The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1880-02-21 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Forty-two mule loads of Government property,
which had been stolen from Jellalabad, have been recovered
by the Ghane-Shel lialiks, and are now being sent to the
British camp.

-
The Chinese persecution in California is assuming
serious proportions, and the Californian Assembly, by 73 to
2, has passed the Bill voted by the Senate, prohibiting cor-
porations from employing Chinese.
Mr. Parnell has telegraphed from America that,
unless an early dissolution of Parliament necessitates his
return to Ireland, he contemplates visiting Australia and
India.

Her Majesty has been pleased to make a grant of all
her Indian trophies, pictures, dcc., which are at Windsor and
other palaces, to the India Museum.
According to the Afanckestcr Examiner, the Govern-
ment are making minute inquiries into what is known as the
Stein•Hardenberg system of assisted proprietorship, which
was adopted in Prussia at the beginning of this century.

- - -
It is said that the London and North• Western
Railway Directors are contemplating considerable improve.
manta in regard to the carriage of passengers' luggage, and
that they think of adopting the checking system which has
worked so well in the United States.

• Some gentlemen in Paris are urging the necessity of
training the whole male population of France to the use of
arms in some such a fashion as the Volunteers of England.

The Theatre Royal, Huddersfield, was discovered to
be on fire at 330 on Sunday morning. In spite of tile efforts
of the police and fire brigade. the roof fell In, and MI whole
of the stage, paint 100131, pit, boxes, and gallery were
destroyed, leaving only the dressing, cloak, and refreshment
rooms standing.
Nicholas Morton, a lad sixteen years of age has met
with a shocking death by falling down the shaft of the
Louisa Pit, at Southmoor. The body in its descent was
tossed from side to side, and, on being picked up was
scarcely recognksable.
The Norddeutsche Zeitung, in an article on the
Liverpool election, condemns Mr. Gladstone's conduct dur-
ing his campaign in Midlothian, and points to the fact that,
notwithstanding the stimulating effect of that crusade and
the alliance with the Irish secessionists, his party has been
beaten At a general election, it adds, the Liberal party
would pay dearly for leaguing with the Irish.

The United Service Gazette says the new forage cap
for infantry officers is a gorgeous affair, with its peak gilt,
after the manner of the stiff forage cap, and its line of gold
braid round the crown. The new Clothing Warrant, which
made all clothing the property ot the State, comes into
practical activity on March 81, as on that day, for the first
time, every man will have to give back into store the clothes
he has worn for a year.

Th. Examiner is informed on the best authority
that the German War Department is preparing, as a sequel
to the new Army BID, a plan for the defence of Berlin. It
is proposed to construct a series of at least twenty forts,
after the style of those surrounding Paris; and these are to
command the roads leading through the marshy and water.
covered areas by which the Prussian capital is approached
on the north-east anclisouth-yrest.
Vessels arriving at Liverpool from New York and
other American ports report having encountered extremely
severe weather on the passage. The steamer Canopus
arrived in the Mersey on Monday night from Boston, having
experienced a succession of gales. Part of the vessel's cargo
consisted, as usual, of live cattle, 400 head having been
shipped at Boston. On arrival in the Mersey, however, it
was reported that no fewcr than 247 head had Nen lost
during the voyage,

One hundred and ninety•four centenarians are now
living in Franee. Widows and widowers appear to have the
best chance of longevity, for time are 114 of the former and
40 of the latter, while there are 22 old maids, 10 married
women, 5 bachelors, and 3 married men.

On Monday night, when the storm was at its
height, a brig was dashed among the rocks a few miles
north of Arbroath. Before the rocket apparatus could be
got Into working order the vessel had broken into pieces.
Only one ef the crew was saved, and from him it was
learned that the brig was the Neptunus, of Christlansand,
Chrisropherson, master, from Christiania, with pit props.
The Neptanna was manned by nine men, all told.

Friday night's (13th), London Gazette contains a
copy of the following resolution, passed by the Legislative
Council of Natal on the 2nd of December last and trans-
mitted to the War Office thrdtigh the Colonial Secretary
"That this Council, in the name of the people of Natal,
thanks the Imperial forces, both military and naval,
for the gallantry and perseverance with which, under very
peculiar and difficult circumstances, they brought to a con.
elusion he measures deemed necessary by the Imperial
Government for breaking up the power of the Zan King."
A copy of the resolution was transmitted to the Admiralty,
to be conveyed to Her Mejesty's naval and marine forces,
and is also published in the Gazette.
A curious point as to the rights of the Mersey Dock
Board has been decided by Lord Justice Brett. A vessel
which had taken In a cargo at Garston, outside the Jurisdic-
tion of the Dock Board, anchored opposite the landing stage
on her way down the river, and while so anchored she took
on board six dozen bottles of beer for the use of the captain.
The Dock Board claimed that this act gave then, power to
charge the vessel with a wharfage rate of 4il. per ton, and
they rued the owners of the ship for a sum of £l6 ifs. 3d.
Lord Justice Brett gave judgment in favour of the board.

