The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-09-04 00:00:00

THE NEW LAW ON EMPLOYERS
AND WORKMEN.

On Wednesday (Sept. 1) the new Act to enlarge
the powers of County Courts in respect of disputes
between employers and workmen, and to give to other
courts a limited civil jurisdiction in respect of such
disputes, came into operation, and has applioation
to the United Kingdom. To County Courts is now
given power as to the ordering of the payment of
money set off and the rescinding of contracts, and also
as to the taking of security, whether the claims _
liquidated or unliquidated, and are for wages, damages,
or otherwise. In courts of summary jurisdiction,
before magistrates, power is only given up to £lO, and
such proceedings are not to be deemed criminal. Such
courts of summary jurisdiction have cognisance as to
masters and apprentices, and an indenture is to be con
sidered a contract between the parties. The Act is
divided into five parts, and deals with the subject of
security to be given to carry out any undertaking
within its enactments, and empowers the Lord
Chancellor to make rules. The summary juris-
diction given is expressly declared not to be
deemed criminal, nor is imprisonment to be
enforced, excepting in cases of apprentices who do
not appear; nor are goods to be distraioed upon
which might not be taken in execution by a County
Court. There is a definition of terms given and
various sections as to Scotland and Ireland. The new
law may be considered an improvement as to em-
ployers and workmen. It does not apply to domestic
servants, but to labourers and others, and employers
as well as workmen can be dealt with under its pro-
visions.

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DEDICATED TO THE BRITISH
ASSOCIATION.
(From Punch.)
"It occurred to a chemist of Pontresina to distil an essence
from the lou, a little white starred flower, with a delicate
aromatic bitter. He named his new liqueur after the plant
it comes from, and it gained him a medal when exhibited at
the Paris Exhibition. What is more, in our opinion the
honour was deserved, for the lon 'sweet' or ' bitter' is
equally to be recommended as an appetiser, or chase.—
Times, August 12—Article on "The Engadine."
' No cleverer conjurer ever has been
_ _ _

Than this chemist who lives in the Engadine—
The Times has omitted to mention the name
Ot a Swiss so deserving the chaplet of fame—
For what do you think he is able to do?
Extract a liqueur from in I 0 U'! - `.

1 A GOLDEN YEAR :—The finance accounts for
the year ending the 31st of March, 1875, show, as a
part of the National Debt, annuities,amounting to no
less than £4,170,430, all terminating in 1885, the year '
whia will thus bring a very large reduction in the public
expeilliture. The above amount of terminable annui-
ties il"upwards of £600,000 a year more than the total
in the preceding year. This increase is chiefly owing
to a large investment in these securities under the Post
Offi,le Savings Banks Acts, and partly to the creation
by this method of funds for fortifications and military
barracks.
A VILLAGE OF FowLs.—ln an American
paper there is an account of a "Mammoth Hennery "
at Colorado. "It covers four acres, which are laid out
:like. a village, with,etreets und.,avenues, along which
are built long rows of houses of various designs. Re-
gular families of hena are assigned to these houses, and
it is found that they quickly domesticate themselves
_withaut_troubling_their neighbours. The population
of the village is about 2,000, divided closely into social
cliques of Brahmas, Clochins, Shanghais, and Dorkings,
and the chief products are eggs and spring chickens.
Sundays included, the industrious matrons of the
village turn out daily from forty or fifty dozen of
eggs, which are sold in the city of Denver for from 30
50 cents, per dozen." •
THE PORT Op L9NnoN.—,Our on Medical
Officer reports thltt. in iiiifietin'eaaiii Oni oFtwenty the
Port of London is rather wbite- than 'the Sherry.--
Punch.
.',., ;,u.l ,i , ~..,' •: 1 , OFFICER.—
News OF A RETIRED DI AVAL UFFICER.—
News has been received at Plymouth of the murder of
Lieutenant Wadlow, a retired naval officer, and lately
belonging to the Worcester training ship in the Thames.
The murder took place at Iscopo, a very secluded spot
situate about thirty pallets from Port Natal. The de.
ceased was discovered in the bush nearly naked and
•blieding from several horrible wounds. His throat
:had been cut,, and there were three cuts on his head
One 'of the number was on the top of his head and
another was on his right eye. The murderers are sup-
posed to be either Kaffirs or Griquas, and they ap-
peared to have stolen his coat, boots, vest, saddle,
bridle, horse, £l2 is. ia cash, and a similar sum in bank
vouchers. • '' - •
_ _ _ _

any -1-Iv_it!anut,4roubling t 1744; nei

Mn. MICREAUT AND THE BACKWOODSMAN.—
In a book of theatrical reminiscences we find it stated
that, "During the visit of Mr. Macready, the dis-
tinguished Engsh'actor, to this country, as he was
travelling on a Western steamboat, he was pointed out
by a waggish clerk, to a rough backwoodsman, as Ole
Bull, who was then giving concerts in the West. The
great tragedian set apart on the deck, wrapped in
poetic contemplation and insular dignity; but the
tall Missourian strode immediately up to him, and,
with a startling slap on the shoulder, thus addressed
him Hello, old hoss Ole Bull! whar's your fiddle ? '
The stately actor turned upon him, and with a wither-
ing look, and in the most tragic tone, replied, 'Sir, I
am not a horse, neither
.am I bull,
.neither have I a
fiddle.'"

