The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-30 00:00:00

, Rome,
Parasol.
l!vbil

_
reproaching him for his utter neglect of her and breach Assam us ROME.-A telegram dated
of his solemn engagement to marry her. In May last Nov. 25, in last nialit's Echo, says :-"Signor
that engagement was finally broken off. Vivalli, Romanelli, Bonivard, and Valpozzo
Mr. Willis, for the defendant, having obtained a rule of the Radical movement in favour of tLivesesa
nisi to set aside this verdict and for a new trial, on the suffrage, who were to have taken part in the prohibited
ground of the damages being eremite,
meeting in the Colosseum, were arrested last night,.
Mr. O'Malley, QC., with whom was Mr. Graham, 50
imprisoned in the Casa Nuova. They are to be,
now showed cause against the rule. He contended that, indicted for high treason. The city is tranquil. A
s,' of Orsini bombs wise captured at the Tfeghorn
considerine, the grievous wrong the plediatiff had sus-
ell
tamed, her stainless character, the loss she had suffered II tilway Station yesterday, directed to Rome."
not only in being cast oil by the defendant without the Bo Ric!) TREASURE.-The Malta Times of the
slightest reasonable cause or excuse, but also in her 10th inst. refers to a search being made by Frenchmen
position as governess-coneidering, too, this gentleman's in Malta for hidden treasure, and states that as yet
pecuniary means and independent rank in somety-the they have had no succees. It contains the following
jury under all the cirouinatztave were fully justified in statement :-
awarding to her the amount of dattulate whioh were now The treasure Is said to have been hidden by tle, French
complained cie General t dorms the blockade, and the secret was
Mr. Willie, in support of the rule, raid that the de- made kraewubteenbiel'iloatvu!httoeril'inr tlo,titef:.%rrellendt cb°y"tre
feudant was only a tenant farmer with 300 acres of F.hich
rend'h agents at present here. An exact plan of the spot, it.
laud, He alinitted that some few years ago he re- ia affirmed, was in pcosession of a son of the deceased'
ceived about £5,000 on the death of his father. The General, but this individual having killed himself in the
defendant was perfectly willing to pay a reasonable late siege of Paris. it nes been lost The letter is unfortu.
sum to the plaintiff in compensation for her loss in [lately not very expticit, which IS shown by search having
consequence of his breach of promise to fulfil an engage- been ntWie in very
different localities. The neighbourhood
went which be subsequently found himself utterly of the k ranch Creek is also one of the points supposed to be
Indicated, and search will be made there if the excavations
unable to carry out, lie had confessed his breach by gear prove fruit'ess. The treasure buried is reported
paying £2OO into court. He did not want to put the to consist of 705,(0) francs in precious articles of various
lady to the expense and inconvenience of a new trial; description', and 5 1000 francs in gold coin, the half of
but would be willing to acquiesce in the payment of which united amount will tall to the share of the Malta
Government should it be found.
such a reasonable sum as their lordships thought
would meet the justice of the case. STORMY ELECTION EERING.-One of the Can-
The Court suggested to the parties to make the didates for the representation of Orkney and Shetland,
damages £6OO. Let them consider it and give an is visiting those somewhat inaccemaible islands in a
answer to the Court at another sitting. steamer. A sailing-vessel would seem more suitable
for a gentleman on his canvasa-Pusch.
