The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-16 00:00:00

THE GREAT FIRE IN PARIS.

JCCIhIIIL'OII ntdlligente,

HOME. FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL,

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

EPITOME OF NEWS.

A Parliamentary paper issued on Monday contains
a mass of correspondence rola/are to Mr. O'Keetfe's case and
the Callan schools.
Some poets at a literary club were recontly discus-
sing "the best time to bring out mew poems," when an
editor volunteered this remark ,—" About the year three
: thousand will be a first-rate time."—Court Journal.
A despatch from New York through Reuter's
agency states that new errs asses have appeared In the t aides
abbe Mississippi.
It is estimated that the oxt f appealing against
the decision in the Exeter reredos case sill be about
42,000
The bill of the Govennnent to amend the law of
rating by including mines, as ids, sad game is appointed to
be read a second time ou Monday uest.
The Anti-Inoome-Tax League has issued circulars
agitating total repeal.
Much damage is said to have been done to the vines
in France by the late frosts
, Advices from Palermo state that Baron Porcari,
! who had been carried off by a band of brigands. has returned
to his family, after having paid a ransom of 63,0001 in gold_ He
had been placed tu a grotto, and not MA sight of for eleven
days. but not otherwise ill-treated.
lion n
of
tdo
ixn,xecte .s of
ihatt Venice
the
eu rpublishes
sg n r
ia.o official
thas
resolved c t!ri.n
to
surrender foreign malefactors taking refuge in Greece and
that the decision has been Ail:tally notified to the Italian
governinent.
It is shown by a return just issued that in the last
five years the number of petitions was 105,107, the number
printed in the period 4638, the number of signatures since
1500 was 14,964,064. and the number of reports since that
time 157.
, In the House of Commons, on Monday evening Mr.
I W. H. Smith, in answer to Sir. Whal lea% stated that the
papers which hadbeeu told upon the tablerefening to the trial
! of Thunias Castro, otherwise Orton, otherwise Tichborne,
included an account of all expenses incurred in that trial.
Lady Smith, 'the widow of the late Sir Edward
Smith, president of the Linunan Society, who was knighted
in 1014. by George IV., readied the age of 101. at Lowestoft,
on Monday. Last year Her Majesty presented Lady Smith
with a copy of "Our Life in the Highlands,
The receipts of the Paris theatres for the year
1873-74 just closed, are stated to he in excess of any year
since 1867, when the Exhibition was open.
Wednesday, the 13th was the Pope's birthday. His
Holiness is 4;411y-three years of age.
The number of ships which passed through the Suez
Canal is the 10 days ending Awil 30 was 32, of a I,,TOSS aggre-
gate burden of about 50,000 tons. The transit revenue of the
Canal compam for the ten days amount to £22,800.
In the five weeks between April lot and the 9th of
May, the Exchequer receipts amounted to £7,598,022, as com-
pared with £7,020,234 in the corresponding period of last
year. The expenditure bsa slightly exceeded ten millions
sterling. The balance in the Bank of England on Saturday
last was £3,124,627.
A Parliamentary paper just printed contains a vote
of credit for £lOO,OOO. which is required towards defraying
the expense of the Ashan,ee expedition
The Country learns that the game preservers of
Kent. Surrey, and Sussex, have directed their keepers,
watchers, and others, to prevent so-called flower gatherers
trout trmpassing on their lands. As a rule these persons,
whilst nominally collecting the roots of primones, datfedils,
lilies, wild hyacinths, and the like, are equally ready o
collect the eggs of partridges anti pheasants, for which they
find a sure and profitable market,
An advertisement appeared in The Tiince the other
day for a Philosopher to I ladies' club." It is added that •
B.A. will be preferred.
A woman in reduced circumstances, apparently a
widow. 40 yeani of age, threw herself from Clifton suspen-
sion Bridge into the Avon beneath on Tuesday night. The
tide was low, and the body, which turned over and over in
its descent, fell on the bank of the river on the Gloucester-
shire side, about 21t. from the water's edge. Life of comae
I was extinct. This is the ninth calcite committed from this
! Midge since it was opened for traffic in December, 1864.
A mass meeting of the Fife and Clacknuannan
miners was held on Tuesday at Dunfermline. Upwards of
thousand were present It was unanimously agreed
tint they finish all existing contracts with their employers
at the eat-lit st opportunity that those who are ill after the
others are out, contribute one shilling a day to support those
who are first idle ; and that in the interval they have a con-
tmence witli the masters with the view of securing a regular
rate of reduction mitt thereby avoiding a regular strike.
An inquest was held at Livensad on Monday,
touching the death of a man named Peter Walker, who hail
died in convulsions, saliva flowing from his mouth, at the
Royal Millinery on Saturday. on the lath of March the de-
o:weed was bitten on the face liy a retriever dog. but, after
the wound had been cauterised, lie experienced no ill effects
till Friday last, when the wound hemline much inflamed.
The jury returned a verdict that tine deceased had died from
hydrophobia.
The Morning Port has season to believe that " the
highest authority in the House of Commons has expressed
himself in terms of disapprobation at the use, on more thins
one occasion in recent discussions, of words and illustrations
net consistent with the traditional usages of Parliament,
and of a character calculated to lower the tone of the debates
and lessen the digt.ity of a deliberative assembly."
In London, on Monday afternoon a meeting of the
Blends and admirers of the works of the bite Mr Owen Jones
was held at 10, Carlton-house-terrace, at which it was re-
solved that the deceased gentlenum's great services to
decorative art should be recognised by a suitable memorial.
A liberal subscription wax at once entered into
Some time ago a vase which had been buried in the
time of San . Louis was unearthed in St. Astirr, France.
Among other things it con-ained an onion which, after
having been exposed for a short time to the air, IVall Stt.
111 spite slits age, 000 years, it has grown Mai a healthy
plant.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges, as
" conscience money," the receipt of the second halves of
notes for £2O from "F," the first half of a Batik of England
tette for £lO from "X. V. z.," and the second halves of Bank
notes to the amount of £3O from Civic," for unpaid Income
Tax.
The importation of elephants' teeth, &e. increases,
and, considering the danger of the occupation:the value is
remarkable. Inn the past four mouths £225.254 was the
aniouet ; last year, in the like period. A:122,500.
" The cotnpetition among Atlantic steamers will
now be very keen, and one company, it is ruminant, will
lower their steerage passage rate to 12.2, while another talks
of carrying people sustia. Count Journal.
A tax upon edible snails is the latest proposition of
the impecunious Paris authorities. A similar duty oil oysters
is also contemplated. This, however, is nothing to a tax on
bachelors advocated in a recently published pamphlet. The
writer suggests that from 21 to 25 all single men should pay
one-twentieth of their incomes ; teem 23 to 30, one-tenth
froni 30 to 00, oue-fiftli ; and from 60 to 70 a still greater
proportion.
The Rev. Charles New, of the Methodist Free
Church, Lae just left Oda country for the scene id his pre-
vious labours it, Eastern Africa. After investigating some
of the less known portions of the Coast, he proposes to press
forward ion,, the interior in the direction of the Nile

