The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-03 00:00:00

Sur Yonbzu Correspinibtat,

[We deem it right to state that we do not at ail timell
Mont/fy ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions:l

Parliamentary life in the month of July, provided
always that its duties are faithfully and regularly dis-
charged, involves hard work and comparatively little
rest. The Government, naturally anxious to pass all
its measures, and reluctant to sacrifice any, not only
pushes on during the whole of the nights deserted
solely to its own business—Mondays and Thursdays—
but takes morning sittings out of Tuesdays and
Fridays, which belong to private members, thereby
materially reducing the time at the disposal of hon.
gentlemen holding unofficial positions. On a Govern-
ment night a House is kept—that is to say forty
members are always at hand—through the arrange
ments made by the ministerial whip ; and you never
hear of a count-out on a Monday or a Thursday. But
the 3linistry does not consider itself bound to keep a
House for the discussion of questions brought forward
by private members; and thus, on Tuesday and
Fridays, more particularly as the session advances,
counts-out are frequent, and much irritation is the
result. Let us take a week of the fag-end of the par-
liamentary year, and see how matters go on.
Beginning with Monday, the House of Commons
meets at four o'clock in the afternoon, and keeps
straight on with Government business until two
in the morning. Under ordinary circumstances
the Ministerial Bills would have to stand until Thurs-
day, but the Government now steps in and says to
private members, "You must give up a part of Tries-
day to us—only a part you know—it can't hurt you,
and it will be of great benefit to the country at large."
so, from two until seven on Tuesday afternoon is
taken up with ministerial work; at seven there is an
adjournment till nine, when the coast is clear for airing
private grievances. But the five hours' sitting in the
afternoon, following so closely upon the long sitting of
the previous night, has induced fatigue, and when the
House meets again at nine, forty members are not
present, and there is an immediate count out. Wed-
nesday is always a private members' day then comes
Thursday, an exclusively Government day; then
Friday, with its morning sitting secured for the minis-
ters, and probably no House on reassembling at nine
o'clock. The Administration, therefore, practically
takes four out of the five days of the legislative week,
a proportion of which the unofficial representatives are
scznewhat jealous.
The rooms of Mess-rs. Christie and Manson, the
well-known auctioneers, of King-street, St. James's,
are quite as well worth a visit as is any exhibition or
T1112136UM in the metropolis. The art collections which
are to be offered for sale, are always on view several
days before their actual disposal, and the rooms are
crowded by fashionable London. 'Some are merely
curious, others are interested, but all are apparently
wealthy, and know something of the subject which has
called them together. For instance, the collection
made by Mr. Gladstone, at once a well-known lover of
art and an eminent statesmen, was certain to attract
a large number of critics ; more lately the Marlborough
gems have been the chief feature of examination and
comment. There are, however, indications that the
mania for the possession of old and rare china is by no
means so strong as it was a year or two ago. The
great collectors have been satisfied, and there is little
doubt that of late the supply has exceeded the demand.
We now hear no more of £lO,OOO being given for a
pair of Sevres vases, nor indeed of anything like the
prices of a few months since. One art collector after
another, seeing the figures realized at Christie and
Manson's, hastened to sell; and, as a natural conse-
quence, the market has become overstocked, with a fall
in prices as the result.
- - -

Another step has been taken by the Midland Rail-
way Company which shows the enterprise of that
powerful Corporation and its anxiety to meet the con-
venience ef the public. The horrors of the booking
office nuisance have often been exposed and lamented
over; and it is undoubted that the crush and the
worry of a London terminus deter many timid people
from travelling at all. It would, for example be mad-
ness for an unprotected female, with two or three little
children, to attempt to fight her way through a crowd
of tourists, and to see to the labelling of her baggage
at the same time. Some of the railways, to avoid the
hurry and confusion so often witnessed, have kept
their booking offices open all day for any train, but
the Midland is not content with this. It has started
a west-end office at No. 445, Strand just opposite
Charing-cross Station, where you may get tickets
when you please, and from which your luggage will be
forwarded for you to any part of the world. The
Midland is also about to construct a line to the
Alexandra Palace, now served only by the Great
Northern. The Great Eastern will likewise throw
out a branch from its station at Tottenham, and as
this system is in direct connection with the metro-
politan railways, the facilities for visiting the
Alexandra will be greatly increased.

The origin of an oft-used word is often lost in ob.
scurity, and its meaning changes with the requirements
of men. A French writer has just gravely told his
fellow-countrymen that, owing to the prevalence of
opera in London, the lovers of the play, in order to be
present at it, have invented a new meal. What do
you suppose it is? Nothing more nor less than lun-
cheon. The meal, or at all events the word, is, how-
ever, slightly older than this gentleman would give his
readers to infer. It originally meant a slice of bread or
of meat. Dryden has a line in which he describes a
woman as cutting "a luncheon from a loaf." Lun-
cheon must have been a much more simple business in
those days than it is now, for it is frequently of a very
elaborate character. We cannot boast of such variety
of dishes as the French, it is true; and Goldsmith,
while travelling in France, lamented that its inhabi-
tants had no butchers' meat. They did'nt want it, for,
said he, they can make thirteen different dishes out of
a thistle top. But our luncheons on public occasions
are good nevertheless, one at the Mansion House or at
either of the great city% companies being highly appre-
dated by all who are fortunate enough to receive invi-
tations.

