The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-01-31 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

The " Ange Decoiff4" style is stated by a fashion
correspondent to be the latest mode of dressing the hair
In Paris.

Bank frauds in China have not been known for
centuries past—thanks to the Celestial custom of cutting oft
the oflicials' heads immediately on the failure of a bank.

The Madrid C ttholie papers.have resolved not to re
port cases of suicide, their belief being that such reports
suggests the commission of the act.

At Southampton, on Saturday, a large number of
persons assembled, on the old reservoir on the common, one
of whom, an elderly man, stumbled over a piece of loose
ice, and falling forward, was killed on the spot.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges in
The Times, under the head of "Conscience Money," the
receipt of the second halves of notes for 4,25 from" Z." on
account of income-tax.

A Paris correspondent, reverting to the results of
the late severe frost in France, states that the oysters at
three places along the coast were nearly all frozen to death
in their beds!

Dog. collars of velvet or ribbon, fastened by a pad-
lock, are fashionable with French women. They are rather
suggestive when worn with a pug nose, white teeth, and
heavy eyebrows.—Court Journal.
According to the Vedomosti, the Czar has agreed in
principle to the reductlon of the term of military service
from six to three years, but for the present it is to be fixed
at four years.

A male otter has been ahot in the Thames at
Hampton Court. It measured 47 inches from tip to tall,
with a girth of 21inches round the shoulders, and weighing
241 b.

The Southampton Board of Guardians received an
Intimation from the Local Government Board that the dis-
tressed Russian emigrants who some time ago were landed
in that Zown, on their way back from Brazil, will now be
allowed to return to their homes in Russia.

Some relics of a privateer fitted out at Saint Malo
In 17t1 which sank in the roadstead of Sforlaix (Finistere),
have lately been recovered by Captain Guerin, of the Pion-
geur. He has brought to land three anchors, 12 cannons, a
bell, some cannon balls, a number of boarding-pikes, sabres,
pistols, dm. He was obliged to suspend his operations on
account of bad weather, but purposes resuming them on the
first opportunity.
The Mersey tunnel, at this early stage, gives indi-
cations of becoming a successfal engineering exploit. The
shaft on the Birkenhead aide has been sunk to a depth of
about eighty feet through solid sandstone, and, though con-
siderably below the river bed, and exposing a great area to
percolation, is practically dry. On the Liverpool aide the
rock has been reached at a depth of twenty-five feet, and the
iron cylinder sunk through the made ground shows no signs
of leakage sufficient to cease the engineers any anxiety.

The death has occurred of the Rev. P. A. Ray,
rector of Greensted, near ngar, Essex. The rev, gentle-
man was seized with a fit whilst conducting morning ser-
vice, and remained speechless and insensible till his death.
He had held the living of Greensted since 1837.

Mr. Gladstone has informed the President of the
Association to Promote a Bill to Amend the Laws relating
to the Liability of Employers for Injuries sustained by their
Workmen that the part he has already taken in reference to
the subject will serve as the best assurance of his desire to
promote an important change of the law in the direction of
the wishes of the association.

Mr. John Linley, bellows manufacturer, Sheffield,
met with his death on Wednesday morning under singular
circumstances. He was in the workshop of a nephew, and
whilst in the act of examining the engine he was struck on
the head by one of the revolving governors. Death resulted
almo,t immediately. _ _ _

Count Giovanni Arrivabene of Mantua was made
a Cavalier di Giustittia of the Order of Malta, when five
years old, In 1791, under the Grand Master De Bohan. The
Count, now 94 years old, has been lately made a Grand
Cross of the same Order.

In has been decided that the Empress Eugenie, who
will embark in the Union Steamship Company's Royal
Mall steamer, German, at the end of March, will be accom-
panied by Sir Evelyn and Lady Wood, besides four other
ladies and gentlemen whose names have not yet been made
known, and seven servants.

A Renter's telegram from New York says that a
fire occurred on Monday on the steamboat Charmer, on the
Red River (Louisiana), causing the death of eight persons.
The Daily News understands that her Majesty's
Government will this season bring in a bill assimilating the
law of succession to real estate in cases of intestacy to that
which now regulates the distribution of personal property,
and giving to tenants for life the powers of full owners for
purposes of selling and granting leases.

