthusiastic antiquary, at a Parisian sale recently
paid no leas than 4900 for • pistol of the time of fiend 11.
All emigration to Brazil from this country has been
peremptorily stopped by the Brazilian authorities.

A bill has been introduced into the Spanish Assembly
abolishing capital punishment for all offences.

An individual advertises for sale a Siberian blood-
hound, which he calls, " Al." S. B would be more descrip-
tive.

The value, as declared, of elephants' teeth imported
bit month was £06,325, agehut £19,642 In the correspond-
ing period hat year. _ _

- -
The first number bee appeared of a native Japanese
paper now being publhihed to London under the name of the
Tai Sei Shintbun, or Great Weide» New. IC is edited by •
Japanese resident in London.

A correspondent of the Church Herald declares, "on
the best authority," that the three bishops recently conse-
crated for the colonies, are one and all opposed to the use
of the Atbausslan Creed, and pledged to Its discontinuance
In their respective dioceses.

The Western Mail announces that the works of the
Tredegar Iron Company IP ve been sold to • company con-
sisting of Mr. Clark, el Dowlais ; Mr. Menelaus, of Do oriels ;
Mr. Edward Williams and Mr. Lowthian Bell, of Middles.
borough.

A Arearlfni crime has been oommittei at Estaimpuie,
near Tournai, Belgium. A man named liennekina. aged co,
having had a violent altercation with hhi wife and mother-
euddenie nulled on the latter, and fractured her
skull with a club, and then Bred a pistol shot at the other,
but fortunately without killing her. The alarm being given,
the murderer was arrested and taken to prison. Vengeance
appeared to have been the motive of the act, as he had been
separated from his wife for some years.

At a meeting at Bideford on Saturday in support of
religious education in elementary schools, the Bishop of
Exeter said the State having refused to supply this great
want, it was the duty of Churchmen to step Into the place
vacated by the State. Be advocated the maintenenro of
Church %retools colleges for teachers, the provision of
diocesan religion, inspectors, end giving encouragement to
teachers and children to promote religious instruction.
Resolutions were carried embodying thrzemarks of Bishop
Temple.

There ie&nawkward eduestionaldiffieulty at Wigan.
By the Mules Regulation Ac a boys of over twelve years of
age may be employed In mines; whereas by the Education
Act, until they have passed a certain standard they must
attend a day school. On Monday the Wigan school board
snmmoned several colliers for not sending their boys to
school, when the Mines Act was urged in defence. lhe
magistrates, however, inflicted fines in all the cues.

A good gory rehting to Lord Selborne bag been
going the rounds of the Bar. A few days ago a favourite
parrot of hi. lordship made its (*cape into a garden, and
perched UAW on a high tree Great was the comternation
of the servants when they found that they could not induce
the truant bird to return. At length the escape WU made
known to the Lord Chancellor, who at once went into the
garden and placed himself in view of th• parrot Polly in-
stantly alighted on hie lordship's shoulder, and, looking him
in the face, said in its gentlest tonee--" Let its pray r

• - -
Mr, 11Ind, a bootmalt- er, at Carliele, whose wife was
killed in the railway acciLeut at Kirdebridge, obtained at
the Carlisle assizes on Friday a verdict against the Caledonian
Hallway Company for £2OO compensation for himself, and
£lOO for each of his three infant children. At the UM.
assizes Mr. Flituon, • .raper, at Whiteharee, obtained •
vsrdict of £3OO against the Furness Railway Company as
compensation for injuries received in • collision which oc-
curred on the dedendanta' railway In Levet last.

Mr. Ashbury, chairman Of the Aahhrtry Railway
Carriage and Iron Company (Limited). writes to the pans to
say that the first aleepteg carriage for tme on an English
railway was flood on the ounmy from Matron to London
on Mondaynight. and arTloed at the Great Northern ter-
minus, Kineircroge, at eight p.m. This carriage WM put on
the line about a fortnight ago for its first trip to London.
but, owing to a heated allebox (an accident that may happen
to any carriage). was uncoupled from the train and mut
back.

