The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-03-27 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The remains of Mrs. Mortimer Collins, widow of the
nouelist, were cremated at Woking on Saturday.
The death has occurred of the Rev. Thomas Jackson,
M.A., piebendary of St. Paul's Cathedral, and for
twenty-five years rector of Stoke Newington. Ile was
73 years of age.
The French Senate have adopted Clause 17 of the
Primary Education Bill, which provides that the teach.-
jog roaff in elementary schools shall be selected from
the laity only.
The Paul Jones, from Melbourne for Calcutta, has
been burned at sea. Her crew took to the boats, were
picked up, and landed at Melbourne.
Recently a bridge on the Texas Pacific Railway was
burnt down, having been set fire to. presumably, by the
men on strike, and two more bridges have been de-
ro3ed in the same way. The Missouri Pacific
filcials have declined to meet the leader of the Knights
oi Labour.

It was announced on Saturday that the Bidiop of
Londou's first appointment to an important living,
that of St. Martin's-in•the-Ftelds, Lad fallen to the
Bev. J. F. Kitto, rector of Stepney, one of the ablest
members of the Evangelical party, a good organiser and
prencher, and essentially a practical clergyman. Mr.
Kitto has worked hard in the East-end for nineteen
'ears.
Sir Albert Woods, Garter Principal King of Arms,
went to Windsor Castle on Monday, and placed the
banners and insignia of Prince Henry of Battenberg,
the Marquis of Northampton, the Earl of Kimberley,
and the Earl of Sefton, the recently-created Knights of
the Garter, in the choir of St. George's Chapel. The
helmet, sword, and lambrequins of Prince Henry of
Battenburg were arranged above his stall next those of
Prince Christian, and an ormulu plate enamelled with
his coat-of-arms and inscribed with his title was
affixed to the back of the seat.
Mr. Justice Grove and Mr. Justice Stephen, sitting
its a Divisional Court on Monday, granted a stay of
execution pending a motion for a new trial in the case
of " Gcosey v. Jardine." This was the case in which
Mr. Justice Hawkins commented on the temporary
absence of defendant's counsel, and in which the jury,
before they had heard the defeur,e, expressed an
opinion in favour of the plaintiff's elaiLn.

-Eroin a return of artisans' and ltbourer's dwellings,
it appears that the Metropolitan Board of Works have
erected 221 blocks providing kr the housing of 21,678
persons, and the Cif), of London have erected blocks
furnishing accommodation for 2528 persons.
The steamer Persian Monarch, from London to New
York, with passengets and cargo, ran ashore during a
fog on Slapton Sands, near Kingsbridge, Devonshire.
She came off at high water on Saturday evening, and
was towed into Plymouth.

At Southport, on Saturday, William Dobbs, who was
at one time a chemical manufacturer, was sent to
pion for three months with hard labour for fraud.
Ho had called on several benevolent ladies and solicited
subscriptions for distressed fishermen, afterwards
appropriating the Fong they had given to him.
A meeting of pit girls, convened by the vicar of
Pemberton, was held on Saturday evening to protest
against the proposed legislation prohibiting their em-
ployment on the surface at collieries. Over 100 pit
women were present. The wife of the Mayor of Wigan
presided, and read letters from Lady Lathom and
others approving of the course taken.
Transactions between the late Mr. Hudson, a Ceylon
coffee planter on the one hand, and Mr. Somes, a
London merchant, and the Oriental Bank on the other,
gave rise to a question whether Mr. Hudson's indebted.
mess should be reckoned according to Ceylon currency,
lit 10 rupees to the pound, or English currency. Mr;
Justice Manisty, in the Queen's Bench on Saturday,
decided against the contention of Mr. Hudson's
executors that the Ceylon rate should be adopted and
the debt reduced £21,007, and also gave judgment in
favour of the bank upon a counter claim for £1705.
It is estimated that damage to the extent of £lOOO has
been done to the Skarweather Lightship stationed in
the British Channel, which was on Friday run into by
the barque Magnet. Her spars were carried away, and
her valuable lamps lost overboard. i
An action was brought n the Queen's Bench Divi-
sion on Saturday by Miss Winnall, of Shepherd's-bush,
to recover damages from Mr. L. Simmons, trading as
the West London:Bank, for breaking into her premises
and detaining goods. The defendant broke into the
house to recover goods under a bill of sale given by
another person, and he denied that he had taken goods
belonging to the plaintiff. His conduct was severely
condemned by the judge, Baron Huddleston, and a
verdict was ultimately found for the plaintiff for UO.

