The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-24 00:00:00

Our Von an CorrtsPolibtuf•
We deem it right to state th9.t we do not at all time'
ittentify ourselres with our Correspondent's oointons.]

Of all the crowned heads of EuropA, with the ex-
ception of the King of the Belgians, there is no more
1r quent visitor to this country than the Empress of
Austria. Scarcely a year passes in which her Imperial
Majesty does not come to either England or Ireland,
her attention being divided between the Isle of Wight
and the Green Isle across St. George's Channel. Last
year, for the first time, the Empress came to Ireland,
and was the guest of the Earl of Longford, at Sum-
merhill Park. She was so pleased with what she
saw that this winter the visit is repeated. Her exalted
rank, her entire freedom from affectation and hauteur,
a id the skill and courage with which she bears her-
self in the hunting-field, made a deep impression upon
those with whom she was brought into contact. Eng-
lish men who have passed a winter in shooting snipe and
wild-fowl in the western part of the sister island
bcar testimony to the extreme politeness and courtesy
of the people of all classes. The welcome extended
to the Austrian Empress last year was hearty whilst
being unostentatious; and of its sincere spontaneity
there could be no question. As a hunting centre, Ire-
land is believed by many competent authorities to be
without a rival in the world; and the Empress of
Austria, by the partiality which for two successive
years she has shown for Irish hunting, seems to be of
the same opinion herself. The Emperor of Austria,
who has now occupied the throne of that empire more
than thirty years, seldom goes far from his dominions.
Now and then to Berlin, but rarely farther, is about the
extent of His Majesty's journeyings.

Another has just been added to the multitude of
associations previously existing in London. It is the
"Street Accident and Dangerous Driving Prevention
Society." The necessity for some such organization
is illustrated by the fact that last year 236 persons
were registered as having been killed in the streets of
thc metropolis, while 2,339 were run over by various
vehicles and more or less seriously injured. These are
the figures given in the official returns, and it may
be sal'ely assumed that the number of casualties has
been under rather than over-stated. Of the acci-
dents which occur in our streets a very large pro-
portion is undoubtedly due to carelessness, and any
effort which may be made to induce greater caution
on the part of responsible persons is worthy of all
commendation. It is to be hoped, therefore, that the
new London association will prove suocessful, and
that it may ultimately be enabled to establish branches
in all the principal towns of the United Kingdom.
In Vienna, Bada-Pesth, Moscow, St. Petersburg, and
in all the large towns in Germany, France, and the
United States, the carrying of lamps at night by all
public vehicles is compulsory. Regulations to a
similar effect might well be in force in every town in
this kingdom. The cost of the supply of light would
be comparatively trifling, and the contribution to the
safety of the public would be immensely increased.
The appointment of Sir Brydges Henniker, in
succession to Major Graham in the appointment
and responsible office of Registrar-General, is a
reminder 0f... the approach of another Census. Major
Graham presided over the preparation of the vital
statistics in 1851, in 1861, and again in 1871; those of
1881 will be compiled by another hand. One of the
Acts of Parliament this Session will therefore contain
the necessary arrangements and regulations for taking
t'ne Census next year. The work of the numbering of
the people is a most important one, and there are
many who maintain that while a decennial counting
was sufficient for all purposes early in the present
century, a quinquennial period would now be more
useful in many ways. The population is always
reckoned by the Census; but it is clear that, taking
London as an illustration, it is a very different place
in 1880 from what it was in 1871. Yet in all official
returns, it must be the figures of 1871 which are
quoted, because these are the only trustworthy
statistics which can be obtained. The great cities of
the United States, which are so proud of their rapid
growth and development, count their inhabitants
every five years.

A conference of teachers has been sitting in London
for the purpose of discussing educational
one of the resolutions, which was adopted unani-
mously, is worthy of attention far beyond the sphere
in which it was debated. It declared that it was
desirable and advantageous to bring up children in
the practice of total abstinence. That this should have
met with general concurrence from a body of preceptors
which had come together from all parts of the king-
dom is an important fact that ought to have an
influence in determining the careers of a large propor-
tion of the rising generation. It is all the more
significant when it is remembered that last session,
after having rejected the Habitual Drunkards' Bill
time after time, Parliament passed that measure into
a law; and thus provided the means for placing under
restraint those who, by long custom, are held to be
dangerous persons through habitual indulgence in
intoxicating drinks. Chronic drunkenness is there-
fore held by Parliament to be an offence against the
body politic and the State, and its victims are regarded
much in the light of those who are not responsible for
their actions. Meanwhile, on the principle that pre-
vention is better than cure, the teachers of our youth
throughout the land recognise the value of total absti-
nence as applied to children; and if this is practically
acted upon, there will in course of time be no neces-
sity for the institutions authorised by the statute of
last session,

