The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-03-05 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN,

Macaulay's Speech on Jewish Emancipation, de-
livered in the House of Commons on April 17, 1833, has just
appeared at Frankfort in a German translation.

The Queen has been graciously pleasftd to accept
from the author, a copy of "Engine Driving Life," by
Michael Reynolds, "the Engine Drivers' Friend."
The gross income derived from tobacco by farmers
in the United States is stated at about 22,000,000 dollars.

. ---
The Queen has forwarded 30 guineas, in the name
of Princess Beatrice, to the funds of the Royal Asylum of
St. Anne's Society.

The Registrar-General reports the mortality last
week in twenty large English towns to have been 21'0 per
1,000, the lowest rate, 161, being recorded at Sheffield, and
the highest, 28-6, at Liverpool.

A Daily News telegram from Vienna states that on
Tuesday more than a thousand students assembled before
the University. When the police ordered them to move on
they promised to do so if the police went first. The latter
complied, and the students kept their word. The arrested
students have been released, but the proceedings against
them continue.

The demand for Mr. Carlyle's works since the death
of the venerable author has been greater than the publishers
can supply.

Prayers for the whole press of America were lately
offered at several religious meetings in New York.
Letter-paper of a different colour for every day of
the week is now adopted in Paris. On, Monday, fair corre-
spondents pen their epistles on pale green, on Tuesday pink
is the orthodox tint, Wednesday, as an unlucky day, is dis-
tinguished by sombre grey, blue is used on Thursday, white
on Friday, straw-colour on Saturday, and a delicate mauve
on Sunday.

The total expense of transferring the obelisk,
inaugurated in New York from Egypt to the Central-park by
Commander Gorringe was 102,576 dols. Mr. William IL
Vanderbilt paid the whole amount.

The Madras Times says :—lt is gratifying to know
that the lady doctors who passed out of the Madras Medical
College are doing well. Miss Beale's services as a doctor
are highly appreciated in the State of Oodeypore, and Miss
White, who for some time did medical duty at the Military
Female Orphan Asylum has obtained a lucrative appoint-
ment as medical attendant in the Court of the Nizam of
Hyderabad.

A family at Pesth has in its possession the violin
made for Louis XIV. by the celebrated maker Amati. The
sides are ornamented withfieur de lys and the Royal Arms
are painted in oil on the back. The instrument remained
untll7B9 in the Garde Meuble in Paris, since which, after
maiTY changes, it fell into the hands ox the musical Lipinsky,
who bequeathed it to his family.

The Mayor of Cardiff on Saturday presented Captain
Corfield, master of the steamship Topaz, with a silver tea
service, in behalf of underwriters at Havre of that vessel,
in acknowledgment of his great bravery. It appeared that
Captain Corfield was bound from New Orleans to Havre with
a valuable cargo of cotton, and when at sea and out of sight
of any other vessel a fire broke out, and its extinction was
solely due to the extraordinary bravery and determination
of the captain, preventing the loss of £lOO,OOO.
Although up to the present no authenticated case of
trichina 3 in American pork has been reported to the Local
Government Board, that department has determined to issue
a circular warning consumers of hams and bacon to cook
those viands well before eating, in order that no unpleasant
consequences, such as those resulting sometimes from their
consumption abroad in a raw state, may ensue.
It is noted in the return of the Registrar-General
that 14 of the deaths from small-pox in London last week
were of children under five years of age, eight of whom were
certified to be unvaccinated and one to be vaccinated, while
the medical certificates in the live other cases contained no
statement as to vaccination. The number of small-pox
patients in the Metropolitan Asylum Hospitals, which had
steadily increased in the 17 preceding weeks from 77 to 703
further rose to 752 on Saturday last.

The grand banquet at Eton College, which was to
have been given to General Sir F. Roberts, will not take
place in consequence of his being ordered to South Africa.
The sword of honour which was to have been presented at
the banquet will be sent to Sir Frederick.

The Comte de Chambord has just given five thousand
pounds' to the Christian Schools of Rennes. The money
formed part of the succession of Mdlle. Robinot de Saint
Cyr, daughter of an ex-Mayor of Rennes, who made his Royal
Highness universal legatee. The succession amounted to
thirty-two thousand pounds. The Count distributed half
mong the deceased's relatives, and devoted the remainder
to works of e4harity.

- -
On Saturday a serious accident occurred at the
Lock-hill Mills, Bowerby Bridge, owned by Messrs. J Wood
and Son, cotton spinners and manufacturers, the large fly-
wheel of the engine, weighing many tons, flying into pieces.
One large segment was hurled against the outer wall and
driven across the river, a distance of some forty yards.
Another portion was driven through a iirefroof floor above
the engine-house, damaging a large quantity of machinery,
and lodging in the room above. Other portions of the wheel
were shattered through the mill. The damage will probably
be above £2,000.

