The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-02 00:00:00


Our fonbon Contsponknt.

[We deem it•right to state that we do not at all times
identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.)

In happy defiance of all the miser ings that had
been entertained as to the weather—the rain would

have spoiled all and as to the probable absence of
the Prince of Wales, the rejoicings on Thanksgiving
Day have passed off to the delight of—well, let
me say a million of people, and doubtless to
the satisfaction of our good "Queen, the Prince
of Wales, and the rest of the Royal family."
Queen's weather faa-oured the Queen's visit to the
Cathedral and the return to Buckingham Palace; the
sun shone with unwonted brightness at this dull
period of the year, and the dense masses of people that
thronged the route from the Palace to St. l'aul's
by way of the Strand, and from the Cathedral to the
Marble Arch, were highly delighted at the aspect of the
streets and the Royal cortege, the Prince, of course, being
the observed of all observers. London does not lend itself
kindly to &treet decoration, but we have done our best.
For example, the Strand has numerous nooks and
angles, and is deficient in that grand sweep of houses
on either side which is essential to a great out-
door display, but the Strand nevertheless looked
bright and gay as the Strand never looked before.
And then Luilgate-hill—what want of harmony and
regularity! what ugliness in its railway bridge, its
hoardings, and its irregular houses ! The marvel is
how such • short street can wind about so, and what
a variety of twists and turns there can be in so short a
roadway. But Ludgate hill on Tuesday looked posi-
tively charming; it was bedecked and ornamented with
splendid taste: and the well-dressed crowds at the win-
dows, on the balconies, and on the roofs, were &striking
feature of the scene. And the Viaduct, Holborn Circus,
and Oxford-street looked charming, and altogether
London surpassed all previous efforts of the kind. The
masses of people in the chief attractive thoroughfares
were, I believe, unequalled by anything we have before
bad in the metropolis. For several hours, from very
early in the morning, railway trains disgorged thou-
sands upon thousands of visitors, an unhappy propor-
tion of whom, I fear, could not get to the seats they
had paid for; while outlying streets, the Strand,
Fleet-street, Holborn, and Oxford-street, received con-
tinuous additions, till the immense masses heaved and
surged fearfully. I need not say that the Queen and
the whole royal family, but especially the Prince of
Wales, were most rapturously received. I have heard
no little cheering in my time, but I never heard such
plaudits of welcome before. It was a grand sight to
see the people cheer; to see and hear them bad an
electrical effect.

Although throughout Great Britain as well as
throughout the United States, the public mind must
now be considerably agitated with regard to the un-
happy quarrel arising out of the Alabama claims,
there is now good reason to hope, and even believe,
that an amicable arrangement will are long be arrived
at. The New York Correspondent of the Daily News
telegraphs from thence on Sunday, and states on high
authority that although the reply of the United States
Government will "not retract any part of the
claims, it will be of a reassuring character, and he
adds "the Administration believes that the
difficulties which have arisen in reference to
the treaty will be removed when the case is properly
explained. It is to be hoped that the American
Government will show itself conciliatory, and will de-
cline to press claims which our own Government cer-
tainly never recognised or entertained. I cannot be-
lieve—who can believe ?—that war will arise out of this
unfortunate dispute. The whole civilised world would
stand aghast at such criminal cony, and in the event
of actual hostilities, it is certain that both nations would
lose by it.

