The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1887-12-17 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

The rate collectors, by direction of the Loughrea
Board of Guardians, having again seized upon Loid
Clanricarde's stock for rates due on the land, the agent
paid the amount and ousts.
On Saturday, on the application of Mr. Atkinson,
Q.C., with whom was Mr. Gerrard, Q.V., the Exchequer
Division, Dublin, granted a conditional order for a new
trial of the libel action of Joyce against the Marquis
of Clanricarde, on the ground chiefly of misdirection,
that the verdict was against the evidence, and that the
damages were excessive.
The President of the Wesleyan Conference (the Rev.
J. Walton) and the Rev. Dr. Rigg delivered addresses
on Saturday which were expressive of the policy of
the Wesleyans in regard to national education. The
occasion was the observance of the annual custom of
giving a valedictory address to the students who had
completed their training at the Westminster and
Southlands (Battersea) Colleges, the former for school.
masters and the latter for schoolmistresses. Mr. T. B.
Holmes (chairman of the Hull School Board) presided,
and was suppor ed by a numerous attendance of friends
Interested in education, who assembled in the:Wesleyan
Chapel, Bridge- road-west, Battersea.
The Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs has
received information that the Italian Ministry of Public
Works will invite tenders in January next for the
construction by private firms of the railway lines from
Messina to Cerda and from Evoli to Reggio, the latter
including various branch lines. The competition will
take place by " licitazione private," that is to say,
tenders can only be submitted by such firms or parties
who are known to and invited by the Government
authorities. _ _ _

It is stated that the Local Government Board are
about to publish orders to local authorities, under the
Allotments Act, 1887, prescribing the manner of
appointment and mode of election of allotment
managers in those districts where it is decided to adopt
the new Act.

In the course of the trial of an action in the Queen's
Bench, London, on Saturday, it was stated that
Government inspectors seldom visited bakers' shops
for the purpose of detecting fraud. A witness from
Rotherhithe stated that he had been seven years in the
trade and 12 months in a baker's shop without seeing a
Government inspector in it.

-
The Rev. C. A. Berry, pastor of Queen-street Con-
gregational Church, Wolverhampton, has at length
decided to decline the call made to him to become sue.
cessor of the late Henry Ward Beecher at Plymouth
Church, Brooklyn.
General 'Brackenbury, Chief of the Intelligence De-
nartment of the Headquarters Staff of the Army, was
present on Saturday evening at the distribution of
prizes to the 3rd City of London Rifles, held in
Guildhall in the presence of the Lord Mayor and Lady
Mayoress and other distinguished visitors.
James Johnson, an artilleryman, stationed at
Glasgow, got drunk one night last week, and when" he
came to himself" in the barracks next morning he
found himself dressed in civilians' clothes. It after-
wards transpired that his regimentals were at a
second-hand clothes' shop. According to the pro -
prietor—who has been since fined—he sold to him the
clothes for 55., undrepsing in the shop.
What is described as 'little short of the 'Plan of
Campaign' "has been adopted by the tenants of the
Skibo Estate. The tenants have proffered for certain
arrears due a sum calculated according to the scale of
rent fixed by the Commissioners. It has not been
accepted, and it will accordingly be lodged in a local
bank.
A private Commission nas bean sitting at Great
Strickland, near Penrith, inquiring into the conduct of
the Rev. Thomas Percival, the vicar, who is charged
with neglecting his dnty. The Commission has re-
ported to the bishop.
The Duo d'Alencon the other day presented to the
Pope the Jubilee gifts of the Orleans family—namely,
a writing desk of Louis XIV. style from the Comte de
Paris; a silver statue of Joan of Arc by the Comtesse
de Paris, executed by Princess Marie; a silver bell,
with gold arabesques and enamelling, from the Dao
de Chartres; a pastoral ring of white sapphires, set
with brilliants, from the Duo de Joinville and the Duo
de Penthievre • and a pastoral cross of 16 emeralds.
set with 30 brilliants, from the Duo de Nemours and
the Duo d'Alencon. "The abstention of the Due
d'Aumale," says the correspondent of the" ITnivers,"
"is much remarked upon."

