The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-04 00:00:00

KIDDERMINSTER ELECTION
PETITION.

An application was made in Chambers on
Monday, before Mr. Justice Mellor, on be-
half of the petitioners, for an order to in-
spect certain documents connected with the
election, and we understand that it was
granted. Partchtlars of the case against
the respondent have been delivered, under
order, to Mr. Grant's agents, and they
consist of twenty-five sheets, of which, flf.
teen are devoted to an enumeration of person
said to have partaken of the Conservative
tea, on Whit Tuesday. Whether the tea
cups and saucers with Mr. Grant's likeness
on are to be produced in Court we know
not, but there was a vast quantity of them
on sale a few days ago in the room where
the Court is to be held. The service of
subpcenas on persons to be called in support
of the petitioners case has commenced, and
some fifty or sixty have been issued.

TfIE STOTTRBARIDGE OBSERVER.
_
had met and there were only three present, and I LAYING THE FOUNDATION STONES OF
reported progress. , A TEMPERANCE HALL AT THE LYE.
---
REPORT OF TIIE FINANCE COMMITTEE.
Monday last will be a "red-letter day" for many
Your committee report that there is due from years to come in the annals of the friends of tem-
' the Treasurer OD the Improvement Account, ; peranee at the Lye, as on that day was laid the
£396 18s 3d, and on the Highway Account ' foundation stones of the long looked for hall,
£303 13s Bd. There was due to the Treasurer which is to be devoted to the purposes of teetotal.
on the Urban Sanitary Account, .t 39 17e 13,1• . lers, and the advocacy of the doctrine of total
A number of accounts were examined abstinence. The ground for this was purchased so
and ordered to be paid. On the High: long as eight years back, and ever since that time
!
way Account .C 486 14s lid; on the Highway some of the most steadfast adherents of teetotalism
Account, £152 17s 9d; on the Urban Sanitary amongst the
tidelaudableeworking e el: - s have been saving their
object; but it was not
ing £l7 18s Bd., costs to Mr. Knott, Solicitor. until
Account, £74 5s 7d ; one item in the latter be-
en
I ynow for
that the state of their funds seemed suf.
The application for an increase of salary by the
ficiently prosperous to allow of their commencing '
chTeaiwrinn Ganfficsearidwaths
aatdhjoenrhnaead for
gone s month.througli T
tte
1 active operations. Mr. Gething, the architect, was
directed to draw up plans for a plain brick build-
' i sufficient to accommodate 609 persons, and it
items, and if anyone asked for information he , will he 60ft. long, 33ft. wide, and 21ft. high. It is
ihe 1 %lg.
should be glad to answer. As there was no en- to be built by Mr. Guest, of Bretton Lane. The
quiry, the chairman moved that the report building is to be of red brick, with facings of Bath
, read be adopted, which Was passed. stone, and the cost is estimated to be about ..tsuit.
; GENERAL PURPOSES COMMITTEES REIVRT.— The weather on Monday proved very unpropitious
1 Illuminating power of gas. Your committee re. for the ceremony of laying the foundation stones,
port progress in this matter. A reply has been a steady drizzling rain which descended during the
received from the gas company to the complaint whole of the time rendering it very unpleasant for
made by your committee of the bad quality of the spectators. We are bound to say, however,
the gas supplied to consumers, which reply is that notwithstanding these adverse cireinnstances
laid before you. Your committee have received , a large number of persons were present to witness
' from the medical officer of health the annual the proceedings.
report. He has been requested by your commit-
Previous to the laying of the foundation stones,
tee to revise the same, ad
and to insert a few .
there was a procession of Good Tmap lars and others
through the Lye (the former wearing their regalia),
ditional particulars, when revised and completed ,
no it ey em ia hi rum an Fife
headed by the Ddl T pe -i• .D -el
it will be laid before you. The report by the Band.
medical officer of health was laid before your Amongst those present within the enclosure were
the Rev. D. Robertson (Vicar of the Lye), lion.