FATIGUE OF TROOPS MARCHING.—A German
paper comments on the numerous cases in which sol-
diers have succumbed to fatigue this summer during
the marches of the troops. Every such case, it
remarks, excites more anger and pain on the part of
the relatives of the deceased than is felt in time of
war by the connections of a thousand soldiers sacri-
ficed through the blundering of generals. It recom-
mends the enforcement of the recommendations of a
treatise published by the Berlin Hiiifsverein in 1870.
This publication deprecates the use of cold water and
intoxicating drinks during marches in hot weather,
and advises the consumption of weak tea preparadithe
previous even* in thelai+dnac or lodging and carried
in flasks. The ' bead sbonld be only lightly covered,
and the neck protected by a handkerchief hanging over
thelack. -

RELIGIOUS STATISTICS IN IRELAND.—It is not
generally known that, (remarks The Times),
although the late Census in England took no note
•of the religious denominations which exist, the
Irish Census,,, on, the contrary, included au-
thentic returns of the various religious bodies
in that kingdom. The ROM= Catholics, as might be
expected, head We list with 4,1.50,000 membersjhe
Protestant Episcopal Church claims 668,000, he
Presbyterians number 497,000, and the: Methodists
43,000. These four religious denominations, embrace -
abdutLnine-tenths of. the entire population, which
stands at' 5,412,377. Among the "other religious
bodies" which make 4 the harance of this total figure
1,538 Covenanters, 2,606 Brethren and Chriatian.
Brethren, of whom, strange to say, the majority ate.
women; 40 non-sectarians, 44 "Christian Israelites,"
33 Mormons, 10 Latter Day Saints, 6 Exclusive ,
Bitithreii2s Humanitarians, 10 Darby ites, 9 Puseyites, '
6 WalkeilLtes, 5 Christadelphians, 5 Morrisonians, 60
[Free Thinkers; BSecularists,l6 Deists, 6 Theists, and
1 Atheist. There is I:disciple of Positivism, 1 Budd-
hist, 1 Mussulrnan, 1 Confucian, and 1 Pagan; four
men and one woman are set down as "undetermined"
or "undecided ;" and there is a residuum of about
1,050 men and women whose form of religion is "un-
specified."
• STORY OF THE LATE ANDREW JOHNSON.—
An excellent story has been unearthed respecting the
late Andrew Johnson, once President of the United
States. He was remarkable for his singular and
dauntless courage; in' fact, he never knew what fear
was in his life. It appears that when Mr. Johnson
was renominated for the post of Governor of Tennessee,
in 1855, he went on a stumping tour through the State,
where he had to encounter the bitter hostility of the
Know-Nothings. On one occasion it is reported that
he appeared at a meeting with a revolver in his hand.
Laying the weapon upon the table, he said :—" Fellow-
citizens, I have been informed that part of the busines3 to
be transacted on the present occasion is the assasina-
tion of the individual who has now the honour of ad-
dressing you. I respectfully propose that this be the
first business in order. Therefore, if any man has
come here to-night for the purpose indicated, I do not
say let him speak, but let him shoot." Everybody
was silent, and with the same cool courage the speaker
added, " Gentlemen, it appears that I have been mis-
informed, I will now proceed to address you on the
subject which has brought us together." Mr. Johnson
appears to have possessed the nerve and self-possession
supposed to be the most necessary endowments of a
Yankee editor.—Echo.