The popular vote taken on Monday in the Canton of
Ticino, Switzerland, upon an ecclesiastical law drawn
up by the Ultramontane Government of that Canton,
pla2ing Church affairs in Ticino entirely in the hande
of the clergy, resulted in the adoption of the measure.
An extraordinary ease of suicide is reported from
%along, France. The deceased, 'who was a cavalry
officer, yarned Francois, and who had received the
decoration of the Legion of Honoar, had been called
upon to answer to a charge of swindling, and was being
examined, when he suddenly swallowed some poison,
and dropped dead in the court.
One of the funniest things in English politics, sass the
"Pail Mall Gazette," will be the sight of the Itoyal
Household going out with Mr Chamberlain. One of
the Household, Lord Ribblesdale, who held a lordship
in waiting, has taken the lead, and there are others
ready to follow. The politicals, it is said, intend to
stand firm by Mr. Gladstone. The courtiers will go
with Mr. Chamberlain. The member for West Bir-
mingham must feel sometimes a little uneasy when he
sees the strange bedfellows with which his mutiny is
making him acquainted. The benedictions of the
" Times " and the " Saturday " alone might suffice to
give him pause.
The British representative at Pekin has received in-
structions from Lord Rosebery to consider the Opium
Convention of July last as taking effect from the date
on which the Chinese Government shall have perfected
the arrangements for enforcing its provisions. The
time or putting in force the terms of the agreement is
thus Mt wholly to the Chinese themselves.
About six o'clock on Saturday evening, as a heavily
laden cattle train from Aylsham to London was going
through Ely Station, one of the trucks towards the end
of the train left the rails owing to the breaking of a
spring or an axletree. Three of the trucks were
smashed and five bullocks were so badly injured that
they had to be slaughtered.
Sir A. Havelock has stated publicly that the Govern-
ment was coming to some arrangement, which he
hoped would satisfy all concerned, for the settlement
of Zululand within two or three months.

Mr. Tuke arrived at Olifden, county Galway, on
Monday, and, after making inquiries, telegraphed to
Mr. Morley that the most acute distress prevailed in
the district. Mr. Tuke added that the best means of
affording assistance would
.be by providing work in
connection with the erection of piers, boatslips, &c.,
along the coast.
At Killarney on Monday, Batt Sheehan, John
Sheehan, and John Falvey were charged with waylay-
ing and beating Patrick Doyle and with killing his
horse. Doyle was accused of informing the police and
withholding a farm from its rightful claimants. John
Sheehan and Falvey were bailed in £lOO each. Batt
Sheehan was committed for trial.

Three men were killed and another seriously injured
on Monday, by an explosion of gunpowder at the Kil-
creen breakwater works.

Bayham Mulder, a lieutenant in the Dutch Navy,
was on Monday charged, at the Marylebone Police-
court, on remand, with assaulting Rose Edwards, who
described herself as an actress, by striking her with a
dagger. Mr. De Rntzen said the case was undoubtedly
one for a jury to decide, and be committed the pri-
soner for trial, offering to take bail in two sureties of
£2O each. _ _

Mrs. Roper, of Usher-road, Bow, London, on Satur-
day invited Mrs. Thomas to have a cup of tea with her.
After the guest had gone Mrs. Roper missed some
articles of clothing, and sent a policeman to take her
friend into custody. Mrs. Thomas was apprehended
and detained until Monday morning, when Mrs. Roper
informed the magistrate at Worship•street that on
Sunday morning her husband told her he had pawned
the missing clothing. Mr. Hannay, in reply to Mrs.
Thomas's indignant complaint, said he could only dis-
charge her; he could not give her any redress.
The death is announced of Mr. George Stirton,
Coupar Angus, Perthshire' at the age of 101 years. Mr.
Stirton was a native of Coupar Angus, where he re-
sided nearly all his days. He is said to have been the
oldest Freemason in Europe, having been connected
with St. John's Lodge, Coapar Angus, for 78 years.
Ere joined in 1808, the entry of admission being re-
corded in the books of the lodge. Mr. Stirton was hale
and hearty and able to move about up till within a
week cf his death, widch took place on Saturday after-
noon. _ _ _

On Monday, the annual General Court of the
Governors of he Highland Society of London, founded
on May 28, 1778, of which the Prince of Wales as Duke
of Rothesay is chief, was Leld at the Freemason's
Tavern, Mr. J. Chisholm Gooden (treasurer) in the
chair. The election of Lord Lovat, of Beaufort Castle,
Inverness-shire, as president of
.the society for the
ensuing year, was confirmed unanimously.
Mr. M•Laren has withdrawn his Land Purchase
Facilities Bill.