At a meeting of burgesses of the borough of
Kingston-on-Thames on Tuesday night the Public Libraries
Act was adopted. Of the eighty-eight present, seven were
dissentients. It was suggested that the town should take steps
to be relieved of the assizes, which are now of such meagre
proportions, so that the courts and houses adjoining may be
used to greater advantage.

-
Major-General Cameron, C. 8,, commanding the
Northern district, speaking at Liverpool on Tuesday night,
said respecting the recent British reverse in South Africa at
the hands of the Boers he would not call it a disaster. It
was a misfortune, and one he hoped they would soon retrieve.
At all events there was nothing they need blush for. For
the first time we had been confronted with men armed like
ourselves with breechloa&rs, which had revolutionised the
modern method of warfare. We had many home truths to
learn, and we had to learn how to skirmish, which (he was
then speaking to volunteers) no volunteer regiment learnt,
and they had seen in their operations against the Boers what
skirmishing was. .
In London last Saturday, on the Lord Mayor, M.P.
taking his seat at the justice room of the Mansion House,
the chief clerk informed him that there was neither charge
nor summons for hearing. In consequence of this the pre-
siding magistrate and the officials of the court were entitled,
In accordance with an ancient custom, to receive a pair of
white kid gloves. The Lord Mayor expressed the satis-
faction he felt at the announcement.

The Manchester Guardian understands that the
Earl of Derby has consented to become the president of tile
South West Lancashire Liberal Association, and that his
lordship has also sent a contribution of £lOO to the funds of
the South-ad Lancashire Liberal Association, the offices of
which are in Manchester.

Viscount Cranbrook has contributed £l,OOO to-
wards founding an institute at the camp at Aldershot,
which will afford great social and recreative advantages to
the troops. The scheme has been sanctioned by the War
Office. The building will contain reading and recreation
rooms, refreshment bar, lecture hall, and class rooms.

The Railroad Gazelle, an American journal, says
that there were no less than 7,160 miles of new railway
built in the United states last year. This is the largest
mileage ever constructed there in any one year, with the
single exception of 1872, when 7,340 miles were made.

"On the 25th inst., at his residence, Crohana, near
Stonyford, county Kilkenny, in the 63rd yea 1 of his age,
Maurice Fitzgibbon, Esq., 'The White Knight' and Mac-
an-t'sen Riddery.'"—Obituary of The Times, Feb. 25.

A few days ago a priest was carrying the viaticum
to a poor dying workman in Madrid. As usual on such
occasions a number of passers-by joined the solemn proces-
sion, and among them the two eldest sisters of King
Alphonso, who entered the room with the priest, and on
seeing the poverty-stricken condition of, the family, not only
gave a large present in money on the spot, but spokkt words
of comfort to the dying man, and offered to care Tor the
survivors.

rk of the platform,
A fatal accident occurred on Saturday at Wirnble•
don Station to a gentleman named Dixon, residing at NVirti.
bledon. Instead of using a level crossing, the deceased got
off the platform and walked across the line. A porter
shouted to him to "look out," as an express train was seen
ndThthee deceased, who was 81 years of
o
aapg
ep,r own,:
sh iunigmtbhl
ee sttoa tai os
e.
and the train, travelling at the rate of about 40 miles an
hour, struck him, causing instantaneous death.

One of the costliest presents at the Royal wedding
in Berlin was that of the " ninety-three cities of Prussia,"
weighing nearly a ton of solid silver. It is intended for a
complete table service, both for actual use and ornament.
The centre-piece alone, is to support a sufficient number of
candelabra (200) to shed ample Light on a table fifty feet in'
length ; dishes, plates, tureens, saucieres, goblets, wine-
coolers, etc., all rickly ornamented and artistically designed
will complete the outfit in every way worthy of a princely'
table.

General James Arthur Butler, of Holt Lodge,
Kintbury, Berks, who was eighty-two years of age, expired
on Saturday morning at his residence, his death being partly
occasioned by bronchitis, and partly by the shock which the
system sustained at a tire at his residence. Shortly before
six o'clock on Wednpsday morning in last week he lighted a
candle from a night-ligut which was burning in his bedroom,
and in so doing set fire to the bed-furniture. The fire had
caught the furniture and bedclothes before the General dis-
covered it. His efforts to subdue the flames were unavail-
ing, but, after several ineffectual attempts, he succeeded
in opening his bedroom door and raising an alarm. Help
soon arrived, when General Butler was found to behalf
unconscious and unable to speak. He was not very badly
burnt, but suffered severely from the shock and died on
Saturday. The deceased served through the campaign of
1815 with the third battalion of Grenadier Guards, and was
present at the battle of Quatro Bras and Waterloo (where
he carried the colours), at the storming of Peronns, and the
capture of Paris,