A deputation from the Sheffield School Board has
been 'Merles up Mr Forster on the einr-tion of compulab n,
and directing his attention to load difiltaltles in the way of
Its ectorcement. The deputies explained to him that they
had to deal with children nada the Factory Acts, tinder the
M rkihop Acta, and under no act at all. The principle of
uniformity which they datderated wee. levelling up and not
• levelling down. Mr. Forger, atter Mientively
thetr ingrestione, told them that be leered they worst RV
resc• of rib& *don.

The Duke of St. Albans has announced II at he wil
'b glad to accept the nonour of being the Ant t cesflenl Of
the proposed Liberal Club for NAtlngham and county."
.11, is stated that one of the Japanese Ambassadors
has become enamoured, and Is about to marry the daughter
of a Para banker,

The Due d'Aumale is going to remove his collection
of picture. from Twickenham to Chantilly. This .11c‘i
which co,slata of more than 3,500 paintings of different
schools and period., will be placed in the gallery of the Jeu
de Paume.

" Happy is the country that has no history!" wee
the excismation or a School Board gentleman who got
puzzled In his recent examtnetion of some exceedingly smart
small boy on the nutter of Henry VI. wife

According to advices received in New York. an in-
surrection has broken out in Porto Rico. Cries of " Denth to
Spain " were mired, and three Insurgents were killed b:dore
the movemen was put down.
e appeal of Mr. Edwin James bag been nosticcessfuL
The Judges have held that he has shown no adequate cause
for reversing the decision pronounced by the Ranchers of the
Inner Temple ; and that he cannot, therefore, be readmitted
to practice at the Bar.
-—• •

On Friday a banketnan at the Brookhonse Colliery,
near Hanley, named John Cawley, while doing something to
a cage at the mouth of the pit, fell down the abaft, and was
literally smashed to pieces. His remains had to be collected
piecemeal, and put In • sack.
At the hit meeting of the Hull school-board, Dr.
Raffia, chairman of the By-laws Committee, reported several
convictions of parents under the compulsory by-law, and de-
clared that after each conviction the average attendance at
the schools bad increased by hundreds.

At a meeting of operative joiners in Edinburgh on
Saturday a large number of them stated that they had given
warning that morning in consequence of their employers re-
fusing to imams their wages from Cid. to ma. per hour.
On and attic the lsteof March the masters offered 7d. per
hour. . . • • •

In their half-yearly report, the directors of the
Great Western Railway are sanguine enough to trust that
the Government will lee At to withdraw any claims which
may have been made by the inland Revenue Department in
respect of the duty on the receipts arming from third. CMOS
passengers being conveyed in Gut trains!
The Glasgow Herald reports that to the parish and
Island of ohapinshay, in Orkney, belongs the honour of
electing the first School Board under the Scotch Education
Act. The proprietor of the bland, the proprietor's factor,
and the three ministers have been returned members of the
Board without opposition. _ _

Mesas. Downey, of Newcastle-on-Tyne and Lon-
don, have recently boned portrait! of Napoleon ill, taken
twenty-four hours after hie death. The pictures, which were
produced by command of the Empress, represent the Emperor
on the narrow bed on which he died, and, from the manage.
ment of the light on the face, a strileng effect is produced.
An Indiana gentleman, who applied to the adminis-
tration for the position of Minister to Russia, cimed his
letter by saying, "If you can't give me that I would have
no objection to being appointed a hostler in some warm
stable, where I could boas two or three boy% sal love the
hone, and have considerable executive ability."

The largest sugar refinery of Gleenock- , Messrs.
John Walker and Co '5, wee burnt down on Tuesday. The
sugar-beau took fire in the eighth story. The flame spread
rapidly, and the entire building was reduced to ashes. The
loss is estimated at 420,000, but is covered by the insurance.
Over 200 men will be thrown out of employment.

- -
On Monday afternoon a fatal accident occurreclat a
house in Beaufort-gardens, London, when James Somerhays,
*bricklayer, while engaged in clearing the snow from the
roof of • conservatory, tell through, receiving such Injuries
that he died in a few minutes. Two or three young ladles
were in the conservatory at the time, but were not hurt.