When the Queen opens Parliament in person, the
scene in the Palace of Westminter is a very different
one from that when the sittings of the Legislature are
inaugurated by Royal Commission. Be the day ever
so gloomy—and February days are seldom brilliant in
London—it Is impossible for the House of Lords to be
dull in the presence of the Sovereign. The peers spiritual
in their lawn sleeves, the judges in their ermine robes, th e
peers wearing their orders, and the rich dresses of the
peeresses in the galleries, all combine to make up a spec-
tacle which is not soon forgotten. The ladies who cannot
find seats in the galleries are conducted to the body
of the House; for the Lords are more gallant in this
way than the Commons, who never permit a "stranger"
of either sex to pass the floor whilst the Speaker i 3 in
the chair. But in the Upper House the rich warm
attire of the ladies who occupy the scarlet benches is
an agreeable relief to the sombre garments of the
peers; and as upon the entrance of the Sovereign all
rise, the scene is then rendered even more impressive.
The Queen, by a gesture, motions the illustrious
assembly to be seated; the Royal speech is then
read; the Park guns are fired; her Majesty departs
amid the sound of trumpet, followed by a pro-
cession of tabards, heralds, and pursnivants ; and
escorted by a squadron of the let Life Guards.
There is a vast multitude in the streets to witness
the State procession, and the church bells along the
line of route ring out merry peals. But when
Parliament is opened by Commission there can be no
greater contrast. There are then no crowds, no bells,
no guns, no trumpeters. There is no Royal procession,
no squadron of guards. Five noblemen, named as her
Majesty's Commissioners, take their seats on a bench
placed in front of the Throne, and the Lord Chan-
cellos, who is always one of these, reads the Speech to
a very thin House. One or two bishops, a few ladies,
less generally than a dozen peers, and no more mem-
bers of the House of Commons than can comfortably
stand at the bar, make up the gathering. It is the
presence of the Sovereign in person which constitutes
the soul of our Parliamentary life when the Legisla•
ture is about to begin its deliberations for another
year.

Lord Derby's speeches on non-political topics are
amongst the most valuable contributions to the work
of social reform, which so many of our statesmen hold
to be of such high importance. Liverpool is now in
the excitement of a contested election; yet Lord
Derby's speech in that town on savings banks and
national thrift cannot fail to command attention, not
only in the great port on the Blaney, but throughout
the kingdom. The fact that habitually we are not a
thrifty people is undeniable; but it is likely that the
temporary cloud upon our pro4perity may be produc-
tive of good in teaching us not to live up to the full
extent of an incume, but to prepare for what is often
called "a rainy day." Had the French, in town and
country, spent all their resources as they earned them,
they never could have met the war indemnity of two
hundred millions sterling which Germany imposed
nine years ago.

A meeting of metropolitan Volnnteer commanding
officers has been held in London, at which it was
unanimously resolved to 1 the holding of a
Volunteer Review on Easter Monday. There is no
difficulty with the War Office, which has always en.

couraged the movement to the utmost; but of late

years it has not been found easy to arrange with the
railway companies. Brighton, Dover, or Ports-
month was the annual scene of the review for
some time ; but independently of the enormous
passenger traffic which such a spectacle would
attract, each of these localities is a centre of
holiday resort on such a day as that. A run to
Brighton or to Dover on Easter Monday, or to Ports-
mouth en route for some of those charming places in
the Isle of Wight, which many of us know so well, is
a pleasure which is highly enjoye.l by thousands of
Londoners on a Bank Holiday; and
.the railway

companies have found that if their rolling stock is
monopolised for the conveyance of volunteers to and
from the site of a great military spectacle, it cannot
be available for the carriage of excursionists. Bank
Holiday, if it be fine, is a railway harvest; every line
is subject to competition; and shareholders are likely
to invest in the tuidertaking which pays the highest

dividend. Consequently, for some time past, Boards
of Directors have manifested an indisposition to
sacrifice their Easter Monday excursion traffic, and
no review has been held. Still, upon the principle of
never knowing when they are beaten, the command-
ing officers have made no th er effort; and all who
believe in the encouragement of a martial spirit
amongst the people hope that it may be successful.
This is the time for the holding of the half-yearly
meetings of railways, banks, and other public
companies, which having made up their accounts
to the 31st December, come before their shareholders
with the annual or half-yearly statement of
accounts, as the case may be. and declare their
dividends. Those who follow the reports of
these gatherings will find that, upon the whole,
a more hopeful tone pervades the speeches of
the several chairmen than was perceptible twelve or
even six months ago. Railway property is now
better than it has been for a long time, and is still
going up; gas shares have recovered the scare which I
accompanied the introduction of the electric light;
banks also have gone up in the estimation of the in-
vesting public; and looking all round there are signs
that a prolonged period of commercial gloom is at an
end. But the surest indication of the promised return
of good times is found in the monthly returns of exports
and imports issued by the Board of Trade. These show
that the commerce of Great Britain, stationary too
long for the comfort and welfare of its people, has not,
as was feared by soma, permanently left our shores;
but that, with one or two fine summers, such as we
were accustomed to enjoy in years gone by, beneficial
results would accrue to trades as well as to agricul-
ture, and the votaries of each would join in welcoming
a brighter material day for a land which has done so
much to advance the spread of civilization and en-
lightenment amongst the less favoured nations of the
earth.