The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-03-08 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

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According to the Bristol Tinies there are 1,408 women
on the burgess roll In Bath. who thus constitute a fourth of
the ratepayers of the city.
A general strike of cabdrivers commenced in Berlin,
last Saturday, In consequence of new regulations which were
issued. Only a few cabs were to be seen on the stands.

One hundred and fifty petitions were presented to
the House of Commons last night against alteration of the
lucation Act, 1670, and a single petititn (from Oldham)
in favour of alteration.

The police of Parto (Portugal) have arristed an
agent of the working men's society called the Fraternidade
Operaria, who-was endeavouring to organise a strike among
the men engaged in the tobacco manufactories.
A coal bed has been discovered on the estate of
Colonel Irvine, at Sack, county Fermanagh, which has been
announced superior to Leitrim and Dungannon, and equal to
English.
A Times telegram from Berlin says that another
coalfield of apparently gigantic dimensions has been dis-
covered in the Chodshent district, near Sir Darya, in Central
Asia.

The total amount of sto 1 standing to the account
of military savings' banks on the sth of January was
£326,400 is. Id.
' '

During the last voyage of the city of Cork Steam-
packet Company's steamer Cormorant. from Bristol, a lire
broke out in the cabin, which was not subdued for six hours.
We hear (says the Bristol Times) that Sir Daniel
Gooch has stated that but for the increased price of cog the
Great Western dividend would have been at the rate of 7i
per cent, per annum.
About two o'clock on Tuesday morning an explosion
occurred at Messrs. Curtis and Harvey's works. Two "green
charge" mills were entirely destroyed. As there were few
persons about the premises, there was no loss of life.
A Berlin telegram says that, in compensation for
the salt excise, which is about to be abolished, the German
State Connell proposes to treble the duty and excise on
tobacco, and to impose a slight tax on exchange transac-
tions.

Her Majeety has, through the Duke of Argyll, sent
a letter to Dr. Guthrie's eldest son, "expressing to the be-
reaved widow and family of Dr. Guthrie her Majesty's sin-
cere sympathy with them, as well as her Majesty's very
true sorrow for the loss of one so good and so useful."
The Diario tie Barcelona, commenting on the high
price of coals in England laments that the agitated state
of the country prevents English capitalists from purchasing
the coal-fields that abound in the provinces of Catalonia,
Asturiaa, Andalusia, anl Estremadura.
Arrangements are, it is etattd, in progrese for holding
in Hyde Park, on Sunday week, one of the largest Fenian
amnesty demonstrations which nave yet taken place. "Pro-
bably," it is added, .1 the chair will be taken by Mr. Isaac
Butt, MT." Four bands have already been engaged, and
processions arranged to start from various diatricte In the
metropolis. The meeting will also be addressed on the sub-
ject o! Home Rule.
A tuminar', of return of raceedinge under the Lord
Chancellor's Augmentation Act since it ewe into operation
en the let of November, 18,3, up to and inclusive of the
18th of February, 1E73, shows that the total onneer of
tidy° aeons sold was 110, and that the total amount of pur-
chase money amounted to £210,459, of which £205,109 was
paid into the Bank of England, and £5,430 was received by
rentcharges, etc.
On Tuesday a deputation from 4,000 minirtere of
various denominations waited upon the Archbishop of Can-
terbury, at Lambeth Palace, in order to request his orac.l to
support the passage of the Bill to legalize marria,e av th a
deceased wife's sister through the House of Lords. The Arch-
bishop, in reply, said he would give his most serious coo-
El t.eration to the matter. The social bearings of the question
required so much thought that he should be unwillinz to
express an opinion that might bind him till he had heard
the matter discuss, d The deputation left a petition in
favour of the inn, which the Archbishop promisel to pre-
sent to the House of Lords.
- - • • •

