The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-06-29 00:00:00

Su (fonbort (Ealtspouttnt,
IW. d.L right to state tha vre do net at ail times
oarsolra with our Cone i.ooilent'3 uploiooe.2

The unfortunate quarrel between John Bull and his
amain Jonathan has become decidedly less bitter than
It was; amicable feelings on both sides are becoming
stronger; and there is no w good reason to hope that a go, sl
understanding between those who ought always to be
firm friends will speedily beestahlished. Telegrams from
Geneva have recently informed us that the arbitrators
have been enjoying themselves each in his own way, as
though they felt that diplomatic negotiation was merely
a necebsary form preparatory t as inevitably peaceful
result, while from New York we have hasl this pleasant
bit of news telegraphed :" Thenews that the Indirect
Claims will be excluded from the treaty by the to bi-
trators is confirmed. No further difficulty is appre-
hended ; the American Government is satisfied ; and
the additional article will doubtless be withd awn from
the controversy." All this has of course produced the
best effect on the public mind, and the most agreeable
1 anticipations are being indulged.
London may be jealous of Windsor that it was at the
latter royal town that the Queen has just held a Court,
but the country at large can look at such matters in
a more large hearted way, and her Majesty's loyal sub-
jects—and who is not loyal? will read with pleasure
of these State ceremonies, which tend to keep up that
pomp and circumstance of Royalty of which most of
WI Are BO fond. By the way, there was presented at
this Court an extraordinary document "from his
great, glorious, and Most Excellent Majesty, King of
the Rising Sun, who reigns over Bunnah," to the
Queen. The Burmese Amoassadors come over here to
promote friendly feelings between England and Bui mah.
and their visit will doubtless have this tendency. But
I wonder whether these gentlemen can remember their
own names. This is not so ridiculous a remark as it
seems at first sight. At all events, these names have
evidently been too much for Mr. Beard, the Court
Newsman, who has, pardonably enough, made con-
fusion worse confounded. For example, in his Ma-
jesty's address to the Queen, the writer is made to say,
"I have apis-unto I an E whimsy, consisting of Wongyee
Keirg Wongyce Mahn Saythoo, as Envoy Extraordi-
nary ; " while the Court chronicler subsequently says,
--" Ilse Prince sif Wales receive 1 at Marlborouja
House Mengyee Maim Saythoo Kenwoon Mengyee,
Envoy Extraordinary and Minister Plenipotentiary."
Which is right, if either? The intelligent reader will
notice similar discrepancies in other names of apparently
the same person. And, apropos of State receptions
and entertainments, what a splendid State ball that
must have been at Buckingham Palace! A party of
nearly 1,900 were invited. There was a sound of
revelry that night at the Palace ; and the lamps shone
o'er fair women and brave men. For the general
public there can have been but one cause for regret—
that the Queen was absent; but, while we must regret
this, it must be admitted that the Prince and Princess
of Wales efficiently do the honours of such gatherings
of the cream of the cream. The people generally, and
the trading classes in particular, would like to hear of
a few more such State entertainments. When 1,900
persons are invited to a royal ball, it stands to reason
that a great impetus to various departments of trade
must be given, and I believe that such a brilliant affair
as this causes more money to be spent than is generally
imagined.
We are threatened with a new political alliance,
which reminds us of the 'new social alliance" about
which there was so much talk some time since.
The preliminary statements are worthy of notice. It
is !RI.: that at a meeting of the Labour Repre-
sentation League, "many representative working men
being present"—(who elected these representatives,and
whom do they represent?)—" statements were made
disclosing that the Liberal party, or particular sections
of it, are making a bid for a political alliance with all
the political associations formed by working men." How
very vague i 3 this—how deliciously intangible! It is
said that at a meeting previously held a 'platform"
was adopted; that questions submitted were divided
into four heads—political questions, land and labour
questions, financial reformers' questions, and working
men (sic) questions ; aud that there was much diversity
of opinion. Of course there was. Differences of opinien
on such subjects is inevitable, and the only wonder is
that anything like a " platform " in connection with
such thorny and debatable subjects should be at
tempted. . .

