The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-16 00:00:00

THE BISHOP OF DERRY ON SEN SA.

TIONALISM.

There was an overflowing congregation, on Sunday
afternoon, at St. James's Church, Piccadilly, when
the Bishop of Derry and Raphoe preached on "Sensa-
tionalism." The right rev, prelate chose for his texts
Genesis iv., 23, and St. Luke i., 46, 47, and in striking
languages set forth the remarkable contrast between
the first recorded poem of fallen man in Genesis, and
the Magnilirat, the first song of the New Testament.
He then went on to define the meaning of sensation-
alism, quoting for that purpose the words of a
recent writer in the Edinburgh Review who describes
the object of the sensational writer to be " The
production of the strongest effect, which natu-
rally tends, not only towards the physical but also
towards that which is extreme, revolting, and even
horrible in our physical experiences." Here we have
that element in literary sensationalism which pervades
the fleshly school of poetry and romance. But the
reviewer's definition is incomplete beyond the range of
literature. The bishop pointed to two illustrations of
his meaning --one a passage in the life of William
Wordsworth, who, visiting Dunkeld, was taken into
an apartment lined with mirrors, and a spring
being touched a waterfall was presented to
whose dancing, sparkling waters were reflected on
every side around the poet. Against this he loudly
protested in some memorable lines, apostrophising
nature :

" Ever averse to pantomime,
Thee neither do they know, nor us,
Thy servants, who can trifle thaw"
The other illustration was drawn from the auperb
ruins of the Coliseum, which blase visitors, not content
with viewing by moonlight, must needs light up with
coloured fires and Bengal lights. Sensationalism
signified the faculty of feeling in man. The change iu
the body is an impression. 'An impression is a fact of
the body ; sensation is a fact of the mind. Sensational-
ism then is a morbid taste for producing sensation, at
any cost, and any means, in every department of art,
literature, and life. By sensation we mean enedional
sensibility, good or bail; astonishment, morbid
curiosity, violent disgust, unwholesome attraction.
Having defined sensationalism, the preacher proceeded
to consider its manifestations. In modern poetry the
sensational element stands out in strong contrast wii.li the
purity of our greatest national poets. It is characterised
by constant recurrence to physical raptures and langours
of love. Sorrow or disappointment is made the oppor-
tunity even for the denial of God. But no verse can
live, however exquisite may be its imagery, if its lead-
ing features are a dulcet lasciviousness and a sonorous
imbecility of rage against virtue and against God.
Passing to the consideration of the sensational novel,
the preacher remarked that its very covers, in its late
and cheaper stages of existence, were indicative of the
existing nature of its contents. There we find depicted
an elopement perhaps, or the pistol or stiletto, a
THE FAMILY OF DR. LIVINGSTONE. woman's falling form, a suicide, or a tumultuous scene
Mr. Leeman asked the First Lord of the Treasury whether in one of those chambers which not unjustly take their
his Majes.y's Dovcnimen . was prepared ..o recommend the 1 name from hell. Of such novels some, at least, seem
adoption of the prayer of a memorial presented to the seere- to be elaborate declamations against the restraint of
tar) of State for Fertijal Affairs for a grant to the family of ; marriage, or proofs of the impossibility of restraining
•Ilt la, Dr. Livingstone t HoU sEHOLD SUFFRAGE It COUNTIES. • the :appetites by any Penne of moral duty. Of such,
Mr. l
COO Disraeli : Iler Majesty hassle eady grank.ll a pen
tsion 1
Mr. Trevelyan, in ma ii the secimd reading of the House- the late Dean of St Paul's aaid " that bigamy is the
e a-year to the family of Dr. Liaingstune, and tha is a ;
i hold Suffra ,e (Counties) 13tll, said : Many members of this business and murder the amusement," while their only
sixth met iif the !moderate -perhaps Dm moderate—sum '",
flume on the now Ministerial side had expressed themselves fitting motto is, in the words of the Psalmist," Their
which tier Majesty is enabled under Act of Parliament to iii favour of the identity of the suffra en- towns and counties.
grant 'Mere are other relations of lir. Livingsti achesides Th *re h; dbe objectiOns made tothC
It:ielli.by the Prime throat is an (,pen aepulchre." The remedy against cur- I Dr. Eankester held an inqueeit on Saturday at the
his children, and their claims will be considered by the
, Mien'sttt‘ ihootrewies,.:llt
re ieittn.duttEartop= nipting novels is hardly to be found in any abstractrules ; 'University College Hompital, on the body of Mrs.