---
In reporting upon the local administration of 86
towns, not subject to the Municipal Corporations Reform
Act of 18.35, the Royal Commissioners appointed for that
purpose express an opinion that it is not expedient that any
of these places which ate municipal in their character should
continue in their present condition. In many of the
boroughs municipal institutions might usefully be retained,
and the beat mode of dealing with them would be to subject
them to the provisions of the Municipal Corporations Acts,
placing them, as nearly as may be, in the position of the
boroughs included in Schedule B of that statute,

Intelligence from the Mexican frontier published
in New York, reports that a column of the United States
troops, while in pursuit of some Indians in New Mexico on
the 10th inst. fell into an ambuscade, and were compelled
to retreat with the loss of several men and their provisions,
which had to be abandoned.

- -
Captain Webb, the Channel swimmer, ha tinder•
taken to swim 80 consecutive hours—viz., for three days and
two nights. He will be allowed to leave the water for not
more than 30 minutes in each 21 hours. The attempt will be
made under the most favourable circumstances possible—
viz., sea water of summer temperature, and in London early
In March.

The New York Herald publishes a telegram from
Aspinall announcing that the engineers appointed by
examine the eroppuTi,editiougtoff tith;
att a Lava* Itcivee
unanimously favour a level canal, and estimate the cost at
843,000,0001. M. de losseps, it Is said, will now publish
a circular inviting American subscriptions to one half of
that amount. The work, ills anticipated, will occupy eight
years.

s
The number of newspapers in the world has been
estimated at 23,290 by a Garman Journal. Europe da
France
13,600, and of these the largest number, 3,778, are published
in Germany. England comes next with 2,609, then.. „,.,.
with 2,000, Italy with 1,226, .Austria, 1,200 and rn,tl T ''';'B',
In America the number is calculated at 9,1'2.9, i Asia
in Africa 50, and in Australia 100.
ot be too
"On the eve of a general election one calmCandidetes
well crammed with miscellaneous informatld on.
~e things, and,
are asked about all manner of unexeece'riiing the moon,
although they may never be qnestioned concat
h luminary is not
it may be as well for them to know that te
inch every year,
only approaching the earth by about oan
od nearer to ns arid
but that she will go on getting nealfdate) the next twenty-
- increasing her velocity for (naarkth_
_iew.
four thousand years! "—Whitehali ii'Y
glthat a second team of
ogiand early in May and
/unit the summer. Five of
playa series of matches thy°i l;
Australian jt is
now
c rdl
:ant ei tres 1 wY i ai
1r rvratilv
3 will not 1,3 included in the
eleven who came here in 187
ming are Charles Bannerman,
next team. The six who are c_"
SP° ' and
Alexander Bannerm en, fforth Boyle, Murdoch,
Blackham.
• of the Leicestorahire Chamber
The annual meet/at Leicester on Saturday. On the
1.-eil, 3..i.P , a clause was inserted in the
~,,
amounts charged on
report pointing
omit
gAggersitci
ounl t nor; wmars.
Ter the head of the highway and education
; that the Increasing
real property u
„No counterbalance the relief given to the
rates wont fine transfer of £2,000,000 a year from local to
rat e oayers Y
%don since 1874. the highway rate alone had
charges imposed upon loci' ratepayers by the
Imperial flgloo,ooo a year eince 1874, wilich waII rge yla l due
owl'f eu'ngrnpike teals. Combination to assiet in the re-
it no etrhe i: s
ge...do 0
abolitiof at
La injustice was strongly u7zed upon all agrlcui-
moval -
turis"'
A telegram from aplea announces that the Vega
rrived there on Saturday, and met with a hearty reception. , #,no syndic welcomed Professor Nordenskjlld and his party
on first touching European soil after nineteen months'
absence, and they were cheered by the crowds as they passed
through the streets.
The receipts on account of re7cnr.e groin the Let
April, 1879, where there was a Lalance of £6,915,756, to Fab.
14, 1880, were R.C8,4c;5,616, against £70,205,135 in the corre-
spondinc; period of the preceding financial year, which began
With a balance of £6,243,389 The net expenditure was
£71,914,185, against £73,191,577 to the same date in tbe
previous year. The Treasury balances on Feb. 14 amounted
to £4,481,776, and at the same date in 1879 to 4.15:365,171.
Mr. Frank Buckland states, in land and Water,
that he received, on Thursday in last week, two bull trout,
Which had been taken not far from Waterloo Bridge,
London, by some men who were fishing for flounders. He
thinks these were wild fish, which had ascended the estnary
in aearqh of whitebait. •

Galignani states that M. Rosenthal, the prince of
the chess-players of France, has sent a challenge to Herr
Znckertort of London to play him a match for any sum b
chooses to name. "
A torchlight procession, in which some hundreds of
persons took part, was held at Oxford on Monday evening
to celebrate the return of a Conservative for Southwark.