The opponents of the Ballot are probably on the
whole pleased with the course which the House of
Lords is taking, and with the prospect of the im-
pending fate of the measure in the House of Com-
mons; while the friends of secret voting must be sorely
grieved at this treatment of a measure over which the
House of Commens spent so many weary nights.
The result of this merciless mutilation is much
speculated on as I write. The amendments of
the Lords will probably be submitted to the Lower
House on the 27th, and I believe the acceptance
of these amendments in out of the question ; so that,
unless the two Houses can agree on subsequent modifica-
tions, there will be nothing left for it but to abandon
the Bill once again—preparatory to more agitation and
another lavish expenditure of our legislators' time !
Some one somewhere observes something like this
(a very safe way of putting it)—that civilisation and
refinement always tend to the West. Several Euro-
pean capitals could be citea as illustrations, and London
is notoriously a case in point. The West is the favoured
quarter, and the East—well, the East is rather ill-
favoured. Bat the Bethnal-Green Museum, which has
been right royally inaugurated, will do something to-
wards reconciling the East-Euders to their lot. For
the densely populated denizens of that neighbourhood
the new museum is what the South Kensington
Museum is to the fashionable quarter which gives to it
Its name. And the Bethnal Green Museum is really
something to be proud of. The building itself is hand-
some, and, with the fum majolica fountain facing
It, is a great attraction to the neighbourhood. For
the beauty of its contents it is mainly indebted
to Sir Richard Wallace, a name that has endeared
itself alike to English and French on account
of his munificence on many well-remembered oc-
casions, especially during the recent disastrous war.
Sir Richard has lent for a year a splendid collection of
paintings and works of art, including a fine display of
porcelain of the highest types. I venture to say that
the Bethnal Green Museum will—at least during the
year thus generously provided for by its munificent
patron--he crowded by delighted visitors, and that it
will be generally hailed as a long-desired boon.
The lock-out in the building trade is at the time I
write, strange to say, the cause of congratulation
among the men locked out. At a meeting just held
the chairman congratulated his hearers on the com-
pleteness with which the resoluon for calling out
the masons working for two firms mentioned had
been acted upon. Every mason, he said, whether
society or non-society man, had at at once " picked
up" when called out, and were also followed by the
bricklayers and the plasterers. Some people might say
that this was a proof of the tyranny of the trades
union system, but the parties to this system of course
look upon it as an evidence of good organisation, and
glory accordingly. "Not a man," continued the
speaker, "excepting a few labourers, was left upon the
works, and the great jobs of the new Colonial Office,
the new Post Office, Burlingtoo House, and the Mid-
land Railway Station and Hotel were now at a stand-
still." Whatever the men in the huilding trade may
think of this, the public generally must think that it
is a great pity that public works should thus be
stopped, capital be locked up, and labour be locked
out and stool ed, in consequence of a dispute between
coa.sters and men. I have my opinion on this strike and
lock-out, but shall not insist on it, but I shall
anxiously watch the progress of the contest, be-
lieving it to be the most important dispute be-
tween Capital and Labour that we have had
for a long time, and fearing that its effects
may be more serious than the men at present
contemplate. At all events it is an unwonted
phase of the war between employer and employed.
Hitherto, for a long time past, the men have gained
the victory ; there have been some exceptions, but this
has been the rule. But now the action of the masters
• so decided that it is not at all improbable that their
course of action will prove the commencement of a re.
action. It is inthis respect, quite independently of the
merits of the dispute itself, that the lock-out in the
building trade is so important.
That extraordinary document, " Dead, a Contain-
plation." from the pen of the Rev. J. S. Watson, now
undergoing penal servitude, is much commented on.
Dr. Forbes Winslow adduces it as proof of the author's
Insanity, but people will have their own opinions on
this nevertheless. In any case this strange, morbid
rhapsody is a remarkable document, and all the more
remarkable seeing that it was evidently penned before
this awful catastrophe was discovered. The unhappy
man would have written in a very different strain had
be, like Dr. Dodd, written his" prison thoughts' in
e his solitary cell.
One of the coolest proposals that was ever made in
the House of Commons was embodied in the Bill to
exempt bakers from the operation of the Smoke Act,
one of the very few Acts with which the late Lord
Palmerston's name is indentified. This Act has worked
very well, and , inhabitants of smoky London have
great cause to be grateful for it. The bakers, how.
even, wanted to have the privilege of smoke-drying its
restored to them, and happily they have been frustrated,
the Bill having this object in view having just been
thrown out on the second reading. This Is another
instance of the wholesome principle that private in-
dividuals and vOstal interest must suctumb to the
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