committee, also his monthly report. One case of
distinct small pox is reported, it Was a slight ' and lie-v. W. H. Lyttelton, Rev. R. N. Grier
attack and the patient is recovered. Two cases (Rugeley), Revs. R. Ellis, F. Haynes, T. Parker,
of scarlet fever are reported, which were very T. Dorrieott, Cochrane, Kedwards; and Mr.
slight, and of short duration. Number of deaths G. K. Harrison, Mr. F. Evers, J. P., Mr. A. Freer,
registered in the township from May 19, to Mr. W. Roberts (Clent), Mr. Thompson, de., &C.
June 22, sixteen ; one death from fever. The In addition to those within the enclosure, there
number of births in the period 42. The town was a large number of persons congregated out.
officer presented his report which was as follows; side the hoarding, who watched the ceremony with
Nuisances brought forward 10; reported during considerable interest, and freely commented upon
the month 78; carried forward 88.—Removed
The proceedings were open
.-, those present
old, 10 ; new 70 ; total 80; carried forward S. .
what they heard and saw.
opened
i b
singing a hymn commencing with ' Praise ye the
Nightsoil : number of privies emptied and
Lord," after which prayer was offered up by the
cleansed during the month, 81; number of ash
Rev. D. Robertson.
pits, 72.—These privies and ash pits belonged to Mr. G. K. Harrison then proceeded to lay the
139 houses. Number of loads removed, 239. east stone, which bore the following inscription—
The slaughter-houses and lodging-houses, are "This stone was had by G. E. Harrison, Esq.,
reported to be in good sanitary condition. In June 29th, 1874." The trowel used by Mr. Huth-
reference to the drinking fountains, the cow- son was presented to him by Mr. H. Wooldridge;
mittee reported progress. the one used by Mr. F. Evers, being presented by
Mr. Hughes moved the adoption of the report Mr. T. Rhodes. Both trowels were silver, and
which was seconded by Mr. Kelly, and passed. were beautifully chased and engraved. and each
'fife CORN EXCHANGE FEES.—Mr. McEwen of them bore an inscription commemorative of the
said, that the town officer complained that the event. They were supplied by Mr. H. Douglas,
Corn Exchange, was nearly deserted on Friday silversmith, of this town.
last. It appeared to him that persons preferred Having laid the stone,
to stand in the street, and show their various Mr. G. K. Harrison said it was a source of very
samples, rather than pay the Paltry situ of two- great satisfaction to him to have laid the first stone
,it,titne:deitultto•vthervinro.retwteo 1:),enl,
penet, and bethought some steps should he taken
the matter. The fee was very small indeed, and of'kind
drunkenness. During against
last few weeks there
although some persons were very anxious to see had been a great deal of talk in Parliament about
a free market, he thought no one could complain the hours of drinking; but he (the speaker) slid
of being over charged. The Stourbridge Im• not think they could any more make people sober
provement Act lie believed gave them power to by Act of Parliament than they could make people
prevent the occurrence of such nuisances. It good by the same itgency—(hear, hear). He hoped
was a shame that people were compelled to take that building which was about to be erected on that
a circuitous route in order to avoid the people spot in the cause of temperance, would prove of
who crowded the street. great service to the friends of that cause, and that
Mr. MeEwen then read the 'various acts which the speeches made within its walls would iuduce
he considered bore upon the points, and was of many of those who were given to excess to embrace
opinion that persons had no right to block up temperance. And when he said temperance, he
the streets. If they did so then they were amen- meant temperance in every sense of the word—
able according to the acts. He believed that temperance in language, and temperance in man-
some objection had been raised with regard to nor, as well as temperance as applied to excessive
drinking. He must admit that the language used
the enforcing of tolls from some people, but he
by some was of such a nature, that it waS often a
believed that if the question was fully enquired
source of wonder to hint how they could bring
into. The matter could be settled to the advan- themselves to make use of it. He hoped the
tage of all parties. men of that place would have sufficient moral cons
Mr. Mills said that the farmers only showed rage not to mind the jeers of those who would dia.
