The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-01-13 00:00:00

Our foubon Correspoulnit
W. deem It rhea to state that we do not at all tin..s
mai* ourselves with our Lorreepondent's opittlonal

effects

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he Inarprised
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. children,

others
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sight-seers,

theologian,

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Miry,

_
Revolutiou

On the ath of February, if nothing unforeseen, &c.,
Mr. Gladstone will be able to say—though I don't
suppose he will say—to his colleague, " Dprouse ye
theaa my merry, melley men i Li our opening
day." Parliament will then meet for the despatch of
diverts you know the rest. People are now,
naturally enough, looking forward to the rapidly
approaching session. It has been the fashion
of late to speak of such andauch a session according to
the leading event which characterised it. Thus we
hear of a Parliamentary Reform session, an Irish
Church session, an Irish Land stl4Bloll, and Co on.
What will the next be called--a Sanitary session, or a
Ballot session, or both, or what? Ministers, on Eli!,
have set their hearts on carrying the Ballot, but at
any rate a pachea battle between Lords and Commune
is not beyond the haunch, of probability. And it is
said that in any case next session is to be •
sanitary cession, and that much of the time
of Parliament will be devoted to that sanitary reform
which is at much needed. Be it so ! But there are
plenty of subjects besides thaw to demand all the
wisdom of our legislative councillors. We are to have
bills on Scotch education (Ireland must wait a session,
It seems), on the regulation of mines, on the licensing
system, on friendly and benefit societies, and on local
taxation, to say nothing of a probable reform in the
incidence and assessment of the iacome-tax. And, by.
the way, we may at least hope for a greater reform in
the reduction of that tax by al. in the pound. So that,
altogether, there is every probability of the session of
'72 being busy and exciting. Of course, they who ex-
pect least are lastly to be the least disappointed, but
at present the probabilities are all in favour of hard
parliamentary work. In one respect the coining tses-
sion will be inanauratea under much happier auspices
than, at one time, were probable. rty the time her
Majesty calls Parliament together the Prince of '1 Vales,
we may hope, will have completely recovered. 'Under
such eircumstances it would be a kindly and gracious
act of the Queen to further recognise the love and
loyalty of her people by opening Parliament in person.
It might have been thought that we had heard
enough and snore than enough of " the new social
movement," but when we thought its ghost was Wel it
starts up again, and Mr. Scott Russell comes forward
with his Utopian crotchets. Among his strange ideas
Are that Parliament shall grant powers to towns and
villages to buy outlying lands, and that these lands are
to be devoted to detached cottages in gardens, common
land left free, play grounds, gardens, town-hall,
market houses, &c. ; that wherever 500 or snore people
dwell on a square mile, they " shall be required to
organise themselves for self-government," shall choose
a mayor, compel him to serve (9, and earn ; and that
the State must look after the people's food, must keep
open markets, regulated prices (9, arc Such wild and
vague ideas are trot worth serious comment, and I can-
not but think that it is a pity that an educated
man, of the great social position and scientific repu-
tation of Mr. Scott Russell, should advocate these
extravagant ideas.
A fact which incidentally shows how great is the
commercial activity of the present time is the number
if limited liability companies that were registered
during 1871--no less than 700, or 161 more than during
the preceding year. Of course many of these com-
panies will come to nothing but grief. After
spending some of the calls they will be sham(
cloned. It always has been so ever since
limited liability came into vogue (the individual
loos, by the way, being considerably less than under
the old system), and perhaps always will be ao. I
think a full history of companies that have more or
less signally failed since May, 1866- -to go no farther
back—would startle most people. But, making all
allowance for existing and coming failures, the fact
mentioned proves a great amount of commercial enter.
prise--a fact which is also shown in many other ways.
With such a number of companies in existence, the
may danger is overapeculation.
Telegraphic communication along the bet' of "the
Atlantic hag now been in operation for about five
years, but its benefits have been almost exclusively
confined to the rich or to enterprising commercial men,
who never mind spending moneyif there is even a proba-
I dlity of a fair return. As to the general public of Eng-
land and America, submarine telegraphy has been out
of the question. The price of ever so short a message
was always very high --in fact enormous—and the
rates are very high still, notwithstanding suc-
cessive reductions. The charge is now LI for
ten words, and 4s, per worst additional ; but
then the names awl .talre tots of the sender ana re
ceiver are counted ! Just try a messaae or two on paper.
