The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-01-18 00:00:00

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Prate use dames, and especially jos royal lady. The
Queen's Diary ie about the meet prominent topic of the
day, The "Leaves from the Journal onauteLife tritnel
Highlands" is, in itself, a most interesting'book. Had
the authoress been an ordinary English lady, and had
the person, with whom the Diary deem lie 4. sii.N
note in the world, the book would be a nice readable,
chatty work; hut coming as it doe, from the I,ea of
royalty, it poseessee such a deep interest that it has
become the book of the day. The people of this
country can now have no cause to complain of wantsd ,
soatidence in them on the part of their Sovereign,
for more ample details oi. the private life of
the Queen and the royal family could not well
be given. The book, too, peeseeeesi a great charm in its
thorough naturalness. " Otle touch iff. nature rakes
the whole world kin," and there are niany—ormay,
touches of nature in this diary. MiltArtlitir Flelpie
puts the question iii a very fair way for and efainst
publishing the, boon, , _There Wilik-rff; rniel4ltsai puree
between preserving the diary in manuscript and
publishing it in the ordinary way, and every resider of
it may congratulate himself that the latter alternative
vialiadopted ; the whole book will deeply interest her
Majesty's subjectli but itevill desire ; itesAimireasie
the affection in which the Queen Islelil of het Paople,
and bind them more closely to her, inasmturh. a the,
book shows how strikingly like any other h hly- ,
educated, kind, and good lady is Queen 'KWt iris.
Her people have hitherto known her as opening ,Par-
liament, laying the and stone of an orphan asilum,
holding a Privy Council, conferring `tiornel'inall of
honour, or in some such public capacity, but alWays
necessarily at a distance; but now the Queen reveals
her life the a woman, a wife, and a mother, antl,.iwit
were, shows us the interior of her home, speaks to no
of her domestic life, and makes us the cOilfitlaudn CM
her family joys and sorrows. In fact, it is a nrho
woman's book, and, the ladies are, anti will be chained
with it.
.

------ ---
The vast amount of distress In London is, perhaps,'
not more nmarkable than the numerous efforts and eon-
in c c ies for its relief. When we see ollinni after col n
in the London daily papers filled either with ap ids
for help or statements as to what. is done, one tho 4A
ill
that will naturally occur to any thoughtful-pc-no is,
why all this division 4 labour? Could not man of
these echenses be amalgamated, and an , ethci t
organization for relief be established? Money woidd .
thus be s [ red, and jealousy and competiti4n avoidleclo
Another thought that must-hi:cur to many of us is that
by instituting so many agewies for the relief oidistikes
without any efficient supervision as to the merits of the
recipients, we are systematically doing much .to
pauperise people. The lvpiest and indignant rejection
of " charity " is a very strong feeling where charity
has never been received, but when once it has been
accepted, the feeling is very moon weakened ; ant it is
to be feared, that hundreds now in London alone have
lost that proud spirit of self-dependence wli- dt
they had only a few weeks ago. Let Inc ad
another thing—not a very kind thing ,in -
pearance, ' but not unkindly meant. Thousa
of those who are now in severe dist
were not long since employed at good wags,
and many of them must have had good wages for
years. Why have they not saved, as the very poorest
of French and German peasants and workmen will
SAVO in anticipation of a rainy day? And here is
another thought.
•Instead of giving charity, could
not work be fond? The Government have deter-
mined to enlarge the pond in Victoria Park, and to
give the work to men unemployed, under the pro-
visions of the Public Works Act, just as was done in
Lancashire during the cotton famine. So far en good;
but why cannot this sort of thing be done to a greater
extent? There is abundance of work required to he
done in the way of public improvement, to say nothing
of that perpetual want, the cleansing of the stredts.
'Why not set to work in this way, those bands of njen
who go about wailing,' We've got no work to do-so-oo!"
Perhaps it is owing to the great distress that exists
that provisions have latterly betanne cheaper, the de-
mand having, unfortunately, considerably fallen off.
What the prices of provisions are now, your readers ..
need not be informed, but the following list of priofs
in 1757, in London, maybe interesting for comparis.Al :
Price per lb.—Beef, lid. ; mutton, 3a.; veal, 34, ;,
Pork, 30. ; butter, i'd, ti 10[1 ; cheese 3i[d. ; the
qnartern loaf, m. Although, as stated, the prices of
provisions have latterly rather diminished, they are
still high, and no practical remedy has yet been fouid
for it. Additional markets, co-operation, and other
plans, have been talked of, but nothing—if we except
perhaps the Clerk's Dining Company—has been done.
The Common Council are about to turn their attention
to establishing sonic additional markets, but nobody
has much faith in these gentlemen.