- -
The Correspondent of the Daily News at Lanarca
telegraphs that the cattle plague is spreading in Cyprus, and
that throughout the island the cattle of the peasants are
dying.
Recent returns show that the acreage of land under
cultivation in Cyprus greatly exceeds that of former years.
There has been an abundant rainfall, and the crops are in
excellent condition.

The annual meeting of the Edinburgh National
Society for Promoting Women's Suffrage has been held, Mrs.
M'Laren presided, and Mr. Scotcheart, of Leeds, and other
ladies, addressed the meeting. The report stated that pro-
gress had been made during the year in enlisting the sym-
pathy of the various classes of voters on the side of granting
the electoral franchise to women. Resolutions were passed
in favour of petitioning Parliament to adopt a Bill relating
to removal of electoral disabilities of women, and thanking
Mr. Courtney for his advocacy of women's suffrage.

A Convention has been signed at Constantinople by
Sawas Pads& and Sir Henry Layard, on the part of their
respective Governments, for the suppression of the slave
trade in the Sultan's dominions.

The late Sir Louis Cavagnari was educated at
Christ's Hospital, Newgette-street. London, and hls memory
is to be perpetuated there by a mural tablet, subscribed for
by the present scholars and old Blues. The tablet will bear
a medallion likeness of Str L9llig, and a concise history of
his brilliant career and valuable services.

An interesting publication is announced as forth.
coming. The Russian Government has intimated its Inten-
tion to publish the private correspondence of Czar Peter the
Great in the course of the present year.

A duelling epidemic haa attacked the Berlin Unl.
verslty where encounters have recently taken place at least
weekly.

Lord Beaconsfield has issued invitations for a full-
dress Parliamentary dinner on Wednesday, the 4th prox.,
the eve of the meeting of Parliament, to a large party of
Conservative peers. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has
sent out invitations for a full-dress Parliamentary dinner on
the 4th of next month, as his official residence In Downing-
street.

Some remarkable figures are given by Mr. James
Thornley in The Times of Wednesday with reference to the
coat of producing cotton goods at the present time, their
selling price, and the impossibility of granting advance of
wages without entailing a further loss upon the manu-
facturer. Taus he shows that at Blackburn and Ashton the
advance asked for would entail a loss to the manufacturer of
3d. or 44. a piece, and this, though apparently a trofitng
amount by itself, becomes a very serious item when 2,000 or
3,000 pieces are made in a week.

_
The Glasgow Tramways Company have, by a large
majority, resolved to run Sunday cars in that city. There
has been much opposition to the proposal.
The train by which the Prince of Wales travelled
baclt from Liverpool the other day did not leave Lime-street
station in that town till some time after the appointed hour,
his Royal Highness having been delayed. The delay was
made up for by extra speed, the train accomplishing the
distance between Liverpool and London in the short space
of four hours.

-
The Edinburgh University Association celebrated
its recent inaugeration with a supper on Monday night, at
which the Earl of Dalkelth, m P., was president. Lord
Dalkeith, in the course of the evening, congratulated the
association on Lord Geo. Hamilton's recent speech, observing
that Sir William Harcourt, when comparing his appearance
with the attack of David on Goliath, seemed to forget that
David was successful.
_.

---
There are just now in Constantinople two or three
groups of English and American performers—clowns, harle-
quins, acrobats, ekc.—who have amalgsmated their artistic
strength in a force of twenty•five artistes, with the title of
the "Great European Combination Company," to give a
series of representations at the French theatre in Pera.
They are to play two regular English pantomimes, with a
diving scene, laughable harlequinades, ac.

In making some excavations in the Boulevard de
la Fontaine, Nimes (Gard), a magnificent doleurn (an
antique jar dating from the most remote period) was found
In a perfect state of preservation and taken to the Epigraphic
Museum. What is singular is that by its side was discovered
a small statuette representing a Madonna with an infant
Jesus. This figure appears to belong to the early period of
the Christian era. The objects were found at the level of
the old Roman town.

The United States Secretary of War has transmitted
to the Senate a letter from the Chief of Engineers, and
accompanying it a copy of a report from Major W. P.
Craignill, Corps of Engineers, of a survey made on the
Peninsula of Maryland and Delaware, with a view to the
construction of a ship canal to connect the waters of the
Delaware and Chesapeake Bays. The report sets forth that
the surveys were conducted under the personal supervision
of Mr. N. H. Hutton, beginning in August, 1878, and closing
In January, 1879. Six routes are estimated for.

