The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-09 00:00:00

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yie deem t rlaht to state that 're aot at ail tuna.
identity oanalvea with our Correepondeat's

However people easy grumble at the defects of our
laws or at their administration, it is pretty ilear that
their administrators are held in great public esteem.

_
This was pleasantly manifested by the popular gather-
lag about Westminster Hall on the first day of Michael-
ram term. The judges on that occasion were anything
bat "a terrible chew," and they constituted in
fact a very pleasant spectacle, while it was evident
that they commanded the respect aml esteem of
the people. The crowd in Westminster Hall on
this occasion, was unusually great, the chief cause
of the attraction being the desire to see the new Lord
Chancellor, Lord Selborne, and the new judge, Mr.
Justice Denman, both of whom were heartily cheered, as
was also Sir Alexander Cockburn, while all the judges
received marks of popular approval. Such public re.
cognition of our high legal functionaries shows a healthy
state of popular opinion, and it shows our judges that
though the people have no voice in their election, public
opinion can still be brought to bear on their appoint-
ment.

con,mon with most other people, I presume, I I
was under the impression that the Parks' Regulation
Act prohibited the holding f any meeting in Hyde-
park, unless, two days before such meeting, noticewere
given to the Office of Works of the intention to hold
the meeting, together with a notice of the resolutions
that were te be proposed, and that then, permission
being given, speeches would be made only within a
certain boundary. But it would seem that this
Act has not yet come into force. At any rate
there was a monster demonstration in Hyde-park
last Sunday, and the regulations, or intended regula-
Solo were completely defied. At • certain spot
in the park has been placed a stone pedestal, and
here is the following notice: "No public ad.

dresses ray be delivered except within forty yards
of the notice-board on which this rule is inscribed." ;
The speeches, however, were actually delivered some
100 or 150 yards from this spot, and such speeches!
Let the reader judge whether they did not contain
treason. Be this as it may it is a great pity that
may legislation should have been decided on or
any regulations made if both are thus to be treated
with contempt. These Sunday demonstrations are I
a gad feature of our social life. They cannot
be necessary, and they certainly are not conducive to
public order on the Sabbath. If this Parks Regulation
Act has not yet come into force, the sooner it does the
better for the interests of the general public. As to
the political significance of this demonstration I cannot
think that it is deserving of that respect which at the
first sight it seems to demand owing to the immense
numbers who were present. It is said there were
about 30,000 people there. ("an anybody reasonably
believe that even the majority of thistle sympathised
with the object of the leading demonstrators?
Whatever opinions may be held with regard to the
political influence of the Ballot, there must be a pretty
general agreement on one important point, that its
operation secures public order. The accounts of the
municipal elections throughout the country prove this
inconteetibly, and the various boroughs presented quite
a contrast in this respect as compared with previous
years. The public are to be congratulated on this
phase of the Ballot, whatever politicaleffect the Ballot
may have in special cases. I cannot but express the
opinion, however, that it is s great pity for either
Liberals or Conservatives to resort to the "Gard trick,"
which ought to be regarded as beneath the dignity of
an election. In very few instances, it seems, is this
process to be relied on; in many cases it has proved a
ludicrous failure ; and tire sooner the system is abolished
either by Parliament or local authorities the better.
In spite ,if the pretty general employment of the
working classes, emigration goes on apace. The
monthly returns of the emigration from Liverpool have
just been issued, and from these it appears that during
the month of October 19,119 emigrants left that port,
being an increase of 4,622 over the corresponding month
hat year. The total emigration from Liverpool this
year, as far as it has gone, is 178,150, being 25,623
more than during the corresponding portion of last
year. Of course a large proportion of these are
foreigners, but there is no doubt that on the whole
our working classes and labourers have left ;us in larger
numbers this year than usual. This is partly owing
to theefforts made by contractors and others to induce
navvies and labouring men to go to Australia and :New
Zealand for railway and other work. The other day
I saw perched on the knifeboard of an omnibus, in one
of cur crowded thoroughfares, some half a dozen
navvies, one of whom carried a flag on which was in.
scribed "to New Zealand." They were fine, stalwart
fellows, any one of whom could almost have done what
Milo was fabled to have done—fell an ox with a blow
from his fist. A friend who was with me said this was
a melancholy sight, to see a number of able-bodied,
powerful, healthy men having to leave their native
country to seek work abroad. I don't think so, and
certainly the men looked anything but melancholy, and
moreover they were going under a written contract to
provide them work at biz,h wages. Of course
the labour of these men is valuable, and this class
of labourers has done touch for us in forming our
railways, !to. ; but still there are plenty more of
them left, and the work of the Herculean navvy is not
likely to stand still for want of hands. Emigration
among another and a very different class of men is
likely to take place on a larger scale. I read that the
National Agricultural Union and a number of the
friends of the agricultural labourer "are making
preparations for an immediate, practical, and attractive
scheme for locating at least half a million of the cream
of our agricultural population in British colonies.'
This, indeed, is a monster scheme, and I take the
statement with a grain of salt, but at any rate there

WOMB no reason to doubt that a large number of agri.
cultural labourers will in some way or other be aided to
emigrate, and the circumstance is not to be regretted,

M the position and prospects both of the labourers
who emigrate and those who stay behind will thus be

Improved.