The public mind throughout the country seems to be
more calm than it recently was on the subject of
Fenlanism, but we are kept on the rpo rtre of reports-,
some true and some the other thing—from the pro-
vinces of Ireland. The anti-Fenian demonstration
movement does not find much support, for most
people consider it unnecessary to meet and pass format
resolutions which would be only so many truisms
which the whole United Kingdom, with rare excepi
tions, believes. The determination of the Government
to prosecute the proprietor of the Irishman, for libel,
must be generally approved of. Mr. Pigott may or
may not be guilty of that with which be is charged
but at all events he will have a fair trial. The steady
progress of the special constable movement is remark
able, but it has not yet reached its culminating poini
by a long way, and it is to be feared that it will not be
considered advisable to disband them for a long timel
In fact it would surprise no one to find their per-
manent enrolment seriously advocated.
Amid the many complkinte of the badness of trade,
what a pleasant announcement to the shareholders is
that statement as to the next.diyidentl to be declared
by the directors of the 'Loudon and Westminster
Bank. For the halt-ye* ending December, 16 per
cent., making, with the 14 per cent, declared last July,
30 per cent. for the year ! Muoh of this is dooldlest
attributable to good management, but more to the
mound principles on which joint-stock banking is
founded. And yet when joint-stock batiks were firs%
started they were Out considered "safe.' A word of
praise, by the bye, is dde to the London and West;
minster directors for their liberality to all who send
them, and it is pretty well known in the City that a
young man would much rather obtain a berth here
than in the Dank of England, though the Old Lady
of Threadneedle-etreet is not a bad mother.

Permit me to say a word on behalf of the News-
paper Press Fund. It is gradually progressing in
the esteem mil confidence of the fourth estate, and
the fund now amounts to about £4,000, but there are
many gentlemen connected with the press, especially
in the provinces, who have not joined it. The
Newspaper Press Fund not only is in itself a bond of
union among members of the press, not only does it
promote the &wit de roe" but it has already done
considerable good among its poorer members; and it
does this good not exactly by stealth, but without
publishing the names of the recipients of its bounty.
This country owes so much to its press, that journalists,
editors, managers, and reporters ought to do anything
In their power to consolidate their power and raise the
character of their profession; and the strengthening of
this association is one way of doing this.

Some of the matrimonlil advertisements we see hi
English papers are sufficiently startling for their bold-
ness of language, but the following from the
New Yo,k Bound Table is about as cool and
modest an announcement as the reader can

ever have seen : "Matrimonial. —Wanted imme-
diately a very young and. beautiful, petite and
genteel, loving and congenial matrimonial companion.
by a very superior Protestant Radical gentleman of
finished education, refinement, and position, and in a
first-class taisiteso. Wealth no object. Address in
confidence, 'Opportunity,' &c. Ladies, please show this
to some suitable lady friend." Perhaps the first thing
that would strike a lady on reading this would be that
the gentleman says nothing about his personal appear-
ance. Possibly his modesty prevents it. And yet he
is not too modest to call himself "very superior," and
to talk about his finished education and refinement
About the moot genuine thing in the advertisement is
the statement that wealth is no object ; hut the very
superior gentleman does not say that moneg ii no ob-
ject There is evidently • very good opinion of him-
self exhibited in the very word he chooses AA a means
of communication. All the young, beautiful, petite,
genteel, and loving maidens (and widows:, perhaps, for
there are very young widows) are expected to rush
forward and embrace the "opportunity," preparatory
to embracing the very superior gentleman who calls
himself for the nonce by this suggestive name. I
believe that marriages thus arranged by advertisement
are not at all uncommon in New York, and I can only
hope that if a wedding is the result of this public
popping the iiurstion, the union may be a happy one.

SEOCIC IWO A S.SAC LT ON A Htis BMW D.—On
Saturday night screams were heard from the room
occupied by a Frenchman and his wife, named
%cuffs. in s hoses In Leeds-etreet, Liverpool. On
the ctior being forced open Sumalfs wfug found lying
upon the door, and bleeding profusely trem a wound
which it wan afterwards diecovred had been caused
by his wife in the course tif a quarrel ihriietng a
khalif-1,40Mb- ii••'scr under tfie left eve with so much
form that it /I ...ea her husband's bead to the depth
of several inclien His depositions were taken on
Sander weeening, as be was ant expected to live Lac,

