The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-01-29 00:00:00

SATURDAY, JAN. 29, 1887.

A number of tenants on the estate of Mr. Hornec
manager of the Newry Branch of the Bank of Ireland,
have paid their rents on the landlord consenting to
accept a half-year's rent now and the other half in
May._ _ _

Robert Lewis, of Chesterton, was fined £5 and I'3
9s. 2d. costs at the Cambridge Polioe-court, for send-
ing a quantity of lacifer matches by the Great
Northern Railway without indicating their nature on
the outside of the package.
Mr. Justice Grantham, at the Norwich Sessions sen-
tenced the Socialists Mowbray, Henderson, Hall, and
Harrell to nine months, four months, one month, ant;
one week's imprisonment, respectively, for their cons-
plicity in the recent disturbances there.
Several offers have been made to the Russian
Minister of Finance for the lease of the proposed State
tobacco monopoly. The Minister has replied to the
proposals made to him by foreign financiers that be
doe:: not wish to increase the number of Russian Gold
Lo9ns.

The capital required for the organisation of an Inter-
national Food Exhibition at Amsterdam has been sub-
scribed. The buildings will cover an area of 6500
square metres. An International Exhibition of Popular
Food and Cookery will be opened at the end of the
present month in Leipsic.
The P.rince of Wales, in a letter addressed to a
gentleman who had written to him with reference to
the Imperial Institute, says that "it unst be left
entirely to those who raise a fund in celebration of the
commemoration of the fiftieth year of her Majesty '3
reign to determine whether such fund should be ap-
plied to local purposes rather than to the support of a
national_ memorial."

The Ministerial Bill for the suppression of drunken-
ness in Belgium provides that every person found
drunk in a public place shall be punished by fine and
imprisonment, that the same punishment is to be in-
flicted on every publican convicted of having served
drink to an intoxicated person or to children, and that
debts incurred for drink taken in a public-house shall
not be recoverable.

The quarterly court of the governors of the Warspito
training-ship hqs Leen held, when it was shown that
43 orphans and other poor lads had been admitted
during the quarter, 51 had been sent to the merchant
service, and six to the Royal Navy; 140 boys had been
taught the art of swimming at the society's baths at
Charlton.

The 27th annual report of the National Rifle Aesocis.
tion states that, notwithstanding the disastrous effects
of the wet weather during a considerable portion of the
Wimbledon meeting in July of last year, especially on
the opening day, the council is enabled to state that
another successful year has to be placed on the records
of the association. The total number of entries of all
kinds, exclusive of pools, amounted to 40,568, against
39,093 in the preceding year.
At Enderby Quarries, near Leicester, on Saturday
morning, a number of men were drilling for blasting
purposes when a mass of rock and earth fell upon them,
having purposes,
loosened by the thaw. They were buried,
and one man named Chapman was killed. Two othero
were seriously injured.
On Saturday, before Mr. Justice Denman, at Croydon
Assizes, James Hart and William Moss, privates in the
Ist Battalion Scots Guards, stationed at Oaterham
Barracks'
were convicted of violently assaulting and
robbing two
civilians on the highway at Caterham on
December 26. Both prosecutors were very severely
maltreated, and one, an elderly man, was robbed of his
boots and kit in the snow. The learn d judge 13Cn.
tenced the prisoners to five years' penal servitude.
Uphill, near Weston-super-Mare, was the scene of a
terrible affray on Saturday night. Joseph Turner,
landlord of the Ship Hotel, had entertained suspicions
of his wife's relations with a butcher named Herniman,
and after closing time on Saturday night assumed an
apparent state of intoxication, followed Herniman, and
had his suspicions of his wife's conduct confirmed. He
then assaulted the pair with a stonemason's mallet, in.
juring Herniznan seriously. The wife, however,
escaped.
Mr. Schnadhorst, addressing the Liberal Five
Hundrecll'at Cardiff, on Saturday evening, said that
Liberal associations should not only be formed for
election purposes, but should also be instructive and
educational. He recommended active political partici-
pation in municipal matters as a training for Parlia-
mentary affairr. He *ought the position of the Liberal
party at present was stronger than it had ever been.
Nothing of national interest could be settled till the
Irish question was disposed of. Then the leaders of the
Liberal party would recognise the claims of Wales
respecting Disestablishment.
The Czar is expected to visit Berlin on the ninetieth
birthday of the Emperor William, and it is believed that
he will meet the Austrian Emperor there.
The Duke of Westminister has promised to con-
tribute £5OO a year for five years towards the Jubilee
Pension Fund, for poorly - endowed clergy in the
Cheshire diocese.

A testimonial has been presented at Somerset House
to M. Adam Young, C. 8., Deputy-Chairman of the
Bow d of Inland Revenue, on his retirement from the
service. The testimonial consisLed of/silver tea and
coffee sets, and was of the value of between £4OO
and 1.500.
Mr. Forwood, Secretari to the Admiralty, announced
in a speech at Ormskirk, that negotiations had been
commenced with the view that the most suitable
British steamers might be held at the disposal of the
Government on the paymelt of a moderate annual
st.ly.ention.

Viscount -Folkestone, M.P., treasurer to her Majesty's
Household, speaking at New Southgate, said that when
Sir Michael Hicks-Beaph had the opportunity of ex-
plaining the difficulties with which he had recently to
deal in Ireland, he would, no doubt, come out of it with
flving colours. _

There is a rumour that the Czar was several days in
Paris during the week before Christmas, or about that
time. It is stated that he stayed in the house of a
Russian gentleman close to the Champs Elysees. The
strictest incognito was of course preserved. Hi 3
Majesty is furthermore reported to have had confer-
ences with political personages, and he is said to be
expected back from one day to another, travelling by
way of Switzerland. After he leaves Paris he will go
for a few days to Nice to see the Empress, and also in
strict incognito.
Herr Barth, the editor of the" Freisinnige Zeitung,"
has been sentenced to six weeks' imprisonment for
gross misdemeanour, the actual offence for which he
was condemned being the publication of the false re-
port concerning the alleged attack of the Czar upon
Lieut.-Colonel von Vil!aurae, the German Military
Attache at St. Petersburg.
It seems certain that measures will shortly be taken
to improve the Russian finances. It is thus asserted
that an income tax will be established, not only on
Russians, but also on foreigners residing here more than
one year. The import duties will simultaneously be
somewhat reduced on certain articles.

The Lords of the Admiralty have decided to create a
Statistical Office in connection with their department.
The office will be practically the Intelligence Bureau
of the Navy, and the officers connected with it will be
charged with the duty of collecting; and, when desir-
able, of publishing statistical and other information
bearing upon naval matters. It is uoderbtood that other
important changes iu the administration of the depart-
ment are impending.
A telegram from Warsaw states that subterranean
telegraphs are being laid between the different
Ruosian fortresses along the frontier, and also that
light bridges are being thrown in great haste across a
number of rivers. General Gourko is the originator of
these works.

At the Durham Assizes on Tuesday, a woman named
Biota; recovered £3OO from the North• Eastern Railway
Company, as compensation for the loss of her husband,
a workman, who was knocked down and killed by an
engine while pasting over a level crossing (fl the com-
pany's lines.
Replying to a deputation from Lancashire on Tues-
day, Mr. Ritchie, President of the Local Government
Board, announced that the Ministerial Couc.ty Govern-
ment Bill was prepared, and that the Government were
very anxious to push it forward in the coming session.
At present, therefore, they could not undertake to in-
troduce a separate measure providing that quarter
sessional boroughs shall not be exempt from contrib.,—
tons to main roads.