samples and they could not make them pay for suede them from embnicing the temperance cense.
that as they could not prove a sale. Au exhild- It was all very well ti' men to be told that they
tion of samples was not a sale, were milksops, and that they had to go home to
The clerk said in 1871, similar questions were the women and children ; but it Wes much better
raised at that board, and the opinion of the solici- to go home to the woolen and children than to
tor was taken upon the subject submitted, and spend the money that was wanted by the family in
he late lessee took action in the mutter, and a public-house—(hear, hear, and cheers). He
the summons was dismissed. should not detain them hnigas. unfortunately, tlwy
Mr. Md.:wen said, he was quite sure that all had had enough cold water thrown upon them
were desirous of contributing to the comfort already—(latighter). If that building brought
back lett one soul to temperance, it would answer
and convenience of those persons who went to
the purpose for which it had been erected; but he
the tutu ket, and suggested that the Corn Ex-
trusted it would be the means of inductile numbers
change be put in good repair, painted said
to embrace it—(great cheering).
cleansed, and suggested the desirability of The west stone was laid by Hr. F. Evers, who,
having telegram a of the London Corn Markets having declared it to 'be "Well and truly hid,"
hung in the Exchange so as to induce per. went unto say that he hoped the building of which
sons to go into the building. He believed that this was a part would answer the purposes of the
a charge of 6d., could be imposed in the case of temperance promoters iu the Lye Waste. lie
persons exposing articles for sale in the streets, would not detain them long, as they all knew that
Mr. Kelly complained that farmers could stand hard workers were very seldom great talkers, and
in the streets and obstruct the road, wliPe a they, therefore, could nut expect to hear much of
poor man was at once ordered to move on. a speech from him after witnessing the immense
Mr. Perkin, thought the best thing to do was amount of manual labour which lie had just per.
to lout those into court who would not pay. formed—(laughter).
After some further discussion Mr. MeEwen Th,• Rev. R. M. Grier then addressed those pre.
moved the whole question be referred to the sent, and said it must be admitted that they (the
temperance people) had plenty of patriotism, for
General Purposes Committee which ens
they always held their meetings when the country
seconded by Mr. Hughes, and carried.
wanted min, and then it was sure to c ime. The
WATERING AND CLEANSING THE STREETS.— gentleman who had laid Ih. east stone had said
'I he clerk read the draft contract between the that temperance esitild not be pr 'noted in Enolaud
Act of Parliament. Now, lie going tgtake
connuissituers Riot Mr. G. Horsley for watering by
and cleansing the streets for twelve months, for exception to that. He ventured to assert that
sum of .£230. persons could be made sober by Act of Parliament,
Mr. McE wen moved that the draft contract 1 and he was going to prove it—(hear, hear). If a
as read, be accepted, which Was seeconded by l man who was drunken neglected his children, and
Mr. Edwards. allowed them to beermie chargeable to the parish,
FIRE ENGINEs —Mr. Perkin called the atts n- lie wits sent to gaud. and there kept sober. In this
;
lion of the Board as to the desirability of keeping country there were 20(1,15N/ persons who were kept
the tire engines in the Market Hall, instead of I perfectly sober by Act of Parliament and it they
I could take drunkards away from the drink they
at Mr. Dot on's, and moved that the clerk do
gve Mr. Dutton uotice, which was sec...feted IA I 'h s'on l'e"nie B"ber-- IA you'', t"" o",rowd
Mr. Mills. 1 "lit,de , " But we shun t allow it t. ' The simaker
iil,fid!teir:likink .5.,..,, ta km
Mr. EilWardS thought the best thing to do ' ti .1,1 II"' l's ;lit f,". " miltn'te' Th're Imn't b
would Le to refer the question to the gel'el.3l I atw•11)•ki,1•11-1071•1,,fth‘t.'7rieulii.f.)11na
purp,s,!s committee, for them to report upon at
now? with the beershoPs op..:11, 'ir )(1)'.1",:r therel, ".";
the eext meeting, as they could not say w hat features of is babit of drinkne• was that ot'll'r
t is' cost would be to inake, a place for it ; it :night innocent persons suffered from the effects of it. Tl:e
eoat as 101111111 A pOUIDIS Or more. wives and children of driiiikeids were the ssrealest
Mr. Perkin : Yes, it may cost £2 which %%Gills' sufferers time intouperitime. Bait solo,, of the
3, ild 2s iiiterest per year, and it now coatB t 5. women notwithstanding, this were as much opposed
After sonic further discussion it Was refuted to to the Closing of the publie-h,mmes as the men.