It way elated by the Lord Mayor of London, last
Saturday, that the fund for the relief of the sufferers by the
loss of the Northfleet now amounts to £7,380.—A letter was
read regarding the Murillo from Lord Enfield, in which his
lordship statwt on behalf of Earl Granville that the ifurfUe,
being a foreign ship and beyond British jurisdiction, her
Majeety's Government have no power to detain her captain
and crew. Her Majesty's Minister at Madrid. however, is In
communication with the Spanish Gvernment, and be has
received en assurance from the Minister of Marine that the
Government will spare no pales to investigate what has hap-
pened and to apply, if necessary, due punishment to those
who may be found guilty.
•- - • • •

Twenty-five lives have been sacrificed through a col.
llsion in the Dish channel between a Dublin steamer, the
Torch, and an Inward-bound ship. the Chacobuco, from San
Francisco. The ship was running into Liverpool under a
peen of cenvss, in the midst of a blinding dorm; the
steamer, which bad left Liverpool on the previous night,
bore down upon her and struck her right amidships. She
did not float more than three minutes. and of her crew only
thread:ilea were saved, the captain, pilot, eecond mate, and
21 hands all going down with her. The steamer floated until
her crew and officers had been rescued by a tug boat—nil but
one poor fellow, who was to hard Jemmied between broken
I Wore of the bulwark' that there was no time to rescue

The estimsts..3 cost of the Vientut Exhibition is a

million and a half sterling.

The Americans in Parte are now almoet the only
{ oreignere who give dinners and belle as iu put time,.

The mathematical libr.ry of the late Mr. Babbage,
hich has been sold by private contract, is to be preserved
intact.

A Malta correapondent of The Times states that a
oluantlty td antiquities are lying at Smyrna, waiting convey-
epee to England.
. . . . - .

_
It has been determined by the Belfast Home Rule
etatochtion that they will have no proceseion on Si Patrick's
Day but they have given public notice of a meeting in
support of Home Rule, to take place In the Music lien, with
a banquet to follow in the evening.
A Reuter's telegram from Paris save that at the re-
filled, 01 300 Citholioe Father Hyacinthe Is going to preach
at Gevena. The letter of Father Hyacinthe lays that be will
preach to those who are resolved not to surrender either to
Ultramontanhim or unbelief.
••• • •

The health of Dr. Pusey, according to the latest no.
counts from Genoa, continues to improve; but the prostra-
tion have been so great that the recovery can be but slow.
He In able to rise from his bed for a few minutes at long in-
tervals, and this is considered a very great advance.
Efforts are being made to obtain a respite and coin.
mutation•of the sentence on Hugh Hagan, now lying at
Carlisle under sentence of death. The appeal is to be based
on the ground of insanity. If the full sentence be carried
out, the execution will take place on Friday.
The largest steamship ever built on the Humber has
Just been launched by the Earle, Company, for the Wilson
India line. She has been named El Dorado. The length of
this fine vessel is 400 feet, and her burthen 11 3.000 tons. On
the slip from which this launch has taken place the Bessemer
stessmhip Is to be built.
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- -
A paragraph in some of the London papers an-
nounces that the South Western Railway Company have as-
certained that good fires can be kept up by the mixture of
chalk with coal. They have therefore ordered that chalk
shall be burned in the waitiug-reoms of all their stations.
On Saturday a miner, named Bills, was engaged in
sinking a well in Dudley, when he accidentally fired the shot
by dropping alighted candle on the powder. Els was blown
out of the well, and tell back again shockingly mangled, lie
died two hours later. Two children were looking into the
well at the time of the explosion, and they were seriously
. . .

King Amadeus, his consort and children, left Lisbon
on Monday for Italy. The Royal family of Portugal went to
Belem Quay, and took farewell of their guests, who em-
barked on board the Italian frigate Room, which soon after
' anchor, amidst the salutes of the Portuguese and

ships of War.

The Charlotte Gladstone, being the twelfth of Mews.
John Brogden and sons ships containing workmen for the
New Zealand railways, arrived safely at Dunedin, Otago,
on the 16th of February, with 34S emigrants on board.

•
During the eleven months of the financial year
ending on the tat Instant the Exchequer receipts amounted
to £68,214,314, and the expenditure to £43,407,639. The
balance In the Bank of England excetds ten millions sterling.