-PASSING EVENTS, RUMOURS. &c.
Tbo.Xute Pork 1'461.44 of Dec SO, has a despatch from
.elirashlagton, whir& etstra that, liotwitbstandliis the abrupt
termination of the Alaba tawrrepondetice between
Lord Steals> and Seer.t.,l lar.irmattou ha. been
received there that Mr Thorn. MI, the it-a British Minister,
eoinee out empoweietl all, full auth. Tay to re-open the
question, and will present i.or the consideration of the United
Sta‘es anew plap.of odipatiments
• Mr. Pigott, propels-toeof the inahniook has bean non-
:W*4 for trial for harem; puMiehedfeertaideleditioas
:{OITI Pitt lot4)ero Ott regaiA
bm, letten elolonel Wel*, 31811 a ding article Li was
atated that nay papers publish:up stateisiento of a seditious
'character were, • Aida the meaning of tte law, guilty of libel
against the government Mr Heron, for the defence, con-
tended that every newspaper had a right to publish news,
and that London and Dublin papers which published Fenian
manifestoes were Just as liable to proareation as his iltent.
MT: Pigott was admitted to all on his own re,guisancea

The lent, reports of the state of the remaining sufferers
from the regent explosion in Clerkenwell now in the Roy al
Free ant Or, Kirthobmiew's Hospitals describe the
of the patients to he progressing favourably, with the ex-
ception ,if fli; boy Henry Abbott, an inmate of the Royal
Yrs. Ifospitd. its is five years 11,1. end is Incurably blind.
•Iffi iies• constantly Mtn his eyes to the pillow, aa if lust to
4swrld. Mr. (met the turge.,ll to the hospital, under
_Whose uarsuilL the patients have been, speaks of those now
%Mier treatment as hehig so far recovered As to be able to
hinVe toe linsprtal shortly. The majorty of those who were
out patients are no longer under treatment.

The Economist antidpates that the new House at Cont-
moo. will presently discord that lismf Property had aajyed
It. unfair exemption sadly too long, Wilt whenever the sub
Jest does arise, hopes that some authority will he found
competent tiniest with the whole case by revising the scheme
,of probate and Ad minixtration hither, as e eli tut the lftll ii
' lieWsey Oldies—by extending both these assessmmite to the
nissres ot real property held lii ~,,, rtmaiu by colleges and
corporations—and, by last taming to practical account the
discussions and experiments of the list thirty )ears, by
establishing an effective Land Registry for the simpltlicadeu
of transfers and sales of real property.

A political change of importance is reported from Japan.
The 'C,coon has resigned the governing power, and the
government wntl henceforth be vested ip the lilted°, witp
the assistance of a council of geinsiiis or noble.. The inland
lea was to he opened to foreign commerce on the Ist d .y of
Jelin try last, and the new port on the west coast on the lit
of April neat.

. The case aX "Winos. a. Walter," which it will be remem-
beredoriginated in an attempt on the part of Mr. Winton to
'obtain damages from The Times newspaper for the offence,
01l haring Vublisiwil a reporh ot a speech made in
the Boum of Lords, was receetlyi deckled against the t lain-
lift on the ground that a newspaper was privileged to
publish such reports. But Mr. Waillit is not yet content, fir
on Monday he *loved torn new trial in the Court of Queen's
Bench, and the court, recognising the immense importance
of the decision of the Chief Justice, granted a rule ',jai on
the question of privilege.

Letters from America tell us that trade is still deplorably
dull, and, as a consequence, the workiug people, in order to
keep themselves from want, are submitting to any reductions
of wages their employers choose to make 'Mere are no
longer any strikes, and these great reductions of wages not
only enable many mills to continue operations awl keep their
people employed, but also tend to keep down the prices of
goods, which are still exorbitantly high. The manufacturers
in various parts of the country continue to hold meetings,
calling upon Omar.s to remove the inland revenue ditties
on manufacturen sine of the worst features, and certainly
a critical one, of the present dulness of trade, is the Immi-
nence of failures it) ninny of the dry goods houses of the
country. In New York city the banks are reported to be
issiseing no leas than 3,300 dry goods houses, and to be daily
, adding to the number. Advances to enormous amounts have
been made to these houses, and in order to save themselves
the banks have to grant extensions, and even additional aid.
The dry goods arms are selling comparatively nothing, and
It is a had sign of the condition of trade to hear, as we do,
that sonic New York merchants are borrowing money for
household expenses.

• (hi Monday Mr. Coleridge, Q C., made an application In
the Court of queen's Bench, before the Lord Chief Justice
and Justices Blackburn and Lush, for a rule nisi, to show
eauly why a writ Ot certiorari should not issue to remove
the trial nf-Builte front Warwick to London. lie moved On
these grounds: First, that on account of the recent religious
disturbances connected with Irishmen in Warwickshire, it
is not desirable that the prisoner should- be trind by a jury
coming front that county secondly, that as a mapn ity of
the witnesses live'in London, Liverpool, awl Ireland, the ex-
treme poverty ortheprmser wont.' make It more difficult
for him to contact Ms defedce in Warivickahlre; and thirdly,
that Burke wishes to make his selection if counsel from
the whole bar and not from the Nthilandi cir mit only, to
vilileh he siestiti be restricted if tried M the midland county.
An animated conversation then took place between the
justices and Mr Coleridge. Justice Lush said that even
'shankl the application be granted the witness,u wituld he
to be sat to Warwick, bee/rinse itls Onlfif ter the indictment
has been found that it can be removed, and Mr. Justice
Blwithurn appeared to think little id Bitches difficulties on
this ground. After some legal discussion, the application
was ultimately postponed for the consideration of the point.