The reply of the Chancellor of the Exchequer to the
gentlemen who waited on him to talk over the income-
tax, has naturally excited no little interest. Of
course Mr. Lowe would not say a word as to what he
Intends to do when he brings forward his Budget, but
he has frankly admitted that reform in the assessment
of this tax is much needed. There is hardly in the
statute book, he says, an Act so clumsy and so diffi-
cult to deal with as the Income-Tax Act, and he is
quite prepared to aid in its amendment, but he will be
no party to the abolition of the tax, for—he wants the
money. But I think we may fairly conclude, from
sorneof his remarks, that he means to reduce it. Here
in a significant phrase: 'The real remedy is to keep
the tax as low as we can, and it is found that when
the tax was two-pence less than it is now the complaints
were comparatively few." Add to this suggestive
statement the fact that the army estimates exhibit a
reduction of more than a million, and the navy esti-
mates a decrease of £252,000, and I think we may ex-
pect—of course, we may luTe for—a reduction of that
two-pence aforesaid. The prospect is an agreeable one.
Mr. C. Bentinck has given notice of a motion, on
going into committee on the Ballot Bill, that it be an
instruction to the committee to provide that votes on
divisions in the House of Commons be taken by ballot.
Of course this notice was received with laughter, and
equally, of course, we shall not have such a result as
the hon. gentleman proposes—perhaps in joke. 'What
would constituents say if N otes were thus taken? They
would never know how their members voted, and never
be able to enjoy the luxury of praise or blame ac-
cordingly. And surely Mr. Dentinck does not main.
tam that there is any bribery and corruption brought
to bear upon her Majesty's faithful Commons!
From a statement made by the Home Secretary in
the House of Commons it does not appear probable
that we shall this session have any legislation on Friendly
and Benefit Societies. A RoyalCorareission has for some
time been inquiring into these associations as well as
into Building Societies, but their report is not yet com-
plete. We have, however, had some of the evidence
published, and this testimony certainly shows that
there is ample ground for reform. Would it not be
well therefore for the managers of these societies to put
their houses in order? There will probably be time
for a year's good management before Parliament essays
to deal with the subject, and the working dames would
materially benefit by this.
No one can ramble thoughtfully about the foreign
quarter of London—say Leicester-square and Soho
without observing how numerous are the
poverty-stricken French people—men, women, and
and children. I have frequently of late noticed
this with pain. Many of them have taken
to sell newspapers in the streets, chiefly French
papers of a decidedly red tinge; others sell matches,
or pencils, or knicknaeks ; and others are too poor to
buy anything to sell and too proud to beg—this I know
for a fact. It has been publicly stated that in pro-
portion as the French prisons are emptied, the back
streets and alleys of Soho are filled, and that the un-
fortunate people sentenced to banishment are brought
down to the French ports, and having been stripped
of all clothing except a few rags, are put on board the
steamer and landed at Newhaven, to find their way to
London as best they may. Startling as this state-
ment may be, therein good reason to believe it is true.
Certainly there is an immense deal of distress among
the French refugees in London, and I am glad to see
there is an effort being male to relieve it. Many of
these poor creatures can scarcely speak a word of
our language; they know no one here, and know not
where to go for help. The way in which the discharged
prisoners are sent over here makes this question a
national one, but while this is being settled it is with
individual suffering that we have to do. This country
acted nobly towards the distressed French peasantry
during the late war, but we must supplement that
generosity by aiding the half-starving French refugees
In London.

The ladies may be complimented on the success that
has attended the diode of some of their number to
cultivate a knowledge of medicine, and apply that
knowledge to the treatment of the maladies of their
own sex. A hospital for poor women, supplied by
female physicians and surgeons, has just been opened
in Marylebone, a very rich district containing numbers
of the very poor. Three lady doctors, Mrs. Anderson,
Mrs. Blackwell, and Miss Morgan, each being entitled
to put M.D. after her name, are giving their valuable
services to this new institution, and other qualified
women will come forward to aid it. Surely this is a
great fact. The energy and perseverance which these
ladies have brought to bear on their medical career, and
the way in which they have overcome prejudice and
opposition, do them infinito honour, and they may well
be congratulated on having achieved such a victory as
opening the first hospital in London for female
medical practice.

The forthcoming International Exhibition, to be
opened n 'height May-day," will be extremely inter-
esting in one respect—in its illustrations of printing.
Numerous varieties of printing machines will be in
motion; there will be type-founding machines, folding
and cutting machines, numerical printing machines,
dc., while copper plate engraving and kindred arts
will be illustrated. The public always take a great
interest in machinery in motion, and nothing in this
department of mechanism can be more interesting
than the machinery which is so intimately connected
with our literature and journalism. In other
the International Exhibition will be even more
Interesting this year than it was last year, and that
Ia saying • good deal.

respects

Considerable excitement has prevailed in Antw6rp
owing to the movement which Is going on there In connection
with the Comte de Chambord A notice has been issued by
the municipal authorities prohibiting any assemblage of
more than five persons in the streets. The Mayor of Antwerp,
In another proclamation, has called upon all citizens who
are friends of order " not to encourage by their presence
manifestations which can only prejudice the honour and re-
putation of the city' So great, nevertheless, was the excite-
ment last Saturday night, that Comte de Chambord's hotel
had to be surrounded by yondirmee, liad all Wale in the
street was peebibibed