the Ma: agement Committee.. He was speaking to a woman One day on this sub-
Die;s MUZZEED.—On the motion of Mr. l) et• when she' replied that her hosletna workrd
.I.4,Wilitii,:.)!leßit:i lifal,:i..hliitfiiit.,.thlaH,,etkhe:feo(itr(hl:i.ie,eon,tia
Me Ewen, seconded by Mr- Edwards, all dogs hard all day at piece work, and he wanted beer to
,likatic:;le.,),fw."•ne'noef 'lay
,iiri n
larger
ever
itnelieeme- a:,:hvicohn i., ,
at to
were ordered to be kept under proper control
until the 31st of July, and notice was ordered
to lie published.
Bine law of the place. The' reply.. ass that so far
Moved by Mr. McEwen, that £l3O be trans.
ferred from the Highway Account, to the Urban •
from that being the case, there was hardly one who
Sanitary Account. did nut leave the gaol in better health than when he
Carried unanimously. came into it. Would they believe it that when he
There was no other business, asked this gentleman to give up his wine, such was
the force of prejudice that he said he believed lie
should die if he were to do so. He (the speaker)
had been a teetotaller for eight years—(A voice:
" You ought to work for your living, and then you
would want some drink.' Mr. (icier, " I work as
hard as you do. I work 14 hours a day : six more
than you do. I work as bard as any of you do,
probably. I know plenty of people who work well
on cold water." A voice, "There is not one halfof
these teetotallers who work six hours a day now.'.
Mr. (Irier: "Because they can do without it, I
suppose "). Some of the working men present did
not like what be ,said ; but he believed that they
were quite as well aware of the danger of keeping
open the public-houses as he was, and Bud if they
were polled tosmotrow on the Stibjeet a majority
would be in favour of closing them. Hewould relate
an anecdote to them illustrating the truth of this.
At a village near Sedge Hill in the north ad England,
Oils question was put to a practical test. The pro-
prietor of the land WM; of opinion that it was de-
sirable to close the public-houses, and lie determined
to take the sense of the working nien on the snbject.
He therefore put the question to the public vote,atui the
following was the result. The village contained over
1,000 inhabitants, and 500 of them were neutral; 49
voted for them to be kept open; and all the rest retest
that they should be closed, and closed they were. amid the
inhalatantal bad never since regretted the step they had
then taken. And it was the same everywhere else. The
working nien were aware of their danger, and would, if
they lied the power close them tomorrow. This hall
would furnish the temperance people with a legitimate
place for meeting, and in which to disseminate their
views, and consolidate their body; and they would thee,
by their political influence, be butter able to promote
sobriety among their fellow-men. (For some times man
in the crowd had been interrupting the !meeker, and Mr.
Grier at length addressed him as follows: "You ought
to come up here, and they will give you a ebance to have
your say." This silenced him). The speaker went onto
say that he wished to ask the working men whether they
wanted their whole class to rise. If they did they must
give up strong driuk. He (the speaker) did not believe
they drank more than those in the class above thew, and
even amongst clergymen who thought it no harm to take
their glass of wine, he thought it would be ranch better
if they would put it away, and by an doing, set an example
to their weaker brethren. If they were 0 be sincerely
religious they must be temperate; and that was the reit.
soaks became a total abstainer—(ebeera).