Post-omen Tzhaonsras.-An account has
been published showing the gross amosnt received,
during the year ended 31st December. 1871, the amount
of expense incurred during the year, and the balance
remaining applicable to pay the annuities or interest
falling due upon the securities issued under the authority
of the k" Telegraph Act, 1869," and as a sinking
fund for the redemption of such securities. The
amount received by the Post-office in respect
to telegraphic messages, private wire rentals,
special wires, &c., was £1,133,575 is.; from this
has to be deducted the amount paid to Submarine
Telegraph Companies, being message receipts collected
on their 'visa% and amount allowed to postmastent in
respect of surge paid by them for the special delives9
of messages, &a, £401,209 9e. 103. i leaving a total oi
£732,365 Ile. 2d. Amount expended by the Post.
office in respect of salaries, rent, maintenance of tele-
graphs, &c., £487, 12s. Id,' leaving a balance re-
mauling applicable Pay the annuities, &c.., above
referred to, £244,820 lie Z.
liL
TIM GREATEST BETTII.6 NUISANCE.-A horsey
betting-man is a comparativ..-ly tolerable member of
society, wherein his proclivity b." wagers is limited, so
to say, by a Ring. lie is agreeable to his like, within
their circle, and does not trouble outsiders. But •
bore altogether insufferable is the wan prone to betting
who seizes every possible opportunity of challenging
you to bet. You cannot express an %Anion that this
or that is a fact without, if he thinks eherwise, his
offering to "lay you what you like" that it isn't.
He thus impedes conversation, and cuts agaument
short. This better is altogether worse than the other.
-Punch.
WRECK OF A PACIFIC MAIL STEAMER.-
On Monday, intelligence was received in Liverpool to.
the effect that the Pacific Steam Navigation Corn.
pony's Mail steamer Tacora had struck on a sunken
rock at the entrance to Monte Video, and was after-
wards beached. The Tacora was one of the latest ad-
ditions to the company's fleet of mail steamers, and
was a ship of 3,500 tons burthen. She left Liverpool
on the 4th of October, for her maiden voyage to the
West Coast of South America, and wasmaking *splen-
did run when the disaster occurred. She was under the
commandof Captain Stewart. Thevesselwasbuiltonthe
Clyde this year. The mails passengers, and specie, and
crew were all saved, with the exception of tv.to seamen,
who were drowned. The wreck of this steamer will, it is
said, entail a loss of about £250,000, but she Wise well
insured. Later despatches state that she struck OD a
sunken rock, off Cape Santa Maria, at the entramve to
the River Plate, at three o'clock on the morning of the
28th October. As the beach in the neighbourhood of
Santa Maria is a soft one, the salvage operatione,.
should the vessel be got oil, are expected to be very
favourable. When she left Liverpool she had a cargo
valued at £.70,000, and on her voyare she called at Bor-
deaux and Liaben to take in a further cargo.
AMERICAN COLONELS. -TO Call a man " Colo-
nel," says a Philadelphia paper, is to convey the idea
that he is of a mild, meek, and benevolent disposition.
It is also an evidence that he never was a soldier. For
instance, we may recall some of the colonels of Philadel-
phia. There are Colonel Forney, Colonel McClure,
Colonel McMichael, Colonel Scott, Colonel Mann,
Colonel Fitzgerald, Colonel Phillip', Colonel Green,
and Colonel Fitz. Of what regiment? And we
might mention many more gentlemen of high
standing who have never beui in the army, and
can only be called " Colonel " as a tribute to their
antipathy to blood. If every colonel were a
soldier, the standing army in Philadelphia would be a
menace to our liberties. Their number le as great an
it was in San Francisco, to which John Phmnix bears
witness in the following story :-The steamboat was
leaving the wharf, and everybody was taking leave of
his frien is-all but Plitenix, who had no friends to bid
him farewell. Ashamed of his loneliness as the boat
sheered off he called out in a loud voice, "Good-bye,
Colonel !" and, to his great delight, every man on the
wharf took off his hat and shouted 'Colonel, good.