SILENCE IS GOLDEN.— Chatty Old Gent. "Have
you long hours he-ar, Portar ? "—Railway Porter
(whose temper has been spoilt). "Same as anywheres
else, I s'pose—sixty minutes I" (Bell rings, Rail-
way Porter touches up old gent's favourite corn, and
rushes off /)—Old Gent. " I"
Punch.
NOT TO BE DISCONCERTED !—A. veteran play-
:r sontributes the following anecdote :—" Gobert,
the French actor, whose specialita was the impersona-
tiOn of Napoleon 1., was troubled with an infirmity of
memory, in consequence of which all letters handed
him to be read on the stage had really to contain the
words he was to deliver. In some military piece or
other the Emperor had to receive a letter from his ad-
jutant and read it aloud to his assembled officers. A.
certain Gautier, the wag of the theatre, acted the ad-
jutant, and one evening instead of giving Gobert the
written letter, he handed him a blank sheet of paper.
The actor took it, and perceiving the trick that had
been played him, returned the missive to Gautier,
saying with perfect gravity, Read it yourself,
general.' Gautier, who did not know a word of the
part, and was too much taken aback to extemporise,
could not extricate himself from the situation before
the public had discovered and enjoyed his discomfiture.
Gobert's readiness was, indeed, almost as remarkable
as that of a less celebrated actor, whose fork was the
part of Richard lIL At the approach of one of his
best points a hostile clique induced the supers to accost
this tragedian with My lord, we've taken Bucking-
ham and cut his head off.' ''Tie well,' replied he ;
had it not been so, I should have said, Off with his
head, so much for Buckingham ! thus getting in his
great effect after all."
WESTMINSTER ABBEY AND ST. PALL'S.—Side
by side with our sovereigns, Westminstet Abbey en-
shrines the remains of politicians, warriors, judges
actors, philanthropists, physicians, until it has passed
Into a proverb. " Victory, or Westminster Abbey 1"
Nelson is reported to have exclaimed when leading his
ship into action at Trafalgar; though, as a matter of
fact, he missed the latter alternative, being buried, as
we have seen, in St. Paul's. As St. Paul's has become
the Pantheon for the reception of our naval and mili-
tary heroes, so the Abbey has become the last resting.
place of those who have fought the battle of life in
another way—the men who have added renown to
their country as statesmen and as men of letters.
There are, of course, a few exceptions, for do not Sir
Christopher Wren, and Sir Joshua Reynolds, and
Cockerell, and Turner, and Landseer lie in St. Paul's?
whilst the Abbey covers the ashes of Lords Howe and
Ligonier; Admiral Sir Peter Warren, Admiral Sir
CloudesleyShyvel,Lieutenant-General Sir Eyre Coote,
Vice-Admiral. Sir Henry Blackwood, General Law-
rence and others in both branches of the service.—
'Casseles ",Old and New London."

, TOWN SEW4.OE UTILIZATION.—The,PTesident
of the, Local doievitient board; Mr. Sclater Booth
has nnminated—Mr. C. S. Read-,_ M.P. Mr.
.Robert,Rawlinson, and Mr. S. C. Smith,
Assistant Engineer Inspector, to visit certain towns'
On the Continent for the purpose of inspecting and
inquiring as to the modes of town sewering, home
draining; ;and thek :use, of sewage. These gentlemen
will proceed at once to Holland to inspect the pneu-
matic mode of drainage as in use at Leyden and some
other places. Berlin vfll be visited,' and Dantsic,
where sewage is used, and the inquiry will bedirected
principally to the effects of frost during, fe'vere winters
on the dolls* the louse drains, and on the irrigated'
grounds. The sewers and sewave,wprks pt Frankfort-
on-the-Main, at Paris, and hellnuieele are to be in-
spected. !The details of the inquiriij 56th In Oreat
Britain andoniligMifitinent are to be (51'2186(14A in a'
report to he laid before 'the President, so tbat whenthe
question of river pollution is again brought' befote Par-
liament he may be in possession of information as to
the most recent modes: of. treating sewage, whether'
mechaaically, chymically,- or in agriculture. Edin-
burgh, Glasgow, Kendal, Birmingham, Wolver-
bpuip4n,'Rughy, Warwick, Leamiwtopi,Donoasteric
Bedf.orp, Banbury, aiad Minbridge-wellshave already
been inspected.
• ,1
SUNDAY DUTY ON RAILW.LYS.—In London, on
Monday night, a numerously attended meeting of mien ,
engaged in the traffid departmentcf the Greet•Northerd '
Railway Company was held at the "Belmont Tavern,"
York-road King's-eross, to. protest againstithe system -
adopted by the railway companies of exacting seven
days' work for-six days' pay from men engagedin-thisil
department. It was pointed out that *hen four men
were engaged to work a train, two—the driver and
fireman—would be paid a day's pay, but the two
guards vVould., receive nothing for their labour.
Several leading members of the Amalgamated Society
of Railway Servants addreved the meeting, and finally
the following resolutions were unaniquously adopted:
Tht each day's duty be limittd to ten hour,, and
•that six days shall constitute a week's work, and be
paid for is such; that pointsmen at all important
boxes work only eight hours per day, and not more
than ten litours in any case; that as far WI practicable
Sunday duty be dispensed with, but when necessary
that Sunday work shall be done, those engaged in it
be paid for Aheir, services as overtime, or be granted. a
day's rest in the week immediately following; that
extra duty performed beyond ten hours each day be
paid for as overtime in proportion to the time
worked,"