A bill has been laid before the House of Commons
by Mr. Pim for removing doubts whether the Acts of Parlia-
ment relating to marriages of persons " belonging to any
Church denomination, or body of Protestant Christians" ex-
tend to the body known se "the Catholic and Apostolic
Church"—s communion still popularly termed the Irving'
lies," though they disclaim the appellation.
- • • • ••

Compressed Irish peat, possessing the density of
coal, and well suited for houiehold purposes as for manu-
facturing uses. may be shortly expected in large quatities in
the mat hot. New and improved compressing machines have
been perfected, and are expected to be at work In March,
under the auspices of a company established for the purpose
of supplying peat for all general purposes.
There recently died at Old Brompton, Chatham,
William Stack, who had lost an arm in the conflict between
the Shannon and the Chesapeake. He was captain's cox-
swain for woven years. Stack had attained the age of 88,
and his relatives say he was the last survivor of the Shan-

non's crew.
According to the 19me Siecle, the manufacture of
arms is being rapidly pushed forward at Chatelerault The
order gven is for'9o,ooo Chassepot rifles together with &consi-
derable number of carbines and sabres, the whole of which
must be delivered before the expiration of the present year.
Similar activity, it is said, is being displayed in the other
arsenals of France.
The Choir tells the following story :—An enthu-
siastic precentor the other Sunday, on leaving church, hap.
pened to meet one of the churchwardens. "Well.' said the
man of music, " how do you like the Gregorian.?" "I
haven't the pleasure of knowing the family," rejoined the
other, and then inquired with naive simplicity, " Where.
aboutetdo they sit "
The use of glycerine as a solvent for the coal tar.
colours promises some important practical results. Dye
baths, in which glycerine has been alone used, and in which
some of the aniline colours have been dissolved, have given
the best results with cotton, wool, and silk. At present,
however, the cost stands in the way of its general adaptation.
A letter from Odessa, dated the 25th ult., Antes
that the news having been spread that a Communistic agita-
tion had been projected by Bakunin and other Boyden
Socialist celebrities, troops have been dispatched to several
of the towns and villages of the south-west of Russia ; special
commissions have also been appointed to proceed to the
scenes of the projected rising.
The agent and owners of the schooner Lord Mun•
racier, of aro w.in.Furness, have given up that vessel as
lost. She left Newport for Waterbed, with coals, at the
beginning of the year, and has not since been heard of. It
is expected that she foundered during the gales which pre-
vailed at that lime. The captain (who leaves a widow and
six children) belonged to harrow, the mate was a West of
England man, and two of the crew hailed from Fleetwood.
Mr. Ward Hunt, M.P., in addresaing a meeting of
the N orthamptonahire Chamber of Agriculture, on Saturday,
spoke at some length on the subject of Pocr-law administra-
tion. The right hon.,gentleman expressed his opinion that
the great secret of keeping down rates, and probably of
nointaining a spirit of independence amongst the poor, was
a stringent application of the workhouse test.
It is said that the report of a large quantity of small
arms being manufactured in Birmingham for the account of
the German G overument is confirmed from Berlin. The arms
are what in Gennauy go by the designation of fil 71 Olio,.
A military commission has been appointed to test the rifles
before receiving them. The commisaton will go to Birming-
ham for the purpose.
Just as a beershop at Gloucester was being closed on
Monday night, some FrEnch sailors quarrelled with a Ger-
man sailor, and knives were used, Shortly afterwards one
of the Frenchmen was found lying in the street, and died in
a few minutes from a stab in the groin. A second Frenchman
managed to get on board his ship, although he was severely
wounded. The German was apprehended, but no knife or
blood marks have been found on him.
On Monday circulars were issued from Lord Dud-
ley's office, Wolverhempton, notillging another advance of 22
• ton on all classes of coal sold from hie lordship's collieries,
the notice to Labe effect from Tuesday, the 4th instant. The
rates at the pits will then be. for hest thick coal, 20s. per
ton for common, los. 61; and for lumps 17s 6.1. The price
of screenings will range from 131. to lea , aud slack will be
in, el and 10e.
The animal sermon, specially addressed to boys and
youth., end preached in connexion with the Islington
booths' Institute, drew a crowded congregation to Holy
Trinlty Church, Cloudesleyaquare, London, on Sunday
evening. The Rev. Canon Miller, D D., Vicar of Greenwich,
occupied the pulpit, and took for Ms text I. lebnothy, 1 to
delivering from it an eloquent amours% It was computed
that over 3,300 persons were present, more than two.
thirds of whom were boys and youths, and hundreds went
away unable to obtain even standing room.
Sir M. 11. Beach, M.P., on Tuesday presided at a
meeting of the Council of the Central Chamber of Agriculture,
at which a report was read from the Local Taxation Com-
mittee, expressing regret that the ministerial proposals on