bye I'
A YEAR'S TAXATION.-In the financial year
1871-72 the revenue from Excise duties (after de-
ducting drawbacks and repayment.) amounted to
£23,386 061; from stamps, £9,739,548 ; from taxes
(land, house, and income-tax), £11,690,283, making
the total inland revenue £14,805,895; but the deduction
of the charges of collection-viz., £1,616,224 -reduced
the net inland revenue to 643,189,671. The Customs
duties (after deductie e drawbacks and repayments)
amounted to £20.215.923 ; the charges of collection-
viz., £824,300- reduce the net Custom' revenue to
£19,391,623. The Post Office produced £5,908,001 ;
but the charge for the service, which, regarding this as
a revenue department, ranks among the charges of
collection, amounted to £4,155,738, reducing the net
produce of the Post Office to £1,752,263. The totals,
therefore, are : -Net produce of taxation, 1:70,929,8190
charges of collection, £15,596,262; net produce,
£64,333,557. The net product for the last seven years
has been as follows i-In the year 1866-67, £60,340,219;
in 1867-68, £61,012,903 ; in 1868 69, £63,168,317 ; in
1869-70, £156,071,636; in 1870.71, £60,399,720; in
1871-72, £64,333,557. In this period the incometax
has varied from 4d. to 63, in the pound; the late was
altered every year.
CARDINAL C CLLEN AND EDUCATION.-In a
pastoral read in all the Roman Catholic chuiches of
Dublin on Sunday, Cardinal Cullen alluded to the
educational question, but with a milder assertion of
the claims of the Church than in hie previous address.
His Eminence limited himself to declaring in substance
that, both in primary and higher education, parents
should take care that their children were not exposed
to any influences dangerous to their faith, and ex-
pressed a hope that in dealing next session with the
Isniversity question, the Legislature would provide
adequate protection for the religious principles of
Roman Catholics.
THREE COURSES.-The President's outbreak
of temper set everybody asking, "What is the
Government of France just now? "-Clearly (says the
Left) it isn't a Monarchy.-But, just as clearly (says
the Right) it isn't a Republic.-Suppose tee defined it
-a Thitrs Etat.f-PUNCiI.
SALE OF AllTOOltarnB.-In-a sale last week
at the rooms of Messrs. Sotheby, Wilkinson, and
Hodge, in Wellington-street, London, the following in-
teresting lot was included :-Autographs of Martin
Luther, Philip Melawthon, Johannes Bugenhagen,
Casimir, Cruciger, Justus Jonas, and George Maier
(Major). These interesting autographs are written on
two sheets of vellum, in folio. Each of the above early
Reformers has devoted a whole page to commentary OD
some verse of the Bible, and added his signature in full,
as well as the data (1543), except Justus Jonas, riot
dated, and Maior's, which is 1549. It is most probable
that some student, before leaving the University of
Wittemberg, obtained these autographs from his cele-
brated teachers as a memorial. The lot fetched £47
and was secured by Mr. labussiere.
STEAM IN THE STREET. -The Philculclphict
Ledger gives currency to as announcement that a new
engine for propelling street cars has been invented, so
compact as to occupy no more space than an ordinary
base-burning parlour stove. It is stated that the
enginebcthoo.eisterc.,airisel,dl:weashic
smoke is consumed, and there is no soot, cinders, or
tho a rit t oeh jao) attghheee aP °un
usual
aeplr r propulsion, n ions,
oes nkhorses,
quitec a 'bagel'
handily as though drawn by horses. The power can be
increased at pleasure up to the capacity of a 25-horse
power ovine, thus enabling it to ascend grades of 4001 ts
So the mile. The engineer can **slow up" in the space
of 3211. when the care are going at the rate of 25 miles
an hour. The engine is placed upon the rear platform,
so that the windows can be left open in pleasant wea-
ther, without the annoyance of smoke or cinders,
while any dust that might be raised is left behind.
A LUNG STORY.-That interesting periodical,
The London Gazette, publishes an appointment to the
etlicd of 'Gentleman Usher Daily Waiter Assistant
in Ordinary to Her Majesty." This must be about
the longest title known to the British Constitution,
and completely throws into the shade all such puny
efforts as Acting Deputy Assistant CoinmissarY
General. If the attendanse required of aG.U. D. W.A.
bears any proportion to the lengthiness of his descrip-
tion, all we can say is that we hope his salary and
perquisites are arranged on a sortie of the utmost
liberality. For our part, we should prefer another
Court appointment, unfortunately just tilled up, that
of "Clerk of the Check."-Punch.
