The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-02-17 00:00:00

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Here is a marvel. The police commissioners of
Chicago have voted to reduce their salaries from 3,000 dola.
to 500 dole.
The Times' Paris correspondent says it is positively
stated that a manifesto of Napoleon 111, will shortly ap-
pear.
It is asserted that public opinion in Germany strongly
condemns the Vatted Mutes for claiming indemnification for

Five thousand pounds—of which London gives more
than half—have been sub:mribed for the new Livingstone
Expedition.
Captain Nolan's return for Galway county has been
petitioned against by the defeated candidate, Captain
Trench, on the ground of priestly influence and intimidation.
A Liberal contemporary, WOO la an :mthoritv, says
Mr. Gladstone will stand or fall with the Lord Chineglior
on the Collier business."
By an Order in Council the 31st of March is fixed as
the day after which all jurisdiction over the appointment of
officers, &c., to the militia, yeomanry, and volunteers, now
exercised by lords-lieutenant, is to cease under the Act of
last session.
A Permissive Bill meeting the other evening was
broken up by a number of anti-teetotallers, who puzzled
the speakers by shouting—" What cured the Prince of Wales?"
and " What's best for the small-pox 1" The answer to both
of which question was—" Beer
In the places of worship in Sheffield, on Sunday,
prayers were offered, Loth morning and evening, that what
appears to be considered a threatened war with Amei its
might be averted, and a peaceful settlement of the difficulty
be secured
At a fancy ball in Florence, the Princess Strozzi
wore a dress no heavy with jewels sad gold damask, that, as
soon as her guests had all arrived, she changed it for a
lighter costume, which would enable her to move with some-
thing like ease.
It will very much surprise most constituencies, who
think they send a representative to Parliament, to hear that
he has little chance of speaking on their behalf if he is not
down on the "Speaker's list," which is drawn up by the
Ministerial whip.
A stringent dockyard order has been issued by the
Admiralty with reference to the future survey and inspection
of ships, and apportioning amongst various officials the
responsibility for the vessels being in all respects fit for the
service which they may be required to perform.
A crowded meeting was held on Tuesday night in the
Agricultural Hall, Wolverhampton, in favour of legalising
marriage with a deceased wife's sister. itesolutions to that
effect were passed unanimously, and petitions to both houses
of parliament adopted.
A committee of the Boston Society of Ni_
History has for the past twelve years been investigating the
subject of the "frozen well" at Brandon, Vt., and in their
last report appear to have made no progress from the r"
ing-point—all frozen together clearly.
It is stated that the use of steam for the production
of power to propel street locomotives % to be superseded by
ammonia. Dr. Lamm, of New Orleans, has succeeded in
driving a street car for seven miles by the use of ammoniacal

start.

vapour.
Mr. Ruakin's election to the Rectorship of St.
Andrew's University has been declared illegal under an Act
of Parliament prohibiting a Principal or Professor of any
University from being eligible for the post. The office falls
to Lord Lytton, the unsuccessful candidate at the recent
contest.
In the Prussian Parliament on Tuesday the Bill on
the inspection of primary schools was passed by 207 to 165
votes Prince Bismarck, in the course of the debate,
denied that he had previously accused the Catholic Church
in Germany of being anti-national, but maintained that the
clergy, acting as inspectors of schools, had tried to obstruct
the teaching of the German language, and had openly
declared that they could only be saved by the French.
Mr. O'Byrne, editor of the Tridanan, has raised an
action for damages of ta,ooo against the Chief Secretary for
Ireland and others, for assault committed on him at the
Phumix Park affray last August. The case, in the Dublin
Exchequer Court, will occupy several days.
The official declaration of the poll at the late Kerry
election was made on Monday at Tralee, when the High
Sheriff announced that 2.237 votes had been recorded for
Mr. Blennerhassett, and 1,398 for Mr. Deese, thus giving the
Home Rule candidate a majority of 639.
Prince Bismarck, according to a Berlin telegram to
the Daily Telegraph, haa tendered to the Cabinets of London
and Washington his good offices, with the view of effecting
an agreement between the two nations in reference to the
claims. to be submitted to the Court of Arbitration IA
Gen6ya.--)This has not been confirmed.)
The lb 'gel of Inland Revenue has taken out a sum-
,:!.a) Corporation of London lor having need
armori (bearings .without a license. Slime the year 1798,
when the tax was imp-edo no such payment has ever been
demanded or made.
Father Hyacinthe has writ along letter to the. ‘nd the Council," in
Pans Temp:, headed 'The norbonne :
which, after referring to his own moan,: threirr".'"
timoty,
the opinion that France can only be wired by rie which
hut that she will never accept it in the form utno
it is now presented to her by the Catholic Church. •
At a meeting of a few of the leading Wesleyans oil
Dublin, just held, it was resolved that the recent declara-
tion of Mr. Gladstone, in his reply to the London Noncom
fonnists, and the absence of all reference to the Irish
education question In the Queen's Speech, rendered It un-
necessary to take any steps with regard to the matter at
present. Ills announced from Lurgau that a meeting which
It was proposed to hold on the subject has been abandoned
for similar reasons.
Mr. Merridew (an Er.glishman,) the well-known
bookseller of Boulogne-sur-lier, has recently received from
the municipality of that town a recognition of the services
rendered by him to the French sick and wounded during the
lA, war. ion Thursday last al Duvet, the moire of
Boulogne, presented to Mr. Merrldew, in the name of that
town, a commemorative medal, accompanied by an official
letter.
On Saturday night a shocking accident took place
near North Shields. A young woman, while crossing the
railway near Northumberland Loo,ik, was knocked down and
run over by a coal train, and literally cut to pieces. Her re-
mains had to be picked up over a considerable distance.—On
the same night and near the same place an old man named
Meikle, living at North Shields, was run over by another
engine and coal train, and so dreadfully injured that he
afterwards died.
A great panic took place in Berlin in consequence of
the alarming rumours respecting the Alabama question,
which obtained circulation there. At one time everybody
wanted to sell and nobody could be found to buy. After the
panic had leached its height a rumour tone that Russia had
proposed that Denmark should be made a neutral State, and
that Germany should be requested to restore Dtippel and
Alsen ; but this was discredited, and the excitement gradually
calmed down.
In speaking at a Volunteer dinner at Willis's R00T1314
(London) last Saturday evening, the Duke of Cambridge
made some pointed observations on the Easter Monday
review. Going to Brighton was an excellent thing If it was
understood that it was noerely • military promenade, an
anousement, an opportunity of getting together a large body
of V olluiteers, to show their existence, to show that their
appearance was good, and that they could turn out strong.
But it was utterly and physically Impossible to gain any
military knowledge. If there were no march past more
might be done in the way of evolutions, lout, with the best
feeling towards the Volunteers, he must say that the time
hitherto at their disposal for these displays was too short too
allow them to do well that which they had hitherto et-
tempted.