Female preachers are now legally permitted to enter
the ministry of a new American sect, recently established at
Philaderphis as the "Methodist Church."

Under the head of "Conscience Money." the Chan-
cellor of the Exchequer acknowledges (in The 'limes) the
receipt of ,Cl 2 103. for income-tax from " W. G."

There is a report in Rome that the Pops ia about to
issue an Encyclical letter condemnatory of divorce.

A destructive tornado has passed over the States of
Kentucky and Tennessee. Several lives were lost.

News has beenoeceived by the Egyptian Govern-
ment that several chiefs have revolted against King John of
Abyssinia, whose power is said to be aerionsly threatened.

The son of the Maharajah Duleep Singh is now a
student at Eton College, having entered Manor house (Mr.
A. C. James's) at the commencement of the Lent school
time.

The Irishman who said that it would be easy to
learn a foreign language if it could only be spoken in Eng-
lish, was not far wroug.—Sporting Times.
The lives of the dwellers in farmhouses and villages
upon the main roads between great towns in the United
States are becoming a burden to them, owing to the number
and insolence of the tramps.
On Saturday the Empres; a Austria hunted with
the Kildare hounds, which mat close to Celbridge. There
was a numerous attendance. The sport was moderate. iler
Majesty *attended mass in the Roman Catholic College of
Maynooth on Sunday.

We anderstind that Dean Stanley has informed the
memorialists who have protested against the erection of a
monument to Prince Louts Napoleon in Westminster Abbey.
that the project is irrevosably determined on, though it IS
not likely to be immedlitely carried into effect.—Daily
.News.

An extraordinary case of catalepsy has just occurred
at Vevey. A person who was believed to be dead and had
been put In a coffin returned to consciousness at the very
moment when he was being placed in a hearse for convey-
ance to the cemetery.

In both the two great centres of production there
are indications of a revival of a manufacture that was sup-
posed to be practically dead—the iron rail trade. The
revival is chiefly due to the increased foreign demand for
rails, large shipments having been made to'lndia and to the
United States, the duty in the latter country being muc.ll
less on iron than on steel rails.

Tha widow of the late Mr. G. P. R. James has now
reached her eightieth year. and is living with her sons at
Elu Claire in the State of Wisecnain.—Whitehail Revitno.

A despatch received at New York from Victoria
(Vancouver's Island) states that the severe weather which
has prevailed there lately has been fatal to cattle and sheep,
and that unless it moderates the colony must depend on
Oregon and California for its meat supply for the next three
years.
There were 33 British and foreign wrecks reported
during the past week, making a total of 190 for the present
year, or a decrease of 101 as compared with the correspond-
ing period of last year. The approximate value of property
lost was £450,000, including British, 1-380,000.
Mr. Meldon has introduced a Bill into' the House of
Commons the preamble of which states that it has for itl
object the assimilation of the law relating to the registra-
tion of parliamentary voters in England and in Ireland, and
the providing of the same remedies against making frivolotie
objtctions to persons acquiring the franchise in Irish
counties as already prevail in England.

In London Jest week 2,701 births and 2,195 death!,
were registered. Allowing for increase of population, the
births exceeded it by 41, and the deaths by 730, the average
numbers in the corresponding week of the last ten years.
The annual death.rate from all causes, which had been
equal to 27 1, 31'3, and 48•1 per 1,000 in the three preceding
weeks, now declined to 35'5. During the thirteen weeks
ending last Saturday, the deaths in the metropolis averaged
2,101 per week, and the mean annual death-ride was 391 pet
1,000 ; ia the two preceding corresponding periods, the
death-rate averaged but 25 1 and 264 per 1,000 respectively.
A good story is told of Piux IX. A great lady,
who was reputed to have some few peccadilloes on her
conscience, was one day presented to the Pope, who
asked her how long she intended remaining at Rome. I.oh I
most Holy Father," she replied—the Carnival was then at
its height—" I think of staying here to put on sackcloth and
ashes." "If you are in want of ashes, Madam," replied
Flux IX,, "you had better go to Naples. Vesuvius, perhaps,
will afford a sufficient supply."
A pupil at a class of the St. John Ambulance
Association, now undergoing instruction at the Blackheath
Centre, the other day successfully arrested bleeding from s
cut in the brachial artery, which would otherwise have had
dangerous results. Within the last few days the same man,
who works at a factory, has temporarily and ably treated
three cases of severe hemorrhage. No better test could be
shown of the practical value of such knowledge.

