The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-19 00:00:00

ql.ur fonbon CorrtspoOent.

• [We deem it right to state that we do not at all times
Identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.

The assassination of the Emperor of Russia is the
most terrible event of its kind which has happened
for more than half a generation, for it was as far back
as the 14th of April, 1865, that the murder of Presi-
dent Lincoln in a theatre at Washington sent a thrill
of horror throughout the civilized world. Since that

time many attempts have been made upon the lives
of reigning sovereigns, and more upon the life of
the Emperor of Russia than any other European

_
monarch. Having ascended the throne in March,
1855, in the very crisis of the war between Russia and

the Western Powers, his tragic death removes a con-
necting link between the present and the past—a past
which, in six-and-twenty years, has witnessed such

mighty political changes on the continent of Europe.
The intelligence of the sudden and awful termination

of the Czar's life was known in London before seven

o'clock on Sunday evening, and spread rapidly through-

out the length and breadth of the Metropolis.
There has been many a centenary celebration during
the past few years, the most recent being that of
Robert Raikes, the founder of Sunday Schools, which
took place in the summer of 1880. One of the most
worthy of all the commemorations of this kind will be
that of the centenary of the birth of George Stephen-
son, the founder of the railway system in England.
This will be held on the 9th of June next at the Crystal
Palace, and an effort is being made to obtain a promise
of the presence of the Prince and Princess of -Wales at

the fete. The world now a very different one
from that of 1781, when this gifted engineer first

saw the light. More progress in every direction has

been made in this single century than in five hundred
years before, and to this advancement the founding
and development of the railway system has contri-
buted in a marvellous degree. If ever the memory of
a man deserved to be perpetuated, it is that of George
Stephenson. It is noteworthy that two Brunels and
two Stephensons, father and son, were contempo-
raries; and that Lombard Kingdom Brunel and
Robert Stephenson, the sons of two illustrious
fathers, both passed away in the autumn of 1859,
within a month of each other, and in the full maturity
of their powers.
The Board of Trade Returns for February show a
decided improvement when contrasted with those of
the corresponding month last year. The total value
of the articles imported was £36,646,270, as compared
with £33,246,028 in 188qp This is a very material
increase ; and in the exports also there was an augmen-
tation in the total amount for February when com-
parison is made with either 1880 or 1879, and in
contrast with the latter there was an excess of
four millions sterling. It is therefore evident
that the recovery in the general trade and com-
merce of the country, which was manifested last
year, has not only been maintained, but also enhanced,
during the most recent period. To this consideration
must be added the fact that the Revenue Returns week
by week, are highly favourable; and by the 31st
instant the end of the financial year, it is expected
that the national receipts will be three millions sterling
in excess of those which came into the Exchequer this
time twelve months.

The most important addition which has been made of
late years to the national collection of picturesin Trafal-
gar-square, is Leonard de Vinci's celebrated " Vierge
aux Rochers," which has just been transferred to the
National Gallery from Lord Suffolk's collection. It is a
subject of congratulation that a masterpiece of the
great Italian painter, who is also famed as a sculptor,
architect, and engineer, has become the property of
the nation, and occupies an honourable place in a
collection which is entitled to rank among the first in
the world. The artist who is known by his greatest
work, "The Lord's Supper," flourished four centuries
ago, but his memory is still fresh among his country-
men, the evidence which he left of his genius in the
shape of the famous aqueduct that supplies Milan
with water, and of the ornamentation of the Grand
Council Chamber in Florence, being in themselves
enough to perpetuate his fame. It is somewhat
remarkable that notwithstanding the utmost
endeavours of the Italians to keep at home the works
of their great artists so many old Italian -pictures
have found their way to other countries. In addition
to many possessed by private collectors, not a few
have been secured to our National Gallery. Sixty
years ago we had neither pictures nor gallery, but now
2,000 pictures, representing almost every school of
painting, adorn the walls of the substantial building in
Trafalgar Square. Nearly £400,000 has been expended,
but this sum by no means represents the value of the
collection; for not only have public-spirited men
a pride in contributing valuable works from their
walls, but the purchases have been effected with such
taste and judgment, that the market value of the pic-
tures far exceeds the original outlay.
There can be little doubt that the development of

the National Gallery has only kept pace with the
growth of the popular taste in art. Not only has an
advance taken place in artistic production, as shown
by the work presented at our annual exhibitions, but
there has been a decided improvement in taste
amongst the multitude. It is not a morbid

esthetical sentiment, but a true regard for
form and comeliness. There i 3 less vulgarity
in'attempts at ornamentation, and more attention
paid to beautifying the home in a tasteful but n

necessarily expensive manner. To Cie local schoolb of
art the credit of this change is largely due. These
invaluable institutions have been instrumental in dif-
fusing a love of art among the people, which cannot
fail eventually to elevate the tone and improve the
social condition of society.