Tho Australian cricketing team sailed on Monday fo:
England.
Mr. Pitman has decided that the University Boat,
race shall be rowed over the usual course.
On the farm of Mr. Warren, of Upton Hall, Cheshire,
the entire herd of 20 cows, 19 stirks, and six calvess
worth over EGOO, have been slaughtered on account of
an outbreak of pleuro•pneurnonia.
The Westborough Methodist New Connexion Church.
at Dewsbury, was destroyed by fire on Monday
morning. _ _

It is -suggested by "An Irishman "that the infant-
daughter of the Duke a Connaught, born on t.
Patrick's Day, should he named Kathleen.
A handsome marble tablet has just been erected in
the Chapel of Cheltenham College to the memory of
the late Colonel Stewart 0.M.G., 11th Hussars, the
companion of General Goon at Khartoum.
Mr. 'Wilson Barrett's title-role in the new play
"Clito," now in rehearsal at the Princess's, will be that
of a young sculptor, poet, and patriot. The play will
be in fire acts, each act a scene.
_ _ _ _ _ _

Although the Dee has been freed from pollution and
every facility given to salnm to run up, there are few
fish, and the opening of the season has been a failure.
It is conjectured that the salmon are disturbed by a
large gang of men employed on the lower waters in
improving the navigation of the river. Whatever be
the cause, not more than a score of fish have been
taken:

Mrs. Mary Hollindrake, of Shipley, Yozi-shfre, bas
just died at the age of 102 years. Deceased had been a
widow 56 years, and has a daughter living who is 80
years of age.
The strike of men in the engineering department of
the Lilleshall Iron Works, owned by Earl Granville,
teiminated on Tuesday. A deputation of the men met
the managers in the morning at St. George's Club
Room, and a compromise was effected by which the
men consented to a reduction of Is. a week all round.
Colonel Howard met with a serious accident while
hunting with the Surrey Staghounds on Tuesday. He
was thrown from his horse when the hounds were run-
ning through Betchworth-park, and another horse
stepped upon him. He sustained a fra-ture of the
collar bone and serious injuries about the head and
face, and was at once conveyed to Croydon, where
two doctors had been summoned by telegraph to meet
him.

A serious gas explosion occurred at Sheffield early on
Tuesday, in the house of a publican named Emmerson.
On his corning downstairs to open his house he dis-
covered a strong escape of gas. A policeman was sent
for, who went down into the cellar, having his lighted
lantern attached to his belt. Thereupon there was a
loud explosion, which blew out nut of the house, and
smashed all the windows. The policeman was burnt,
but not seriously.
At Salford, on Tuesday, a labourer named Stacey
!gas committed for trial on the charge of setting fire to
his wife. On the 16th ult, the prisoner went home the
worse for liquor, and because his wife refused him
beer, threw a paraffin lamp at her and set fire to her
clothes. She was dreadfully burned, and has only just
come out of the hospital. The woman, on Tuesday
stated the affair was an accident, but there was plenty
of evidence against the prisoner.
The Persian authorities have decided to send an
engineer officer to the province of Khorassan with a
view to the construction of a good road from Meshed
to Askabad. The road is expected to prove of great
advantage to Russian trade.
There was again a further increase in the death-rate
in London last week, the mortality from diseases of
the respiratory organs being more than double the
average, _ _ _

The- death is announced of Mr. Lemm, the British
COnsul at Monte Video.
The Allan Line steamer Scandinavian with cargo and
passengers, arrived in the Clyde on Tuesday night from
Philadelphia, being six days behind time. When four
days out, one of her engines broke down, and it was
three days before the other engine could be got to
work. The steamer could then only proceed at half
speed.
Lord Thurlow has been appointed Paymaster General.
The federated colonies I lye sent to the British
Government, through their Agents-General in London,
a protest against French interference in the New
Hebrides. New Zealand has also joined this p:otest.
Last week at the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, the
mean reading of the barometer was 2982 in. The
mean temperature of the air was 37.9, or 3.4 below the
average in the corresponding week of the 20 years end-
ing 1868. The mean, after being considerably below
the average on the first five days of the week, showed a
marked excess on Friday and Saturday. Rain fell on
two days of the week, to the aggregate amount of 0.16
of an inch. There were 8.8 hours of bright sunshine
registered during the week,against 7•4 hours at Glynde-
place, Lewes.
Between the Ist'April, 1885, and the 20th instant, the
Revenue receipts amounted to £85,964,238, as comi3ared
with £85,235,033 in the corresponding period of the
last financial year; the estimate for the year was
£90,790,000. The expenditure amounted to £84,769,560.
as against £81,961,452. On Saturday last there was a
balance of £8,404,254 in the Bank of England, and in
the Bank of Ireland of £1,076,278.
Mr. G. Knauerhase, one of the leaders of the Anar.
chists in England, died at the Middlesex Hospital on
Saturday last. After the emigration of Herr Most to
New York the task of smuggling the revolutionary
organ, the" Freiheit," to the Continent devolved upon
Mr. Knauerhase,‘ and he proved himself an adept
in evading the vigilance of the various frontier anthori.
ties. _ _ _