The Court Journal says that bangles are a greater
rage than ever—baugle rings, bangle bracelets. The newest
bangle rings have &even little hoops of alternate plain and
twisted gold wire, held togetherbyvea,
ibarthse mysticetw um
with an niall
tingeoise, pearls, or diamonds, se, i
ber, One for every day in the week.
Talleyrand's Memobas are likely to
The e be b outtrtouirgthyt
this years
is year, accordiug to the Paris air
interval between Talleyrand's deAn and their publication,
stipulated by the celebrated statesman, expired fourteen
years ago, and a longer delay was decided on, but the recent
appearance of Prince Metternich's and Madame de Remusat's
Memoirs have induced the executors to bring the manuscript
from London to Paris, and entrust it to M. Andrei, former
President of the Council of State, who will prepare the
memoirs for publication.

The President of the French Republic finds his post
rather espensive, notwithstanding his yearly salary of
£24,000, and the similar sum allowed for travelling and
household expenses. Every meal served at the Else() is
prepared for fourteen persons, in case of any chance official
visitors, and twice a mouth a dinner is laid for sixty-five
persons, which alone costs £0,740 annually, while the
expense at bails, receptions, and State dinners is remark-
ably heavy.
A fatal ice acoident occurred at Blenheim Park on
Saturday afternoon. Mr. Z. M. Irving Davies, commoner
of Magdalen College, with his brother and a Mr. Darton,
had been skating on the lake, where it was shallow. The ice
breaking there, they moved towards the bridge, where the
water is about 15f1. deep. Near the bank the Ice gave way,
letting all three in. Mr. Barton and Mr. Davies got out,
but tne deceased could not save himself, and the other two
were too much exhausted to afford him any assistance•
The accident occurred a little after three, but the body was
not recovered until five The deceased and his brother went
into residence only in October term.

The Army and Navy Gazette says :—" A letter has
been addre.sed to Sir Gartat Wolseley by the Secretary of
State for War, lid, rming him that a grant of £3OO bas been
made to Ceplain Lord Gifford, VC , 57th Regiment, for
home detpatches announcing the successful ter-
inogn of the Zulu war, but stating at the same time that
maburicipih,,agtig
rants are no longer to be considered as custom."
At the annual mceting of the Sheffield Chamber of
Commerce, a letter was read from Mr. Mundella, M_P ,
which be said the present state of the bankruptcy law Was a
evil, and he hoped whatever was done or left undone
in the coming session, this question would remain no longer
unsettled. The law, he held, ought to be shaped by those
engaged in commerce, aided by members of the legal pro-
fession.
_ _

"the book of profound thoughts," published in a
Neff York paper, we find that a woman may wear her hat
knocked into any conceivable shape, and both herself and
the hat are pronounced perfectly lovely ; but let a man Jana
in one side of the hat he wears, and he is at once pro-
claimed a 111. st-class rowdy.
Speaking at the annual meeting of the Warwick-
shire Scripture Readers' Society, at Coventry, Mr. Newdegate
said that those who would prtsbrve to England the blessing
of an Established Church would do well, each in his own
sphere, to exert himself in the reassertion of her scriptural
character, for it was in this she had her beat and only sure
foundation, her only valid security for retaining the at-
fecOons of, and her position among, the people of these
islands.

An inquest has been bald at Milton-next-Sitting.
bourn' n e o the body of Edward Strouts, a butcher in business
lii that town. The deceased's wife retired to bed at twelve
o'clock on Saturday night, leaving her husband in his chair
at sapper. Finding he did not follow, she went downistairs
at two o'clock, when she discovered the sitting-room was on
fire. The deceased was lying on his back on the floor' with
his head against a wooden partition, which was burnt
through. He was fearfully charred from the waist upwards,
his arms and hands being so reduced in size that they were
no nigger than a child's, and his face and head were burnt
to a cinder, A small benzoline lamp was found beneath his
right side. A verdict of accidental death was returned.
The deceased leaves a widow and nine children.

Many death. have occurred at Rome from the ex-
cessive cold.

Twentpone families from the neighbourhood of
Essen are about to start for Bosnia, and 60 others will
shortly follow, the inducement being the cheapness of land
for sale through the exodus of Mussulman owners.

