The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-02-29 00:00:00

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Parliament in proceeding steadily with its business,
and there in no likelihood of any great party battle
which wotdd result in a change of the Ministry. The
fact of this being the last Sesaion of the preeent Par-
liament -would act as a damper upon any such pro•
pose], were it striously made, and then the Liberals
say that it is scarcely worth while to do anything of
the sort, seeing that the Conservatives will stand no
chance of office when the new Reform Act comes into
operation—which remains to be Been. Nor, in fact,
w iuld the public at all relish any ckange of Ministry
this Session. The prevailing idea seems to be, let the
present Session work itself out, and then we shall all
have a fresh start, and commence a slew political
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career at the next general election.
The precincts of our Legislative Chambers, our
Palace of Parliament, now present quite an animated
appearance any fine afternoon on the eve of right hon.
and hon, gentlemen meeting for business. This famous
locality has been much improved of late. The iron
and gilt palisading skirting the road leading on to the
!midge presents a pretty aspect in the sunshine, and
the exterior of the building is to be further orna-
mented by flower-beds which are to be laid down, and
by the placing of four additional statues. There is
now also a splendid arcade leading from the Houses of
Parliament to the bridge. This arcade has stained
glass windows, a tesselated pavement, and handsome
gas lamps, which, altogether, have a fine effect. But
strange that so splendid a building should be
marred by the principal chamber not being adequate
for the number of members that constitute that
chamber -a fact which comes out all the more start.
tingly when we find a proposal to increase the number
is now under discussion. There is little doubt that
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sooner or later the House of Commons chamber must
be enlarged, at the cost of a few tens of thousands.

The 'Jew; from America will now be watched with
great anxiety, for it would seem that the rumour that
reached us some little time ago, that President
Johnson had determined to suspend diplomatic rela-
tions with us if the Atabanta claims were not settled, is
not without some foundation. The Times lately elm-
tained a startling statement from its Philadelphia
correspondent, to a similar effect; but more startling
still is an official declaration by the President.
lie asps : " All negotiations for the settlement
of the Alabama claims having been closed by
correspondence between our Government and that
of Great Britain, the matter stands as though nothing
had been done by either Government as tending to an
adjustment. There is authority for saying that these
claims will at once be pushed to a finality with vigour,
and that the Government will demand immediate
reparation: kn. This is virtually President Johnson's
own language, and as such is of no little moment. It
is not surprising, therefore, that such rumours of
language as these have set people talking of war, as a
possible event. Yes, it is possible, no doubt, but is it
at all probable? Against the probability of any such
a calamity it is urged that America and England
spring from the same stock, and have the same
language, similar institutions and laws, and that the
two countries are bound together by the ties of com-
merce. Perhaps the last consideration is the strongest
of all. As to the two countries being blood
relations, perhaps that is the very reason why
they are so often quarrelling ; but still the
relationship will perhaps keep them from going to
open war. The aspect of affairs just now, however,
is anything but pleasing, and it will require mutual
forbearance and sound judgment to calm the ill-feel-
ing that has arisen in America, and the irritation that
is now being felt in our own country. The nation
generally has confidence in Lord Stanley's conduct of
the negotiations, and the Foreign Secretary has evi-
dently a firm ciinviction of the justice of his position,
but the misfortune is that there is a large and in-
fluential party in America who will not look at the
matter in the same light as he does ; so that the situa.
tin is critical.

In these fast and feverish times we are flat only
anxious to have the news from all parts of the world
the moment it has transpired—the electric flash of
the telegraph gives an excuse for the phrase—but we
sometimes anticipate events that never occur, and pro-
ceed to moralise upon them. A little while ago the
death of Mr. Justice Shee was announced and
memoir of him appeared when the poor gentleman,
now dead, alas ! was in the land of the ; the
death of an eminent statesman has been speculated on
with most indecent haste; and now a learned Baron
has been reported dead when he was only ill, and is
happily now progressing towards recovery. Early
news is a very good thing, just as early green peas are
good; but the passion for being first in the market
sometimes leads to awkward results.

What thoughtful observers of passing events have
long foreseen is now taking place. Co-operation, as
opposed to retail shopkeeping, is now making head-
way. Several co-operative stores are now in
full working in London, and are achieving a
commercial success for themselves while they
are decidedly conferring a benefit on housekeep-
These co-operative associations supply meat,
bread, fish, flour, cheesemongery, grocery, potatoes,
vegetables, &c. There are several reasons which have
induced enterprising men to start these co-operative
stores, and the same reasons influenced customers.
Among these are the high prices charged at retail
shops, the evils of the long-credit system, the shame.
ful extent to which adulteration has been carried,
and false weights and measures. Of course no one
would maintain that these evils affect all
shops, but that they do exist to a large extent is un-
deniable. Some of these evils are undoubtedly cured
by the co-operative stores. There can be no dis-
puting the more reasonable prices at these places
compared with those at shops generally ; all
transacth no are for strict cash; and there
is no reason to suspect the existence of false
weights measures, but when I read that "a
chemical analyst and microscopist has been engaged,
who will examine, by the most searching tests, all
stores received into the emporium, and all supplies
issued from it," I ask myself "Quis custodiet ipsos
custedes ?" or, in plain English, what guarantee have
the customers that this will be done? We must all of
us be familiar with tradesmen's placards which deal in
startling statements about adulteration, quote the
Lancet commission, &c., and then wind up by -Try
Jones's. The weak point of such advertisements is
always at the end. The co • Terative stores will do
well to remember that customers want a guarantee in
this matter, not a mere declaration. (1n the whole
there is very little doubt that this co-operative sys-
tem will extend, and the only wonder is that we
have been so long without them. From an interesting
book on "The Railway Service," by Mr. W. F.
Mills, it may be seen that the Rochdale Equitable
Pioneers, consisting of twenty-eight working weavers,
formed themselves into a co-operative society so long
ago as 1844. It began with a capital of £'2ll, and in
1866 there were 6,246 members, with a capital of
£07,189. The same little hook gives some valuable
facts relative to railway co-operative stores. The
system is, in fact, available for almost any class, and
retail tradesmen must now be prepared to find these
joint-stock affairs spreading and multiplying.
And so it would seem we are about to have a
University for Women, to be for lady students what
Oxford and Cambridge are for young men. A lady,
Mrs. liodichon, has subscribed £l,OOO to a commence-
ment, and sew•ral other sums have been given towards
the scheme. The institution is to be in the country,
but within easy reach of the metropolis. The resident
authorities are to be women, but the various classes
are to be taught either by men or women, as may be
found expedient. The buildings, with accommodation
for 100 students, are estimated to cost about 1130,000, so
that fhe institution will be on an extensive scale,
befitting a University. The rest of University
education, however, will be very different to
that at Oxford or Cambridge, for it is not to be
above 1;80 a year for each student, each of whom
is to have separate rooms. If this be carried
out, as proposed, it cannot but give an immense
impetus to the education of women, and perhaps not
the least remarkable effect will be the check to that
flashy course of boarding-school education, with its in-
evitable "accomplishments," which costs so much and
produces so little. There is nothing to prevent our
'sweet girl graduates in their golden hair," if
Tennyson's idea is realised, acquiring any amount of
"accomplishments," after they have laid a solid foun-
dation of learning.