The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-10 00:00:00

LONDON FOGS.

Sir Douglas Galton has read a paper entitled
"Smoke and Fog" at the Parkes Museum of Hygiene,
Margaret-street, Regent-street. The lecturer said
that the evils of our fogs might be summed up in less
of daylight and deteriorated !fir. The black canopy
always overhanging us strained our eyesight and
lowered our vitality, and we felt the acrid nature of
the London fog in our breathing. Fog was caused
by the floating matter in the air attracting to it.elf
the aqueous vapour which was always more or less
present. Some forms of matter, such as am-
monia and sulphur, had a greater affinity for the
vapour than other matters. These substances
were present in London air to a great and
unnecessary extent. The ammonia arose from
the manure which the authorities took no pains to re-
move from our stables. If we empt!Ad our dustbins
more frequently, so as to remove all viral., matters
rapidly, if we cleaned our streets properly, Instead of
allowing such a quantity of horse manure to lie about,
we should diminish one potent cause of fog. The
blackness of the fog came from the smoke arising from
Incompletely burned coal; and it was the domestic
fires which caused most of the foul smoke. If the
smoke nuisance was to be abolished, gas must in the
first place be used for cooking. All experience showed
that open fires must be abolished. If smoke was to be
avoided houses must be warmed by hot air, hot water,
steam, or gas.

A WOMAN who had recently married a rich man,
and put on a good deal of style, meeting an old ser-
vant of her father's family, asked: Do they miss me
at home now? To which the servant replied: Law,
so. They don't Miss you at all. You're only plain
Mark at home, lust as you always was.

SMITHFIELD CATTLE SHOW,
THE QUEEN AS A PRIZE WINNER.

The Smithfield Club Cattle Show opened at the
Agricultural Hall, Islington, on Monday, with the
largest display of stock ever exhibited. The Show,
which was the 90th annual exhibition, contained 566
head of stock, including 300 cattle. The nearest
approach to this total was in 1885, when there
were 543 entries. The Queen took the first
prize for Devon steers not exceedhig two years.
The Queen was also successful in carrying off
the first prize for Devon steers above two and not
exceeding three years; Sir Redvers Buller taking
second, and the Prince of Wales third prize. In ,
the class for Devon steers between three and four
years the Queen also took the first prize; Mr. James
D. Allen, of Lanlatt, Bath, taking second, and Vis-
count Falmouth, third. For shorthorns under two
years, Mr. George Wilkens of Forbes, Alford, N. 8.,
took the first prize, the Queen taking second, and Mr.
James Bruce, of Inverquliomery, Longside, Aberdeen-
shire, third. Mr. Colman, M. P., took first and second
prizes for red-polled steers under three years, and
first for same over three years and for red-polled
cow. For Shropshire wethers, Mr. Alfred G. Lucas,
of Ashlyns, Berkhampstead, took the first, and for fat
wether cheviots, Mr. William Watt, of Bellbrae,
Caper, Fifeshire, carried off the two leading prizes.
The Queen received first prize for Devon heifers
under four years, and the Hon. W. H. B. Portman
first for Devon cows. Mr. Rees Keene, of Penncraig,
Caerloon, carried off first prize for young Hereford
steers. Mr. Robert Wright, of Nocton Heath,
Lincoln, got first for shorthorn steers between two
and three years; and Mr. James Bruce, of Inverqu-
homery, first for shorthorn steers, between three and
four years. Colonel Platt, of Gordinogg, Lllan-
fairfechan, gained the silver cup for the
Welsh Breed, while for the Highland breed
Mr. C. Drummond Moray, of Blair Drummond,
secured the first for Highland steers, and Sir John
Swinburne, M.P., the first for Highland cows. The
silver cup for Leicester sheep was secured by the
executors of Mr. B. Painter, of Burley-on-the-hill;
and the silver cups for Cotwold wethers and lambs by
Mr. Russell Swanwick, of the Royal Agricultural
College Farm, Cirencester. Mr. Coleman M.P,,
secured the first prize for Southdown wethers.
For Hereford steers over two years the
Queen secured the first prize, and for those
over three years Mr. Richard Stratton, The Duffryn,
Monmouth, was successful. The same gentleman
secured the silver cup for shorthorns. The Duke of
Portland exhibited the prize shorthorn cow, Earl of
Strathmore. Sir W. Gordon Cumming came first for
polled Aberdeen. Mr. James Howard, of Bedford, was
the most successful exhibitor of large white pigs, and
Mr. Northey, of Lifton, Devon, of black breed.
The Prince of Wales entered the show from the
Barford-street entrance at three o'clock on Monday
afternoon. He was received by Lord Bridport, the
Earl of Faversham, Mr. Leeds, Mr. Savage, Mr. E. J.
Powell, and other members of the executive. His
Royal Highness, who appeared in excellent health and
spirits, made a tour, and the prize-winning animals
belonging to himself and the Queen were pointed out
to the Prince by Mr. Beck, one of the Council. The
Prince expressed his pleasure at attending the exhibi-
tion, and remarked, I think I have scarcely ever
seen a better cattle show." His Royal Highness left
shortly before four o'clock.
No lees an amount than nearly £3500 was offered
this year in prizes for various breeds of cattle, sheep,
and pigs, and this monetary encouragement probably
had something to do with the excellent display.
Breeders have, apparently, competed with each
other in selecting and rearing the most use-
ful animals for the purposes of breeding,
and the ultimate production of meat. The
Devon steer which secured the first prize of .£25 for the
Queen, was prominent as a prize-winner, but so close
did some of the beasts tally that the task of the judges
was specially onerous. In the sheep-pens the animals
are particularly fine. The Queen had no less than 13
entries in the Exhibition, while the Prince of Wales
had nine.
THE CHAMPION BEAST.
In the final competition for the .£lOO Champion
Plate and Gold Medal for the beet beast in the Show,
the contest lay between Sir Gordon Cumming's Polled
Aberdeen steer (which had already obtained, in
addition to a first prize, the £5O gold cup as the best
steer or ox in its class), and Mr. Stephenson's Scotch
Polled heifer (similarly distinguished among the
heifer and cow classes). The latter, after a long and
tedious ordeal, was adjudged the winner of the blue
riband of the Show, thus achie,nric the double victory
of ranking as champion beast uoth at Birmingham
and London.

