The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-01-02 00:00:00

RETROSPECT

THE YEAR 1874.

Each passing year is full of history. One event
follows another in quick succession, and the greater
incident naturally effaces the impression of the lesser
upon the mind, but when the whole of them, both
great and small, are marshalled before the memory at
a glance, a deeply-interesting chapter in the chronicle
of the world's progress is made up. It certainly
'a-not be said that 1874 has been so eventful to the
people of this country as some of its predecessors;
still it is one well worth reviewing, and we therefore
make no apology to our readers when we ask them to
accompany us over the path of retrospect, which will
give them some idea of what has passed over our heads
since the morning light first ushered in the dawn of the
year which has now become old.

, First, then, for a few words respecting our own
Royal Family. Her Majesty, now in the 56th year of
her age, and. the 38th year of her reign, still rules
over a loyal, prosperous, and contented people. The
Prince of Wales takes an active part in various move.
ments wherein interest is felt by considerable sections
of the community. On the Queen's birthday, the 24th
cf May, Her Majesty's third son, Prince Arthur, was
created Duke of Connaught and Strathearn, and is
earnest in his devotion to the military profession. The
Queen's youngest son, Prince Leopold, attained his
majority on the Tth of April, and before the session

closed, -Parliament granted him an allowance of
£15,000 a year. But the most noteworthy event of
1874, so fax as the members of the reig,ning-House are
concerned, was the marriage of the Duke of Edinburgh
to the Grand Duchess Marie Alexandrovna of Russia.
This took place on the 23rd of January, and the cele-
bration in the Winter Palace of St. Petersburg was on
a scale of splendour which befitted the historic
grandeur of the Russian Imperial Court. The happy
couple soon afterwards left the dominions of the Czar
for England, and arrived at Gravesend on the morning
of the 7th of March. They at once went to Windsor
Castle where the Duchess of Edinburgh received a
most affectionate greeting from the Queen. On the
Thursday following: the 12th of March, the Duke and
Duchess made their public entry into London, ac-
companied by Her Majesty and Princess Beatrice.
Although the weather was of the most wretched descrip-
. _ _

tough .
tion, for the snow fell for hours without intermission,
immense crowds filled the streets between the Great
Western terminus at Paddington and Buckingham
Palace; and the Royal party who rode in an open
carriage, experienced a loyal and enthusiastic welcome
from the assembled thousands. On the 15th of October,
the joy-bells rang out in commemoration of the birth
of a Prince, which was christened at Buckingham
Palace, with great state, on the 23rd November, in the
-esence 'of the Quven of England, the Empress of
. .

