The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-04-05 00:00:00

.11iste114.ntoits

iIONE, FOREIGN, AND COLONIAL

:MPERIAL MUNIFICENCE.— A communica-
tion from Florence," says the Italic, "states that
the Imperial family of Russia left, wherever it
passed, traces of its munificence, exercised alike to-
wards persons of the lowest and the highest rank,
in a manner as delicate as ingenious. Thus in that
city, when the suite of the Empress quitted the
Hotel de l'Univers, where they had passed two days,
Prince Bariatihsky sent for the landlord of the
house, M. Stignani, and delivered to him a sealed
packet, at the same time expressing his satisfaction
at the way in which the service had been per.
formed. The parcel contained a little case enclosing
a gold ring with a ruby set in hriiliante, valued at
2,0001 r. The treeuurer of the Empress also received
orders to leave 6001 r. for the servants of the estab-
lishment."

A PROFESSIONAL REllo2iiarnaNgE.—Temple
Blaekstone, whose briefs are not overwhelming,
grumbles at being obliged to mix coke with his Walls-
end ; but the aggravation of short weight in his last
supply of coal has forced from him the indignant
Commentary that Coke is bad enough, but that Coke
upon Little-Ton is beyond all endurance.—Puuch.

THE INCOME TAX IN PUBLIC OFFICES. —Oll
the 6th of April knit. an Act. passed in August last
(35 and 36 Victoria, cap. 82), will take effectf to abolish
poundage for the collection of the Income-tax in pub-
lic departments. Hitherto poundage has been paid,
and, notwithstanding the abolition on the day men-
tioned, the Treasury may assign remuneration to an
assessor, collector, or clerk for assistance in the matter.
Any regulation to be made by the Treasury is to be
laid before Parliament, and the reason to be set forth
for the remuneration to be paid.

A CANTEHARIAN.—MIS. Martha Dix, who had
completed her 103rd birthday on the 6th of January
last, was buried on Friday in the churchyard of St.
James, Dunwhich, Suffolk. She retained good health
almost to the last, aud as her memory was unimpaired
she was able to speak of exciting events which had oc-
curred along the coast some,6o to 80 years ago. She
was rurrounded at the grave by a numerous progeny
of descendants, the eldest among whom was a
daughter aged 82."

A TRIPLE TRAGEDY. —A shocking event
occurred the other day in a dwelling-house situate on
the Chaussee du Maine, Paris, inhabited by a married
couple, who had been recently blessed with their first-
born child, which died suddenly one evening whilst at
its mother's breast. Filled with agony at the bereave-
ment, the distracted mother went into a paroxysm of
grief, and fell in a tit of unconsciousness on the
chamber floor, breaking her lower jaw in the falL
She, however, never lost hold of her child, which she
hugged with tenacity to her breast, in which yosition
she was found, her face covered with blood, two hours
afterwards by her husband, on his return home. Be-
lieving that his wife had been the victim of a horrible
crisis he immediately took down a loaded pistol that
was hanging in the room, and blew out his brains.
The report brought the neighbours to the apartment,
where they found the three unfortunates lying on the
floor. Medical aid was called, and it was found that
the father and child were both dead • the mother was
still alive, but died shortly afterwarda
COBRA POISON.—The /Iff:dice/ Pre.ss and Cir-
cular says that cobra poison has been recently tested
as to its enduring action when taken from the snake
and preserved. Some was kept in small bottles and
then inj,cted under the skin ef various animals with
fatal effects. It was also ohymically ar alyzed and gave
as the result--carbon, 46; nitrogen, 13; oxygen, 6;
sulphur, 25 ; the rest of hydrogen. This, as M.
Dumas remarks, is exact 'y the composition of beer-
yeast, and sopports the idea that the cobra poison is of
the nature of an animal ferment.

STATE PURCHASE OF RAILWAYS.—With re-
ference to the objections made at the Statistical
Society to Mr. Biddulph Martin'e estimate that the rail.
ways of the United Kingdom could be bought for 000
millione, and to the counter estimates, varying from
700 millions to 1,000 millione, "J. B." writes "Cap-
tain Tyler affirms that the total cost of railways in
the United Kingdom at the enclef 1871 was 533 mil-
lions, but it is falla ions to auppose that in treating
for the purchase, as regards loans, there is any ouch
aura to deal with. The debenture and preference etocks,
yielding an average interest of 442 per cent., amount
to 322 millions, leaving 230 milliona of ordinary
stork. Now, were the State to purchase the rail-
ways, on the 322 millions there would be no bonus
whatever. All that could he required would be that
the State should continue the rates now paid, aud the
holders would simply receive the 442 per cent. from
Government instead of from railway companies. It
would also cause little displacement of capital, for uch
debenture and preiemn e stocks ars &drily held by
trustees and others es investments, and are only to a
small extent offered in the market. The question of
bonus would then aptly only to the ordinary stock of
230 millions. Captain Tyler states that in 1871 the
average dividends upon the stock (including 3l!} mil-
lions PI which no dividend WWI pal) were 707 per
cent. If. therefore, a bonus of 20 per cent, were paid,
or 46 millions, it would give 276 millions to be paid by
the State in addition to the 322 millions debenture and
preference ;docks, or 598 millions in all.

To ALmA_NACK•MAK ER.. --Can a year remark.
able for its hideous fashions be remunber,-,d al a Year
of Grace ?—Punch.

COALS IN ITALY.—A correspondent writes to
The limes :

o A discovery has recently been made which, In the pre-
sent state of the coal question, has an importance which
Justine, special notice. Lignite has been abundantly found
In many-parts of Italy, but no true coal had hltherft been
known to exist. In recent correspondence a notice of the
probability of such fuel being found In Calabria was given,
out no true ream, If such ex kts, has been actually discovered_
But at • place called Fano-Forte, near Grosseto, in Tuscany,
coal of admirable quality has been actually worked In • bed
251 t. thick croppieg out at the surface. A conelderible
quantity has been used In a locomotive of the Roman Rail-
way which runs at Rocca Strada railway station, a ithiu
eleven miles of the coal. Thu result au equal to English
st,llll oral. ii,l, 011 their es giimer'a report, the directors of
the railway have repressed their nellithancsa to take a con-
siderable qnantity per day as eon an they can be delivered,
inure is a remarkable mountain of- tcachiiic rook called
Sansaforte visible for roil, around, which neeni• to have con-
tributed at the time of its upheaval to bring the lower car-
boniferous strata to the surface at this point, and the cha-
racter of the coal, as well am the GALA, est of the seam Slid
the surrounding nick, forbid the auppuisitiou that It is in any
way related to the lignite bed, which are found and worked
the Maremma, not far ritatant. Within thirty miles by
rail there is lifie seaport of Follonics, so that the coal from
these deposits of valuable fuel will easily reach any of the
Modlitmulean market..'