--
sources. Mr. New is corresponding member of the Royal
Geographical Society and of the British and Foreign Anti-
Slavery Society.
At the Hague, .ot Monday, the twenty-fifth anni-
versary of the accession of the King of Holland to the tin one
I,aB celebrated with great rejoicings. The Royal Family
passed through the streets, winch were gaily decorated, and
thronged with spectators, by whom they were enthusiasti-
cally mceived. Ms Majesty afterwards appeared on the
balcony of the Palace, and was loudly cheered.
A new freak of fashion consists of birth-announee
meld cards. They are very small, and the announcement
reads compliments of Mr. aud Mm. - and am (or
daughter, whichever the case may he), Feb. 30, 3 p

Among relatives we presume these cards will have more or
less - •in the sil-- •0 line.

The busts of the French marshals— --h;ce been an
found uninJuredin the ruins of the Ittileries

The \rename Column is to be finiAwi by the
anniversary of It. fall, and the completion of the woik may
be celebrated by some formality. and perhaps a little
informality in the way of a row, so excitable are thee.
Paris4ols.

-----
The London Committee of the Federal Lahourere'
tnl,n, at its meeting on Tuesday, resolved to convene
mass meeting of the trade unionists of London in flyde Park
on Saturday evening next, at six o'clock, on behalf of the
looked out men of the Foiteratfun,

On Monday the mine-owners held a meeting at
Mildle,borougb, and atter considering the action taken by
the Cleveland ironstone nth era, decided to adhere to their
resolutin claiming a reduction of 2d per ton. The owners
then adjourned for a fortnight. About 8,000 miner, are now
jib, and the whole of the Cleveland mines are closest it,
the course of a week the blast furnaces will be damped
down for want of ironstone, the stocks of which are small.
The statue of Bunyan presented to Bedf.,rd by the
Duke of Redford to.. be,n placed upon tee pedeatat andii
to he formally unveiled on the loth of June Dean 2tanley,
who furnished the des*ne for the psd,stal is expected to be
present at the inaugural ceremony.

