The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-11-29 00:00:00

that we.

isaid to
Th. recent roin'stereal appoinrsente maybe
have made the Government once more complete, and
without going through all theehanges einse Parliament
was prorogued in August, I will oontent myself with a
brief glance at the revolution which has been wrought
in the composition f the Treasury Board. &Ire Glad
Soots, as the Firs Lord, now combines the dirties of
Chancellor of the Exchequer ; Mr. Glyn. the.
mouton y Secretary, or in more Common 11004 Si t%13
" Whip," has be.sinie E.ord Wolverton, ati boo been sue-
coded by 11r, Arthur Peel, the Secretary to the Board
of 'Frailo ; Mr. Baxter has resigned the post of
Financial Sjscreisri ad his
_place in taken by Mr.
Dodson ,Mr. Allem, one of the JuniorLorde, has been
promoted to the office of First Commissioner of Works,
in the room oh Mr. Ayrton, now Judge-Advocate-
General; Lord F. C. Cavendish ham been taken
no, the department ter asist Mr. I :lesslstone,
and I, rd Kensington received an apo,ii, tno est
doc io the Treasury,shiclernecesitited his appealing to
his conetituents at Haven birders et So many alters-
. ties in the pereeenel.4 oue
.44partrpent of the State
are not often heard of in the ifetireosof an edininistree
Con. Into( king over the long career of Mr. Glselstone,,
it is remarkable to note that in Ini he was a dueler
Lord of the Treasury; in 1844 President of the Board
of Trade and Master of the Mint ; in 1851 Chancellet.
of the Exchequer; in 1844 he was holding the tame
office ; while, if his life be prolonged until 1874
he will appear in the cepacity of Prime Miniater and
Chat caller of the Exchequer. Ile will, if spared, com-
plete him 64th year on the 29th December; while his
great rival, Mr. Disraeli, will he four years older on
the :11t of that month. Health and long life to both
these illustrious party chiefs !
The day for the opening of the session has been
fixed, and .it is singular to note how little it varies
every year. In 1872 it was the 6th of February ; this
year it wee again the 6th, and next ...ion is to be
opened on the sth. In 1871 Parliament did not begin
its sittings until the 9th, but it was understood that
this was to suit the convenience of her Majesty, who
then inauguilated the business of the L.gielatare in
person. The British Parliament is almost the only
legislative assembly in the world which begins its work
slier Christmas. The French National Assembly met
early in November; it was speedily followed by the
Italian Parliament, and the American Congress always
gathers together on the first Monday in December.
From time to time various proposals have been made
for our own Houses of Lords and Commons to hold a
pre-Christmas sitting, but so far these have not been
favourably received
The mistakes into which foreign papers occasionally
fall when discoursing of English topics are very
&miming. For instant's, in speaking of the approaching
marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh at St. Petersburg,
the corespondent of the Le Nord, a highly respectable
French journal, gravely states that amongst the more
distinguished visitors who will be present at the
ceremony, in the Duke of Cambridge, generalissimo of
the British forces, and "uncle of Royalty." We are
also informed that 'the Archbishop of Westminster
and his wife, a lady of honour to her Majesty," will be
in attendance. Now, if for "Archbishop of West-
minster," who is a well-known dignitary of the Roman
Catholic church, you read "Dean," an equally well.
known dignitary of the Protestant church, you will be
oorrect, for Dean Stanley's wife, Lady Augusta,
Is one of the Queen's ladies in waiting, and the
DOBAI will perform the Protestant part of the
ceremony. Allow me to give your readers a
more comical illustration. When Sir Battle Frere
was sent out in the early part of this year, to negotiate
• Treaty with the Sultan of Zs giber for the sup- I
pression of the slave traffic, one of the French papers
described him se lee freree Bartle. Now, this being
interpreted, eigrofieth "the Battle brothers," the
writer not understanding the use of a purely French
word as an English surname.
It is the happy fortune of some men of genius to
gain the esteem, love, and admiration of the peeple
amongst whom they dwell, and such a fate no.
doubtedly was that of Sir Elwin Landseer. You
cannot pass through any of the principal street, of
London without seeing in the booksellers' windows
portraits of the great painter in various sty:es of art,
together with copies of his more celebrated works.
But Landseer, unlike Rome artists whose reputation I
pares away like shadows from the plain, richly
deserves the popularity wh ch surrounds the
pole, di 1 name which he bore. It is not too
nisch to say tit ; n tho' ye t tr.ajority f Bug.
lish homes one, .i not more of hte works, or,. to be
tonne. They nosy be teen in the rude cuctage sell
se in the lordy mansion. There is lift e doubt that
Landseer did more to foster tic& ems and consideration 1
for dumb animals, than any other painter of our day.
The subjects of his drawings looked more as if they I
were moved by the power of intellect than possessed
by mere brute instinct. Yet they never seemed ex-
'ingested, or to present an appearance contrary to I
One ideas of the higher qualities of animal life. A
singular indication of the respect in which Landseer
was held was furnished on the day of his fenerah
One o his admirers suspended mourning wreathe to
the lower jaws of the four missive lions which ad nu
the base of the Nelson column in Trafalgar square,
and theme were left untouched for upwards of A -stk.
A gooddeal of disteatiafection has lately been expressed
at the way in which the fish supply of the metropolis is
regulated. There are, it is contended, unnecessary
delays attending upon the delivery of the fieh to
Colombia Market, and returns have been published,
showing that an immense quantity of spoilt fish was
sized in London during last summer. It is maintained
that many of the inconveniences now experienced
might be obviated by a better regulation of the railway
traffic, and of the landing places for the fish brought
by river. Meanwhile there is a dismission upon the
merits of an invention which it is believed will enable
fish to be delivered at the porta in a fresher condition
than at present. The plan is that of introducing
"safety wells" into the fishing and carrying boas, but
it seems that so far there has been a difficulty in finding
the 'requisite money to give the system a practical
trial. This is a @abject for regret, for, with every
description of food at its present price, it is lamentable
that WEI upon tons of highly nutritious matter should
have to be destroyed through the want of • simple
appliance which would ensure its preservation. By
the method of which I have spoken, the fish, securely
depieited in these safety wells, would be brought alive
into the London markets. I have seen lobsters and
crabs alive in the fish markets of the Channel Islands,
but the spectacle would be looked upon as a phenome-
non at Billingsgate.
There Is such a difficulty in obtaining recruits for
her Majesty's Service that instructions have been
Issued authorising the enlistment of men, eligible in
other respects, but whose height may be only five feet
four and • half inches, provided they are under twenty-
one years of age. The reduction of the standard to
the extent of only half an inch will doubtlees have
the effect of increasing the number of recruite,
es many have lately presented themselves a little
below the full standard of five feet five. At
the same time, there can be no question that the recruit-
ing sergeant can no longer hold out the same indu2e.
manta to men of bone and 'Mew to enter the Queen's
service as in years gone by. Those were the days Shen
regimental commanding offices were accustomed to
Instruct their recruiting parties not to take men under
five feet eight inchee. ,bedience of this °eds. re-
sulted in instant recall to head.quartere. Now, how-
ever, the conspetitionlor men in the market of labour
has cased the standard height for the army to fall
three and a half inches, and it may be that it will yet
have to come lower. This, it must be confessed, rather