ULTRA. CENTENARIAN IsM.-Under the title
" Authenticated Longevity," the Toronto Globe has
the following Statement :-" A most remarkable case
of longevity is furnished us by a correspondent in
Glengarry. A woolen named Ann Campbell die lin
Kenyon, couuty of Glengarry, on the 18th of Septem-
ber, at the age OEI3O years. She was born in Scotland,
in the parish of Bracadale, in Skye, in the year 1742.
When 30 years of age she engaged as chief dairymaid
with Mr. John Murray, Grishornieh, and remained in
that family for a period of 50 years. When her set vices
were no longer required by Captain 1). Murray, who
succeeded his father in the estate of Grishornish, she
left the Murray family, and engaged with Mr. Nichol.
sin, Ardmore, in the same employment, and con-
tinued in hi; family for the following seven years. She
was then in her h7lh year, and at this advanced age
she emigrated to Canada, where she passed the remain-
ing 43 yeara of her life. Our correspondent relates
that of late years she became the wonder of the eection
of country is which she lived, and was conetantly
vieited by the curiously disposed of her adopted oUiO
lii, an well as from the een;Lbouling Republic. Ile
sant, asserts that elle was never sick until her death,
never tasted medicine of any kind, was quite active
and lively until within two days of her decease. She
warn in the full pusweeion of her faculties to the last. In
proof of her activity, he states that she milked 12 cows
every day last summer. Her illness at the time of her
death was short, and seemingly without pain- list
speech left her only 24 hours before death. She died
without • struggle.',


"LEASE v. THE GREAT EASTERN
RAILWAY.'
The above cause has been before the Lord Odd Baron end
Barons (Women and emott ',sitting in Bane"), end was of
fruit public interest, as it in some measure interferes with
the decision which makes it lawful for freeway compaalea to
overshoot railway statiou,. and make eameugere Pialung to
alight get out at dangerous places at their °en risk.
Thin case was tried befcre the Lord Chi, f Boron In
'
Middlesex, when a verdict W,S mind fur the pkintiff,
damages £l,OOO. The plaintiff is in the tea trade, and
travelled for tN o or three honses which had connexions
with lietuar:t victuallers and eoutectionere, On April
(the pla'.noff took a third-clam ticket at Yarmouth
to trace', to Halesworth, and when the train reached
the latter place it overshot the platform by s
distance of 2eo yanle. There being no intimation
by the railway servant* of their itttentim to
back the train to the platform, the plaintiff proceeded
to alight, turning his face towards the carriage, and in
gettiug from the steps of the carriage to the ground he
C4lllO In violent contact with an iron switch-handle,
which was within five inches of the carriage, and seri-
ously injured himself. Evidence was esiled to chow
that he was badly ruptured, and the plaintiff said that
since the accident he had been unable to stoop or to
play at his favourite games of bowls, quoit's, and
skittles.
Mr. Serjeant Parry moved for and obtained a rule
—l, on the ground that there was no evidence of peril-
grace on the part of the company; 2, that there was
evidence of contributory negligence on the part of the
plaintiff; '3, that the damages were excessive; and 4,
on the ground of surprise Bet forth in affidavits that
the eervante were not aware that there was a switch-
han''Ale at the place indicated.
Mr. O'Malley, Q.C., and Mr. Tapping now showed
-cause against the rule; Mr Serjeant Parry and Mr.
Marriott supported it.
