The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-05-21 00:00:00

CUl.ll.i!;NrEz!; ON CUKR

We are to have a new coin. Th,,E:e
strangers to the many, five-pound and ' two-
pound pieces, will still issue from the mint,
as will al,o sovereigns and halves, with some
minor alLrations in detail of stamping. The
silver coins will circulate as heretofore,
crowns, half-crowns, florins, shillings, and
sixpences, with the minor Maunday monies;
but in addition thereto there will be a double
florin, of the value of four shillins. This is
a handy decimal splitting of the sovereign
into fifths, and arithmetical scientists and
accountants will lam joyed at the issue of the
new currency. By reason of the innovation
being in evidence, the substantial crown
will be deprived of mach of its occupation.
Why did not her Majesty's adviser in mint-
ing matters commend the introduction ot a
small gold coin of say five shillings value ?
It would have found many popular uses.
And while they were on alteration bent, we
might have been favoured by the powers
that be with a presentment of the Queen on
our coinage which should have borne some
resemblance to her Majesty as she is.

THAT was a strange sight at St. Stephen's
on Monday, when half-a-hundred sturdy
women from the pit-brows of Lancashire and
Cumberland crowded into the Common's
lobbies to pour out into the ears of such leg-
islators as would listen the tale of how their
avocation was threatened by well-meaning
but badly-informed philanthropists. In time
past many motley gatherings have invaded
the precincts of Parliament to obtain atten-
tion to special matters affecting the interest
of those sections of the community to which
they have belonged ; but it is doubtful
whether such an interesting or effective de-
putation as that of these fifty female toilers
from the north country ever before went up
to Westminster or Whitehall. They enlisted
the sympathies of not a few M.P.'s, made
out a capital case for themselves, and suc-
ceeded in gaining an assurance from the
Home Secretary that he would do all he
could to prevent their occupation being in.
terfered with.

To have to do business by gaslight at
noonday in mid-May is an experience of
which provincial people know nothing ; and
fortunately even fog-ridden London is not
generally subject to such an unseasonable
visitation of darkness. On Tuesday, how-
ever, a thick yellow vapour unpleasantly en-
shrouded the metropolis, just a fortnight
after a similarly unwelcome meteorological
phenomenon had occurred. The air was
heavy and oppressive, and everything bat
the tcmperature, which was ceitainly not
winterly cold, though far from spring-like
in mildness, suggested November more than
May. Ours is indeed a treacherous climate.

AMONG the many jubilee demonstrations
none will be more noticeable than the big
bonfires which are to be lighted here, then-,
and everywhere at points of 'vantage The
beacons that Lord Macauly sans about in a
picturesque poetic fragment, aneet tue
memoraole occasion upon which "that great
fleet invincible" in vain bore against our
noble England "the richest spoils of Mexico,
the stoutest.hearts of Spain," assendingforth
a warnin, glare, are again to glow with
flames. This time, however, the fires will
reflect a nation's joy, not call the people to
arm against a foreign foe. Not only the
historic beacons enumerated by Macaulay
will "flare like volcanoes to heaven" on the
Jane night when we shall celebrate the
completion of the Queen's half-century of
rule, but al he mountains of English
Switzerland, even to the highest pike of
Scafell, are to have a cap of jubilant fire.
THE Friendly Societies' Amendment Act
of 1875 is sadly in need of further improve-
ment in an important particular, as has been
amply demonstrated by numerous failures
of unsound concerns in which poor people
had reposed their trust. A bill will shortly
occupy the attention of Parliament, the pro-
moters of which aim at safeguarding the
industrial classes by providing that no new
society shall be registered unless its. tables
are certified by the Chief Registrar as reason.
ably sufficient to secure the benefits promised
This would effectually prevent the floating
of sham societies meant only to fleece the
unwary workman, and would stop the start-
ing of inadequately-supported and unneces-
sary rivals to sound existent concerns
merely asa means of livelihood to an army
of officials and collectors. The friends of
Friendly Societies might well go farther
while they are about legislation, and secure
systematic Government oversight to the
auditirg of the accounts of all those bodies
to which the toilers subscribe in expectation
of obtaining relief in time of sickness, dis-
tress, and death.

So Zululand has been formally annexed
to Great Britain. This is an outcome of re-
cent events which might have been expected;
and we may well hope that our latest pos-
session will not cause trouble to the authori-
ties, but that the protection of the Eaglis,i
flag will conduce to the well-being of the
native population. The Zulus are a bravi
people, and when they come to realise
thoroughly that Britain's "true intent is all
for their delight,' will doubtless be grateful
that we have intervened between them and
their unscrupulous oppressors of time past.
We did not sue for their consent before we
took the Zulus under our7rule ; but if they
know their own interests, they will have no
objection to the new regime. As Sir Henry
Holland said in the House of Commons on
Tuesday, there is reason to believe that most
of those in Zululand prefer the sovereignty
of Britain to a perpetual fear of the Boers.

1, INo one of independent mind as regards
political affairs will wonder much that the
various foreign Governments are throwing
official cold water upon the forthcoming
French Exhibition. As the Under Secre-
tary for Foreign Affairs stated in the House
of Commons the other evening, in es:plau-
ation of England's having declined to reco,4-
nise the projected exhibition, it is fixed to
synchronise with the centenary of the Revo-
lution of 1784; and even if some of the
terrible events of that tremendous social
upheaval had not been such as to evoke a
shudder at their very memory, it would
always be wise on the part of neighbouring
nations to extend their patronage to a move-
mt,nt commemorating in any political events
in the history of an adjoining state, upon
which strongly divided opinion obtains.

Mrs. Mary Ann Foster, of Gieenfield Terrace,
Gateshead-on-Tyne, Durham Co., expresses herall
from that deep seated conv.ction which only ccn3Ps
from experience. "A bottle of St. hoobs Oil snJuld
ba iu every househ Id." So say we all of us.

EPPi'S COCOA.—GRATESF''L AND COMFORTING. &
thorough knowledge of the natural laws which v ,ru
the operations of digestio . tud uutrition,aud by a .;are-
ful application of the tin properties of well-e, acted
Cocoa, Mr. Epps has pro. ...al our breakfast tab:, wi,ll
a delicately flavoured b_vorage which may save us
many heavy doctors bills. it is by the judicious use of
such articles of dret th a a constitution in .y be gradu
ally built up until strong e ough to resist every •etp!.
',bey to disease Hundreds of subtle maladies ar
floating around us ready to attack wherever there is a
weaN. p..iut We ma esc.ipe niaay -a tatal ail iic by
Leepiu ounielve, well fortified with pure Woo I trid
proper ly no.trisre.d frame." Civa • -
alade Pimply with b 'ding water or milk Sold oat, i ,
ckets, t.PPS dr Cu., hummupath
Lhoznista, Loodon."—Also makers of k;ppsa Afturnola