Government, and I shall not fail to ;mine tO the House lit "lli,t;tl rt.—certainly not in admonition to novelhit& In the lamest ' Hofmann, aged 7-1 years, residing on St. Mark'skroad,
to refer at letli
consider any further grant necessary. Premier was not in his place to hear the discussion. The first of romances—i. e., in the " Heart of Mid-Lothian ”-- ' Kennington. The body having been identified, Mr.
THE LICENSING ACT AMENDMENT BILL. objection node to the bill by Mr. Disraeli was that it was there are situations which such rules would exclude, and . Hollis, 69, Warren-street, said, on Thursday mornin,.
The second reading of the Licensing A Amendment lull forward by a private member, who was without the world—yes,andtheChurch too—would bethepoorer he was in a back room the windows of which lookea
ct responsibility, but many measures had loeen preceded by
having been moved I;y 31r. Cross without comment. for the exclusion. Only let men an women of genina into the Euston road mut he iow a woman on the top
resolutions and ',ills brought waisl by private niemhers. If
Mr. Melly, seconded by 11r. Pease, moved as an amendment ever there was a bill which niight be brought forward by a he morbid anatomy of aesion in the heart of of a house. She then got on to the parapet, turned
spare us t . .
a Resolution declaring that no measure for the regula- private member. it Was the ineasilre now before the House,Seeing that she in-
.d 'h backl.•
married people, and reframfrom describing angerousor round with her ac to the row
tion of the sale of intoxicating Liquor. will he satin. ; for the house hail over and over again affirmed the equivocal situations in which the only escape from miserY . tended suicide he shouted at the top of his voice. She ,
iwtorY which affords increased facilities for drink- principle of the identity of the lionmah and county is to forget the most solemn of all oaths. Nor shall we • took no notice, but cast herself backwarde off the I
lug, and which deals unequally and unfairly with . mffrage, and, in 1359, Partiament had accepted he gain much by getting novels written merely to MIN- ' parapet. 1
a i
considerable loranch of the liquor trade. in sup- lovniPle ..f hmisehold suffrage. Only the other at nioral axiom
.lay tre sby inducing writ ers th fill up Charles R og, em s, 3 , Eathmplace , said he wa p s assng ;
tort id it they stigmatized the WI as retrograde and the House st as discussing the ("oust tutions of Canada '; i Inchooks with illustrative tiles An
unnecessary, and e.oltendcd, with many quotations front thal Switzerland, yet they had in this us try it 'R T.: morai camomonp ace• .. along the Eustomma( , 1 and hearing last witness Amit-
e:a-ions authorities, that the extension of hours was opposcil . Ist .on cxe.eding that of those countr.es to whom evil novel does evil, but sometimes by way of recoil, . lug looked up and saw deceased getting over the
to the testimony of all the magistrates, clergy, and police votes were refused. The rural populations hail shown or from some truth in it, if the writer be a man of mrapet. He called out to her, but she took no notice.
Officials, and was contrary to the wishes M the im.3 ,h,. and the themselVeg lo3al and contented, and Wits the II gotta; genius, it does good ; but a dull novel never did good t.y,
' e top crust or layer of the stonework appearwl to
publicans themselves. Mr. Ilelly also strongly inslsted ma to throw them inho the hands of agitators I The Mbourer to anyone. Icor is much gained on the whole by novels ve way., and she fell down backwards striking the
the necessity o lidentical hours of cloiing for Public-houses had not „f ~,,7. it had only I.d, h,
mid Ileer-honliCS. otn,er Ile Isk , , position 1. . .i l the House to consider how the written directly in a theological interest, thoirrh . our l altony in e ,an en lune o
e first-fl .I' the fall 1 then b, ed if
there are exceptions It wonl,l be ungrateful, Kahl the .
sir H. Selwin-Ibbetson pointed oat ill support of the bill ag llicultimi iliourer Mel been excluded from um legislation ; into the area beneath.
