The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-11 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

A Brashear editor offers a reward of five dollars for
the best treatise on How to make Outdoor Life Attractive to
the Mosquito.
Her Grace the Duchess of Manchester continues to
make favourable progress towards recovery, though she still
suffers severe pain from the broken arm.
A donation of £2OO has been made to the Curates'
Augmentation Fend, to complete a sum of £I,COO given
anonymously brthe same donor daring the present year.
The committee entrusted with the arrangements for
the Philadelphia centennial celebration have petitioned Con-
gress for an appropriation of 1,500,000 dols., in order to com-
plete the exhibition.
Advices from the Continent report the prevalence
of more severe weather than has been experienced for many
years.
In the year ended the 31st of March last there were
as many as 253,211 male servants taxed. The Excise duty
was 155., and the amout realised £94,59t 10s.

The Glasgow Evening Citizen says an historical figure
passed away on sionday—Lady Louisa Stuart the last des•
cendant of the'royal family of Scotland having died at Tra-
quair House, near Peebles, in her 100th year.
Four lives were lost on the ice at Edmonton on
Tuesday. Several boys and girls were sliding on a piece of
water known as the Hide, near the Silver-street station of
the Great Eastern Railway, when three girls, the daughters
of Mr Heath, of the " Cock " Inn, at Edmonton, suddenly
disappeared. A lad named Mid went to their rescue, but he
also fell in, and the four were drowned. The ice being in a
very rotten state, no one else dared to venture near the spot.

An inquest was held at Richmond on Monday re-
specting the death of Charlotte Weatherly, who was found
insensible near the Thames at Petersham, on Thursday last,
and died shortly afterwards. Mary Powell, Richmond, said
the deceased, who was her aunt, had been living at Peter-
sham On Thursday the deceased visited her at Richmond,
and stated her intention of taking "a short cut across the
fields home." The witness believed that her aunt lost her
way. It was also stated that she was liable to fainting fits
in cold weather. The jury returned a verdict of death from
exposure and cold.

A memorial to the Home Secretary has been pre-
sented on behalf of the Trades Union Congress calling for an
inquiry into the operation of the laws summarily admin-
istered by magistrates, especially in regard to the power of
appeaL
Prince and Princess Charles of Prussia arrived at
St. Petersburg on Monday in order to be present at the fes-
tivities in celebration of St. George's-day. They were received
at the railway station by the Emperor and the members of
the Imperial family.
The steamer American is reported from Madeira t
have made the voyage to that port from the Cape in 17 days
5 pours, which is said to be one of the fastest passages on
record. The American belongs to the Union Company.

A significant instance of the sad want of confidence
entertained by people of high position in France as to the
future of their country may be found in the probate here of
the will of the late Due de Mortemart, head of the ancient
line of De Rochechouart. It discloses that this nobleman
had invested the whole of his personalty, amounting to
about £140,000, in British securities. —Court Journal.

There were 2,072 births and 1,628 deaths registered
in London last week, the former having been 262, and the
latter 85 below the average numbers. The deaths included
69 from measles, 104 from scarlet fever, 16 from diptheria, 64,
from whooping-cough, 29 from different forms of fever, 13
from diarrhoea, and not one from small-pox; thus to the
seven principal diseases of the zymotic class 275 deaths were
referred, against 282 and 276 in the two preceding weeks.
These 275 deaths were 6 below the corrected average number
from the same diseases in the corresponding week of the
last ten years and were equal to an annual rate of 4•2 per
1,000.
On Saturday last the ship Rangitiki, Captain Scot-
land, belonging to the New Zealand Shipping Company, was
despatched from Plymouth Sound for Port Lyttleton, New
Zealand. She takes out in all 262 adults, the whole of whom
are free emigrants, sent out by the Agent-General to the New
Zealand Government. They appear to be of a very respect-
able class. The ship is one of the best possible for the con-
veyance of emigrants, having lofty 'tween decks and every
appliance that will tend to maintain good health among the
passengers. She was formerly called the Scimitar, and on
one occasion made the passage to New Zealand in 69 days.
- - - -

A public meeting called by the Amalgamated As- so-
stations of Cotton Operatives was held at Stockport on Tues-
day evening, under the presidency of the Mayor. Mr.
Pennington and Mr. Hopwood, the members for the borough,
supported a resolution for the repeal of the Indian import
duties' on cotton goods, as alike injurious to the interests of
India and Diglanti.
A shocking accident occurred late on Friday night in
the Alexandra pit belonging to the Wigan Coal and Iron
Company (Limited). A party of seven men were descending
a shaft for the purpose of completing some works below,
when by some means the cage in which they were descend-
ing caught an ascending cage midway in the pit, and the
whole of the men were precipitated to the bottom, and
killed instantaneously.
From the judicial statistics recently issued it appears
that last year there were 39 appeals presented to the House of '
Lords, against 55 In the previous year. There were 35 judg-
ments given, and the same number in the preceding year.
The total number of effective causes remaining for hearing at
the end of the last Session was 24,

On Saturday evening the Birmingham Athletic Club
pres,nt(-ii 0 tptain Webb with a gold medal and purse of
nion,y, in recognition of his pluck in swimming across the
Clii nna. 'i he presentation took place at a banquet, to vi 'ltch
the Captain was invited by the club.

After a successful season of four months the local
Art and Industrial Exhibition at Preston, was formally
closed on Saturday evening by Sir John Ifolker, the
Attorney-General. The proceeds of the exhibition, which
has been visited by upwards of two hundred thousand per-
sons will be devottd to two charitable institutions. In his
closing ad iress Sir John expressed the opinion that such ex-
hibitions were calculated to meet, in a great degree, the
f..'emand that was made in these days for practical education
and social improvement. By the contemplation of objects
of beauty and ingenuity the mind was decidedly improved,
and thus the people were actually educating themselves
while seeking for recreation.
It is noted in the return of the Registrar-General
that during the fifteen days ending last Saturday cold
weather continuously prevailed • the mean temperature
during that period being but 33.7 degrees or 8 0 degrees below
the average. Notwithstanding this low temperature, the
fatality from diseases of the respiratory organs continues
comparatively low. The deaths referred to this class of
diseases, which in the seven preceding weeks had steadily
increased from 194 to 374, further rose to 391, but were 74
below the corrected average weekly nurrber ; 228 resulted
from bronchitis, and 111 from pneumonia, numbers differ-
ing but slightly from those in each of the two previous
weeks.