The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-03-14 00:00:00

TEE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

In full Highland costume stood round the tables.
It is to be noted that all the servant. be.
longed to the ordinary Royal establishment, and
that the banquet was cooked and served without ary
extraneous aid whatever. In addition to the comitleas
wax lights on the table and buffets. the room was
lighted by groupe of oil temp. fixed on es:Oil-zoned
shields along the wails. Tee effect of the lighting was
beautiful, for, while there was a bilizs of brightness
on the table, there wain a shadow r the lofty reef
that consorted well with the Gothic architecture.
Th• L rd Chamberlain and the Lord Steward
lsel the way into the hall, their wanrie of rffice In
their hands. First walked the Duke and Dachees of
Edinburgh, as the guest.) of the evenirg. then Her
Majesty, on the aOa of the Prince of Weirs. The
Queen wore a dark diens., over which Amid the
veil from the white Marie Stuart cap. Her Majesty,
the Princess of Wale., and the Duchees of Edinburgh
each were the riband and the star of St. Catherine
of Rue&a, the Orders of Victoria and Albert, of
Louise of Prusde, mei of Saxe-Ceburg Gotha. The
Princess Chri-tian and the Princes' Louise wore
the order of Victoria and Albert and of Pcrtugal,
the Prince!" Beatrice the order of Victoria and
Albert, the Princes worn the riband and Star
of St. Andrew of Ruoida. The Duke of Ella-
burgh was in naval well irm, and the Duchess of
Elinbargh in a white dress w;th dismoncle, looking
very well. The Prince of Wales was in hie Gene-
ral's uniform. Prince Arteur, in Me nuificrm, took
the Princess of Wales round the long table to her
place exactly opposite Her Mejesty, with the white
wedding cake between them. Prince Leopold,who WOll
the kilt, took in Princers Criristian, and the Duke of
Cambridge, in Field-Marshal's uniform, took in the
Princess Louise, while the Princess Beatrice entered
the Hall on the arm of Prince Christian. Immediately
Her Majesty entered, the Life Guards' band in
the gallery struck up " God save the Queen,"
followed by the Russian Hymn. The Queen wore
magnificent diamonds, and the Princesses and all
the ladies flashed with jewele. The ladies, however,
were in a minority, for at least 90 of the company
of 136 were gentlemen, who were all in uniform.
rhe order of the guests to the immediate right of
Her Majesty was The Duchess of Edinburgh,
the Prioce of Wales, Prircees Louise, the Duke
of Cambridge, Princess Wiatemsky, the Margin.
of Lorne, the Duchess of Saldarba, the Duke
of Abercorn, Leely Louisa Egerton, Prince
Barietineky, Viscount Canterbuy, Earl Sydney,
lady Susan Melville, Viscount Torrington, Lady
Sophia Mecoamara, and Veceount Halifax. Beginning
on tie Queen's left baud there sat---the Duke of Edin-
burgh, Princess Beatrice, Prince Christian, the Duchess
of Wellington, the German Ambassador, the Unchain'
of Abereorn, the Duke of Wellington, Countess Percy,
the Belgian Minister, and Lady Emma Osborne.
Beginning from the centre of the other side of the
table, there net on the Princess of Widmer; eight—
Prince Arthur, Lady Churchill, the Maherajeh
Dhuleep Singh, the Duchess of Sutherland, the
Lord Chancellor, Madame de Eulow, the Duke
or kiutherlanii, the Marchioness of Hertford, the
Danish Minister, the Countess of Mecclesfield, and
e Lord Chamberlain. Ott the left el the Princes, of
%Vales the line of illustrious guests included Prince
Leotiold, Princess Chrietian, the Marquis of Hamilton,
the Countess of Derby, the Eatli if Carnarvou, Countess
Granville, the Earl of Derby, Countess Sydney, the
Master of the Horse, Lady Wriothesley Russell. Earl
Granville, Lord Jelin Manner% V•scount liarrington,
and Lady AuguidaStanliy. Mr. Disraeli sat some ten
places from the went end of the Queen's e'de of the
table; Mr. Gladstone was far away from him. . . .
Lord Peril eat at the emit end of the table,
the Lord Steward at the west end. At the proper
tints the Lord Steward rose and proposed In the
Queen's acme "The Health of their Royal High-
names the Duke and Duchess of Edinburgh." This
was drunk with all honours, the music being " Rule
Britanuia." It was followed by the healthe of the
Qiieen and of the Emperor and Empress of Russia,
drunk to the respective national airs. Sion af :er nine
o'clock the Queen rose, and Her Majesty and the
Royal family were eionoucted to the Safe drawing.
room in the same manner in which they entered.
The illustriona guests follesved, and the Queen's pri-
vate band pleyed a eelection of music till the company
broke up shortly before eleven o'clock, the London
guests returning to town in their special train. The
banquet sal a magnificent spectacle, and was ad-
mirably appointed and perfectly managed in every
respect. The het Stabs banquet in St. George's Hall
was given on the wedding-day of Lord Lorne and the
Princess lioniee, the 21st of March, 1871. On that
occasion there were not more than 70 or 80 guest.