The British ship Embleton, from San Francisco,
arrived at Queenstown on Saturday, and reported the
loss of two of her crew. The sailmaker, Robert White,
of Shields, on the 30th of August committed suicide
by jumping overboard, and on the sth of October an
able seaman, named Seagrave, fell from aloft into the
sea, and was drowned. Another seaman, named
Jenkins, belonging to the Isle of Wight, fell from aloft
to the deck, and broke a leg and an arm. He was
conveyed to the hospital at Queenstown.
It was reported at the last meeting of the Bristol
Guardians that since last week several more smallpox
patients had been admitted into the infectious hospital,
and there were now 20 cases under treatment. One of
the patients, who was unvaccinated, had died. In view
of the further spread of the disease, sixty beds had been
provided, and there were wards for twelve more
patients at Barton Regis Union, where the disease)
broke out, and where there are over 60 cases. Tem-
porary hospitals are being erected in the district.
Sir Francis Burdett has started a movement,
which will cost some thousands of pounds, to remove a
tremendous hill on the highway near Ramsbury, Wilts,
in order to provide work for unemployed agricultural
labourers in that county. in which he hopes to be
assisted by others.
in Lonaon last week the death-rate per thousand
from all causes, which had been 230 and 21-1 in the
two preceding weeks, declined to 19-5. There were 39
deaths from scarlet fever, or 11 below the corrected
average, and fewer than in any week since the begin-
ning of October.
The fight between Jack Dempsey and John Reagan
for the Light-weight Championship took place in New
York on Tuesday. The contest was of a most deter.
mined character, and after 45 rounds Dempsey was
declgred the victor.
Colonel J. B. Dickson has been selected for the com-
mand of the sth Dragoon Guards.
Mr. Justice Harrison and a jury were engaged up to
ten o'clock on Tuesday night in investigating a case
against Henry M'Cauley Small, merchant, Portadown,
for setting fire, in October last, to his premises, to
defraud the Guardian Insurance Company. Evidence
was given that he had got a duplicate key of the
door' and that :he left the night before the fire, and
said he was going to Dundalk. By the fire the lives
of a number of individuals were endangered. The
premises were insured for £5OO. The jury found the
prisoner guilty, and he was sentenced to ten years'
penal servitude.
The Bradford Town Council on Tuesday determined
to carry out a scheme for supplying electric light to
the public buildings and to those firms in the business
part of the town who require the light. The present
expenditure for that purpose is limited to £15,000, and
it is estimated that the cost to the private consumer
will be just double the cost of gas.l The electric
cables will be laid underground. The Corporation
some time ago secured the monopoly of the electric
light supply.
The Staffordshire Joint-Stock Bank has arranged
with the trustees of Greenway's estate to take over,
with one important exception, all the book debts of the
late banking firm. This will enable the trustee to
declare the first dividend very shortly, while keeping a
substantial amount in hand to meet contingencies. It
is expected that the estate will realise a dividend of
quite two shillings in the pound.
At a meeting of the Shrewsbury Town Council on
Tuesday, it was decided to apply to the Local
Government Board for power to borrow the sum of
£25,000 upon the security of the water and other rates,
for the purpose of carrying out a new scheme for
improving the geoeral water supply of the town.
The lifeboat Thomas Fielden, belonging to the Royal
National Lifeboat Institution, and stationed at
Holyhead, was launched on Tuesday morning to the
aid of vessels which were in distress during stormy
weather, and assisted the schooners Emerald and Ann
safely into the harbour.
Mr. Joseph Longbottom, the manager of the Leeds
United Loan Society, was on Tuesday further re.
mended for a week, on a charge of embezzling various
sums of money amounting to £BOOO, the property of
the society. Bail was applied for, but refused.
Her Majesty hae been pleased to make the following
appointments: Viscount Gormanston,
Governor of the Leeward Islands, to be Governor and
Commander.in- Chief of the Colony of British Guiana,
on the retirement of Sir H. Irving, K.C.M.G
Lieutenant-Colonel Sir Charles Bullen Hugh Mitchell,
K.0.M.G., Governor of Fiji and her Majesty's iiigh
Commissioner of the Western Pacific, to be Governor
and Commander-in Chief of the Leeward Islands. Sir
John Bates Thurston, K.C.M.G., Lieutenant-Governor
of Fiji to be Governor and Commander-in. Chief of
that colony, and her Majesty's High Commissioner for
the Western Pacific.

