The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-31 00:00:00

Ur Iggnit CrirrtsPeattni•
We deem it right to state that we do not at all times
tdentify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.]

Probably there are many amongst us with good
memories who can recollect the exciting scenes through
which we were passing exactly six years ago. Up to
the 29th of February the dates and days of 1880 cor-
respond with those of 1874. On the morning of the
24th of January in the last-mentioned year people
were startled on opening their papers to find an address
from Mr. Gladstone to his constituents at Greenwich,
announcing an immediate dissolution of Parliament.
suud.y only intervened between the announcement
and the actual fact; for on Monday the 26th a Royal
proclamation appeared in the London Gazette dissolving
the Parliament, and summoning another to meet at
Westminster on Thursday the sth of March following.
That same night the mails carried to every quarter
of the kicgdom the writs for the returning officers;
and so swiftly was the work done that by Friday, the
30th, fifteen members had been actually elected to the
New House of Commons. These were in English
towns where there were no contests. A few polls took
place on the Saturday; some more on Monday, the
2nd February; but the great and decisive battle of
the political campaign was fought on the Tuesday,
when three-fourths of the boroughs in England and
Wales selected their representatives. By the middle
of February most of the county elections had token
place; and a few days later the returns even in
western Ireland and northern Scotland had completed
a Parliament which has existed through so important
and eventful a period of English history.
A short time ago the impression gained ground that
the seventh session of the expiring Parliament, which
is to be opened by Her Majesty in person on the sth
of February, would be a very brief one, limited to the
passing of ordinary votes in Supply, in order that a
dissolution might take place in the spring. Some in-
structions to the various public departments for the pre-
paration of the estimates at a much earlier period
, than usual seemed to imply that the business before
the Legislature would be confined principally to
administrative routine, with a view to an appeal to
the constituencies. Against this, however, is to be set
the public declaration of the Secretary of State for the
Colonies, a few days ago, that the final session would be
a thorough working one; and that plenty of business
would be laid before the House of Commons for its
consideration. Meanwhile, another piece of evidence
showing the gradual revival of trade, and promising
well for the Budget, is presented in the weekly Revenue
Returns. Formerly these were issued quarterly; but
of late years they have been published weekly in the
London Gazette; and, since the beginning of the year,
these have manifested unmistakeable signs of improve-
ment. The national income during February and
March last year was affected by exceptionally un-
toward causes, which are not likely to recur now; and
it would appear that the indioations of depression
twelve months ago were as unusually bad as the signs
of encouragement now are unusually good. The
Budget is generally introduced about the first week in
April. _

The Centenary of the establishment of Sunday
Schools is to be celebrated in a way commensurate
with the incalculable amount of good which, it may
fairly be assumed, has been wrought by these institu-
tions. The establishment of Sunday Schools in this
country by Robert Raikes is to be utilised for the
purpose of directing public attention to their bene-
ficent effects upon the moral and religious condition
of the people in this and other lands. Arrangements
have therefore been made for a great International
Convention of Sunday School workers and friends to
be held during the week commencing on the 28th of
June next, to he inaugurated by a public meeting in
the Egyptian Hall of the Mansion House in London.
The Queen has given her pa tronage to the movement,
and the Lord Mayor has consented to preside. So
convinced is his lordship of the immense service which
has been rendered by Sunday schools that he sug-
gested the use of the Guildhall instead of a room
mentioned a building which will accommodate
several thousand persons, and would far more
adequately represent the popular interest in the pro.
gress of a great and good cause.
The City of London is engaged in attempting to
found a Technical College at South Kensington or
elsewhere. It is endeavouring to organise an Art
Exhibition which shall rival the famous institutions a
Piccadilly and Bond-street; and an effort is also to
be made to establish a scientific and artistic exhibi-
tion. This will be opened during the ensuing summer.
Many of the Livery companies, who have done a great
deal during the past few years for the promotion of
technical education, are co-operating to promote the
success of the exhibition by lending their valuable
collections of plate for the purpose. There is further
a moveuient to grant the use of the Mansion House for
a conversatione in connection with the gathering, which
already promises to be of a successful character.
Some suggestions have lately been thrown out
that another International Exhibition should be held
in the British capital. Nearly eighteen years have
passed away since the nation which originated those
collections of the works of art and industry had one
in its midst. Franca has very recently had a most
successful one. Sydney and Melbourne are competing
with Europe. Berlin is about to rival Paris, or at all
events to attempt to do so. Seven years ago Austria
tried her hand, and Vienna opened a competition to
which the world was free. New York and Phila-
delphia have followed the example which London set
so long ago. Some years since the plan of an annual
International Exhibition was started at South Ken-
sington, and the first of these was opened by the
Prince of Wales on the Ist of May, 1871. It was not,
however, attended with the success which was
expected, and was not continued. Probably with
better times the idea now thrown out may assume a
practical shape, and another world's great fair be held
in London.