exemption of producers from taxation proves doubly deOrip-
live. It is scarcely worth while t i go and prove that the
householders' tax recommends I by Re potter's League
would not hreduce the £34010 010 assumed t ilow from
It. We have already • Houle Tax, to at hich attention
is now very properly directed by practical financiers, and
it brings in, at the rate of 91 in the pound, 4,1,400,00
per annum. II the rate were raised to 45. In the pound
Ibis tel wid4.l bring in sountLing less than £7 5 0000
• year, and tat Is the rate rem immended by the League.
It Ls true that the present y is not levied upon
honsas of lower rents, tor, 4 0 a year, end something
must be added for tile additional roienue which w nil be
derived by bringing silhouette under the operat on of duty,
but the most sanguine estimate of the increase thus oh-
tallied would not raise the total from £7,60i,000 to
£B4 000,000 a year. We cannot avoid the cow:iusion that
the calculations of Mr. Potter and Mr. Briggs have been
made ''to the air," and their rib nnmendatione are unsound
In detail as well as unsound in principle,
No tax can he levied that vii not affect production. All
the capital of the country, with inshniticatit excel:El ins, is
eneadted in production, and it is only that any Income Is
derived from it A tax on the owners of capital influences
production as surely as a tax on Pabourers, and, as we have
said, may Influence it more sharply, This truth being
unavoldaide, the practical difficulty of the financier is
to raise the revenue he wants by taxes that shall clog
the freedom of industry as little as possible. and
shall so bear upon the people that every man shall pay hie
share, and know and feel that he pays his share. 1 h-re ie
another principle to be observed with thb--that which
approve., on moral grouwt, of taxation operating to
restrict the consumption of intoxicating drinks. We
apprehend that, in spite of Maleters, Brewers, or Free Trade
Lasguers, this last head of taxatioo will be maintained. It
is quite Ltle to say that the consumption of Beer and Gin is
unduly restricted, or that the manufacturers and purveyors
of them ire treated with indefensible severity, when we
find that, as a fact, their trades are growing, and the Madge
revenue furnished by them increasing every year. As-
suming, as we may assume, that these duties are to be
maintained, how shall they be supplemented so that our
system of taxation shall, as • whole, draw from each tax-
payer his proper share? If we could impose a Mouse Duty
which would reach every Cottage and tenement, we might
abandon what have crane to be culled Bre. k fast Table Duties ;
but even then it would be a question whether the substitute
sould be MO cheaply collected as the Imposts instead of which
it is proposed. We do not at present believe in the posit-
Minty of collecting a Universal Douse duty, and we believe
its collection, as far as it could be made, would prove
uceedingly cub), in respect of houses and cottages of
the Tweet rental ; but it is quite possible that the Mouse
Duty may he extended to holm, of kle rental, and we should
see, by the experience then acquired, whether it would
be possiiile to carry it lower. Soon argument as may be
urged for the adoption of a Duty of this Mud tu place if
such a Duty as that on tea cannot be supported on the
ground that the latter interferes with industry, for, at its
present rate, Its effect Is as slight as that of any duty could be
producing the alms revenue. The only objections to the
tax are that It •11-•cts tea-drinkers only, and this Is removed
by the existence of counterbalancing taxes on other bever-
ages ; and, next, that its pressure Is not seen and recognized,
which many would contend is a merit rather than a detect.
For ourselves, we prefer a tax to be felt as well as borne,
End this I. a quality especially to be desired In the taxa-
tion of the numerical majority, that they may Joel
the responsibility as well as the privileges of power.
But of all proposals the worst is that which would
leave this clan in soy degree untaxed. The unqualified
abolition of Breakfut Table Duties, like the ut qualified abo-
lition of the Income Tax, would fatally derange the equity
of our system of taxation ; and it becomes every man who
desires to maintain a lust apportionment of taxes arming all
Muses to resist with his utmost power all proposals that
shall relieve at y section of the people frim their share of
the national burdeus, whatever may be the authority recent.
mending them.

twice &week, and I am unite sure you would he astonished
If sou heard how she can pay and sing. lam very fond of
music, and her proficiency is • source of great pleasure to
me. Emma sends her beet love aid reepects to Mbs Rye
and any title girl. she may have with Mr Ines', and hopes
tqey may all get as good a homes, she ham, and permit me
ki thank you again for my little g rl, an I we pray God to
Nein you and preserve you in all yonr travels i.y 'and and
a,ter, and prosper tn. great ark In which you are In-
mei, and may ev ry one to whom yinx have given a little
gin be as satisfied and grateful as we are

These letters speak for themselves, and if any of
your readers know of any little deserted, ill-treated,
half-starvtd little girl under 13 year, of are, and will
semi her here, I am ready to receive her, and shall be
pleascd to correspond with bdies about fresh cases for
my Spring party,—Yours faithfully,
MARIA S. RTE.
Avenuc-honse, High-street, Peckham,