this subject had not yet been made known, and a hope that
the country would be glowed time for • careful consideration
of the measure before It was discussed and decided upon is
Parliement
A crowded meeting of miners was held in the Brad-
ford Mechanics' Inetitute, on Monday air. Thompson, the
Mayor, presiding. Mr. John Dixon, Mr. Brown, and other
loading union men, repudiated the charges of Idleness and
drunkenness which have bern brought against the miners,
and urged that, although their position in regard to wages
was made better than live years ago, yet the profits on the
present prices were nearly absorbed by coal merchants. The
speakers advised that operative coal societies should be
founded, to supersede the merchants.
A meeting of the Royal Institution was held in Lon
don, on Tuesday, at which Professor Tyndall was present
for the first time since his return from America. A resolu-
tion was unanimously adopted congratulating the Professor
upon his safe arrival In England, expressing satisfaction that
the people of the United States had shared in the advan-
tages of his teaching, cordially welcoming him on his re.
turn to his own scientific home, and wishing him continued
health and prosperity.
The Government, in reply to communications which
have been addressed to them on the desirableness of appoint-
ing a Minister of Commerce, whose duty it should be to take
cognizance of ail matters affecting trade and commerce, heve
expressed an opinion adverse to the proposal. The London
correspondent of the Manchester Guardian says the reason
assigned is that such matters can be efficiently dealt with by
the existing departments, the chiefs of which are members of
the Cabinet.
The Dublin Exhibition of last year was a financial
success, but the surplus is a very small one. The receipt.
were £,3,100, and the disbursements, c 21,700, leaving a sur-
plusof L 1,400, which would give 2 per cent. to Sir Arthur
and Mr. E. C.Guinness, on the capital, 870,000, Invested by
them in the building. These gentlemen, however, have de-
clined to accept this sum, and have resolved to allocate it as
a starting fund to meet the heavy expenses which are ex-
pected to be incurred during the present year lathe forma-
tion and maintenance of a Loan Museum of Art Tressures.
Two tad relics of the Northfiect have been washed
ashore at Lydd. One body was found last Saturday after-
noon, and another soon followed, both being far advanced
In decomposition. They were burled without delay his the
spot asSigned for them in the parish churclayard.—Another
body was also washed ashore at Dungeness on Monday.
Like the bodies picked up on Saturday, it could not be
identified. It was buried in Lydil Churchyard in the after-
noon, Captain Oates and Mr. John Prescott being the
mourners. The clothing c.insieted eta blue knitted guernsey,
woollen cord trousers, and lace•up boots. In the pockets
were found a white handket chief, three keys, one split ring,
and a pack of playing cards. The age of the deceased was
apparently about 18.
"A Railway Cashier warns the public in The
Times against base halt sovereigns, which he says are now
largely in circulation. The specimens that have come under
his °Memnon are dated 1549, and are of gold, though of
Inferior quality to the standard coinage. As the difference
between the value of the gold they contain and that of the
standard qnality, though considerable, is yet fractional, it is
probable that a large number of the spurious coins have
been struck, to thattbe public would do well to be on their
guard. They are described as "pate In colour, and ring
with a somewhat silvery tore." As they have been well
struck from dies ingeniously sunk to represent the low
relief of a worn coin, it is only on dote examination that the
want of the peculiar :softness which shows regular wear can
be observed.
Some curious experiments which have been made by
Meters. Champion and Pellet, which we glean from the
Scientific American, appear to eaerve very careful examina-
tion. lodide of nitregen on paper was fastened to the deep
string of a exile, or a n.dis MI, and other similar lestru-
ments. The strings were net in vibration. The deep tones
produced no effect, nut. very high notes erploded the lodide
of nitrogen. .A little iodide of nitrogen being placed in the
focus of • parabolic concave mirror, a little nitro glycerine
WY placed In the focus of another similar mirror, at a die.
tepee of ei feet from the former on firing the vitro glycerine,
the lodide of nitrogen was exploded. Experimente are given
which appear to allow that this wee not due to heat, but to
the reflexive of sound waves.
Apropos of the treatment of untried prisoners, Mr:
W. T attack has addressed a letter to the Earl of Dudley on
the subject of prison discipline. As to the detention of
prisoners under remand, he eugg ate the following pointe as
being the chief practical imptovements needful :—I. More
facilities for furnishing their cells with such necessarier sea
table, desk, chair, bedding, Ac. 2. More opportunities of
communication with their friends, by correspondence, or
personally, and with privacy. S. More time for bodily exer-
cies 4 Less restriction as to the nee of books and news-
papers. 5. Exemption from exhibition to visitors, or from
being
_required to salute stranger@ or officials in hued lating