conflicts with the ideas of those who delight to see •
oldier a fine looking man. Still it is not taay to see
what but the reduc:ion of the standard can nchr be
dons to fill the ranks of the British army.
I see that a r .mpany ham been formed upon the Co-
operative principle, under thetitle of " The CheapTuel
Supply Amociation, Limited." It has in view the Manu-
facture of • good, economical fuel, which the promoters
hope and predict, may take the place of coal. It is to
be sold at eighteen shillings • too, and oonsidering that
beet Wallsend remains at nearly forty, there is all the
difference in the price. The system adopted Is the con-
densation of peat, and for domestic purposes the pre-
paration is held to be equal, if not superior, to ordinary
oaL It Is • firm, hard, black substance, makes •
Clean, bright fire, free from smoke and smell, and
Leaves scarcely any ash. Although it is particularly
euited4pr domestic use, it Is said that it can be adapted
with great advantage for the furnaces of smoking
works, steamboats, and locomotives. It is clear that

the permanently high price of coal will drive both the
hotweholder and the manufacturer into the trial of all

sorts of experiments In order to find an efficient substi--
tuts Heat, no less than food, is just now • necemity
of We, and any efforts to glee the poor cheap fuel eight
to he warmly appreciated and highly commended.

Those who have bad occasion to pass through Pall.
Mall roust have notioed amongst those galatial.rd fices,
the club., a low dingy-looking building which Rood
out in singalar oontrset a the handeome structures
round about it. Teat is the War Office, Unsightly in
Its outward appearance, internally it is small and in-
convenient for the transaction of the public business.
It is so inadequate to the scommodation of the per.
manentataff, that branch came have bad to be opened
In Spring Garden sod elsewhere, and great 1. the lose
of time, and much is the irritation doily amegioned by,