On Sunday morning Mrs. Trindar, of 73, Maids-
vale, died suddenly in irmanuel Church, Atarylebone, during
the celebration of Divine service.

It is expected that a number of distinguished persons
will visit Rome, in order to pay homage to rope Leo XIII.
on the part of the scientific world on Idarsh 7 next.

Mr. Jacob Bright, M.P., presided at a meeting
which has been held under the auspices of the United.
Kingdom Alliance, at Alderley Edge. In suggesting:
remedies for intemperance he expressed great faith ID the.
spread of general learning and in scientific instruction as.
to the character and influence of alcohol. With reference
to the assistance which might be obtained from the Legis-
lature, be approved of the proposal to transfer the power
of licensing to local representative bodies, and was of
opinion that in the next Session of Parliament Sir Wilfrid
Lawson wetild find himself in a very powerful position
indeed.

The Empress of Austria is expected to arrive in
England on Tuesday. the 3rd of February, en route for
Ireland, where she proposes residing for severs weeks
daring the hunting season.

Her Majesty having signified her intention of open-
ing Parliament in person, on Thursday, February 5, will, ac-
cording to the most recent arrangements, leave Osborne,
accompanied by Princess Beatrice, on Wednesday, the 4th
of next month, for the metropolis. After the ceremonial,
her NI al esty will return to Osborne, where the Court will
probably reside till about the third week in February.
It is rumoured that Mr. Cross contemplates in
eluding is the next Census a return of the religious denomi•
nations to which people belong.

Time emigration returns for 1879 chew an immense
exodus from the pert et Liverpool; as many as 117,914 emi-
grants left the Mersey during the year. Of tiese 61,551
were &Wish, aid 12,1104 Irish, the remainder being okiely
foreignars. The returns show a total increase of 45,702
compared with be preview' year, being 24,922 mere inglish
and 5,027 more Irfah.

Mentrs.
at
nittnedhwrch:RdettpgreesePasten,d addressingthe
nes b
itter
hiss
which
hatli
present characterised the speeches of political opponents.
tn
It the Government were returned to office he would not offer
a factious °pp:minion, but he believed that peace, retrench-
ment, and reform could only be secured by the Liberals
coming into power.
The directors of the London and St. Katherine's
Dock Company have given notice that they invite tenders
for lighting the Victoria Dock Estetution with the new elec-
tric light, both internally and externally. They purpose
having fixed lights for lighting the quays and roadways and
also the interior of the sheds, where some of the lights will
of necessity be moveable also.

There is a flower famine in Paris, the rapid thaw
and heavy floods having canoed a great dearth of flowers,
and the florists, though their shops are beautiful, as always,
with forced lilacs, roses, and lilies of the valley, demand
such prices for their wares that ordinary purses must deny
themselves a single flowe• The price of a fair•sized bou-
quet of Czar violets has risen to 11 francs, while small
bunches are priced at 8 francs!

The Shah of Persia proposes to build a library at
Teheran on the model of the Paris Cern Market, which
greatly took his fancy when be was visiting Europe, and has
sent over an engineer to draw out the plans and engage
workmen,

The other day a male wolf, weighing 761 b., and
three or four years old, was shot close to Kreuzwaid, in
Lorraine.

The Board of Inland Revenue has just issued an
order, with the consent of the Treasury, that from the let
February the salaries of officers in the surveying branch of
the Excise, as well as those of the Stamps and Taxes de-
partment, are to be paid monthly, instead of in octaves,
or "rounds" of six weeks, as formerly.

From April let to the 24-h inst. the Exchequer
receipts amounted te £60,372 628, as compared with
£61.678,235 in the corresponding period of the previous
twelve months. The expenditure has been £68,810,852.

The Pope gave a private audience on Tuesday to the
African explorer, Dr. Pellegrino Matteucct, of Bologna, who,
together with Prince Paolo Borghese, is about to start on a new
expedition. The Pope also received in private audience
Monsignor Christopher Reynolds, Bishop of Adelaide, who
presented four young Australians who have come to Rome to
go through their theological course in the College of the
Propaganda Fide.

Lord Beaconsfield certainly gives London tradesmen
a fillip by inducing the Queen to open Parliament in person,
as the ceremony will bring a vast number of families to
London who would otherwise have remained In the country
or abroad, and though they may not tarry long, yet even a.
short stay involves a considerable expenditure. The re-
moval of the Court to and from Osborne for the two days
will not be done much under £l,soo.—Truth.