postures.
It is evident from a return just presented to Parlia-
ment that true economy may be effected in the army by en- ;
nourish* drunkenness (remarks the Pall Mal (iazette). In
the year 1869 70 the sum of £13,2;2 14. 3d. accrued from the '
imp..sition on soldier" of floes for drunketinese ; in 1870-71,
£17,901 ss. Ed. ; and in 1871,72, £21,106 Os. 21 Since the in-
troduction of penalties for drunkenness in July, 1E69, up to
Mach 31, 172 the total amount received for army and
militia fines amounts to the respectable stm of £53 2161. 54.,
of this £7,03 104. 3) has been paid away In gratuities to
well-conducted soldiers on discharge from the army, leaving
' a balance in band of £45,852 12s. Id. Might it not be possible
vy Inducing all our gallant soldiers to get drunk once& lay,
and mulcting them of their pay en each occasion, to make
the army almost self supporting. The Idea is well worth the
aitentlonof rigid economist., more especially as it might
not be an altogether Unpopular step among the soldiers
themeolva.

Mr. Spurgeon, who hates the prefix of "Rev.," has,
they say, Informed his Mends that letters addressed to the
"flee.' C. H. Spurgeon will be returned to the Dead Letter
Mee with' not known" written on them.
_ _ . . • • -

...
The alarm prevalent in Madrid ban been evidenla d
(one of our Spanish correspondents writes) by the operations
in the Savings' Bank during a single day, In which 619,162
reale were withdrawn, and only 156,026 paid
The result of hard drinking has been varionely &-
scribed. In • case before the Sn. riff of Dundee, the other
day, a witness stated that one 4 f the panics could not
appear because he was sup,raimuated with drink just
then."
- - . •

The Poetmaiiter•General Lai now under his consi•
&ration the expediency of considerably reducing charges
for telegrams, and of adopting a system of receipts, by
which means proof can be rcadby afforded of the delivery of
messages.
The following bit of Montalembert was well quoted
It a recent meeting —'i am LT authority against revolt,
for preservation against destruction, for society against
, Socialism, for the poseibLe freedom of good against the certain
liberty of evIL"
- - -- • •

-M. J. B. Weber, the Director of the Botanic Garden.
at Dijon, considers the potato disease to be quite analogous
to the oidium of the vine, and believes that it may be suc•
coastal', combated In the same manner—i.e., by sulphur
dusting.

--
The exportation of wheat from California to Eng-
land tea been Immense. The San Franstsco News says :
.• The fllcy-flret cargo of wheat to England, during the month
of January, was cleared at the Costom-house yesterday after-
noon. This lathe largest to any one month In the history of
the port."