In spite of the ba price of American petroleum
the Germans are preparing to work their newly•discovered
bed with energy. A company, with a nomiura capital of
£50,000, has been formed at Bremen, to utilise the spring'
discovered on the Lilueburg Moor, and others will, no doubt,
be rapidly formed as the work of prospecting proceeds.
Petroleum has been known to exist in Hanover for some
time, but no one appears to have had any idea of the quantity
until recently.

The Americans have found a great many uses for
paper, but the latest Eurpasses all in its novelty. Pasteboard
shutters, ornamented with coloured or stamped paper, to
Imitate the different kinds of wood, are sild to be lighter
and cheaper than wood, do not warp or aplit, and can be
easily fitted; thus being well adapted to " cheap " houses.

The departure of the Empress Eug6nie for Zululand
is definitely fixed for Marco s. Several ladles, the widow.
of officers slain in the war, will also take part in the mourn'
ml journey, but their number is extremely limited. Her
Majesty will return on June 3, touching at St. Helena, and
Is expected home towards the end ot July.

Doctor :—" You must give up drinking, or expect
to lose your appetite entirely," Patient :—" Farewell,
appetite.' —Sporting Times.

- -
A small crater has appeared near Paterno, on the
west aide of,Etna, and the other craters are again issuing lk
saltish oily fluid, which has formed a small lake and is !Diar.
log the neighbouring fields. Numerous slight shocks of
earthquake have also been felt to the north-north-east and
south-south-west of Etna; jets of steam have issued from
the new craters, and steam, mixed with ashes, from the
central one.

Before leaving Ruatchnk Prince Alexander of Dui.
garia, issued a Proclamation to the people, in which he
stated that the great deeds of the Czar for his own Empire
and for other oppressed peoples for twenty-live years had
won for him the esteem of all the world. Bulgaria owed her
liberty to the Czar, and was therefore a debtor to Rusetal
benevolence. Russia's joy was therefore also Bulgaria's joy,
and to express these feelings he was on his way to St. Peters.
burg to attend the celebration of the Czar's accession.

An interesting discovery has just been made at
Wells of upwards of 1,000 original documents, some of which
date back to the thirteenth century. Many of the seals are In a
beantiful state of preservation. They were blind in an old
oaken press in the alms-houses.

The following official Wale of the expenditure and
loss of resources occasioned to France by the war with
Germany has been drawn up :—War expellees, 1,315 000,000 f.
indemnity to Germany, 5,315000,000 f.; stuitenanca of German
troops, 340,000,000 f. ; indemnities to departments Invaded,
1,487,000 000 f. ; loss of revenue during the war and of
revenue of Alsace-Lorraine, 2,024,0E0,0001. ; reconstitution
of war material, 2,144,000 000 f. ; military pension; ems
1,314,000,0001.—t0ta1, 13,939,000,00df.

The Duke of Edinburgh has presented to the Royal
Aquarium Society, Weatminster, a 251 b. jack (aloe iticius).
This flue fish, which was captured at Eastwell-park, Hen%
by his Royal Highness, arrived in good order, and wall
placed in the otter tank.

Mr. Chamberlain, M.P., in moving the adoption of
the Gas Committee's report at the Birmingham Town Coun-
cil on Tuesday, said few persons would be inclined to env,
the Chancellor of the Exchequer in the performance of the
task which would shortly devolve upon him of explaining
his Budget for the year. They found that week by week the
revenue accounts were getting worse and worse, and it was
hardly possible that he conld escape having to deal with s
deficit of such an extent as had not been known in the pre-
sent generation..

An inquiry has bcen held in London at St. Thomaa'm
Hospital as to the death of Mr. Jonathan Goldfinch, of
Chester street, Bennington-lane. On the 24th ult., as he wai
taking some harness off a pony, the animal, which was
vicious, began to rear, and one of its forelegs accidentally
went into Mr. Goldfinch's side coat pocket. He endeavoured
to extricate himself, when the animal seized his right thumb
between his teeth. A neighbour eventually managed to force
open the pony's month just as the deceased was fainting
away. He was removed to St. Thomas's Hospital, where he
died on the 10th inst. from blood poisoning. The jury re-
turned a verdict of "Accidental death from the bite of a
pony."

