The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-12-18 00:00:00

Ete 3tourbribge obseriter,

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 18, 1876.

DISAPPEARANCE OF THE WAR-CLOUD

FOR the time the letting loose of the degs of war
upon the Continent of Earope has been averted.
There has been a concurrence of opinion that
the aspect of affairs in connection with what is
called the Eastern question is much less threat-
ening than it was a little while ago. One solu-
tion of the Ottoman difficulty has been contained '
in an official statement of the Turkish Govern-
ment as to the reforms which it is pie:Tared to
grant. These conoessions would seem-to be of
a very liberal character, at all events they look
so upon paper. The villages of Bosina and the
Herzegovinia, the seat of the stubborn insurrec-
tion which the Turks have evainly endeavoured
to put down, are to enjoy something like absolute
autonomy. They are to collect and distribute
taxes, to administer their own affairs, and to ep-
poiat their own officers, with the exception of
the police. The provinces are to be ruled by a
Diet freely elected by Mussulmen and Christians
in proportion to population. The Diet thus
elected is to have the power of enacting laws,
subject to the veto of the Sultan, on all affairs
concerning roads, health, trade, and agriculture.
Tithes and taxes, paid either in kind or in labour,
are to be henceforth abodshed. Local tribunals
are to be established throughout the country on
European principles ' and Servian, equally with
Turkish, is to be recognised as the official lan-
guage of the country. While, after the experi-
ence of the past, we can scarcely wonder if the
native Christians have no faith in the sincerity
of Turkish promises, yet in the present instance
these suspicions, so far as the Ottoman Govern-
ment is concerned, might well be deemed un-
founded. The peril of Turkey, arising from the
existence of disaffection in her European pro-
vinces, is so great and so obvious that there is
scarcely any concession in its power the Porte
would not be prepared to make if by doing so
this source of danger could be removed. In the
present crisis in the history of the Turkish Em-
pire, there can be little doubt that if the pledges
above indicated should be found to satisfy the
demands of the Great Powers, the Porte would
make an honest and loyal effort to secure their
fulfilment.
There is another solution of the difficulty
which has been suggested, and his commanded
considerable attention. For some time past
Andrassy, the Austro-Hungarian Prime Minis-
ter, in communication with Prince Gortschakoff
has been engaged in drawing up a project which,
however guarded its form, is in reality a state
ment of the demand which Russia and Austria
deem it their duty to make on behalf of the
native Christians in Bosina and the adjacent
Duchy. The establishment of absolute equality
of rights between Moslem and Christian is the
basis of this arrangement. If this means any-
thing it means that European subjects of tha
Porte, irrespective of their race and creed, are
to be ruled under one law—which cannot be that
of the Koran—and are to enjoy the same privi-
leges and discharge the same duties. Nothing
can be fairer in principle; nothing, granting the
conditions of Turkey's existence, can be more
impracticable in fact. Indeed, the difficulty of
establishing political and religious equality in
European Turkey is so manifest, and so insu-
perable, that a mere declaration on the part of
the Porte of its determination to 'comply with
the demand, could not satisfy even the least :ex-
actinet opponents of Turkish rule. if concession
is to have any value, there must be some guar-
antee for its execution beyond the recird of the
Sultan ; and the vital question is what sort of
guarantee Austria and Russia can demand which
Turkey can consent to give. According to a
report from Eerlin, the Powers intend to stipu-
late that all measures of importance adopted by
the Porte with reference to the provinces in
question should be submitted to their ambassadors at Constantinople for advice and considera-
tion. What is really proposed, if this stipulation
is insisted upon, is the estalSishrneut of an
Austro-Russian protectorate over Bosina and
the Herzegovinia ; evith power of interfereace
in the event of Turkey failing to establish com-
plete equality between It iyah and Moslem,
Taking all the circumstances into account, such
an arrangement might probably be the best that
could he ,:eviled. Still it is iile to ignore the
fact that any assertion of the right of Austria
and Russia to iuterfere in ithe relations between
Turkey and her Scalvonic subjects is a fatal
blo'g to the independence of the Ottoman Em-
pire. At all events the pressure brought to bear
upon Turkey will not for the present pass out
of the domain of diplomacy, at this season of,the
year, when peace and goodwill towards men
ought to prevail, that is some satisfaction. It
would indeed be a sad picture to contemplate at
this Christruas-tide—that of the active in flu-
once of the war-fiend upon the nations—
" Lo I where the giant on the mountain stands,
His blood-red tresses glistening ha the sun;
T be death shot glowing in his fiery hands,
And eye that scorches all it glares upon."
Although we have not yet arrived at the stage
when nation shall not lift up hand against na-
tion, when men shall beat their swords into
ploughshares and their spears into pruning
hooks, we must be thankful that the peace of
Europe is still unbroken, and the festival of
goodwill is to pass without an outbreak of war.

THE IRON TAA,D,E..

.. . .

There is a steady decline
,from week to week
in the activity Of the local iron trade, and
though South Staffordshire apparently, is notl
yet in quite so depressed a couditien as other.
ironreakirg tlistriels, it -;.s fa:A Fettling down toi
the same dull level. Very few orders are stiring!
at present in any department, astd.those Are 4x-
elusively for small quantities 7.,terueet speeial
exigencies, or for remainder lots at sacrificial;
prices. Enquiries for raw iron are somewhat:
more numerous, wfth e view to forward con.'
tracts ; but the prices demanded, though hareli
remunerative to producers are still too- high sp.'
parently for the requirements of consumers, who'
are consequently replenishing Steels as far as
possible With the pig of other districts. Cinder •
pig from Stafforshire ores, however, may behad •
now at a fraction under £3., and pan:mine at
from £3. ss. to £3tlos. Native all-mine pi, of
good brands is very firm, at from £4 10s to £4.
15s. for hot-blas,, and XO. for eckl.- Prices are
upheld to some txtent by the entailment of pro-
duction, w his been further diminished this
week by the blowing out of the Parkfield fur-
naces. In the finished iron trade, mills and
forges ar(J for the most part steadily, though by
no meals fully, occupied on old orders, which
must be completed before the christmas holidays
but there will be very little business carried for-
ward to the New Year, and Spring prospects
are anything but cheering. Makers of sheets—
both plain and gaivanised—and the leading
brens of boiler plates are tolerably well off. In
other departments there is a great scarcity of ,
oiders. Coal is firm, and in some instances
higher. In the Cannock house coal district
another advance of is per ton has boon declared
Vela week, making a total riae o 21. par ton
since October. Slack at the same time is raised
6d. per ton. Owing to the extensive flooding of
mines, and the consequent scarcity of coal in the
Bilaton and Wolverhamton district, prices of
forge coal have risen there about 6d. per ton;
bat this is believed to be only temporary.
There is abundance of cheap irontnaking coal to
, be had at outlaying collieries; but the railways
and canals are so blocked with heavy traffic at
present that it is impossible to obtain supplies.