At a meeting in Leeds the West Riding cOaloWners.
have unantmoasly resolved not to grant the request of their
workmen for a farther increase of wages to the extent of 20
per cent., on the ground that such an advance must have a
disastrous effect upon the trading and cther classes of the
community.
- - • • • • • • -

A verdict of wilful murder hue been retusued against
some person or persona unknown, for having caused the
death of a man named Lambert, gamekeeper to Mr cad
verley, of °anon Hall, near Leeds. The body wee found in
the river Aire, near Woridleafoid, with shot- wounds in the
heal and cheat.
- -

A correspondent of the Scotsman recommends the
employment of Tartar coolies in this country. He says :
" Now that such • combination has been shown to exist
amongst operatives of all dames. It Is more than time that
labour was brought Into the British market upon which
reliance could at aU times be pieced." _

The Shielde correeponient of the Shipping Gc'actie
writes :—Perhaps nothing I. more remarkable in shipping
trade than the fact that, when it was supposed iron steam •
ships had run the sailing ships to death, a reaction should
have taken place in regard to the bitter, which are again
steadily rising in value; and there are now daily inguirie*
for good vessels of from 380 to 480 or 500 tons, with three or
four years to go en the letter.
- • ^ • • •

—•- -
Captain Tyler has reported to the Board of Trade
respecting an accident which recently occurred at lioopten
Bank, on the Stafford and Uttoxeter Railway. At midnight
a train for Mallow, left the rails while running at high speed
ab ,ut two miles from that town. The engine driver and the
fireman were killed, • booking-clerk and the guard were In-
jured. and six passengers have complained of injury
Captain Tyler attributes this accident to Imprudent speed
down • gradient of 1 in 70, and round • move near
the bottom of it, at a time when the line may have been out
of adjustment from frost.
An almanack has been published in Armenian, at
Constantinople, for the first time. Among other interesting
articles is one on the statistics of the race, according to
which the Armenians are 4,200.000, of whom 2,600,000 are in
Turkey, outnumbering the Greeks, and 1,600,000 Ia Russia
The numbers in the English empire are estimated at 16,000.
The real capital of the race is Constantinople, where they
appear to be nearly 200,000 in number.
Medical students who are about to pass through the
ordeal of examination may advantageously, perhaps, copy
the reply of a French student, who was being examined by •
humus physician. He described to the perplexed aspirant
be medical honour' • disease culminating by degrees to the
most dangerous symptoms, and asked, "What would you
then prescribe, or do?" The student, after slight hesita-
tion, replied, " I should send instantly for you." Ile gets
his diploma, of course.
In the week ending Saturday last, 5,301 births and
4 259 deaths were registered in London and 20 other large
cities and towns of the United Kingdom. The mortality
from all causes In these towns was at the rate of SO deaths
annually to every 1,000 persons estimated to be living. In
the metropolis 2,334 births. And 1,790 deaths were registered,
the former having been 116 below, and the latter 144 above
the average numbera Three persons died from smell-pox,
11 from measles, 6 from scarlet-fever, 6 from diphtheria, 03
from whooph3goough, 19 from different forms of fever, and
13 from diarrhoea. The mean temperature during the week
at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, was 343 degrees, or 8
degrees below the average for the corresponding week in 50
years.
CorAiderable excitement was caused in London, last
Saturday, by the non-appearance of Mr. Jose do Lizard', in
the justice room of the Mansion Home, when called on to
answer to his boll, in the matter of the grave charge of fraud
which bad been brought against hinj by Messrs Glyn, Mills,
Currie, and Co., the bankers. The Lord Mayor, in determin-
ing to estreat the recognisances of the accused and absent
person's two sureties, each in the heavy sum of 1.6,000, said
that some time malt elapse before these gentlemen could be
called upon to pay; and in the meantime the ofkoers would
perhaps be able to lay hands on Mr. Lizardi. His Lordship
complained of having been induced to accept bail by the
assurance of counsel that • complete answer to the charge
would be made, II the defendant were allowed his liberty.
for the purpose of misting in the examination of books