From the annual accounts of the receipts and ex-
penditure on account of Greenwich Hospital, just printed, it
appears that the capital on the 31st of March last consisted
of cash, £B5 15s. ; money on loans, £253. 598 Bs. 100... Govern-
ment dock, £2,610,739 17s. ld. ; £512 340 Indian railway
stock, and £lO,OOO shares in the Hexham and Allendale
Railway (tympany. The receipts for the year were
£119,911 19e, including the balance in hand.
A murder has been committed in the Ballinsaloe
Lunatic Asylum, by one of the patients. About three o'clock
in the morning two of the attendants heard a noise in a
division where six patients were sleeping. The attendant+
ran in, and found that one of the lunatics had strangled
one of his fellow patients, and was in the act of strangling
another.

Dr. Lankeeter has held tannest! in London on the
bodies of two children who died from the effects of burn..
in each case the children were left alone in a room, the ere
not being guarded. The coroner remarked that 16 out of £0
cases of death through lire arose from the neglect to use
guards, which could be brought for 40. each.
- -

. .
A strike of bakers is threatened at Stuttgart. On
Saturday 5410 jounsomen posted placards in the streets de-
manding an Increase of wages, a reduction of the working
hours, less work on Sundays, and none on Important holi-
day. They declare that lf their demands are not granted
within three days, a general strike will ensue.
The grand jury of Limerick have been informed by
their county, surveyor that it Is no longer possible to get
man to break stones for macadamising the roads, owing to
the general improvement in the condition and pay of
labourers; and he recommended the employment of ma-
chinery to do the work.

-
It appears that the Japanese have come to the de.
termination to resist some of the follies which afflict an
over state of civiliaation. The last mail from Japan brought
the intelligence that the Mikado has ordered actors, jugglers,
and acrobats to bring their performances to a close in the
course of three years, when they must find some more
honourable employment for their time.

- -
In New Yolk, glass-lined iron pipes, it is said, are
being used to convey water, as the friction ie lessened, the
pipes are always clean, and the water ts kept pure. Between
the glass and iron 1.. later of plaster of Pubs, which, being
anon conductor of heat, prevents the water from freezing in
the winter. Whether this layer prevents the ccntraction
and expansion of the iron from destroying the coating of
glass may be a question.
- - - - -

-
An extraordinary accident occurred the other day in
the Rue St. Honor 6, Paris. A man WU walking quietly ern*
smoking his cigar, behind a man whx was hawking about a
bundle of those little red balloons which are the delight of
the rising generation, when a puff of wind suddenly drove
the India-rubber bags against the dor, and all exploded.
The poor smoker was suddenly enveloped in • mass of flame,
which burned oft his big 'mousi•ohe and beard and singed
his face.
. . .

Victor Emmanuel has addressed a letter to his son,
King Amadeo, respecting the abdication by the latter of the
crown of Spain. Victor Emmanuel says that he cannot dis-
approve of the abdication, and that it is bettor to secure the
Luting and grateful affection of the Spaniards by a voluntary
act and retire into private life than to remain expoaed to the
vicissitudes of party agitation and the risk of violating the
sanctity of oaths. In conclusion, Amadeo is staved that a
warm reception awaits him on his return to Italy, and that
his choice of Turin as a place of residence meets with the
King's approval.
A shocking tragedy has occurred at Jersey. James
Babe, • servant in the family of Captain Gibbs, quarrelled
with the cook, a married woman, whilst at dinner He threw
a plate at her head but missed her, and then left the kitchen,
returning in two or three minutes with a loaded gnu,
threatening to shoot her. Al he raised the gun the cook's
son rushed in and seised the barrel with one hand, and
pushed Babe with the other. In the struggle the gun ex-
ploded, and the charge struck Babe over the right eye, tear-
ing away the frontal bone, and causing • large protrusion of
brain. He lived several hours siterwaras.