The Metropolitan Board of Works intend to apply
to Parliament for powers to free from toll all the
London bridges. Very good and very sensible, only
it is to be hoped that the country generally is not to be
asked to pay for this local improvement. If such be
the idea, it will find no support from the Chancellor of
the Exchequer, who has definitely stated his ideato be
that national funds should be used for national pur-
poses, leaving local reforms to be carried out with local
money.

The Secretary of State for War has sanctioned the
use of playing cards in the recreation rooms of soldiers,
as an experiment with the view of weaning the men
from resorting to pubbn-houses. Opinions very much
differ as to the deal rability if cardmlaying under any
circumstances, but if it is bad anywhere it certainly is
badin the publichouses, and I, for one, am inclined to
think that Mr. Cardwell has thus acted wisely. It is
scarcely likely that in his official capacity he would
recommend card-playing, but as he knows that the
soldiers will play, he thinks they bad better do so
under conditions which are as little likely as possible
to promote disorder. In connection with this subject,
I may mention that in one of the working mm's clubs
in London, promoted specially by the clergy of St.
Albans, Holborn, these gentlemen some eighteen
months ago introduced cards with exactly the same
view as that taken by Mr. Cardwell, and some time
since they issued a report in which they stated Vast
(I quote from memory) no disorder or evil result had
occurred. So that, as the Vicar of Wakefield used to
say, there is very much, gentlemen, to be said on both
sides.

The Gresham Lectures are now being delivered at
Gresham College, Basinghall-street, aceording to the
terms of bequest left by Sir Thomas Gresham, founder
of the Royal Exhange. He left a considerable sum of
money for seven professors to lecture annually on "the
seven liberal sciences, the lectures to be delivered in
Latin and English. The terms of his legacy appear
to be rigidly adhered to, except—why I know not -
that the lecture on music is not delivered in Latin.
But this is really the only popular lecture, and while
this is largely attended, the other lectures are de.
livered to very scanty audiences. Is it not a pity that
any lectures at all should be delivered in Latin? Very
very few people—perhaps not above one in fifty even
amongst University men—can understand off-hand a
lecture read in that language. Three centuries ago,
when glorious Queen Bess reigned over this country,
Latin was the language of the learned, but tempora
mullantur, &c., and I think it would be well if good
Sir Thomas Greatiam's bequest were adapted to the
wants of the time.
I observe that the collections on "Hospital Sunday"
in Birmingham amounted to upwards of I:3,000. The
midland metropolis is to be congratulated on her
liberality to the sick and infirm, and it is a great pity
that other towns do not imitate her example. Why
should there not be a "hospital Sunday" in London?
We have numerous institutions of this kind supported
entirely by voluntary contributions, and lam sure that
thousands of charitable individuals would be delighted
to have the opportunity of aiding them by contributing
money on some stated Sunday after services at our
ehurches and chapels.
There is a strange vitality in some old customs. A
day or two ago one of the most curious of remaining
ceremonies was performed at the office of the Queen's
Remembrance?, in the City. On behalf of the said
City proelamation was made, "Tenants or occupiers
of • piece of waste ground called the Moors, in the
county of Salop, come forth and do your service ; " but
nobody MEI) forth of course; and then the City Solici-
tor took, first • hatchet and than • bel•hook, and

chopped two miniature bundles of faggots. And then
and there proclamation having been made relative to a
piece of ground in the parish of St. Clement Danes,
London, the City Solicitor handed over six hone oboes
and counted sixty-one nails. Very ridiculous all this,
but I suppose it is legally necessary. I wonder what
would happen if it were indubitably proved that Mr.
City Solicitor bad made a mistake and handed over
sixty-one nails to the Remerubrancer !
Few men have had snore untruths told about them
than has Mr. Spurgeon. The last specimen of this is
in an American journal which tells WI that the popular
preacher has announced his intention of delivering a
lecture to which rich men alone are to be admitted, and
that none post-sting less than £40,000 will be allowed
to hear it. I need scorcely say that there is not an
atom of truth in the statement, which seems to have
been suggested to the imscrupubeis fabricator by an
anecdote related of the Rev. Rowland Hill. Just
before the plates were howled round for a collection,
the eccentric minister elaborately expressed a hope that
no one would put anything in the plate who could not
pay his or her debts—whereupon everybody gai,
something !

A movement has been set on foot in London, and is
being carried out already on rather a large scale, whioh
is very likely to be adopted in some country towns. In.
many trades, or rather shops, it has been found very
difficult to carry out the early closing movement on
Saturday, and the new plan is to close the shop at
eight o'clock instead of nine on all other evenings.
The system at all events is worthy of consideration.