that the original Act was pa,sed at sncli a period of •he Ses- how while Factory Acts ha lleen passed for the pro- Pre h tto thank one at letest whose name is
ac er, no ' I 'dl
Mr Dewsnap, 302, Euston-roa, , sat that ,e-
-sion that errors inevitaldy I: 11l It ill W Ilidl In IV IC ii% a Mending tl'etiOn of children in tOWIIS, claim. in rural parts dear to the En nriy be eaid that
English Church. But it , ceased, a friend of hers, was taken ill holt October, and
bill necessary. The greatest defect. again, which lie himself litß the country had 'yer been guarded from undue labour. the novel confessedly of this world in often loftier
had ever since been (,n a visit to her for change of air
protested at the time, was the discretion alluwe4l to magis- No attempt has been made M he relieve t labourer in and purer than that which is professedly of the
and Scene. She had never threatened to COnitliit self-
trates to fix the the honr, 1 the eardinal print Mle of .his the west of Englatill from that worst species of next. In cautioning young reader, again.st the subtle
di 't t.' , but a sluirt time ago a tire br he out in
,S VIC 1( 11, .
bill was to take away that local discretion slid tix a hard and haul', the payment of own in drink instead ef
influences of sensational mivels, the preacher in
List Parlianieutary line. The hours in the bill Were mercly money which should feed inul clothe them. Was the Rani. . 11 1 1 1' 11
the Hampstead-road. whic 1 male ( eceasei i rew tit y
named, the Under-Secretary said, loy way of soig,estion, ' tary state of the dwellings in the rural districts so IMICII plain
terms condemned the elaborate physical descrip-
nervous, and she used to say that she was afraid she :
and the Government was quite willing ,o take Ale House ' I 1 1 ' b
better than that of the towns, that no Artimis and Labourers' thins of the human frame, so much in, n gei In v
• would be burnt in her bed and had never appeared
Into council with regard to the actual closing Ism, to he Dwellings Act was required? The agricultural labourer 11,01 modern writers, and suggested, as a desirable means
herself since. The day before commit;ing this
fixed. At the same time, he explained the Ma.91,11S whi;•11 not represelited in Parliameia. and mmodoers were 4.llll,rant of reducing within proper linaits the admiration of the
t deceased had a lady visitor, to whom she gave
had induced the Government to recommend the hours in the of the state of things in Warwickshire until discontent hail young for sensation novels, that they should be in-
_se, she had about her,—viz , £BO. Whether
bilt. fiaif-past twelve in the ineti °polls was meant to c,:ver prevailed there for some considerable time. After some at money
clueed to contrast such tales with those of a writer
the legitimate wants of the theatre-goers, and with regard . further rciiiiirks Mr Trevelyan said he would not interposeshe became alarmed the parting,
at tlWith her money or
to the extra half-hour in the country he brought forward ; like Sir 'Walter Scott. Referrin ( to the works of
Pother between' the discussion which lie knew would take ir fhouse is not witness could uot say. The top o the ouse is a
evidence to show that too great restriMions in Me hours ut ; Piace :he ii 11l S,MPIY commend the bill to the Ifouse no a Charles I)ickens, he observed that he had taught the
fiat, with a lawapet 3ft high, with heavy stone tol.
o opening led to secret and illicit drinking. sir Henry measure wlnth shotild he considered entirely irrespective of preachers ,if the (lay that practical benevolence was a
She went up the staircase to the leads while witness
tolich d seriatim, on the minor points of the bill 1111,,sknectra Par 33; part of their messageto mankind. And unquestion-
w•as oen a.,, lin the basement of the house.
g w
a ith the hours of closing, which he maintained wont Ibean , Mr stilt, in rising to move that the bill be read a second ably the social victories of romance are very real,
M aII rtl th house surgeon, said deceased
r. . R ey, e
important iinprovement of Our licenshm system. tine this ;lay six months, admitted that tlie last speaker had The bishop expressed his °pinball that Sir Walter
i brou ht in on Thursday morning insensible, with
After remarks (rim several other hon. ii coil Mr Lowe, a st; el;il;iats,c, svitclaidh, aA,ltZTlJ:ti),!efo:ye,,:h:ant,,,:xll,l
Scott set forth the character of the Eng,lish Prayer-
' ':severe scalp wound. She expired in three-quarters
while dissenting from the arguments of the Under-Secret:lly ' hook bebire Keble, and prepared the way for the in
of 1.•(,t. t w win ti, I'd hml the. 11111 Ills widle af
hour The post 'molter examination show e.l that
as to the closing hours, 5:1141 he admitti.a.l that there weie iimoy • . ' , ', ' '7l it l""P '' ,' ', ',. ~,
~ - thien... which have raimed so many cathedrals from the °as
Many ol IlloS,. 111 WILIAM. Ilito not, /MO 11, Moti vety pus- . all the organs were remarkably healtny. The ribs on
provisiots in the bill which merited consideration at the
hanl sof the House. Among those he en t to account
rile th„ , able that the measure which the hon member (3lr. 'ire- dust of their decay. The preach er yen On the left side were fracture ,I. also the dorsal vertebrx.