ANNUAL MEETING OF THE SMITHFIELD
CLUB.
At the annual meeting of the Smithfield Club, held
on Tuesday in the Council-room, the members were
congratulated by Lori Faversham, the acting presi-
dent, upon the present being the most successful
show ever held by the club. The proceedings- were
brief. The report of the Council read by Mr. Powell,
the assistant-secretary, ' recorded the thanks of the
club to Mr. Joseph Druce on his retirement
through ill-health from the post of steward of
implements. Reference was made, also, to the
subject of pleuro-pneumonia. Early in the year
the Council passed a resolution calling upon the
local authorities to enforce the provisions of
the Acts of 1878 and 1886 for stamping out the
disease; and at their November meeting the Council
arrived at the conclusion that, independent of the
local authorities, the Privy Council ought to adopt
more stringent measures. In commenting upon this
portion of the report Lord Feversham intimated that
he was making arrangements for a deputation to
wait upon the President of the Council. It tran-
spired during the meeting that the Welsh farmers
have a substantial grievance in the little encourage-
ment given to them by the club in the matter of
prizes. Colonel Platt, who is this year, not for the
first time, a successful exhibitor of the serviceable
and always marketable Welsh cattle, complained
that justice is not done them by the Council; and
that it is much to be deplored at a time when the
farmers of the Principality are doing all they can to
improve the breeds, that they are placed at a heavy
disadvantage as compared with the exhibitors of
Highland and other cattle. Colonel Platt obtained a
Presidential promise that the matter shall be looketi
into, but he good-humouredly stated that he had
heard that sort of thing before. In Toying and
seconding the usual votes of thanks remarks were
made by Lord Jersey, Mr. Colman, M.P., Mr. Duck-
ham, M.P., Mr. O. Howard, dEo. Lord Coventry was
nominated for the presidentship in 1889. •

LORD SALISBURY AND DIRI
BRADLAUGH:
Mr. Stephenson (of the firm of Newman and
Wilson) applied to Mr. Vaughan at Bow-street Police-
court, on Tuesday afternoon, for a summons for per-
jury against Mr. Charles Bradlaugh, M.P., alleged to
have .been committed in a case heard before his
worship relating to the late riots in Trafalgar-square.
Mr. Vaughan: Where is the information?
Mr. Stephenson: Here it is, sir, and I have a witness
In court to swear to it: One witness is all I want. I
can corroborate it afterwards. It is a ease in which
Mr. Bradlatigh-
Mr. Vaughan (interposing) : Have you taken out
the information from the notes of the evidence? _

Mr. Stephensc;ii';—No ; it is taken from the notes of
the reporters. I can't have the depositions.
Mr. Vaughan: Statements made on oath are not
necessarily perjury, if they were made in a judicial
inquiry and are not relevant to the issue.
Mr. Stephenson: I maintain that any false evi-
dence which influences the mind of the magistrate is
perjury. Here I have a letter from the secretary to
Lord Salisbury saying distinctly that Mr. Bradlaugh's
statement is an utter falsehood.

• Mr. Vaughan :As to influencing my mind you have
first to discover what my mind is on the subject. This
was a matter in which the charge before me was one
of riot and unlawful assembly. The evidence that
was given was very doubtful evidence, because I have
a very strong impression that it was inadmissible—
though I did not like' to exclude it. I may tell you
that the evidence given by Mr. Bradlaugh had no
effect on my mind with regard to the charge with
which I had to deal in the performance of my duty.
My impression is that this is a case in which I cannot
grant a summons for perjury.
Mr. Keith Frith, barrister, was about to offer some
observations to his worship, who, however, declined
to hear anything further on the subject, which then
dropped.

In reference to this application, the following letter
has been forwarded for publication:
"Hatfield House, Hatfield, Dec. 5, 1887.
" Sir,—l am directed by the Marquis of Salisbury
to say that he is much obliged to you for your letter
of the Ist inst. with reference to the untrue statement
in respect to his alleged support of meetings held in
Trafalgar-square, sworn to by Mr. Bradlaugh at Bow-
street. I am to say in reply that Lord Salisbury agrees
with you in thinking that the statement amounts to
wilful perjury; but he believes it would not be
punishable as such, as it is not relevant to the issue
which was before the magistrate. He has already
contradicted the statement publicly, and does not
think it requires any further notice.—l am, your very
obedient servant, "8.. T. GUNTON.
"Mr. T. M. Belly."