The Courrier des Ardennes reports that the inhabit-
ante of Charleville and telecoms were thrown into consterna-
tion on Friday morning by a tremendous detonation. The
powder mill of Saint-Ponce, containing 1,400 kilogrammes of
that article, had blown up. The explosion wee so violent
that nothing remains of the building in which the climater
took place. Of the victims, who are numerous, five were
identified, but the scattered limbs of others were found at •
distance of 114 yards from the spot.
- - -

The police of Pan. have just socc,eedecl in arresting
• band of young thieves who for sometime past have infested
the outskirts of the capital The robberies which they have
committed are known to amount to more than 80, and the
murders to at least di. The chid of these bandits is • lad,
only 15 years of age, the oldest of the criminals is but 27.
Neat* all the body are In custody, and the Sargent. de vibe
are on the trace of the others. Justice has also laid her
band on several individuals as accomplices, thsee of whom
are women. -

The Liverpool Mercury states that under the Mane
--
Adulteration Act, which Is not so easily evaded as the Eng-
lish law, several Douglas grocers have just been fined for
selling green tea which had been faced with colouring matter
weighted with sand, and had undergone other Ingenious pro-
cane. The chief magistrate of Douglas saw DO dlfflculty in
deciding that there was adulteration ha these cams, despite
the plea that the defendants sold the tea as they received it,
Mad that all green teas were more or lees coloured.
A country minister of "limited capacity" recently
married for • second wife a widow of some property
Being an ardent servant of Mammon, • former neighbour
asked him if he did not do well by the second marriage. "0,
yen, Indeed," he said with animation, and then, as an ex-
pression of reverent awe stole Into Me face, he added, "And
what is very remarkable, the clothes of my wile's first hus-
band just fit me."
From inquiries made on Saturday the quantity of
coal at present stored in Liverpoul Is far larger than was
anticipated. The great depnts in Crown-street are full to
overflowing, and the stocks are gradually increasing, in con-
sequence of the somewhat limited demand within the last
few weeks. The amount of steam coal stored In bulk and
in waggons on both sides of the Kersey Is enormous, the
quantity at Birkenhead bet, g estimated at about 800,000
tons ; whilst that in Liverpool is probably 100,0‘,0 more.
This Is apart from the &turas for domestic use.

A few years ago the guardians of the Poplar Union
inanaged the labour-test applied to their able-bodied por so
well Gut the Luca Governmeni Board issued an order an-
. .. . .

thorising them to receive able-bodied paupers from other
parishes and unions, and many of the metropolitan boards of
guardians have availed themselves of the opportunity of
sending inch persons to Poplar, and by so doing get rid of
many whom they considered chronic tory paupers. The
Poplar guardians have, however, now Informed the guar-
dians who send them each paupers that the charge for their
maintenanoe will be increased from es. 9d. to 7e. 3d. per heal
per week from Lady-day next. The increase has created
much dissatisfaelion, as such poupors are considered to
be almost self-supporting by the guardbuis sealing them.
The Cologne Gaulle thinks that English sympathy
with Dr. Hamel has taken too materials shape to be alto-
gether appropriate. Sympathy in itself was merited ; but
beyond that of repayment of costa, tree fare to Brasil, and at
most the silver vase, no pecuniary reparation was due to the
clergyman. In Germany we hoer that it would have given
greater satisfaction if, for the honour of the German name,
the residue of the gift, after the deduction of all costs, had
been at least partbilly assigned to some charaltable fund In
London, or to say, which would have been most appropriate,
to the fernlike of the drowned in the Northflut.
The Bishop of Manchester, preaching in St. Saviour's
Church, Ringley, on Suuday, made some remarks on fools,
founded on the saying in the Book of Proverbs, "The pro-
sperity of fools shall destroy them." The fool" in the
Bible did not mean an Ignorant man, or one who could not
read, write, and cipher; but the fool was the godless man,
who said in his heart, "There is no God." The bishop ap-
plied his remerke to the colliers in his congregation who
were earning high wages and spending their money safest as
they got it, Instead of preparing for the future.