• velyati) hail So touch at heart would one day pass for the rapid production of aensational novels, which ,
regulation of night houses, occasional licences. ten o'clock • Ile cause of death was sho,k ,ind impaired respiration
He thereom kept himself free to act as he
kenses, itc• As to the hours, the Government liad na, !!!'?.. I.l's,'.i - - • - • e r,3 ~o h t eln t to the fact that writers produced thern
renultim from the injuries.
• - - - mum. the' -,re two reasons Is-11v - ~auglit' -ss, hut be- —. .a , ,

. pleased upon a future occasitni. There were two , —.ohs why ,
the House very reasonably, and Mr Lowe thought the
House much better able ti conic to a right decision than , he opposed the bill, and the first was that th . Hine for I
passing such a me tame as this was neither fitting nor
any body of publicans. soliciting the Hoven lima or private •
his i convenient. The question of the parliamentary franchise
members. He recommended Mr. Melly to withdraw -. . . .. . . . v • - woil *

out of their own superfluity of naughtiness, _
cause there was a prurient class of readers who would
have such productions. It was, in fact, a case of
•oply and demand. In graphic, outspoken terms

The jury returned 'a verdiet of ' Suieide w
state of unsound mind."

members. 1.. . 5....
Resolution. bad been lately legislate-I upon, and he objected to
patching and tinkering with the constitution Such a
Mr Cross remarked that the debate bad been (unlined to ; course was like the action of a workman who, ilttead
a narrow imue, and that little or no notice had been taken ot remaining steadily at work, Wil.9 constantly running
~I numerous amendments tif the existing law which hail ' about for fresh tools.. They had had of late years the Ra-
ma with general approval. The Act of 1%72 proceeded ' form Aet and the Ballot Act, and it would not be wise to
on the principle that drunkenness was to be eheeke I ' enter into new fields, especially as they hat now a Govern-
by laying a heavy hand on the sellers of drink.. ment in power which was plettgel to silence and considera-
hut lie preferred to endeavour to attract to the train: thu. (Laughter and Opposition cheers. lie contended
as rearectable a elass of th,rs. us as Possibld Mr Cro,'s that the resiilts of the measure were uncertain and unaseer-
rapidly enumerated the clauses lie hail inserte I in the bill tallied. and that the time for legislation ivas neither fitting
for these purposes. and with remird to the hours of closing. ' ex, .„,,,„,
the I:owl-nine:it hail taken the very beAt ...tinsel they eitild
get, lout they would consider ally amendments wiliell might 'knee a tengtuenen tuSIMS4iOII, In which sever
' ' ' '': ' ' ' al hon, nietn-
be laid on the table and submit them to the judgment of the I"' took hail,
Ileum, Mr W. E. Forster reviewed the speeches of hon. member.
After a motion by Mr Sullivan to adjourn the debate, •,,,, iinSt the bill, and remarked that very few arguments had
%Lich was negatived, Mr. Flimter made some observath ins, 1,. :11 adduced against it.. The speech of the hon. tie
111
itsnber
elfish w ere main M mainly a repetition of Mr. Lowe's. Mr. elly's eh.
halltanned the rejectuni of the bill had 'teen more'
t
resolution am then withdrawn, and the hill was read a Bo um than even that of the mover, and he had stated
atcd
beemal thne that it was only a question of time whether the bill
samild become law. In tlie agricultural laluureis they .