my friend, on this system, alai see how precious dear
the system is. There is some consolation therefore to
be drawn from the assurance that we are likely What.)
another Atlantic cable, on free trade principles, and
that if we cannot " waft a sigh flout Indite to the Pole,"
we shall be able to telegraph theme relatives ira Anterisa
I.n reasonable tetnat. Meanwhile we are to have an
improvement which will more immediately affect UR*
Telearaphic message auras ate to be issued price one
chilling. On these cards the sender of a message writes
his t'AVII name and address, with his message, on one
aide, ami on the other the name and address of the
person for whom the message is intended; the cards
are droppest into the post-office or in a pillar-post, and
the messages will be sent off in the order in which they
are received. This idea bids fair to be so convenient,
if it be curled out, that it will tend to popularise the
telegraphic system, and it nosy have a tendency to
It.wer the price of telegrams. which we have so long
been expecting.
It is earnestly to be hoped toot the sad death of
Ma.ssarti, otherwise Jack afacarthy, the lion-tamer,
may have the effect of drawing the attention of the
Home Secretary and the ravel Chamberlain to the
frightfully dangemum performances, in one of which
poor lefacarthy has met his death. A good deal has
lately been said about the censorship of the Lord
Chamberlain with regard ti stage plays, and it is
certainly a great anomaly that he should insist on
striking out " May Gladstone keep his temper if ever
I cease to love," arid yet permit perilous performances,
where he might interdict them. I,Vhere the places of
eatertainment are under the jurisdiction of the magis-
trates, I think we have a right to expect that theme
gentlemen will exert their authority to prevent a re-
petition of life-risking for no good purpose. 'The
dreadful death of this poor fellow has drawn attention
to many other deaths in a similar way, as well as to
many dreadfully severe accidents. An old tamer of
lima who gives U 9 his reminiscences on the subject has
himself been torn over and over again, and this seems
to be the fate of all lionaarnera even if they escape
being killeL The celebrated Van Ainburgh was fear-
fully scarred ; and So WAR Crockett ; and so was
Maecomo ; and so were two ladies who severally called
themselves Lion Queens, while one Helen Blight ICU
killed by a tiger. Is it not time that this kind of thing
was «topped ? Even solong ast no " accident " happens,
a depravel and cruel taste is ',antlered to, and !Mil..
times, as we have lately seen, there is a fatal calamity
which no one can be surprise! at.
Some " unknown hand," it seems, placed on the
tenth of Chasies Dickens, in Westminster Abbey, this
hristmas, a wreath 14 holly, mistletoe, and laurel.
That was a fitting tribute to the memory of the
greatest novelist. Laurel, symptomatic of fame;
j„ ay anti mistletoe ar memory of the author of the
" Christmas Carol." At that dreary time of the
year called the festive seamen, and at this dreary tints
t.f the year Its,, no English writer has ever contributed
more tee the happiness of our tireteitlee than hiss the im-
mortal author whose mortal Fontaine " lie silently and
coldly in the grave" in the venerable Abbey. Apropos
of the decease! alist, what an immense suave. is
Ma Forster'. Life ! It is now in its tenth edition.
Ten editions in afew weeks ! lint it is not surprising,
considering the subject and the author.
Sick children !—how sad to read of their sorrows and
sufferings, lea how pleasant to read of kindly and
italicione efforts to snake them happy ! Having some
time ago had a nteditative ramble through the wards
af the Hospital for Sick Chilaren, in Great Orniond-
street ; having noticed the dear little children, some
with wan, pale faces, apparently struck for death;
others thin and feeble, but convalescent and progressing
towards complete recover; and al carefully tended
and as happy as sick children amid be--far happier,
team things ! than most of them would have been at
home ; having in my memory the peculiarly interesting
ft-stores of this Children's Hospital, I can fancy I hear
the merry peals of chila laughter that the other
evening rang through the building when the funny
of asmagic lantern anti aqua shadows were pro-
for thee* children's entertainment. I should not
rprised if this innocent laughter were not better
medicine. At all events, when one reads of the
ten, some in their little cots, too ill to rise, and
making believe they are quite well, so that they
be " up" and join the merry party 14 little
s, the homely remark of that learned
Dr. Dwight, is. apt to suggest itself, " He
a little child innocently happy for half-an-
is a fellow-worker with Gad."

CZNTENARIAW.—A man named Fornici,
by the mune of "La Boule-d'Or," the oldest
seller in Prance, ho.. jest died at Paris, in the
de Poitiers, aged 102 year.. and three month.. Ile
*en in succession—apurentice pastry-cook under
XV. (he was then 14), meesainger at the
of Fuiance under Louis XVI., soldier under
olution and Bonaparte, by whom he was deco-
in the Island of Lobau ; afterwards a dancer,
. beadle in a church, a dentist in the open air; and,
lastly, a dealer in walking-eticks, which was the only
business that brought him any profit.