1.111

musi

remain

pr
and many other illustrious persons.
Little else has transpired upon the Continent de-
The political histary of the year has been fraught raanding, especial attention. Austria has done her
with momentous occurrences. It has witnessed the best to continue in the path of constitutional reform,
fall of a. great party which was placed in power five and to cultivate the arts of peace. The internal
years before with a majority such as had not been affairs of the vast empire of Russia do not attract
known since the passing of the first Reform Bill; and much notice in this country. Early in the summer
it has seen the transfer of that power to the the Czar paid us a visit, and this was the first time a
Conservative party, who now, the first time for a Russian sovereign had been over here for thirty years,
generation, possess a majority in both Houses of the Emperor Niels°las having spent a short time in
Parliament. It was on the 6th of January that a England in 1814. The Czar landed at Dover on the
contested election took place in the borough of 13th of May, and on the 14th was entertained at a
Stroud, which had weighty consequences. It wa3 magnificent State banquet at Windsor Castle. On the
necessitated by the death of Mr. Winterbotham, the 16th he was received at the Crystal Palace, and on the
Under-Secretary of State for the Home Department 18th there was a splendid ceremonial at Guildhall, in
in the Liberal Administration, who at the General consideration of which the Lord Mayor was made a
Election of 1868, was 700 votes ahead of the Conserver baronet, and a knighthood was granted to each of the
tire candidate. But at the contest in January the sheriffs. On the 21st his Imperial Majesty left Rug-
balance went the other way, for Sir Henry Havelock, land. The Empress arrived in London on the 15th of
who came forward in the Liberal interest, was 400 October, on the occasion of the birth of a son to the
behind his competitor, Mr. Dorington. Here was a Duchess of Edinburgh, and remained until the 24th of
difference of 1,100 votes in a constituency by no means November. The year has been remarkable for the
large—one which had been always staunch to celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the ac.
Liberalism and to Noncoeforiaity' and which had-once cession of two sovereigns—that of the King of Italy on
sent to Parliament such men as Lord John Russell, the 23rd of March, and of the King of Holland, on the
and Mr. David Ricardo. Nor did this Stroud elec- 11th of May. AS to our relations with the United
tion stand alone as showing the existence of a reaction States, these are now more satisfactory than they have
in the public mind. Since the Legislature was pro- been for several years. The standing grievance caused
rogued in the previous August, seat after seat had been by the ravages of the Alabama has now been got rid of
lost to the Liberal party. Wherever a vacancy oc- by the payment of the indemnity, and President
curred—east, west, north, or south—the story was the Grant, in his message to Congress on the 7th Decem-
same. The success of a Liberal was the exception, the bar, found no cause, as in some former years, to corn.
return of the Conservative wa.s the rule. Even Green- •1 lain of any unfriendly act on the part of this country.
wick itself—Mr. Gladstone's own constituency—had by Lastly. in our review of foreign affairs, we may men-
returning aConservative in the person of Mr. Boord,prc- tion that the Indian famine, which at one time
nounced a vote of censure upon the Govern- threatened to be such a serious calamity, was shorn of
meat. We have since had Mr. Gladstone's de- many of its terrors through the energy of the authori-
claration that the result of the struggle at Stroud ties at Calcutta. The Lord Mayor opened a relief
finally exhausted his patience. His majority in the fund at the Mansion House, which reached a total of
House of Commons had slowly dwindled from 120 to about £120,000, and proved a valuable assistance to
ass than 70, and it was gradually being diminished the means at the disposal of the Indian Executive.
still further. His influence was ebbing away, and the When the year opened, the trial of the Tichborne.
foundation of his Ministry was seriouely undermined. Claimant, for perjury, which had commenced on the
He resolved, therefore, to take a desperate measure 23rd April, 1873, wile still going on in the Court of
—one which would either rehabilitate his power, or Queen's Bench before Lord Chief Juustice Cockburn,
cast him down from his high position. At a Cabinet Mr. Justice Mellor, and Mr. Justice Lush. On the 29th
Council held on the afternoon of Friday, the 23rd of of January, and 169th day of the trial, the Lord Chief
January, the then Prime Minister announced to Justice commenced his summing-up, and on the 28th of
his colleagues that he had advised the Queen to die- February the trial was brought to a close on its 138th
solve the Parliament—a step which would put the day, the Claimant having been found guilty, and sen-
Conservative reaction to a test. On the same night tenced to fourteen years' penal servitude. Two of his
his address to the electors of Greenwich was sent most prominent witnesses, Jean Luie and Captain
round to the London daily papers, and the next Brown, were afterwards convicted of perjury at the
morning people found themselves, within a month after Old Bailey, and sentenced to seven and five years' penal
‘Thristnaas, in the threes of an impending general servitude respectively.
eleca'sen. Of domestic calamities, attended with fatal cease-
The news of the threatened dissolution was every- quences, there are several to record. We have
where received with the utmost astonishment. It been comparatively free from that extraordinary
spread like wildfire throughout the three kingdoms, I epidemic of railway accidents by which the autumn
and created a profound impression upon the Continent ' of 1.673 was characterised. Three casualties of this