A.lviees from America anform us that the i'eniens there
are still without a Head Centre. and their Council will meet
in New York to choose one. They are trying to prevail
upon " Colonel' M 'Ned, who was engaged bi the Canadian
raids last pier, to accept the post. The union of the two
factious ot the Fenian* appears to have been nuoceeftilly
consummated. On Now Year's Day, in Philadelphia, the
Brotherhood weretobtivelitnnertil procession in remembrance
of the Manchester prisoners, anti, besides Fenian soldiers, a
reglminit of Pennsylvania militia and a einnpany of artillety,
it is annooncel,would form part of the procession. Themes.
,to be an 'orotido -delfiered dt Independenee-hall, the city
authorities having perniitted the public property to be need
by the Penunis, and the city Council had, for political
ryis.uis. accepted an in vitatiou to participate in the demon-
stration. This conduct no the 'part of the city government
has-provoked severe criticism from the Philadelphia news.
paters Meetings continue to he held throughout Anierida,
deuouiding that Congress shall legislate for the protection of
American naturnlisest citizens when abroad.

tin Monday the five prisoners charged with wilful murder
at the antruge at flerkenwell Prison were re, examined at
Bow-street police-court. Some of the evidence taken was of
a very. important and Interesting character. Facts were
seed to show that Burke was aware at something to be
a emptal in the nature of Cu explosion, and that he en
-
peeled It on the preceding day, as, when the prisoners were
exercised, he fell out of the ranks at • certain point, took
Ms beet off as if there were a stone in it, and knocked it
salmi list the wall. This was just after the clock struck four.
and immediately at terwards a white hall wise thrown over
the wall as th, ugh to ant, lance the postponement of the
attempt. It further imitated from the evidence of a
boy named Ilolgate, that a barrel was brought on that
day to the wall just in the same way as that which was ex-
ploded the neat day. The police have also discovered front
whence some, at least, of the explosive material was
mined, but the chain of circumstances in r.,,pect
matter hi yet incomplete. It appears that
2001 k a bleating powder, on the it, idoeut 41,10 awl
Harvey's, Lombard-street, fonder s lt v ; ...ered as
requested on the 6th, in four barn..., ate green... •cer'e shop
kept by It Mrs. Martin, In the net4hb3urhood of Golden-
square. One barrel was left 'there, and the purchase money,
711. 641 , paid by a man who called himself Smith. A anther
man with a truck took the other three barrels and conveyed
them elsen here. A good many surrounding details were
narrated, hut who Mrs. Martin and Smith are dill not
transpire ; neither was the powder traced further, the
counsel for the prosecution at that point asking for another
remand, Which was granted.

The Feuian prisoners at Warwick—Richard Burke, silica
Berry, Theobold Joseph Casey, and Usury Shaw, aliax
from London, who were conimilted for trial at
Warwick Spring Anises by Sir Thomas If enry, on Thursday
last, still remain in custody at Warwick County Gaol. The
prisoners are confined in separate cells, guarded by two
warders armed with revolvers, and a warder sleeps in the
same cell with each priaoner at night. Ito also is armed, and
the greatestpreeeutions have been taken to secure the safety
of the prisoners. Since the evening when the prisoners arrived
thirty mionbers of the police force have been on duty guard-
ing the exteridr of the gatil, which is situated in an Isolated
position, and some distance from the town. —Thu gaulis
siiteoundel on.nearjy all sides by a high mill, and a patiiil is
kept round the giseimight and day. The police are all armed
with cutlasses will reveTvers._ _On Satimf4y ereping the
volunteers -to the number of fifty lair, II large body of
burgesses were sworn in as epeci..ii constables. The town Is
perfectly quiet, and the measnrcs taken by the authorities
are of a purely precautionary ilatnre. A meeting of the
Warwick Town 12-a ncil was In:4 on Tuesday morning, at
which t &Mayor eulogised the conduct of the volunteers in
becoming special constables and guarding the county ga
Ile said the vi ~ing Justices were very nervous on Saturday
because the re, •s had been sent to the gaol, where at the
time there , • oo firearm, or guard. The magistrates
readily accepti ..s offer of a guard of volunteers, and relays
of these hal been protecting the gaol up to this time.