The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-02 00:00:00

ii"JuTelfect to the dhl;-1:1y.

ROMAN CATHOLIC 'THANKSGIVING.—On Sun-
day a short letter from Archbishop Manning was
read at High Maas in all the Roman Catholic chapels
throughout the metropolis, in which, after saying that
the recovery of the Prince of Wales after all human
hope had ceased for days was visibly an answer to the
prayere of the people, and that our sympathies had
been called out m a wonderful way towards the Queen
and the Princess, he adds :
" We have a further cause of gratitude to Divine Provi-
dence in the fact that the public order of these realms, in
these times of strife and 0011f.i011, has been protected from
the dangers of any sinister event. The noble example of
Christian faith and thanksgiving manifested by her Majesty
and hen children, surrounded by the representatives of the
nation, would at any time command our profound sympathy
and reipect. In these times, and will, the spectacle of the
worbi shaken Hy unbelief before our eyes, it is an event for
which these kingdoms may return thanks to the Author of
an public safety."

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS OF IRELAND.—The
usual abstract of the agricultural statistics of Ireland
has been presented to Parliament The inquiry con-
ducted by the constabulary last summer shows
5,621)226 acres under crops, 10,068,848 acres under
grass, 22,323 acres fallow, 324,285 acres of woods and
plantations, and 4,290,011 acres of bog and waste un-
occupied and with no live stock upon it. This
accounts for 20,325,6103 acres, and is exclusive of the
larger rivers, lakes, and tideway& The area
under grass and green crops continues to increase,
and the area under cereal crops continues to de-
crease. Oats, however, still occupy 1,633,960 acres.
Meadow and clover account for 1,827,733 acres, and
potatoes 1,058,287 acres; flax has declined to 156,883
acres. The returns of live stock in 1871 show 537,633
horses, the number having gradually increased in the
last five years, and the increase in 1871 over 1870 being
nearly five thousand; cattle :1,973,102, showing the
large increase of above 17:3,000 over 1870, and of half a-
million in the last ten years; pigs 1,616,734, an increase
of more than 155,000 over 1870, and of half-a-million
in the last ten years. The number of sheep is 4,2'28,721,
being 1004,000 fewer than in 1870, but still showing an
increase of nearly 703,000 in the ten years.
Tliz Trmutz OF DIANA.—The ruins of the
world-renowned Temple of Diana at Ephesus are
being brought to light through the archaulogical enter-
prise of Mr. Wood. During the last twelve months
a considerable area of the temple has been freed from
the alluvial deposit which, following on the ravages of
the Goths and the 11yzantines, had closed over the
remains of the giant building, and obliterated its very
site. In the course of this process of disentomhment
many architectural marbles, more or less mutilated,
have been discovered, and colossal columns —with a
diameter of six feet—have been unearthed, proving this
Temple of Diana to have exceeded in magnitude all
other known examples of Greek architecture. Mr.
Wood's labour, were first carried on at his private
expense, but subsequently the trustees of the British
Museum took the matter in hand, and the more recent
investigations have been conducted under their auspices.
Her Majesty's ironclad Caledonia has been engaged
during the past month in shipping architectural speci-
mens for conveyance to this country. These specimens
have been selected so as to give an idea of the archi-
tecture as a whole ; they include an example of the
relate; colossus, and will be placed in the British
Museum.