The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1888-01-28 00:00:00

LONDON CORRESPONDENCE.

We deem it right to state we do not at all times identity
ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.

We are now arriving very near to the opening
of Parliament, a ceremony which this year will
be shorn of much of its interest, because of the
absence of the Queen. During the earlier
months of the winter it had been hoped that her
Majesty would have been sufficiently strong to
bear the excitement and fatigue necessarily
attendant upon a State pageant, and so certain
at one time did it seem that she would be able
to do so, that the date of February 16 had
approximately been fixed to suit her Majesty's
convenience and other arrangements. But the
project had at length to be given up, and it is
now known that on February 9, the date at last
fixed upon, Parliament will be opened by com-
mission. The chroniclers for the daily press will
again have to tell of how three or four peers,
decked in scarlet robes and curious cocked hats,
sat on the woolsack in the House of Lords
and raised their hats and gave strange little
bows as the commission was being read.
But, quaint as the ceremony is, it pales,
of course in interest and in splendour when com-
pared with that which is to be witnessed when
the Sovereign in person appears on the throne
to inform both Peers and Commoners that
Parliament is once more in "Session. The scene
in the House 'of Lords is the most striking.
The official uniforms mingled with the dresses of
the ladies who only upon such occasions, take a
great many of benches customarily allotted
to peers, make brilliant a spectacle which once
seen can never be forgotten.
To many members of Parliament, however, the
opening of the session is marked, not as an
occasion for spectacle, but a signal for renewed
work. On the first night, a whole host of the
representatives of the people solemnly give
notice of introducing bills, the majority of which
never go so far even as a second reading, and of
motions the greater number of which are heard
of no more. Some of these projects have in this
fashion been brought forward so often that the an-
nouncement that they are again to be placed upon
the notice-paper is hailed with shouts of laughter
by an assembly which, because of the tedium
of most of its proceedings, is always easily
amused. A special name also has been given to
the whole series of these projects in the shape of
"hardy annuals," and hardy indeed some of
these annuals are; year after year their chief
supporter comes up smiling on the first night of
the session to reassert his intention of consuming
Parliamentary time, apparently oblivious of the
fact that he has not the ghost of achance of carry-
ing his project through. But no one who
studies the bye-ways of Parliamentary existence
will doubt that many of the small mea-
sures which private members have brought
in, and, :wonderful to relate, have managed
to push through have proved very useful. For
in Parliamentary, as well as every other kind of
life, it is not always the most pretentious or
high-sounding proposal which is of most good to
those by whom or for whom it is adopted.
It is almost unprecedented—perhaps alto-
gether so—for a Lord. Mayor of London to have
to announce within a little over two months of
his accession to office the death of three of his
colleagues in the Court of Aldermen. Not long
after Lord Mayor De Keyser succeeded to the
chair, Sir William McArthur, who had been an
alderman fifteen years, and who filled the highest
position in the City some six years since, died sud-
denly in a railway carriage. Last week Sir John
Staples, who was Lore Mayor only two years
ago, followed him to the grave. And within
three days, Sir Robert Carden, the "father of
the Corporation," who became an alderman as
long as thirty-nine years ago, and who was
Lord Mayor at the time as the Indian Mutiny,
died suddenly at his home. Though all were well-
known men in the City, that of the last-named
was naturally the most familiar face to dwellers
and business men in that part of London. As a
stockbroker he was, of course, well known to every
one in Capel-court, but it was as a magistrate
for close upon forty years that his appearance
became familiar to all sorts and conditions of
men. It was only a few months ago, upon the
visit of the Queen to the City, that Sir Robert
was advanced from the dignity of a knighthood,
which he had held for many years, to that of a
baronetcy, in recognition of his long services on
the Corporation; but no long time has been
allowed him to enjoy an honour which he appre-
ciated the more because it was accompanied by
some gracious words from the Sovereign herself.
A very trite remark is that which states that
of the making of swindles there is no end, but it
cannot be too often repeated in order to warn
the unwary against the plots of designing
scoundrels, who are only too ready to thieve
if they perceive the least chance of success. Not