Mr. O'Malley and Mr. Tapping urged that the facts
showed the train had gone cempletely beyond the plat-
forms, not from the effects of the weather, or an impetus
given to the train the break could not control but by
reason of • 'deliberate act on the part of the defendants
servants who stopped at a dangerous place, and the
plaintiq had to descend, getting no assistance from
the defendant's servants, or a word of warning from
them. It was neligent carelessness on the part of
Lite defendants in the conduct of their business to
pull up their train for the final alighting of their
passengers at a place where no preparation's had been
made to help them to alight in safety. There was no
evidence that the plaintiff had or could have seen the iron
before he attempted to alight, therefore there was no
evidence against him of contributory negligence. Inde-
pendent of the mere question of contributory negli-
gence% the pulling up by the defendants of their train
at tie place where th(ty did was sufficient evidence of
negligence to fix them with legal responsibility for the
not. 'Upon the question of damages it was proved
beyond doubt that, by reason of his injuries, his capacity
to follow his business had been impaired, and it was
beyond doubt that he had been severely hurt, there-
fore the amount he had recovered ought not to he
fawned.
In support of the rule, Mr. Serjeant Parry and Mr.
Marriott now wished to add supplemental or addi-
tional affidavits to thole already tiled by the defendants
on the ground that through an accident, or from in-
advertence, the defendants' engineer had visited a
vaong spot. The plaintiff stated at the trial for the
first time that he had been injured in the groin by a
svAtch-handle, and the switch to which he was sup-
posed to have referred was taken by the defendants to
tet one of these neareat the platform, whereas according
to the plaintiff's statement they were 200 yards from it.
The plaintiff had stated in his affidavits In reply to the
dof endings that immediately after the accidenthe remon-
strated with the guard for not putting back, and informed
him and also a porter, of the accident he had met with and
the manner in which it had happened. The defendants
were now in a condition to deny this statement alto-
gether, for he never mentioned the manner i-t which
the accident happened. The switch against which the
plaintiff swore he had fallen he declared to be within
five inches of the carriage, and that he could not, and,
of course, did not, see it when he was alighting; and it
was ascertained upon inquiry that if he had fallen over
a switch at all, which the company denied, he must
have come in contact with one which was 2fL 2in. from
Ove line on which the plaintiff's carriage was; and that
Inasmuch as the plaintiff's evidence went to show that
when the train stopped it was broad daylight, and
that for some short time before he attempted to get out
. .

he had been looking out of window, he niust have seen
the points, and seeing them, was hound to have avoided
them. At the trial the plaintiff stated that he had
fallen, and was hurt across bite back, and stunned; he
had fallen across the rails and said he did not feel touch
pain at the time when the switch struck him. It was
proposed to add additional affidavits to contrailict the
plaintiff in his statement thit he had mentioned the
manner in which the accident happened; it was the
ignorance of this which rendered it impossible for the
defendants to cross-examine him upon it at the trial,
as they had no means at hand to contradict him. The
affidavit used hy the defendants on thy motion for the
rule referred to switches in the vicinity of the station,
and those the plaintiff referred to were 200 yards
from it, and it was only equitable and just that
the defendants should have an opportunity afforded
them of fighting the case not only en its merits but in
accordan-e with what might be taken to be the real
facts. Upon the question of negligence the learned
Serjeant said he should not say very much beyond
this, that the plaintiff had, in getting out of the car-
riage, proceeded to do BO in a manner which was not
calculated to land him in safety—he got down as a ,
bear got down a pole, with his face to it. Before get
ting out he raw the guard of the train and a clerk, and
made no application that the train should be run
back to the statio:i Cr that he should be assisted to
alight. Upon he question of damages, they were,
taking the iiistory the plaintiff had given of himself
and his tkmnat rcial transactions, greatly beyond what
was fair and reasonable.
Their Lordships were not unanimous in opinion upon
the question of negligence.
All their Lordships agreed that ths application to
add affidavits should not be entertained, and that so
far as related to that part of the rule, which had been
granted on the ground of surprise, it ought to be dile.
charged.