The Duke of Edinburgh was entertained on Saturday
In the Town-hall, Liverpool, by the Mayor, about thirty
gentlemen being invited to meet him. Alter ltmcheon, his
Royal Highness inspected the Royal Naval Artillery Volun-
teers on board the Eagle, and addressed a few congratulatory
words to the Miners, expressing his satistaetion at the pre-
cision and accuracy of the drill and at the gnat with which
the movement had been taken up. In the evening he enter-
tained the Mayor, the officers of the Resistance, and other
gentlemen, on board the Lively, and left at 11 p.m. for
London, and in two hours after his Arrival proceeded to
Paris.

The Melbourne International Exhibition which
opens on the Ist of October next, will eensabi 650.000
square feet, et which Europe and Amnia& will occ 400 ,000.
ud" 11
British exhibitows, Engineeriv states, have alrea 7 applied
for 180,000 square feet, while France has applied for 75,000,
and intends to send the exhibits in a man-of-war. Germany
has voted .612,000 towards the expenses, and has asked for
65,000 feet of space, Italy following with 42,000, and the
United States with 30,000, both of the letter countries in.
tending to forward their contributions in Government
vessels. Belgium, Austria, Holland, and Switzerland claim
the next largest share of space.

On Tuesday, while several of the clerks employed
In the offices of the Wigan Coal and Iron Company were
skatina on the canal which runs through the works, the ice
gave way, and a youth named Thomas Ainsworth was
drowned.

At a meeting of silk manufacturers just held at
Lyons, the following resolutions were adopted :-1. That the
Government should uphold, in a general manner, the prin-
ciples of commercial liberty. 2. That the Chambers should
consecrate those principles in the customs laws they are
about to be called on to vote. 3. That cotton, woollen, linen,
and other yarns should be exempted from the Import duties
now paid in France. 4. That silk—raw, spun, and thrown—
should continue to enter France duty free.
The following trade report from Birmingham gives
very good evidence of the revival, its natere and extent :
Business continues to improve, chicly in the heavy
branches, which are influenced to a great extent by the
American demand. Home orders for all descriptions of
hardwares are restricted; but Canada, India, the Cape, and
South America are sending in fair intents of galvanised iron,
tubes, axles, screws, dta. Trade with the Continent is quiet,
and sue revival of the Australian markets progresses slowly.
Several additional advances are notified this week, including
one of 40 per cent. In iron wood•sorews, 20 per cent. in
certainclassel of tinware, and is per cwt. in foundry goods.
In the home trade btusiness 11. quiet.—“ Trade and /finance,"
In Pall Mall Gazette.

Wolves have made their appearance on both sides of
the Pyrenees. Near Bayonne, where they had not been seen
since 1830, several sheep have fallen a prey.
On Sunday last, at 7 45 p.m., a slight earthquake
was felt at Carisrabe. There were two shocks, the first
being weaker than the second. The direction seemed from
west to east.

The death hat, occurred, at the early age of forty-
nix of Mr. Alexander Forbes, who for about ten years has
filled the post of secretary to the Great Northern Railway,
Mr. Forbes attended the butt meeting of the Board of
Directors at King's-cross, was only absent from duty a short
week, and died from a severe attack of pneumonia at his
residence in Kent-gardens, Baling, Ai midnight on Saturday
Intact week.

During the terrible gale in Scotland which will
probably be known as the Tay Bridge storm, no less than
2,800 line trees on Lord Kinnaird's Bosse estate were up-
rooted, while on Lord Breadalbane's Aberreldy property,
close upon 8,000 trees wens destroyed.

The Bulletin Fran fais says :—" Agriculture has lost
a friend in the person of Mr. George Gibson Richardson,
who was the ardent propagandist in France of the English
Chevalier Barley,' and whose sons, merchants at Chartres,
have introduced a large exportation of French barleys to
En gland. Mr. Richardson was not only a man versed in
agricultural and commercial questions, but he had travelled
much, learned and remembered lunch. Eta conversation
was most attractive. In his work, 'The Corn and Cattle
Producing Districts of Franoe,' there is agreeable humour
along witti valuable observing qualities. We owe a special
tribute of gratitude to Mr. Richardson, because beloved our
country and helped to make it esteemed in England."