The Hon. and Rev. W. H. Lytteltou said he did not
very well know wily tbe managers of that meeting had I
called upon him to address those present next. He was '
whole,
ooal attotal
countryt.l
hieabstinence
vicinity
Dot aware that he bad any claim to address them because
he did Oct belong to the Lye; bat the proceedings there
4r u noif .
il :
ralballl eni yri..:flalut' littlewl ease
that day were important not only as affecting the Lye, hot
sracteristic of Englishmen to go to extremes in
of the Lye, with its comparatively large population, had
ba as
ei nu livueernycgi nrega t I ae
promotersl l
balafirmeeatthche
matters which they took up. and he certainly could not
over-enthusiastic upon their own merits. He was dried

RAILWAY ACCIDENT.—On Friday, the 26th nit,
a sad accident occurred at Coventry Railway
Station, to a young man named William Hall,
sou of D. Hall, bill-poster, of this town He
was engaged in shunting a goods train, when he
lost his hold and fell, and a mineral wagon passed
over his right foot, crushing it badly. He was
conveyed to the hospital, where the injured foot
was amputated, and we believe he is now pro-
gressing favourably.
MEBIIERISM.—Professor Zamoiski has proved
himself a clever exponent of the above science.
He made his " subjects " laugh, sing, or dant e
at will, nnd thoroughly demonstrated that the
volition of the person operated upon was com-
pletely under his control. His seances are both
amusing and interesting.
DISORDERLY CONDUCT.—At the Petty Sessions
held yesterday, before Mr. C. P. Noel, Alfred
Blick was charged with being drunk on the 30th
ult. Police-constable Bladon proved the case.
Fined 5s and costs.—Thomas Heston, was
charged with being drunk and dimrderly on the
on the 13th October. Police-constable Bladon
proved the case, and said that defendant ab-
sconded. Police-sergeant Jones proved three
previous convictions. Fined 20s and costs ;in
default one month's hard labour.—James Smith
and Richard Sodering was charged with being
drunk at Wollaston, on the 28th nit. P.C. Smith
proved the case. Ordered to pay costs.—John
Beach was ordered to pay costs for being on the
licensed;premises of William Morgan, at the Lye
THREATS.—John Hodgkiss was ordered to find
one surety of £5. to keep the peace for 3 month,s
for threatening Eliza Roberts.—Alice Hill and
Eliza Morris were ordered to find one surety of
X 5 each, and themselves in XlO, to keep the
peace for six months, for threatening Mary Ann
Staniar. Mr. Wall defended.

WILFUL IlimeoE.—Edward Perry Was ordered
to pay 3s and costs, for damaging a birsh tree
belonging to John Collis.
CAUTION TO OWNERS OF DOC/S.—The follow-
ing persons were each fined ss, for allowing their
dogs to be at large : —Ceorge Hughes, John
Bird, Joel Maurice, and Soloman Skelding.
ASSAULT CASES.—Thomas Peeley was fined
is and costs for assaulting Sarah Parkes.
UNLAWFULLY WOUNDING.—John Kendrick,
horse-nail maker, of the Lye, was sentenced to
two months imprisonment, for unlawfully
wounding William Kendrick by striking him
with a brick and a stone, and kicking him, on
the 30th ult. Mr. Perry defended.

that the people from the Lye who were in the habit of
visiting Bagley and Clent on Sundays, did the inhabit-
ants of the former pl&ce little credit ; and if they improve
their character by the promotion of temperance the 1111,11.
tion of their success in that matter was one of vital Mx-
portanee to the whole of the country round. It was a
astionchrcesoof.mgbralatguelatair
thtuataltlhtehreeettuttrydayroufh,rd
,touchsee.
purpose. They all had hoen in the habit of looking upon
the Lye as having been the scene of so mach radimism
and brutality, but the present meeting was a proof that
those times hail passed away. He never could think of
the Lye, without thinking of the great amount of good
which had been efiected in that place by the late Mr.