- -
The Child wall Abbey, a large, full-rigged British
ship, of 1,277 tons burden, foundered at sea on the 23e1 of
February, near St. Helena, as she was homeward bound with
a general cargo from Calcutta Four of her crew were
drow lied. and the remainder taking to the boats, were,
after drifting for three dais, picked up by another Engbah
ship. the Lord A 6hsvrtwa.
I amine continues to wake fearful ravages in the
district of Antolia, in AAA Minor, and the Turkish Govern-
ment is naddin; lamas effort to relieve the distress.

- -
It it ia stated that nearly 5.000 labourers loft Eng
land for New Zealand alone during the month of April.
Many of these have gone from Oxfordshire and the adjoining
counties.
• •

The hot weather appears to have gone to America.
A New York telegram ceceived on Monday morning says that
the temperature then` on Sunday was 94 deg. in the shade.
Mr. Arthur W. Peel has resigned the duties of whip
to the Opposition in the House of Commons, owing to in-
health, and will be succeeded by the Hight Hon. W.
Adam, who, at the request of the leading members of the
Liberal party, has consented to give his services in that
capacity.
The Public Bins in the House of Commons this
Session at present number 101 ; of these PO await their
second reading six have been rejected ; and one has been
withdrawn five have received the Royal assent; fire have
been agreed to by the Louts: and six have been referred to a
Select Committee.
At the annual meeting of the National Rifle Associa-
tion on Saturday, his Royal Highness the Duke of Cambridge
announced that the Wimbledon meeting would commence
on the nth of July, and stated that there is this year en ad.
dition of £950 to the money prizes.

The late M. Victor Cousin is reported to nve given
the following advice to the son of a friend entering upon
life, ahiiut the time that be hinvelf was under notice to
quit it :—You are young and inexperienced take my advice
earn money and save it, If you do not, you will prepare for
yourself a dishonoured old age, and when your hair LS grey
and your faculties fail you will have no alternative but a
hospital or the Senate."
. .

The Temperance " Crusaders " have recently been
heard from only in one place (rays the American cone-
spondent of The Times). They appeared In large numbers
on the .I.2nd of April at Harrisburg, the object being to in-
finence the legislature of Piiinsylvania on a pending bill
permitting liquor licenses to be issued and rendering nuga-
tory a previous measure known as the Local Option Law,"
which put the qUest ion in the different counties to a popular
rote. Their presence at the State capital, however, did no
good, for the bill passed the House by a large majority.

_ •
The Anglo-Brazilian Times of the Bth ult. has the
following An exploring party, consisting of Col. Jose
Calixto Furtado, his Belgian son-in-law, Albert Blochouse,
and three slaves, set out last February for the head waters
of the Capim, a tributary of the (Mama, in Para, where
rumour placed very rich gold washing& At the Indian Mis-
sion Broth r Candid° ste Ilermerence joined the expedition
with sixteen of the Indians there, instructed since boyhood.
But some days later, during one of the night rests on shore,
the Indians shot the missionary. the Belgian, and the slaves.
The affair was made known at the Mission by the return of
one of the Indians. who appeared strutting proudly in the
murdered friar's robe, and who was followed later by the
rest.

By permission of the Duke and Duchess of Suther-
land a meeting, very influentially attended, was held on
Tuesday afternoon, under the Presidency of the Duke
of Tech, at Stafford House, to consider the question of the
East African Slave Trade. Resolutions were passed condemn-
ing the slave trade as •• not only ruinous to Africa. but as en-
tirely opposed to the interests of civilized countries, prevent-
ing as it does the introduction and spread ofehristianity and
civilization," declaring that it was incumbent on the nxtion
to continue the policy pursued by the Government in dealing
with the West African slave trade, and v-hich gave rise to
the missi-ti of sir Bartle Frere, and expressing a hope that
II would be prosecuted to a successful issue. Mr Bartle
Frere, Sir John Glover, Dr. Moffatt, and Mr. B. M. Stanley
were among the speakers.
- - - • -•

During -the week ending last Saturday 5,50 births
and 3,348 deaths were registered In London and twenty
other large cities and towns of the United Kingdom. The
natural increase of population was 2,221. The mortality
from all causes in these towns was at the rate of 23 deaths
annually to every 1.000 persists living. In the metropolis
2,417 births and 1,337 deaths were registered, the former
having been 38 more, awl the latter 170 less, than the
awase numbers. One person died from small-pox, 44 from
measles, 10 from scarlet fever, 3 from diphtheria, 36 from
whooping-cough, 27 from different forms of fever, and 21
from diarrhrea. The mean temperature at the Royal
tbservatory, Greenwich, was I oily 44 deg., and was 7 deg.
below the average fir the corresponding period in 50 years.
The rainfall of the week measured but two hundredths of an
inch, whereas hi lti other large English towns from which
returns have been received it averaged .40 of aim