Mr. Conybeare's Sale of Drink to Infants Bill will
consist of ,a single clause. It will propose to make it
illegal to sell intoxicating liquors to any child under 13
years of age. A similar provision is already in force in
Scotland, though the age there is fixed at 14.
The Belgian mail packet Parlement Beige came into
collnion with the Admiralty Pier at Dover on Tuesday
morning, during the dense fog which prevailed in the
Channel. The passengers were all saved; but the
vessel has received very extensive damage, and it is
regarded as extraordinary that she did not sink.
The trial of the Barrow election petition ended on
Tuesday in Mr. Duncan being unseated, on the ground
that men had been employed for payment. The Court
granted Mr. Duncan and his agent, Mr. Garnett, an in-
demnity rendering a prosecution harmless.
At Seraing and Tillenr, in the Belgian coal districts,
disturbances are reported in consequence of the strikes.
At the latter place the miners were fired upon, and
several men were wounded. At Seraign a person
was killed by a stray bullet while looking out of
window.
One of M. Pasteur's Russian patients has died ef
rabies. -

-----
Many theories have been advanced concerning the
loss of the Oregon, but practically there is unanimous
agreement that it was caused by collision. The mail
bags continue to be picked up, but no other wreckage.

It is said that Mr. Chamberlain, shortly after the
formation of the Government, laid before the Cabinet a
memorandum, explaining the principles on which, in
his view, tbr- Irish question should be settled.
The Shipp,ng Committee of the American Hcuse of
Representatives have pronounced in favour of the bill
for the free purchase of foreign built ships for the
United States carrying trade.
The Dowager-Duchess of Norfolk died early on
Monday morning at Norfolk House, London.
Mr. W. A. Hulton, the judge of the county-courts in
the Preston circuit, has tenderred his resignation. Mr.
Hulton is one of the oldest judges in the country,
having been called to the Bar in 1827. He was subse-
quently appointed an assessor in the old Sheriff's Court.
Afterwards he was appointed judge of the Bolton
County Court, and then he was for six years at Liver-
pool. Twenty-three years ago he was appointed to the
Prestob circuit. He is in his 84th year.
News has been received from Morocco of the depar-
ture on the 15th inst. of the Sultan for the southern
provinces of Retuana and Seidma, and thence by way
of Mogador to Bus. It is also stated that the negotia-
tions for commercial treaties between the Government
of Morocco and the Governments of England, Germany,
and France are proceeding very slowly, owing to the
limited extent of the powers conferred on the Moorish
Commissioners sent to Tangier. The European Govern-
ments propose that there should be complete liberty in
the exportation of native products, and a reduction
of from 5 to 10 per cent, in the import and export
duties.

A frightful building accident has occurred in the
Prati di Csu;tello, Rome. The cornice of a six•story
house in course of erection gave way, and falling on a
scaffolding immediately below it, where seven masons
were working, dashed the platform and the men to the
ground. The masons from the neighbouring houses
hurried to the spot, and, with the help of the police
and military, extricated the victims from the debris.
One was dragged out dead; another expired soon
after. The others are morn or less severely injured.
The contractor, another of whose buildings gave way
tome months ago, took to his heels. Great indigna-
tion is expressed at the frequency of these accidents in•
Rome.