The disastrous earthquake in the island of Ischia,
at the north-western extremity of the Bay of Naples,
is clearly traceable to the action of Mount Vesuvius.
The shock lasted only seven seconds of time, hardly
longer than the scriptural "twinkling of an eye,"
yet in that short space a hitherto prosperous watering
place was converted into a heap of ruins, and several
hundreds of its inhabitants were numbered with the
dead. Tourists who look upon it as a right and proper
thing to visit Vesuvius, whether it is in action or
quiescent, perhaps give little thought to the dreadful
havoc which volcanic eruptions and earthquakes have
wrought in the sunny kingdom of which the burning
mountain is one of the noted sights. According
to Lacaita, it is estimated that in the course of
seventy-five years—from 1783 to 1857—Naples lost
111,000 at least of her citizens from the effects
of earthquakes—a death-rate of 1,500 persons every
year out of an average population of six millions. In
1805 no fewer than 6,000 lives were lost and enormous
lamage was done to property at Frosolone. In 1819

R.ome, Genoa, Palermo, and many• other towns
suffered fearfully, and many thousands of lives were
sacrificed. In 1851, again, Southern Italy was visited
by an earthquake, which also laid the town of Melfi
in ruins, and was so generally fatal over its area that
14,000 lives were reported to have been lost during
its continuance. In -Calabria, in December, 1857,
a destructive earthquake occurred, resulting in
the demolition of a number of towns and the loss
of 10,000 lives. Going further back, it is found that
in 1137, Catania in Sicily was overturned, and 15,000
persons were buried beneath the ruins of the city.
At Naples, on December sth, 1456, no fewer than
40,000 people perished through a terrible upheaval.
Even more fatal was that on July 30th, 1626, when
thirty Neapolitan towns and villages were destroyed,
and 70,000 human lives were extinguished; and this
in turn was eclipsed by the Sicilian visitation of
September, 1693, when 354 cities, towns, and villages
were overthrown, not a trace of Catania. and its
18,000 inhabitants remaining, and more than
100,000 persons, in all, fell victims to the
physical disturbances. Competent authorities have
estimated that thirteen millions of the human race
have perished through earthquakes, and to this awful
total Italy has largely contributed.
-A:Select Committee of the House of Commons has
been appointed to inquire into the charges of railways
and canal companies for the conveyance of merchan-
dise, minerals, agricultural produce, and parcels, and
also into the working of the railway commission of
1873. The last-mentioned body was originally ap-
pointed for five years; the Act was subsequently re-
newed for three years; but unless still further extended
it will expire in 1882. The Chambers of Commerce
throughout the kingdom have almost unanimously
expressed themselves in favour of the continuance and
extension of the powers of the Commissioners, itnd
the gensral impression amongst the trading and agri-
cultural community is, that if the jurisdiction of the
commission were clearly defined, and proper regula-
tions enacted for holding inquiries, the sphere of use-
fulness of the tribunal would be much enlarged. The
present Select Committee is only one of a h.,
that have considered the conflicting interests o,
traders and carriers ; but with the report of the rail-
way commissioners before them, containing suggestions
founded on eight years' experience, it is confidently
hoped that their recommendations will take practical
shape, and lead to a satisfactory settlement of a diffi-
cult question.

lundred

The 179th anniversary of the birth of daily journalism
has come and gone. On March 11, 1702, the Daily
Courant was first published in London by Mr. E.
Mallet, whose place of business is described as having
been against the Ditch at Fleet Bridge. The first
daily newspaper consisted of a single page of two
columns. Its news was entirely foreign, and the
editor announced that he would not put before
his readers any original comments, supposing
other people to have sense enough to make reflec-
tions for thernselvee, Mr, Mallet did not long conduct

the Courant, and the journal passed into the hands of
a Mr. Buckley, who also became the printer of the
Finally, in 1735, the Daily Courant
was absorbed in the Daily Gcaze,teer. It may
be added that in 1846, seven years before the
abolition of the advertisement duty, and nine years
before the sweeping away of the compulsory news-
paper stamp, there were 551 journals in the United
Kingdom; but in the thirty-five years which have
passed since then, the newspaper press has grown to
a wonderful extent. The total number of journals
now is 1,986, considerably more than treble the num-
ber in 1846. the story of the extraordinary develop-
ment of the British press will assuredly form one of
the most interesting chapters in nineteenth century
history.

Spectator