A Committee of the Cabinet, consisting of Mr. W. H.
Smith, Mr. Goschen, Lord George Hamilton, and Mr.
Y. Stanhope, met on Tuesday afternoon at 10, Downing.
street, London, and sat in conference for two hours
and a half. The Press Association learns that the
miteteetelo had
wiaduth the
Warcons d Admiraltyidaenratio Offices.nvariousestimates
cinoeehmnne seventh annual show of the St. Bernard Club at
Lillie-bridge, West Brompton, London, on Tuesday,
attracted 226 entries, and the 100 guinea challenge cup
for the best dog exhibited was awarded Mr. J. F.
Smith's champion Save, the same animal also securing
the first prize in the class for rough or long-coated dogs.
At a meeting of the Royal Colonial Institute, held
in London on Tuesday night, Mr. Walter Hazell read
a paper on "Practical Means of Extending Emigra.
tion ;" and at the close Mr. Hugh Childers, MX., con-
veyed the thanks of the meeting to the author.
The death occurred at Monymusk, his country seat,
on Tuesday morning, of Sir Francis Grant, Bart.,
after a brief illness, which began a few days ago with
a severe cold. The deceased, who was the eighth
baronet, was the second son of [the late Mr. Robert
Grant, of Tillyfour, Aberdeenshire. He was born in
1828, and only a year ago was married to Miss Laura
Fraser, fourth daughter of the late Mr. John Fraser,
Baptist. Union is leaving this
A deputation from the Bap
sofurßreuy.n (threw, Inverness-shire, and of Netley-park,
country for the South of FfaliCe to wait upon Mr.
h.
if possible,
monl
Several hundred working men in
thi
Spurgeon, with
eEast-end of
ht
London held a meeting at Poplar on Tuesday night in
support of the union to establish a trades urnon, with
the object of abolishing the sweating or subscontract
system, especially in connection with labour at the
wwihthisr the
esiogbnjaeicit n o offrionmdutchiengun .t
dock warehouses. A resolution in favour of this view
was adopted. Mr. Sydney Buxton, M.P., who presided,
expressed his entire sympathy with the movement.
Felice Vincent, lady's maid, was convicted at the Old
Boaolylemyeonnt
sThueebsdaadyboefenh.aviangeswtoftelensena
tgreneca:inutomfibeftreeonf
peoarDioedeeomf
bethrelopieBcBed;annag finan-
cial articles of attire belonging to the ladies in whose em •
ilimnpreyrsopbvoinmadnienenegts.
The receipts on account of revenue from the Ist of
April, 1887, when there was a balance of £5,950,107, to
December 10, 1887, ware Z 54,200,397, against2s4, 911, 864
year, which began with a balance of 25,625,944.
The net expenditure was L 56,175,332, against
monthrsea'c
F 58,555,740 to the same date in the previous year.
amounted
iTnhethTe
to £3,060,1724 end at the same date in 18§0 to
*1.721g16.%

The geld calabash, the Jubilee gift from the Lagos
and Wseekuta ladies to the Queen, emerged from the
Custom intricacies at the port of Liverpool on MOD.
day, and was despatched to the Queen's warehouse.
keeper, London. The calabash, through being menu.
textured out of England, was subject to a duty of
17s. ed. per ounce. When therefore application was
made on Saturday for the removal of the present, it
oould not be disturbed that day. The surveyor had to
consult the chief surveyor, and the latter in his turn
had to apply to the collector, but still, although the
officers were most courteous, they could not override
the regulations. Finally, a telegram had k be
despatched to London, when the necessary permission
was received, and the calabash ordered to be sent to the
Queen's warehouse.keeper. The case in which the gift
came has not so far been opened, so that the weight of
the calabash is not known, but the case and contents
weighed 501 b.
A eoronees inquest was held on Monday nightAi
Belfast on the body of Mrs. Ann Quinn and her oßild
Anne Diary Quinn, aged two years, who were burned
to death in a house at the rear of a pubtio.house in New
Lodge-road. The evidence went to show that Thoceas
Quinn, the husband of the deceased woman had 0
dispute with his wife on Sunday. Mrs. Quinn was
under the influence of liquor, and so annoyed her
husband that he went with an assistant barman and
slept in another public-house which he owns in Great
George-street. They remained there until they received
information that the other publichouse was on fire.
When the fire brigade arrived there was for a time no
water, the town being at present under a restricted
supply. Two children, a boy and girl, were saved,
but the mother and another child were frightfully
burned. The jury returned a verdict of "Accidental
death " in each case.
The Hemmed victuallers having presented a seisoffd
lifeboat to the Royal National Lifeboat Institution, its
public launch took plane on Monday at Hunstanton
the ceremony of naming the boat the Licensed
Victualler being performed by Mrs. Livingstone Bruce,
a daughter of the renowned African traceller, and wife
of Mr. Alexander L. Bruce, of the firm of Messrs. W.
Younger and Co., of Edinburgh and London. A party,
consisting of nearly 200 of the leading licensed
victuallers of the metropolis went to Hunstanton by
special train, and the quiet little village of Old
Hunstanton, about a mile from the town, was "en
fête," some thousands of persons being present to
witness the interesting ceremony. A dinner afterwards
took place, at which Mr. A. L. Bruce presided.
An important meeting of the unemployed of Bristol
was held on Monday, when resolutions were adopted
calling upen the municipal and other authorities to
organist, ale labour of the unemployed upon useful and
productive work at fair Wei of wages, by carrying out
necessary loeal improvements, such as the construction
of baths and washhouses, bathing-pools, and buildings,
without the intervention of a contractor; and of
artisans' dwellings to be let at the cost of construction
and maintenance only. The meeting also called upon
the Poor Law Guardians to relax the severity of out.
door relief for able.bodied men unable to get work.
On the arrival of the 415 p.m. train from Horsham,
at Guildford, on Monday, the dead body of a gentleman,
shot through the heart, was found in a first-class
carriage. On the seat opposite the corpse there lay a
four-chambered revolver, one chamber of which had
recently been discharged. The body was Identified
as that of Captain George Richard Wykeham Archer.
It is not yet known positively whether the deceased
officer committed suicide or was the victim of a mur—
derous outrage.
Lloyd's agent at Lerwick telegraphed at Pl 5
p.m. on Monday: "News of additional casual-
ties from the recent frightful storm oon-
tinues to arrive from the more distant districts
of Shetland, with which there is no telegriphio
communication. Besides those previously announced,
the Northroe fishing boa: is reported hopelessly as
missing. Two women perished on the roads in North
Marine district, where heavy wret4ths of snow lie. There
is no doubt that at least 28 persons perished in the
storm."