of Europe. All over the land candidates were rapidly description were, however, of a very serious nature.
assisted with constituencies; for, in truth, there was no I On the -27th of January sixteen deaths took place
time to be lost. The intelligence was not made known I through an accident on the North British line. But
until the morning of Saturday the 24th, and on Mon- the most terrible collision which has happened since
day the 26th a 'Royal Proclamation appeared in the the introduction of railways into this country was that
London Gazette, dissolving the Parliament, and direct- I on the 10th of September, at Brundell, on the Great
log the immediate issue of new write for the calling of I Eastern system, when two trains came into collision
another, which was to assemble at Westminster on t on a single line, and twenty-five persons lost their lives.
Thursday the sth of March. The writs were de- I The memory of Christmas was overshadowed by an
spatched by.the mailaon the same night, and on the fol- I awful catastrophe which took place near the Wood-
lowingday alargenumber of nominations hadheen fixed. ! stoce-road station of the Greet Western Railway on
Mr. Gla&tone addressed great meetings at G e 24th of December, when ATI express train, crowded
Woolwich, and Blackheath, and was autism with passengers, ran off the line whilst travelling at
received by his supporters. The first tom; full speed. It resulted in the immediate death of
elections took place on Friday the 30th, and thirty-one men, women, and children, and the maim.
the members returned on that day VAS Mr lag enure or less severely of seventy others.
On the next day there were several contests, in e London has not been visited with extensively fatal
the balance of advantage lay with the -Conservatives. fires, the conflagration at the Pantechnicon on the 13th
There were a few more on Monday, February 2nd, February, being free from the loss of life, while in
but the great time of battle was Tuesday the 3ra when volviisg an immense destruction of valuable property.
the elections in three-fourths of the boroughs in Eng. I Early in the morning of Friday, the 2nd of October, a
land and Wales took place. That day virtually de- fearful explosion took place in a barge which was
cided the conflict. It was a struggle in which the being conveyed along the surface of the Regent's
Liberals were beaten all along the line. Mr. Glad- Canal, five tons of gunpowder being suddenly ignited.
stone was sent in for Greenwich, but he was only ' Three lives were lost, and an enormous amount of
W second on the poll, and a host of his faithful sup- damage was done. e have had no such terrible col-
porters, here, there, and everywhere, had been van- liery explosions as those which darkened the closing
quished. On Thursday, the sth, the City of London days of 1866, although the 13ignall-hill explosion on
and the metropolitan boroughs elected their members, Christmas-eve destroyed seventeen lives. The most
and endorsed the opinion of the provinces by sending serious of those took place at the Astley Deep
in an increased bocfy of Conservatives. Mr. Disraeli Pit at Dukinfield on the 14th April, and upwards
was re-elected for Buckinghamshire on the 12th, long of fifty deaths Virtl.4 the consequence. The dying
before which he was in sight of the promised land of year has been saddened by the story of the
office. The general election terminated on the 17th foundering of the steamship La Pick in the Bay of
with a net Conservative gain of 56 seats, and this Biscay on Sunday, the 29th of November. She had
meant the transfer of 112 votes from one side of the left the Thames only three days before, bound on a
House of Commons to the other. Thus was the mission of civilization, but was overtaken by one of
Liberal majority of 66 in the previous Parliament the fiercest gales that ever swept the seas, and went
now turned into a majority of 46 in favour of the , down with a loss of sixty lives. The storm which
Conservatives. Such an extraordinary political dis- proved fatal to the telegraph ship strewed our own
placement had not been witnessed in our time; so coasts with wreck, and subsequent gales have added
Mr. Gladstone at once resigned, and Mr. Disraeli was to the number of maritime disasters. The news
weahiyech
ohfaspreeceacmhebder,thitesllcinogunotrfy
the
eatbeurlasnint
gflicokferinthg,e
caned upon to form an Administration.
; thatsl4contemplationi
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When Parliament assembled on the sth of March,
be.
lives,aropaeftaricsitcksoofeamthv‘i.ezanannitnousthhnicepemmeaetnrts:,
new writs wore issued in the case of the Ministers
who having accepted office, had vacated their
if people were disinclinsaeveverlertteaokfboenrelitpehlveaecteith:tw.
ehlioc'fhheyaearwteta,itanalheedrs
seats. Mr. Brand was re-elected Speaker, and
three or four days having been occapied in the
hhaseavybefeanus
Undinsilloawilyh
have had the effect of completely blocking up the rail-
process of swearing-in, an adjournment took place.
until the 19th, when the Government announcea
their programme of measures for the Session. Under
the circumstances it could not be a long or a full one ways and suspending the traffic.
for the legislative ,near was already she weeks old, and Ireland has, upon the whole, been free from political
Mintsters had had very little time to elaborate the agitation during the year. Less has been heard of the
bills which they proposed. The Budget was brought Home Rule movement and when, on the 20th of
forward on the 16th of April, when the Chancellor of March, Mr. Butt moved an amendment to the report
the Exchequer intimated that the Gave/lemma would on the address to the Crown in favour of Home Rule,
make a grant of £1.250,000 towards the relief of Local he secured only fifty-nine votes. The debate was
Taxaticro, take a penny In the pound off the Income-tax, I remarkable for the outspoken declarations which were

eines I