, Bromley—(hear. hear, and cheers). Re was very thank-
, Id that the present vicar was carrying on the gool work.
and that his influence and that of his lady—the influence
of ladies was very powerful for good—was having a very
beneficial effeet upon them—(applause). He should be
very glad for the water which was then coming down to
be used in diluting some of the things which they drank,
but perhaps if they stayed there ranch longer it might
dilute some of their speeches, which was not very desir-
able. He (the speaker) had travelled • very great deal,
and it often had been very painful to him to hear the way
in which foreigners spoke about the working people of
England. It was very disagreeable to talk to a German
or a Frenchman about them, as they looked upon the
working classes of this country as a set of drunkards.
lie the spenker) was a few years ago in tlermany.and be
was thrown a great deal amongst the people, and lie must
say that lie never saw but one man drunk. He had seen
them going by trail) into the country, some hundreds of
them together, on a trip the same as working people do
here ; and when they returned at night there would not
be an intoxicated person amongst them: and this not-
withstanding that they drank the beer of the country
and eujoyed themselves. He should like to know when
they could see a number of working people in England
returning from a trip of whom the same could be said.
He did not see why English people should not be able to
do this as well as them. Ile was told that that movement
for the erection of that building at the Lye, had been
begun by the working men themselves lie was glad to
see from the list of subscriptions that the greater part of
the money hod been subscribed by the working men
themselves. He saw a picture in Posted sonic time ago
in which • man was represented with a white cap and
white apron on—in ordinary garb of a carpenter—speaks
ing to two gentlemen and two ladies, aud it said under-
neath "rue working man speaking to iniprova the upper
classes --(laughter). Their dasa (the ladies and gentle-
men) ought to help the working classes in their efiurts to
regenerate themselves. Rail to abolish that soul destroy-
iug evil from amongst them—thear, hear). Mr. Grier
had said that he did not believe the lower classes drank
any more than the upper. is making that statement lie
believed Mr. Grier was mistaken. He (the speaker) was
now 51 years of age, and for the last dl years Ile had
lived amongst his own class, and daring that time he had
never seen but two gentlemen drunk. lie knew tlw case
was different fifty or u hundred years ago, f.'r in those
Joys must gentlemen were the worse for drink when they
got up from the dinner-table. All this had been altered,
and now that the upper classes had reformed themselves,
they ought to help the working classes to do the sarue for
theinoelves. He was not going into any extremes about
teetotalism. He quite agreed with what Mr. Harrison
hail said, that they must be temperate in language also,
aa well as in other things; as some of the statements
made by the advocates of temperance were tuonatrous.
What they wanted to do was to provide a place where
they could go to, instead of going to the beershop to
drink—(bear. bear). Sometimes they had nowhere to go
to but the publie-house. It was not always very pleasant
to be at home; and on washing day the room was often
full of damp clothing, and aometimes it was a very us•
comfortable home to go lost night. Ile hoped that when
that hall was built it would answer the purpose as being a
place where the men could go to ou such occasions as
those he had spoken of; and that it would exert an Milo.
ence for good, and avert much of the misery that was
now caused by excessive drinking : and that much good
wouln be done in the isle-rests of temperance. Ile con-
cluded by saying that he heartily wished the movement
every suecess—(applanse).
• The Rev. 1). Robertson then gave out the Doxology,
after which the proceeding; terminated.

Several of Mote present afterwards adjourned to the
British Schirobtooni, where a large number sat down to
an excellent tea, after which liddri sues were delivered by
Mr. F. Evers, J.P.. Mr. ti. K. Harrison, Mr. A. tree-,
Mr. Jones. Mr. Jordan. Mr. .1. Mills, &L..