_ - - -
A gentleman living at Cannee, the Viscount B—
befog anxious respecting the safety of ODS et his Mends re-
siding in Paris, after reading the account In the newspapers
of the recent terrific storm, sent him the following telegram :
—"We hope you have not had a chimney pot on the top of
your head." The following day the telegram was returned
to the viscount from the telegraph office with the following
remarks :—" The accompying telegram, net having any
sense, must, In accordance with Article 4, be looked at in the
light of a secret despatch, the transmission of whleli Is foe.
bidden."
A meeting of the Birmingham District Council of
the Amalgamated Society of Railway Engineer., represent.
lug between 4,000 and 5,000 ILSD has been held at Birming-
ham, for the purpose of considering the question of shorten-
ing the hours of labour and increasing the wages. As the
directors of the various companies had taken no notice ot
the memorials recently sent in, steps were taken to obtain
the signatures of the whole of the members of the society to
another memorial, asking for increase of wages in the various
depsrtments A vote of thanks au passed to Mr Bass for
promising to bring In a bill with reference to the length of
the working houn of railway turning
A newspaper Correspondent at Vienna, in his
&wont oe the progress of the Exhibition there, says that
nothing aorta are being made to have the building ready
by the opening day, the lit of May. Some of the galleries
are quite finished, ono only Deed to be fitted ap by the ex-
hinitors. The immense dome, the largest ever aUlimpiee,
I. described by the Correspondent as being to other domes
what the Went Eastern was to other ocean steamers. In
addition to the main building, there is • great detached
gallery for machinery, and a separate department of con-
siderable else for works of art ; while many smaller gnu-
sores are scattered through the grounds Already, in mita
cipation of the influx of visitors this summer, rents have
risen considerably; none Instance in the proportion of from
600 to 1,1500 it dins, and lx another from 400 to 1,000 forth.,
too, is twice as high as tt was a few years ago.
nest Is, however, treat IMAMS ProsEertty to sompeosate
ta lir guitial deo in prim.

have

The Council of the Royal Botanic Society tn.,
agreed upon estimates for building a new and ertensive
range of houses for preserving the rapidly Mersa log collec-
tion of economic plants possessed by the society.

The body which was recovered at the end of last
week from the wreck of the Northfieet has been identified aa
that of William Norman, aged twenty-four. It was buried
In Lydd churchyard on Saturday afternoon.
At a conference held on Saturday between the
miners and coati:nesters of Northumberland, an advance of
18 per cent., mating s total of 19 per cent, was granted to
hewers and an advance of 15 per cent., making 35 per cent.,
to putters was given.
- - - - -

a
There ie reason to liel'eve that the long-lost portrait
of Modere, painted by oJotln Bourdon, Ws been discovered
win nit the Ingres collection at the minima of Montanban,
and that it was restored by the latter painter, who purchased
It at a dealer'. sale.

At e School Board exlmination, where words were
"given out.' for subjects in composition, • " mute Inglorious
Milton' produced at eight thie sentence on the word "pane-
gyric "—"A: few drops f panegyric, given on a large lump
of sugar, is often best for an infant with the stemach.ache."
Gas making moat pay well. In many parts of the
metropolis coal merchants apply thsmselve• to the manufao-
tare of coke in large quantities, and lose the whole of the
products which the gas compstnes are really established to
produce; yet the price el the cute Is in each instanoe the

The German Emperor and the Emperor of Austria
are expected to arrive in St. Petenburg about the 49th or
April—the Czar's birthday. Great preparations are being
made for their reception, and detachments of the regiments
of which they are the chiefs have been summoned to the
Russian capitaL

The death is announced of M. Armand Godard, one
of the proprietors of the great glass-works of Baccarat,
Manilla. The deoease I leaved • fortune of sixteen millions
of franc• Re was a distinguished amateur in painting, and
was the owner of the two famous bulls of Brascassat, tor
which an American recently offered him 40,000 francs, but
which he has bequeathed, together with a fine work id
Jacques to the Museum of the Louvre.
At length we poes definite statistics showing he
German losses in the war with France. The total number
killed, wounded. and missing amounts to 127,897. Of these
there were killed In action 17,572 ; those who died afterwsrds
from their wounds numbered 10.710; from sickness, 12,253;
from accidents, 1116 : from suicide, SO; the total number
who died being thus 40 101, Illahlditg 1,134 officers. During
the war there were no less than 1,599 encounters with the
enemy whLh were attended with loss of life.

