The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

N

q 14.14.114.
at all tlai?l
opluloncl

the loommiodon of nammogas

..
rex* these circtunstancee a scheme was launch/id
soragletline ago for awistrueting a new W - O&M,*
WitNebel', plans wen prepared, wowed,„. . to;
4o)
dglig to b° bfiltghte led • Agree introdu • into
House of Commons for carrying the project into sum-
Bor. Mr. Arytou was then at the Board of Works.
saddle measure was drafted under that right hon. gen-
tleman's personal supervision. The proposed new edifice
wee a enfficiently modest eve, for Mr. Ayrton ettailily
set his face against either • grand facade, or mere orna-
mental embellishments. But although he strong
'urged its neemaity upon the attention of the HAIN,.
the proposition was very coldly received, and ulti-
mitely thabill had tie'," withdrawn It was intended
to reatroduce it next eeesion, but for some reason or
other th i scheme boo lerm abandoned. I believe that
one main cause of this is the manifest disinclination of
the Home to sanction the building of any more Go-
vernment offices until the new Foreign office in Par-
liamentostreet has been completed. This has been in
hand for several years, but is apparently a long way
from being liniehed even now. Vote after vote has
been taken for it, aortas the cry he still for more, not-
withstanding that the original estimate has been con-
siderably exceeded, the ecoorndsts in the H -use have
set their faces a,rainet,any repetition of a syetem which
they think has been carried far enough already. .
The despatches from Aehantee which have come to
hand within the past few days have been read with
much interest, and I divulge no secret when I tell your
reeclere that almost without exception the special
correspondents of the morning papers are officers on the
staff of Sir Garnet Wolseley. It is now evident that
the war will have to be fought out almost entirely by
Britidi troops, and this accounts for the activity of the
War OttiLe in sending regiment after regiment to the
scene of action as speedily all possible. The authorities
hope that King Koffte may be bro light to his sensed
during the brief period of comparatively cool and
healthy weather ion the other hand it is the object of
that sable monarch to drive thercampaign over to the
season of malaria when every bee-ze would be so much
poison to European forces. The Ashantet a may, how-
ever, ch pond upon one thing, aud that is that no nerve
will be left unetrained here to bring this little war to
a termination before the opening of Parliament, eo
that her Meiji...Cy may have the satisfaStion of an-
nouncing this fact in the Speech from the Throne next
February. .

Bawd long many improvements will have been car-
ried out in the neighbourhood of Charing Cross and
Parliament-street. It will not have been forgotten
that last session a bill received the sanction of the
Legislature for the removal of Northumberland House,
for which and the adjacent grounds half a million
sterling was paid to the ducal owner by the Metro-
politan Board of Works. The object is the construc-
tion of • new street from Chasing Cross to the Thames
Embankment, which now Can be reached only by an
inconvrillent and circuitous route. Preparations have
already been made for the demolition of the hietoric
mansion which is so intimately bound up with mvsocfa.
Lions of Oki London. Parliament-street is also about
to undergo an extemeive alteration. All the house. on the

kingetrueet side of this well known thoroughfare
are to be pulled down in order to expoite the front
of the new Foreign Office. By this means the
aspect of Parliament street will beeffectually changed.
There are, it is true, no historical associations about
the place, and an • rule the houses have far from an
imosing appearance. Still, it in • great resort for all
who take an interest in politics. Take your stand there
on a fine summer afternoon, and you may see the
foremoet men in England passing to and from the
Palace of the Legislature. You may see the Prime
Minister issue from the Treasury offices in Downing.
street, and cross to the opposite side of the pavement,
wearing • grave and abetracted air, as though the
burden of a mighty empire restinz upon his shoulders
were almost too much for him strength to bear. People
turn round and look after him, aid as he is recogn,zed,
the word "Gladstone !" passes from mouth to
month. Many endeavour to cat ih his eye for
the purpose of saluting him, and if they do
not always succeed, it must by no means be at.
tributed to the right hon. gentleman's discourtesy, for
be is often so absorbed in thought that he fails to
notice the bats which are lifted as he passes by. Mr.
Disraeli is also an object of great attention as he walks
along. Unlike Mr. Gladstone, he usually carries •
wick, although apparently he does not require to u e
it for the purpose of assistance. There are few who
fail to identify the right hon, gentleman, and an hate
are raised to him without distinction of political feel-
ing, or invariably reeoonds with the utmost coarteey.