The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-12-26 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The mail steamer Japan, from Yokohama, has been
destroyed by tire, and it is feared that many of the crew and
passengers have been lost. A few have readied Bong Kong.
In the Italian Parliament on Saturday the bill be-
stowing a national gilt upon Garibaldi was passed by 207 to
25 votes.
Loudon is about to follow the example of Birming-
ham in providing shelters for cabmen. Towards the erec-
tion of the first " Rest " £7O has been subscribed.
A Saratoga tombstone lifts up a warning voice to
single women in the followitig manner:—" Emma dau'r of
Abraham and Matild and wife of Theodore 0—
died August 10,' hal% 26 years, having five children—
married too young against her father's wilL Single women,
take warning."
An American philosopher borrowed a dictionary
to read, and returned it after he got through with the
remark that "it was cony nice reading but it somehow
changed the subject werry often." It was his sister who
thought the first ice cream she tasted w as a "Male touched
! with the frost."
The sum which will be required by the Metropo-
litan Board of Works in the year 1575 is estimated at
£458,401, against £377,453 last year. The increase of
01,000 is attributed to the improvements which are being
arried'out.
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The principle of divorce has been adopted by the
Swiss National Coumil by 61 against 30 votes.
Of She 312 young woman engaged In the Black
Cro&& at the New York Grand opera House, 117 are
Americans, 102 English, 47 German, 40 Mali, and 6 Italians.
The Observer is informed that the Wesleyan body
intend to take legal proceedings to have the right of their
ministers to lie,described on tombstones in parish church-
yards by the title of" reverend" established by law.
The remedy that will be adopted to ease London I
Bridge in its carriage traffic, will, iii, said, be Lb.:construe-
tiou of foot-passengers' pathways outside the balus. reties
and taking all the space inside the balustrades for eit,riage '
traffic.
According to the Inspector-General, desertion is the '
most serious and perplexing difficulty of t U.S. Army, and
the tendency to run puzzles the highest officers of the
American SerPice, as of the British.
Whatis said to be the largest trip hammer in the
United States has recently been completed at Nashua, N. 11.,
at an expense of 75,001 dollars. Ihe weight of iron in this
mammoth machine is about two hundred tons. The ram
weighs twelve tons ; its striking force is about one hundred
tons.
'I he Duke of Edinburgh has consented to preside
at the next anniversary Festival of the British Orphan
Asylum, to be held early in the spring.
The following were the average prices of British
corn per imperial quarter, as received from the inspectors
and officers of Excise, for the week ending Dee. 12. i—Wheat,
44s 10,1. barley, 445. 3d ; oats, 28s. lffil. Corresponding
week last year :—Wheat, 615. 111 ; barley, 455 ; oats, his. 3d
The company appointed far the revision of the
authorised version of the Old 'regiment concluded their 27th
session last Friday. The revision of the books of Samuel
was completed, and the company began the revision of
Isaiah, which was carried as far as chapter 1, verse 20.
The pleasures of death by hanging are set forth by
a correspondent of the Calcutta Englishman, who has been
collecting the experiences of persons who have been rescued
front that generally supposed painful decease. One old
woman had thought herself in a green meadow, a gentleman
who was brought to life by an attempt at dissection had
been wandering in a beautiful field, and a criminal saved
by the breaking of a rope declared he had seen an avenue of
splendid trees, and on being offered pardon, refused it, con
sidering it a most enjoyable thing to be hanged, and the
easiest possible mode of death.
A telegram from Hendaye announces that the
Cal-list general Mendiri, has attacked Om heights of Casedo,
opposite Tafalla, whieh were being fortied by Marshall
Serrano, and carried them at the point of the bayonet with
heavy loss to the Republican troops.
The literature of the Church disestablishment ques-
tion in Scotland bids fair to assume as large dimensions as
did that of the memorable disruption struggle. About a
dozen phamplets have within the last few weeks been
published on the subject, and fresh ones are being almost
daily announced,
The Postmaster General has declined to entertain
memorial from a meeting of the inhabitants of Birming-
ham to close the Post office on Sundays unless the "lowa
Council memoralise.
On Saturday nine mails from France were overdue
at Madrid. Owing to the Interruption of railway communi-
cation by the snow, Count llatzfeld, the German Minister,
had been unable to leave the city to return to Germany A
note has been addressed by the Spanish Government to its
r, presentative in Washington on the subject of the l'srvini.
and Praident Grant's Message.

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It is proposed to give medals to seamen of ten years'
service for exemplary conduct, and these honourable marks
of distinction are to be worn while the men are still serving.
"These who may be curious as to the nature of the
loss sustained by the Countess of Dudley may be informed
that the precious stones were recently on view at the Si uth
Kensington Museum. They will be remembered by many
ardent admirers."—Court Journal.
Prince Hohenlohe, the German Ambassador in
Paris, has held his first reception for the season. It was if
very brilliant character. Among those present were M.
Thiers the Due de Broglie, the Diplomatic B sly, and many
members of the Assembly and high officials. The French
guests with whom the Anibassador was not acquainted were
presented to him by the Hue Derares.
"A Paris cabdriver, who has seen better days, but
now employs himself in curbing the fiery steed, with others.
, went revently to carry a wedding party from the church to
' a wedding brealifast In his cab were pla•md the bride-
groom and bride. Ile recognised iu the bi iderrom a anon
who had ince had Min put in prison for a debt. Once
(Arty on Vie way he whipped up and drove away from the
other cabs, and Laded the bride and bridegroom, badly
damaged, after an hour's hard drive, in a desolate rural
district on the wrong road. They got home at midnight.
It was an epic vengeauce."—Court Juttrual.
Colorado produces a beetle which absolutely kill,
the potato wherever it appears It has recently done im-
mense damage In the Rocky Mountains and other parts it
Amer's, and as it could be easily brought to Europe by
ships selling provisions in some English or Continental
harbour, the Swiss Government has recidomended the oth. r
Powers, in a circular note, to immediately adopt precau-
tionary measures in all seaside towns. 'I his beetle (Doe!,
Aura drecoolineata) is not only very destructive, but it is
astoundin .ly prolific, a pair producing sixty millions in a
single season.
A supplementary report by the Liverpool commitb
of inquiry into the condition of our merchant seamen Is
just been issued. The committee refer with satisfaction to
Inc imprcssion which the facts they have collected during
the last five years have made man the mind of the present
Government and in view of legislation during the cornier
session of Parliament on the subject they published &seri.
of resolutions which, in their opinion, ought to form the
basis of auy bill introduced into the House. They regard
training ships and nautical schools as absolutely necesear)
for the education of seamen of the merchant navy, the
expense of which should bb jointly borne by the Governmeld
and the mercantile marine. Moreover, no seaman should 1,
reaar leil as A it, unless he Can furnish proof of four yew
actual sea service.