The following is the text of the Queen's reply to the
address from the Convocation of Canterbury, which
was read by her Majesty in person to the deputation, at
Windsor, on Friday: "I accept with cordial satisfaction
your renewed assurances of loyal and affectionate
attachment to my Throne and Person, and i thank you
very heartily for the expressions of your interest in all
that concerns my domestic happiness and the health
and prosperity of my family. It is moat gratify ing to
me to receive your congratulations on the marriage of
my dear daughter the Princess Beatrice with his Royal
Highness Prince Henry of Battenburg. I gladly
accepted from you the copies of the revised transla-
lation of the Old and New Testaments, in which im-
portant work I had taken much interest. It will ever
be my anxious wish that measures may be adopted
having for their object the spread of true religion
among all classes of my people, and tending to render
the Church an increasingly effici .rit instrument for
promoting the spiritual welfare of the growing popu.
lation of England."
A painful sensation was caused in the village of
Barkham, near Wokingham, Berks, on Sunday, when a
report was spread that the vicar of the parish (Rev. A
Roberts, M.A.), had committed suicide. Early in the
morning the rev, gentleman was found in one of Mr.
Walter's plantations at Bearwood, which adjoins
Barkham, with his brains blown out. The deceased
only distributed the prizes at Arborfield School on Fri-
day. In consequence of the sad occurrence, no services
were held in the parish church that day.

A conference -of the members of -the Anti-Extra-
ordinary Tithe Associat'on was held at the Bridge-
house Hotel, London-bridge, on Monday afternoon,
Mr. T. H. Bolton, M.P., the president of the associa-
tion, occupied the chair, and there was a large gather-
ing. Considerable dissatisfaction was expressed at the
proposed reference of the bills on this subject to a
select committee, and it was resolved th it two of those
bills, brought in Parliament by Mr. Brookfield (East
Sussex) and Mr. Norton (Tunbridge Division), were
entirely unacceptable, and that Mr. Bolton's till was
the only one at all dealing with the question on prac-
tical and satisfactory lines. A copy of the resolution
was ordered to be sent to every member of Parliament.
During a for on Monday morning a smack went
ashore at Kemmeridge, near Bournemouth. Two men
in a boat went to the rescue, but the boat capsized,
one man being drowned and the other severely in-
jured.
An Imperial order has been issued creating a system
of inspection of the torpedo department of the German
navy, with its headquarters at Kiel. The formation of
a third detachment of marine artillery consisting cf
three companies, and an increase in the number of
companies of marine infantry employed in the docks
are also ordered.

Nubar Pasha, with the army of engineers who re-
cently left for Geb-el.Zeyd to examine the newly-dis-
covered petroleum springs, has returned from Djemsab,
near that place. The geological formations indicate the
presence of oil over a largo area, and it has been decided
to push works actively forward and multiply the num-
ber of borings.
The 600th anniversary of the death of Alexander
111, King of Scotland, was celebrated on Friday, at
Kinghorn, in Fifeshire, when it was resolved to erect a
monument to his memory.

Henry Bradley, the man who so courageously at-
tacked and killed a mad dog at Peckham, London, on
the 4th inst. and who has been under care of M.
Pasteur at Paris for the last 10 days, returned on
Sunday to his family. Dr. De Lacy Evans saw the
man on his arrival and found him better in health and
spirits than on his leaving England. Al! his wounds
excepting one have healed, and the physician has no
fear of development of hydrophobia. Bradley has been
innoculated with virus from a rabid animal on each of
the 10 days of his stay.
The Queen has intimated her intention of bestowing
a pension of £2OO a year from her private purse upon
the widow of Principal Tulloch.
Delegates representing 53,000 men in the service of
the London and North-Western Railway Company met
at Crewe on Monday, and discussed the effect which the
proposed amendment to the Employers' Liability Act
would have upon the mutual insurances existing be-
tween them and the company. The feeling was
practically unanimous in favour of retaining the
present form of insurance, thus avoiding litigation, and
it was decided to tender evidence before the Select
oommi4tte.

A constabulary patrol, consisting of a sergeant and
three men, while proceeding on Saturday night through
Cornwallis-street, Limerick, endeavoured to disperse a
disorderly crowd. The police were immediately set
upon and attacked. Two constables were knocked
down, and their swords and baycnets wrested from
them. Eventually, the constabulary succeeded in
arresting two men, and while conveying the prisonets
to the barracks they were pelted with stones by the
mob. Mr. Irwin the stipendiary, commented, at tho
police-office on Irwin,
morning, on the bad cenduct of
the roughs during the past two nights.
The leading firms in the Staffordshire iron trade have
recently discovered that gigantic impositions have been
made upon home and foreign merchants, in Liverpool
and elsewhere, by persons who have issued circulars
offering to supply iron beating Earl Dutlley 's, Messrs.
Barrow's, and other best brands, at common bar prices.
Evidently the brands would be forged. Chain cable
makers have also been supplying cables of inferior iron,
but professedly those of best Staffordshire makes, and
have been issuing entirely false certificates of test. The
Iron Masters' Association has issued an important
circular warning buyers against these frauds.