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The Scots Fusilier Guards form a regiment the
fame of whose deeds has resounded throughout the
world. In the Crimea no less than in the Peninsula
war it sustained the reputation inscribed upon the
banner which had so long waved over its victorious
ranks. The regiment is in excellent condition, as any
one may see who carts to go into Regent's Park on
one of those dry frosty mornings, of which London
now gets so many in the winter. There is a
characteristic about the Sots Fusiliers which is
worthy of a passing notice. In these days clubs are
established for all kinds of purposes—political,
literary, artistic, social. But a regimental club is
rather a novel thing; yet it is possessed by this famous
corps. The president is the colonel of his regiment;
the secretary is the adjutant; and the institution is
extremely well conducted. The utmost good feeling
exists between officers and men, and this tends to
efficiency of the service in a remarkable degree. From
the quality of the men enrolled in its ranks, and its
splendid state of discipline, there can be little doubt
that the concition of the Scots Fusiliers is as satis-
factory as that of any body of soldiers in the British
army.

The name of Landseer is certain to suggest the
huge lions at the base of the Nelson Column in Tra-
falgar-square, and those wonderful pictures of animals
so faithful to the life, which adorn the walls of many
a dwelling in Great Britain. The lions and a large pro-
portion of the delineations of animal existence were by
Sir Edwin La dseer, who died in the autumn of 1873,
and was buried in St. Paul's Cathedral. Last year
Mr. Charles Landseer, a brother of Sir Edwin, was
removeei by death; and now Thomas, another brother,
has been called to his rest. It was as an engraver of
Sir Edwin's pictures that he won his great reputation;
for so completely did he sympathise with the senti-
ment thrown into them that he transferred them to
black and white with a power which has made them
everywhere present. There are few houses in which
some engravings of Sir Edwin Landseer's pictures are
not to be found, and they were all by his brother
Thomas, who thus did so much to spread the family
came throughout the land and throughout the world.
In a cluntry where so much coal is raised, colliery
explosions happen so frequently, notwithstanding all
precautions, and the use of scientific appliances for
their prevention, that unfortunately their occurrence
causes little surprise. In connection with this subject
Ii is interesting to notice that Professor Forbes, of
Anderson's College, Glasgow, has announced to the
Philosophical Society, which has recently been discuss-
ing the manufacture of diamonds, that he has invented
an apparatus for accurately measuring the pressure of
fire-damp in mines, and can be used where even safety
lamps are useless. Thus science has provided one more
appliance for rendering collieries safer, by giving
warning of the presence of the fatal gas in the atmo-
sphere of the workings. It is hoped that the inven-
tion will do all that is expected of it. Should this
turn out to be the case, the invention may turn out to
be as valuable, or even more so, than manufactured
diamonds. No one can be so sanguine as to expect
that collieries will ever be absolutely safe. Natural
conditions, such as the inevitable generation of gases
in deep excavations, and the certainty of these
forcing their way out when the earth around them is
disturbed, preclude any such hope. Colliery accidents
of some kind seem to be inevitable. The work of the
world cannot be accomplished without coal, for it is a
necessity of life; and any scientific discovery which
tends to lessen the perils of its working is heartily
welcome.

gases

The Salmon Fisheries' Act of 1861 contributed
greatly to the increase of a valuable and nutritious
food, which in days gone by was regarded not so much
of a luxury as it afterwards became. It had, how.
rrer, become scarcer and scarcer until the kingly fish

was threatened almost with extinction; and the
Legislature, as capable of pickkg up a pin as of rending
the political oak, at length took the matter in hand,
and not only missed a law for the protection of
the salmon, but provided also for the appoint-

ment of inspectors to see that the law was
carried out. The effect of this Parliamentary inter-
ference soon became obvious, and were speedily illus-
trated by the increased quantities of salmon exposed
for sale upon the slabs of the Fishmongers' shops.
After this experience, very general regret is felt that a
malignant and fatal disease has broken out not only
amongst the salmon, but other descriptions of fish as
well, It is supposed to be attributable to the growth
of a poisonous fungus in the rivers frequented by the
fish, and its true origin is just now a subject of research
on the part of some bf our best known scientific men.
The deaths of the two notable Frenchmen who died
within forty-eight hours of each other—the Due de
Gramont and M. Jules Favre—have given occasion
for many a graphic pen to•recal the stirring scenes in
which both took part nearly ten years ago. Both
were Foreign Ministers of France within a few weeks
of each other, but under widely different regimes, the
Due de Gramont being the last Foreign Secretary
under the Empire, while M. Jules Favre filled the
same post in the Government of National De-
fence, which rose upon the ruins of the Imperial
structure. It does not seem a decade since M.
Emile 011ivier became the Emperor's First Minister;
yet a reference to history shows that this was
in January, 1870. In the following May took
place that plebiscite which showed that nearly 0,000
men in the army were opposed to Imperial rule;
while two months later came that fatal declaration
of war which cast France so dearly. Many of the
moat prominent figures then upon that excited stage
nave passed away so far as Franca is concerned—the
Emperor, the Prince Imperial, M. Thiers, and the
two statesmen already mentioned; but so far as
Germany is concerned, both in council and in camp,
she might almost go through the same time again and
with the same men. The venerable Emperor himself,
the Crown Prince, Prince Frederick Charles, Bis-
marck, and Moltke, all survive to fight over again in
magination the stormy battles of that tempestuous
time, and to recal the memories of the part which
they then took in the consolidation of the great empire
whose honour, interests, and secarity they then
guarded so well.