The Engineer says :—" Wood•carving is an industry
which is carried to considerable perfection among the
Germans, and it Is fostered by the establishment of carving
schools, particularly in districts where the wood used for the
work—the Spanish walnut, the finest and best walnut the
Germans have—is plentiful. Eighty of these carving schools
exist at the present time in Germany, and eighty in Wartem-
burg ; but so much importance is attached to the results
wllich have flowed, or are expected to flow, from these
Institutions, that the number of carving schools in Germany
Ii to be increased to 200."
On Saturday, from the works of Messrs. Laird
Brothers, of Birkenhead, was launched a Paddle-steamer,
constructed wholly of steel, christened the Violet, and in-
tended for the express passenger service between Dublin
and Holyhead. The owners of the steamer are the London
and North-Western Railway Company. The engines of the
Violet, which are also largely constructed of steel, are esti-
Mated to drive the vessel at a speed of 17 knots, or nearly
20 miles an hour,

The-Government of India have received a windfall
with whi Th
ch they do not know how to deal. e Rajah of
Nobah has, it is said, offered a lakh of rupees as a contribu-
tion in aid of the expenses of the Oabul campaign, and ME
ocrachey is understood to regret that he can find -ae
place in his budget for voluntary offerings. It Is stated that
two native gentlemen of the Punjab offered 5,000 rupees
each, and that to them the Government of India re,9lled, as
II will to the Rajah of Nobha, "We appreciate and are
grateful for the loyal spirit which induoed you to make the
over. We want the money very much, but we dare not
accept it, hS no precedent exists for the acceptance of such
contributions to the general revenue."
Eoth salmon net•fishers s.nd anglers have naiw been
at work for several days, and have, generally sDetklug, met
with fair success. an some waters the captures have been small, but ma the majority of rivers ffsh have been pretir
pleutlfal, and a number of fine fish have been landed. From the north the reports are, on the whole, satisfactory.
Although the weather has not been altogether very favour-
able for fishing, both " tacksmen" and rodmen have done
Well, and appear satisfied that the eemon will prove a tar.
more productive one than last year. These remarks appip
to nearly all the northern rivers except the Tweed, which so
tar has "fished." very poorly.

-- - -
Prince Leopold has declined an invitation to be
present at the opening of the University College buildings '
at Nottingham. Welting to the Mayor, Sir James Oldlimey,
from Claremont, his Royal lAtehnese Says: "In offering
you my warmest eongratulations on the great efforts which
the inhabitsnts of the borough of Nottingham have put
forth in order to provide themselves weft educational
buildings worthy of their town, I regret extremely that I
cannot personally assist at the inauguration of these build-
ings. I have, however, accepted as many public engagements
for this year as teat, hope to be able to fulfil, and I feel alace
that I have now on different occasions meld all that oceans
to me on the subject of education' especially as considered"
in connection with the scheme for University education,"
Two prayer hooks belonginz to Marie Antuinette, ,
and which were in the possession of Prince Louis Napoleon,
have been presented by the ex-Empress to tbs Doke de Is
49chefoucauld-Bisaccia. The books were read by the Queen
during her imprisonment at the Conc*gerie, r.nd are filled,
with her manuscript notes.
The Prince and Princess of Wales and their a !Yap, It-
ter attended divine service at the Chapel Royal, St. Jarr-ses.,
on Sunday. The Duke and Ducheps of Connaught, Pr' -cats
Henry of the Netherland', and Prince Leopold visit, 1 the
Prince and Pewees." of Walee, end remained to lunche_ ~.
Accorciirg to Herr von Puttkstamer, the Pr'. liars
Minister of Education, there has been a steady inereaee oe
crime and immorality in the great towns of Garr
log the last ten Years; and the Minister de•":ee,ie :.
meet the other day that this uneatt, . . ,k4,-.44 et te
had not been Without effect on tf ~.- e Jes of
schools. He had no fault to 1110 • 5 ine aratmit; of It., a
soh:lolailers ; still, the ••!-.:,., ~. -r..:, 'lane hal devastated
in all the chief e- ' of •Liztrf IrOtl the Sieeettlen Berlin. T!.. , ~, ,„ ,A,jted In a siontdaitsibla meartn-P
to " esetsed treetittee for .tlrthll34-,:whieh• % -4,lg^. "4 ,
V . 1.1 roc.mt lettestion; and vt.t,lstr,,- bt,,46.
Istrgs sosaans of tits certjth
Pt sumer *lac urged Me elsilleitary abe
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havii ee e'.4 ft each oLZure In taid .1t4R,..C14. •
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