Contracts for the construction of four trading
steamers were on Monday placed with Clyde ship-
builders. Three of the boats have been secured by a
Port Glasgow firm, and one has gone to Linthouse. The
four have a gross registered carrying capacity of over
12,000 tons. One of the contracts has been secured by
a Port Glasgow firm who have now secured 27 000
tons of shipping within the past month. Altogether
47,000 tons of shipping have come to the Clyde since
the commencement of the month.
The village of Thatcham, neer Newbury, has for the
past two or three evenings, been in Ai state of darkness,
owing to some defects in the retorts at the gas works
during the absence of the manager, who had gone
away from the neighbourhood for a day or so. Divine
service in the Parish Church could not be held on
Sunday evening in consequence of the failure in the
gas supply.
Her ifia)esty's ship Seahorse arrived at Stornoway on
Monday afternoon, having experienced stormy weather
on the VO3 age from Plymouth. It is understood that
the Seahorse is to be stationed on the north-west coast
of the Highlands for the next three months, and that
the Marines will replace the Royal Scots now doing
duty at Stornoway.
An alarming and extensive outbreak of disease among
sheep is reported from Rye. On two farms where there
are many hundred sheep the scab has attacked a large
number, and it is feared that the disease may spread to
the other flocks in the neighbourhood. In one ease
there are 156 sheep affected. The usual precautions
have been taken.

The Postmaster• General has issued a notice stating
that, with the view of affording further facilities for
the transmission by registered letter post of watches,
jewellery, and other small articles of value, the fee of
Id. for the insurano3 up to a of a registered letter
will be discontinued. Henceforward, except in
the case of letters containing coin, compensm
tion for loss or damage to an amount not
exceeding a will be given without payment of any
insurance fee provided that the registration fee of 2d.
and the postage at the ordinary inland rate have been
prepaid. In the ease of letters containing coin,
compensation will still be given up to £2. Thus,
without payment of an insurance fee, compensation up
to an amount not exceeding £5 will be given in respect
of a registered letter.
On Monday Lord grolseley fornally opened a large
gymnasium and a smoking room at the Finsbury Poly-
technic, which, although started as recently as January,
has already 4000 members, in addition to 100) appli-
cants for admission. His lordship, in the course of a
short speech, dwelt upon the importance of physical

---71salfectton among tne students has spread to
the Petrofsky Agricultural Academy at Moscow. It
Is feared that serious consequences may ensue.
A Washington telegram received in New York states
thF,t there is no hope of the Fisheries Commission
formulating a general Treaty, and that the most it can
do Is to agree upon a protocol defining anew the
meaning of certain clauses in the Treaty of 1818.
The annual meeting of the constituents of the
Hospital Sunday Fund was held on Monday at the
Guilard', the Lord Mayor of London presiding. The
report of the council stated that the amount collected
In 1887 was £40,399, and that the total amount avail-
able for distribution was £39,125. Hospital Sunday
for 1888 was fixed for June 10.

_
The Queen has been pleased to approve the appoint.
rnent of the Rev. Canon Ede, chaplain to the Arch.
bishop of Canterbury, to be Dean of Rochester, in place
of Dean Scott recently deceased.
Sir Horace Rnmbold, at present British Minister to
Greece, has been appointed British Minister to the
Netherlands, in succession to the Hon Sir W. Stuart.
who is retiring. Sir Horace Rumbold will be succeeded
at Athens by Sir E. Monson, now her Majesty's Miniater
at Copenhagen.
Manufacturers, agriculturists, and others intending
to take part in the Universal Exhibition to be inangu.
rated at Faris on May 5, 1889, are informed that, pend-
ing the creation in London of a British Central com-
mission to take charge of their interests, they can
address their applications for admission and spare to
oret
English E boi toimo
the French Consulate General in London, or to the
French Consulates in Liverpool, Glasgow, Dab/in,
Newcastle, and Cardiff. All applications will be for-
ntil the Administration
hief
mation o f
mission.
wa
naar del to h i tede u