During the stay of the Sultan of Zanzibar in
London, he dined one evening with the Ancient and
Worshipful Company of Fishmongers—one of the
richest of the city guilds, and with important functions
still to discharge in protecting the people from the sale
of putrid fish. It possesses a noble hall at the north.
west corner of London Bridge, and can beast of an in-
corporation 500 years old. These guilds often take
political complexions; thus the Fishmongers are as in-
variably Liberals as the Merchant Taylors are Con-
servatives. You never find Mr. Gladstone or Mr.
Bright dining at Merchant Taylors', or Mr. Disraeli at
Fishmongers'. Sir Robert Peel's famous declaration
that the battle of the Conservative party camt be
fought out in the registration courts was made at a
Merchant Taylors' banquet. The dinners at these
places are ef a very splendid description, often throw-
ing into the shade anything of the kind ever seen at
Guildhall. The Merchant Taylors have a reputation
for supplying choice and rare wines, but the cigars at
the Fishmongers are said to beat all others in richness
and quality.
The late spring retarded the progress of the hay.
crop, and in the neighbourhood of London it is only
Just now being carried. The smell of a hay-field, even
in the country, where the people are accustomed to an
atmosphere laden with the scents of summer, is
always grateful, but in a crowded city like this it is
doubly acceptable. For the perfume of the
hayfield sometimes penetrates to the very heart
of the metropolis, albeit at a time when
the greater part of the millions of its population we
asleep. On any of those bright summer mornings
which we have had lately, between two and four
o'clock—when the smoke of the previous day has
passed off, and before the smoke of that day has begun
to ascend into the heaven.- this deliclo.. smell I—.
found its way into the remotest corners a the city.
Borne in from the country upon the wings of a re-
freshing breeze, it has purified the usually dense and
heavy City air, sweeping round the grimy walls of
gloomy Newgate ; playing about the stately dome of
St. Paul's, penetrating the recesses of the Mansion
House, and rising high over the fluted columns of the
Royal Exchange. That last-named building tells the
merchants who daily congregate beneath its shadow
that "The earth is the Lord's and the fulness
thereof ; " and although this may be little thought of
at midday in the full tide of the enormous traffic rush-
ing through the City, this delightful fragrance from
the fields, uncreated by man, and simply tbe work of
Nature, causes it to strike with irresistible force upon
the mind. Even the most callous seem to be thankful
for it, brief air its continuance ce ;
toforvivtiaeryte soon a
n tirh7
myriads of chimneys begin
and the atmosphere is burdened with the sounds
which tell of the presence of a great and busy people.
Very few of the crowds who daily pass through
Cannon-street, have noticed in the external wall of
the old Church, half-way down on the north side, an
ancient stone containing set within it that which looks
like a simple rough boulder. It is a stone which, if it
lay on the Pavement, in the path of a pedestrian,
would be
i
b kicked along without the slightest hesitation.
i
Yet t s one of the most interesting relics in the
metropolis. It is an old London stone originally set
p 15.3, the Romans as a starting point for those great
military roads which they made throughout England.
Centuries and centuries after that, Jack Cade in the
reign of Henry VI. struck it with his sword after he
had marched over London Bridge, exclaiming "Now
is Mortimer lord of this city 1 " That stone as been
upon the surface of the earth 2,000 years and no
wonder that those who are act, • ted with 2 history
game at it with respect as they
plts
As the holiday season (Ames on the pictorial adver-
limeraentas settYng forth the ettra:tiona of the various

places of resort, become more numerous and elaborate.
Some of these are really very creditable works of
art, and the way in which the charms of our own
watering places are shown up, ought to result in a
very material increase of prosperity. The Kentish
coast, although very well known, is evidently
resolved not to be beaten in the competition, and
Wales and Devonshire vie with each other in the lovely
nature of the scenery depicted in oil and water colours
by skilful artists. Any well-frequented railway station
contains a number of these pretty views, and as a great
deal is conveyed by a glance at a picture, while it takes
a long time to master the details of a guide book, it is
not surprising that this mode of advertising becomes
increasingly popular. Those who are anxious to make
known the merits of their respective towns are no
longer satisfied with scattering plain little photographic
views, but distribute coloured plates quite as large as
Dickens's "Empty Chair," which is so well known in
many a household in the land. In the perspective, as
well as in the tinting, considerable talent is displayed;
and let us hope that the return is a great deal more
than covers the expense of production. Even those
who cannot afford to sojourn at the sea-side are
thankful for these artistic representations; and pas-
sengers of all classes are delighted to see our railway
stations being gradually turned into picture galleries
showing forth the manifold beauties of English watering
places.