A fatal termination to a boar bunt occurred at Tigne-
court, in the canton De Lamarche, on Sunday last. M.
Ca(Sethi, a landed proprietor, taking advantage of • tall of
snow, went into the adjoining wood in march of boars. He
had net gone far before he fell on the track of an animal,
which he speedily sighted, and gave It the contents of his
weapon. Rendered furious by It, wound, the boar turned
on hi. Callietel, threw him down, mangled his thighs In a
dreadful manner, and disembowelled him with Its tusks.
Other sportsmen coming to the spot a few minutes later
found M. Callithel quite dead, and the boar, also dead,
stretched on top of hlm.

" Those who regard the United States se a kind of
paradise of the poor, a land Sowing with milk and honey,
where no one need want, will be surprised to learn that the
management of psalms is giving almost as much concern to
social reformers in New York as it is among ourselves. At
a conference of saperintendents of the poor held at Albany
the other day some statements were made which give a sug-
gestive view of the alarming proportion already assumed by
pauperism in the older portion of the Union. It was stated,
or Instance, that in the State of New York alone Pr
amounting in value to nearly £5,000,000 sterling is held vby
the public charities, and that nevertheless one in *eery 150
of the pepwation is a psuper."—Paii Mali Gaul t&

An American paper write.., follows upon the
Yankee spirit for annexation:—" Quit.. number of Amer'.
can., without sufficient reflection, would go on for annexing
all creation. Few ideas are more popular than the extension
of the boundaries of the Republic. Canada, Mexico, Cuba,
San Domingo, and Hawaii are all to be laid under contribu-
tion if the annexationist' have their own way. Our beet
thinkers, however, see danger in such ideas gaining a firm
hold on the public in Ind. Thoughtful men s, trouble
enough ahead in the task of holding together the vast territory
at present under the control of this Government. Our in-
terests are already sufficiently diversified, and our t opula-
Lion incongruous enough, without adding the rebellious
Mexican, the lazy Cuban, and the haltelvillaed Sandwich
blander."

Her Majesty the Queen, accompanied by her Royal
Highness Princess Beatrice, and attended by her suite, on
Monday, made a sudden and somewhat anexpected visit to
London for the purpose of !Idling the Duchess of Inverness,
who is 11l The day was unfavourable fer travelling, there
having been a heavy fall of snow in the course of the earlier
part of the morning, sod snow was still falling when her
Majesty quitted the Castle, shortly otter ten o'clock. Her
Majesty, on arriving in London, drove to Kensington Palace
to visit the Duchess. Afterwards the Queen returned to Pad-
dington, and at 1216 p.m. travelled back by special train
over the same route to Windsor, which was reached about
one o'clock in the afternoon.

Cipriani, the Florentine, who some months ago
swallowed a fork and attracted the attention of all Europe
to his interior, is 'till suffering from the consequences of
his imprudent act, and though possibly flattered at being the
object of so much observation, feels that "is jeu no vent
pal is fourchette,” and would gladly get rid of the uncom-
fortable stranger from his inside. The medical profession
evince the deepest interest in his came, and the Italian
doctors and surgeons are a little hurt at Signor Cipriani
leaving them to take up his abode in Paris. The Tuscan
newspapers hint that if it be not Dr. Nelaton, it is, at any
rate, one of the first medical men in Paris who has enticed
him thither with the promise of curing him or handsomely
remunerating him We (remarks the Pall Mail Gazette,
from whom we are quoting) who are accustomed to pay
doctors, may feel a little surprised at their paying their
patient; but it is scarcely worth while to swallow • fork to
ascertain if they would then pay us.