There was a long wrangle as to the day on which the bill
.houlil he conimitted The Govetnment proposed ht fix , M,,,,,,,,itationai ra„,h,„„y.
e 3 l lIOW hire,: that ought to lie admitted into the
Monday nest This wan strongly objected on the Opposition 'llliey were in this position, that
if e
side, and Mr. Rathboue moved to commit the bill on the thy admitted these men their power would be used for 4111 te he ullt of the country, if they dot not it might be used n
of June. Ultimately. Mr. Disraeli promised to reconsider • •
the Intuitand to state his final decision the following day. • amiii.t it. Would they not be increasing tile power if
Parliament if they admitted the agricultural labourer
THE LAW OF RATING. to the franchise, and they would be decreasing the
Mr ai.latcr-Rxith brought tn a bill to amend the law of Ina..
power of Parliament if they 111,1 not give them a vote. ,
rating. agricultural lal,nrers of the country bad been asleep, '
bu now they were awake to claim tile franchise, and
they would giv
mon. other husiness was disposed of and the /louse ad- t
. -
jaunted at one o'clock.
continuing their ex. s ,
c an eniumuus power to agitaton by
lu ion and renter them powerless
1 by admitting them to the franchise. The tinie was partied-
mg RoUNDARIES or ARCHDEACONRIE.9, AND RURAL ' larly fitted for their ad= , salon for very soon the Masters and
DEANERIES BILL, &C. : Servants Act would be cons . .
~ idered, and agricultural labourers
should have a share in the discussion. ihe land tenure laws
In the Itou•M op LORns, Ilily 1?, the lhatnilarhs of Areh- would be better considered by the presence M their repre-
d..nries awl Rural Deaneries Bill passed through ill-
on ti
inittee, as ilid also the ("obwnal Clergy Bill. . nvcsi, d i ann discussi son ou the education Ijuestirm he
should i.e glml to see some of them here. The question of
„
THE BETTING PILL. the Establishment of the Church of England was a matter of
vl iinportanee. Ile was no opponent to that Church, ae
The Eett ng Eat passed through connuittee with an amend- ' ita
meat they kilo's, but he would say that they would be injuring the
Churcli by keeping agricultural labourers from discutehms id ,
C,1:2.. roiley os :az GOLD cz,Ast. Farllgracjt upon It from their traditions and their position ,
lorf. Lar,airvon, in calling attention to the ti'ill'a if the • al/ the ~. antry party Conservatives were particularly fitted
7.01,.1 l oa.t, Miell revouuted the chitt events nines Our heard that amtrtion Made it
to deal witn this iplustion. Thee question wats only a matter
Ottni,tioti, and t .en approached the question whetlfer it of t me, and when they hail h
wean I, di:Arable to relati OT abandon our poceessions in =mallet tleicat the r,metion would soon be settled, He hoped
t lit al t.r. M. titreo ai 111(10 I'd with trade II &M not, Lord and expected ...-. •
'Led it would soon tic taken up by the Crovcriarrvot.
tOrinarvoa 11,1h:he, ,' flad on :intent f.4.:11,,T1 for reidaltiin° Mr. I) era who . rising. was recclvcd with great elaa.r.
lint there wme ilwral obligation% and a great ZmDito till lug, said that Lc ie„retted lie was not in Ids place sufficiently
tigland mii,t lie prevuod to accept the dutict and burden. early pi hear the stacch of the hon. member, who moved re
et hulling from ni tateitnesa, By a lads! system of proteg. second reading of this bill. In respect to the observati ins
Wm we Icid tucht the nstlret to depend en lis, awl the Is IL gentleman had made ia reference to his speech he
by sbnad,,,,,, g
ctf
them We th.t.lil probably hand them over SI,OI ninth] in, On what he hal heard was statel by the hi is.
to the Asi-o toes. and the:, ....mita n year after our de- gentleman that be (Mr. Disraeli) had been misreprestenteiL
rtun, all th.; ' :'''''' d' us J.: ir, ',es we hod inilooed them lie coat:Rood he had mud otiving lre'igm:t on tho.no-
o, give up .1..30i 1.,, n,iVl'll I' 'fi•r" expinll,l,,g the fide, ession, rentemberlng the effect itroduced by the p i re. las
I' pi—lssed to let adopted he thoieght It fight ta aPecdfla of the lion. member on tibe more subject when
reloNl t!,... !Pave that the governineot of the Gold Coa-t sitting behind the 3linisters. He (Nit Disraeli) had no
was eirano Mil with three Other hettleini uts at di, hcaltation in saying that he hod not the smallest ddaht
tailaes tcd'at each other too great to permit one Ads that the rated hou*htildere In clluntite were jurt an CUM-