The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-27 00:00:00

REMARKS ON PASSING EVENTS.

On Tuesday, the conference of New Connexion Methodists
sitting at Newcastle, staffordshire, passed a resolution in
favour of the disestablishment of the Irish Church. The
resolution expressed "a strong and solemn belief that the
time has arrived when justice demands the disestablishment
and disendowment of the Episcopal Church in Ireland, the
withdrawal of the grant to ataynooth College, and the dis-
continuance of the Itegium Donum ; and that this is a
measure which will promote the healthy action of the
Churches themselves, and conduce to the tranquillity of the
nation."

Cardinal Cohen has published a letter to his clergy insisting
upon "the Catholic dogma" of the Pope's spiritual authority
"over the whole earth." His Eminence has deemed it expe-
dient "to dwell upon this important truth on account of
the many assaults which are made at the present day by
had Catholics, and false friends, and open foes, on Rome,
the central see of the catholic Church." He exhorts them
also not to be deluded by the "seductive utilitarian schemes
of modern philanthropists," hut to insist on their rights " as
free Catholic citizens of this empire."

Mr. Hill, the late Recorder of Birmingham, has given the
weight of his testimony in favoiir of restricting the sale of
intoxicating liquors on Sundays Too ill to attend the
sittings of the ,unumittee of which Sir J. Fergusson is the
chairman, he writes to the hon. baronet. bearing witness to
the close connection between crime and drinking habits,
and expressing his conviction that, good service as restric-
tions have already done, they have not been carried to the
limit at which their action ceases to be beneficial to the
community. Mr. Hill is persuaded that an amount of re-
striction which would not have been tolerated some years
ago now would be received as a boon by the majority of the
nation.

A most destructive fire has taken place at Bremen. Some
warehouses, containing cotton and tobacco, two timber
yards. thirty-three houses, and three farms have been Vitally
destroyed. The Stephani church narrmvly escaped the
flames. Some of the property destroyed was insured to the
amount of a million and a half t that., ; but in the
suburbs of the town, to which the tire seems to have extended,
hut little was insured, and the damage there is estimated at
twenty thousand thalers. The lire broke out on Monday
morning, and raged for eight hours.

The condition of Ireland. so often the subject of impas-
sioned harangues in the houses of the Legislature, Is fre-
quently treated in the proverbially dry pages of Parliamentary
blue-books. One of these, issued on Tuesday, showed an
Increase of pauperism in the year which ended in February
Inst. At the same time, testimony was tome to the
unremitting industry of the agricultural population, to the
little apparent increase of distress which has attended the
political disturbances of the past two years, and to the
cheerful payment of the (ann-rents and poor-rates during
the same period. A remarkable evidence of the improved
condition of the Irish peasantry has been their comparative
freedom from epidemic disease since the great famine of
18t8passed over the island.

Sir Frederick Heyeate asked the Chancellor of the Exche-
quer, on Monday, whether it wag a fact that no half.crowas
had been made for some years past, and whether it was in-
tended to withdraw that " useful" coin front circulation
Mr. Ward Hunt replied that it was true that no half-crowns
had been minted for fifteen years, but that the present
supply was adequate to the demand. Half-crown pieces
formed about thirty per cent, of the silver coinage, and the
Government had no present intention of withdrawing them
from circulation

Miss Carpenter, in a letter to thel Worming Star. states that
she intends to go out to Linda at the end of September, or
early in October, to commence, on as complete a scale as her
means will allow, a female training school on the Govern-
ment principle of non-interference with religion and social
customs. This, she believes, will receive the full co-opera-
Lion and sympathy of the enlightened natives. "It will be
necevary," Miss Carpenter adds, "for me to take out a
trained certificated teacher, whose expenses must be paid.
E located ladies who go out as voluntaries to train as
teachers in the institution with the mistress will receive
board and instruction in the vernacular. I should prefer
taking the whole expense myself, did my means allow, but
they ore very limited, an.l I am therefore compelled to ask
for time help of those who feel the importance of the move-
ment The Gilchrist Educational SuM have kindly con-
tributed £250 to the obiect."

The London Quell, of Tuesday evening announces that at
a Council held at Windsor on the 19th of June, the Arch-
bishop of Canterbury weso ordered to prepare forms of
prayer and thanksgiving to Almighty God for his merciful
preservation of his Royal Highness the Duke of Edinburgh
from the attack of an assassin in Australia, on Thursday, the
12th of March, 1562 ; and for the sweets and safety which
have been vouchsafed to her Majesty's forces In the Abysilnian
expetlita, n for the rescue of certain captives Imprisoned in
that country :" to be used In all churches and chapels upon
Sunday, the tath of June.

That Fenianism is not yet extiact in Trelaad, seems proved
by circumstances attending the funeral of a man named
Stenson, In Limeriok. The populace, believing that his
death resulted from long confinement In Limerick gaol,
under the Habeas Corpus Suspension Act, determined to I
bury him with certain honours. A procession was formed,
and many respectable looking persons took part In it. See.
wore green neckties; others carried laurel bristle,-
several windows in the poorer streets passe,' •• —I. Irotit
nags, draped with black, were susn,...• aedeorliZg,i!tritZetny