long ago, one of this type, happening to hear at
the Law Courts during the progress of a cause
Ware, a reference to the fur coat of one of the
parties concerned, went straight to the residence,
stated that the fur coat was wanted by its owner,
obtained it from the unsuspecting servants' and
walked away with it on his arm—though, happy
to relate, he was subsequently captured and sent
to durance vile. But a much more elaborate
fraud was perpetrated a few days ago upon one
of the most popular of London actors. It had
been announced that this gentleman in-
tended leaving his present residence for
another in a different part of the metropolis;
and, acting upon this knowledge, a man called
at the house with a van, when he knew the
owner was out, and, stating that he had been
instructed to fetch away the drawing - room
furniture, secured the most valuable portion of
it. There is a refinement of fraud about this
proceeding which makes it a very curious study
for those interested, in psychology, but the
pleasantry of it is
.likely to be appreciated at its
true worth if the perpetrator happens to appear
before a judge of assize.
The reports which have reached this country
from America of the fearfully destructive
" blizzard " which has recently swept across a
portion of the United States, must give us some
cause for thankfulness that we live in 'a country
which is not subject to such terrible'inflictions.
From the very facts of physical geography, it is
hardly possible that a calamity of this kind
could ever visit an island like ours. Gales we
have in abundance, but anything approaching
what Americans would consider a hurricane is
rare, while that variety of storm known as a
" blizzard " is practically unknown to us. The
fatal results of this latest specimen can be de-
scribed by no other word than appalling.
Hundreds of persons were hurried into eter-
nity by a frozen death, for the " blizzard " is
full of minute particles of ice, which suffo-
cate all who encounter it. Children going
to school, men at their work, even wives
watching from a doorway for their husbands
were among the victims; and the more the
terrible occurrence is studied, the more awesome
is the feeling as to the fearful power which nature
possesses in its angry moods:
It is almost a natural transition from talking,.
about such a cold wind as the " blizzard " to con-
sidering the proposal which has recently been
made for an expedition to explore the Antarctic
ocean. The Australian colonies have formed a
project to this. end, in which they wished the
mother-country to assist, but it is under-
stood that the Treasury has returned an
unfavourable answer to the representations
of the Colonial Office on its behalf. Upon the
whole, this decision will be supported by the
general body of the people. Expeditions of this
kind have been out of favour with Englishmen
since the dismal failure of the much talked of
Arctic Expedition a dozen years ago. At a
largo cost, this was fitted out with all provision
to stay three or four years, and it was confidently
hoped on all hands that at length the great
mystery of the North Pole would be solved.
But those who took part in the affair
found a single winter quite as much as their
appetite, for ice would stand, and . they returned
long befol•e' they were expected with the an-
nouncement that "the Polo was impracticable."
The deep disgust of the English people generally
at the lavish expenditure which produced so
feeble a result has not yet died away ; and it
will need, at least, another generation to make it
possible for anything in the shape of another.
polar expedition—whether to north or south—
to again find favour with the Treasury.
Although the Merchandise Marks Act came
into operation only with the beginning of the
year, it has already had a striking effect. It is
desired, as probably your readers know,. to
protect industry for a'faihibn. which the most
pronounced Free Traders will-support—by pre-
venting evil-disposed persons placing marks upon
goods representing them to be what they really
are not. No longer will it be allowable, for
instance, to sell knives marmfacturepl in Germany
with the mark " Sheirreld " upon them, 'and the
same idea will be rigidly applied all round.
Already a consignment of boots and shoes from
the United States has been stopped at the
London Docks because ;they were. marked
as if they came from. the English
and not the American town of that name;
and to Customs officers at the various
pots have received the most stringent ordero

trom the Board ot Trade to watch all imports so
as to prevent similar deceit. This is a movement
which all will support. Let us buy what we like,
but let us know what we are buying. If we
prefer Solingen steel to Sheffield' we are at
liberty to purchase it; but it is not right that
we should pay the Sheikeld price for the Solingen
article. It is the same with the boots and shoes
and all other manufactured articles, and the
Merchandise Marks Act, if continuously exer-
cised, will be a boon to honest trade.

A. F. R.