- • - • - - - • • •• •

The Lord Chief Baron said he was of opinion that
there was evidence to go to the jury of negligence.
The defendant+ knew that a ticket had been taken
by the plaintiff to stop at Halesworth, and the
train ought to have stopped at that station to allow
the plaintiff to alight, but the train passed the station,
and was actually in motion for half s minute sf ter-
wards. and consequently no oprottunity had been
offeatd to the plaintiff of slighting at the station.
his Lordship thought it nail negligence in carrying the
plaintiff beyond the platform, and doing so without any
sufficient muss, expressing no intention of backing the
train, and thus making it impossible for the plaintiff to
alight at the station to which he had booked without
in some degree putting himself in personal field. lie
thought it evidence of negligence when a train was
allowed to remain beyond a station with a distance of
.lit. or stft. for in passenger to alight, and to allow him
to do HO without taking the precaution to offer or afford
him assistance. It appeared to his Lordship that
the plaintiff could only have alighted in the manner
he did viz., backwards, and thus avail himself of
the handles attached to the carriage—and what was the
consequence' Before he reached the ground his body
came in contact with the switch, and he was thrown
violently back. It was said that he ought to have seen
the switch, that was a question for the jury. The
plaintiff said at first that he did not see the switch, and
being pressed, swore that he could not have Ewen it.
Looking at all the circumstances surrounding the case,
Ida Lordship could not say that there was no evidence
of negligence on the part of the company. He was
aware that there were cases which would appear to
militate against the opinion he was expressing •' but re.
viewing carefully all the evidence in his case he could
only arrive at the contusion he had mentioned. The
Jury had found negligence against the defendants, and
his Lordship saw no reason to say they were wrong in
doing to. As regarded the damages, they certainly ap-
peared to be excessive, and the plaintiff ought to con.
sent to the damages being reduced to a sum of 1:700.
Baron Channel entertained the same opinion as the
lord Chief Baron on the question of negligedce.
His Lordship thought it ought to be stated that,
inasmuch as the question of negligence had been re-
served at the trial for the Court, if the defendants con-
vented to reduce the damages they would yield up
their right to bring a writ of error. -Whether there was
evidence to to the jury of the defendants' lia-
bility involved the question of whether there was
contributory negligence on the part of the plaintiff.
He was not going to say that the mere act of over-
shooting the station was evidence to go to the jury
of negligence, and there was no reason why it should
be; and the mere calling out the same of a station
was held to be no invitation to the passengers to
alight ; but where a train ran beyond a atation and re-
mained there, it increased the difficulty of alighting,
and made it more dangerous. Ilia Lordship could see
no evidence of contributory negligence. There was no
objection to the plaintiff descending from the carriage
backwards, and it was distinctly sworn by the plaintiff
that from the position in which he was he could not
see the switch. His Lordship also thought that the
damages ouaht to be reduced; but he thought it only
fair to the defendant to point out that if they accepted
the suggestion that they should be reduced, they lost
thereby their right to bring Error.
Baron Piggot said lie had the ini.fortune to differ
from his learned brothers on the question of negligence.
There was nothing to show negligen,e on the part of
the defendants by which the plaintiff had been injured.
rt was true that the defendant had not attempted to
back the train to the platform, and there was no
evidence that they had been requested to do so.
There had been no invitation given to the plaintiff
to alight, and it was not negligence in the defendants
becau.e the train stopped at the spot where there hap-
pened to he a switch. There was liierally no evidence
of negligence by which the plaintiff met with his
accident. The present case was almost on all fours
with Siner's case, and his Lordship said the conclasion
his mind had arrived at was that the verdict ought to
have been entered for the defendants.
It was ultimately agreed that the defendants should
have time to consider whether they woull agree to a
mitigation of the damages, which the plaintiff was
prepared to accept, or stand upon their legal right, as
the Court differed in opinion upon the nada It:served
question, and take the case up to Error.