The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-09 00:00:00

THE LICENSING ACT IN LIVERPOOL.

Two mass meetings, convened by placards, were an-
nounced to be held in front of St. George's
Liverpool, on Sunday, for the purpose of protesting
against the closing of publichouses at nine o'clock on
Sunday night. The hours named for the meeting were
three o'clock in the afternoon and nine o'clock in the
evening. The principal promoters of the meeting were
understood to be working men. For some days past
the town was placarded with a request from the Mayor
that persona would not assemble at the place of
meeting. It was, however, announced in the news-
papers that the authorities would allow the three
o'clock meeting to be held, but not the one at nine
o'clock, on account of danger to the public pease.
At three o'clock a meeting was held of about 20,000
people, composed largely of working men. Some
working-men got up on forms, and a resolution con-
demnatory of the action of the magistrates in adopting
the nine ,'clock hour iif closing Was carried. The pro-
ceedings were only audible to a small circle of persons,
and the surging of the crowd and the utterly inadequate
arrangements of the platform prevented other reso-
lutions being submitted. An immense crowd remained
on the ground for about an hour, and they were then
quietly dispersed by the police, who were to attendance
in large force in St. George's Hall. The polka pre-
vented the assembling of the people at nine o'clock,
but an almost equally large number of persons filled the
streets near the hall, and it was after eleven o'clock
before the congregations of persons were dispersed by
patrols of police.

BIRTH OF A YOUNG HIPPOPOTAMUS
AT THE ZOOLOGICAL GARDENS.

Mr. Frank Bucklaud, writing to Land and Water, says :
" I am delighted to be able to issue a bulletin that
the 'Little Stranger' has at last arrived. Mr.
Bartlett, resident superintendent of the zoological
Gardens, has been good enough to inform me that this
interesting event took place this morning, November
sth, at 7.15 am. Both mother and child aredoing well.
This—the third baby of our old friend Madame Hippo—
is born with more sense than its late brother and sister, '
for it does not as yet require the services of the wet
nurses—the goats—who have been in attendance for
some days past. It will be recollected that the last
two young hippopotami would not take their proper
nourishment. The little animal born to-day, for
whom the name of 'Guy Fawkes 'has therefore been
Proposed, has discovered, and readily makes use of,
its mother's milk. The little thing generally lies sleep-
ing by the side of its gigantic mamma, but sometimes
it gets up and takes a tour of inspection *round its
den, when its family likeness can be immediately
perceived. Every now and then the mother rolls
her great eyes, listens attentively with her horse like
ears, and grunts loudly with a deep organ-like note ;
the young one instantly answers in the same note, but
in an infantine key. Its colour appears to be that of
a priliAled mahogany dining-room table, it is about
, three feet six inches long, and its weight about one
hundred pounds. Eleven hippopotami have been born
in Europe, six at Amsterdam, two at Paris, and three
in England, but hitherto they have died in their in-
fancy. Immense care is therefore taken of the
new precious infant. The hippopotamus house is
kept perfectly quiet, and every precaution istaken by
Mr. Bartlett—to whom the greatest credit is due for
his able management and endless care in this matter—
to prevent the mother being in any way disturbed by
pe iple moving about, doors opened, &c.—for if she
were once put out, the poor old thing, who looks ex-
hausted and anxious, would probably, in her alarm, get
up. rush about, and possibly not suckle her chill, or
else trample by accident upon it. The public, there-
fore, I understand, cannot possibly be admitted to see
the young one until the doctors pronounce that it is
quite safe to do so, They will, in the meantime, lam
sure wish this little Hippo 'long life and a merry one.'
P.S.—Only one of the eleven hippopotami has yet
been reared. It was exhibited at the Crystal Palace,
but WEIR unfortunately burnt there—having been pur-
chased for shipment to New York for 1:1,000."