The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-11-14 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWS.

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

Baron Pigot and Justice Lush are on the rota for
the trial of election petitions for the ensuing year.

• -
The Prince Imperial has gone through a course of
gunnery instruction at Shoeburyness.
The Great Eastern Railway Company has made an
nspection of all its single lines, with a view to their general
improvement, no far as may be deemed necessary

The dispute in the Bolton cotton trade has ter-
minated for the present, the hand-mule spinners in Mr.
Mellor's nail having agreed to withdraw their notices.

The Paris papers give currency to a statement to the
effect that a marriage is being negotiated between Prince
Louis is apoleon, sou of the Empress Eugenie and the late
Emperor of the French, and a daughter of the Grand Duchess
Marie of Russia and Count Stronjunoff.

The Russian Government have ordered eighteen
Iron sloops for the Aral Sea flotilla, and two steamers for
the AMU Darya.
The Italian elections have resulted in favour of the
Government. Three hundred and fifty-sin out a five hun-
dred seats have been won by Ministerial candidates.
In reply to the Home Seccretary's circular on amend-
ments of the law relating to crimes of violence, the Sheffield
magistrates have decided to recommend the infliction of
the cat as a punishment for brutal assaults upon women and
children.

-----
On Tuesday evening the opening sessional meeting
of the Itovil Geographical Society was held in Burlington
Gardens. The Czarewitch and the Luke of Edinburgh were
present.
. .

We learn from the Cape of Good Hope that active
operations are being carried on at the gold fields there, a
party of Australian diggers having arrived. The diamond
folds, too, are yielding welL
At a maim meeting held on Saturday the men em-
ployed in the Clyde shipbuilding and engineering trade
agreed to resist the proposal of the masters that wages
should be reduced and the hours of Ishour increased.

A telegram from Kingston, Jamaica, states that
the eastern portion of the island has been visited by •
terrific hurricane, and that considerable damage has been
iniatained.

The position of agricultural affairs, says the Magnet
of Monday, continues favourable on the whole. Corn pros-
pects could hardly be more satisfactory, and the pastures are
fairly supplied with grass for the time of )ear.

- • -
A meeting of the students of Edinburgh University
took place qn Saturday night for the purpose of selecting a
candidate for the Mike of Lord Rector. About • dozen
names were proposed, awl a show of hands being taken, a
large majority was found to be in favour of Lord Derby.
The Marple Tunnel on the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincolnshire and NI Maud Railway, collapsed on Satur-
day morning for about fifteen yards. One mall was killed,
and three others dangerously injured. The tonwel which
has been undergoing ftpairs for some weeks has been
worked on &Dingle line.

The Secretary of the Estate Exchange in London
bas published the following return of landed mtates, r,
register.' as Bold by public auction and by private contract
from the let of January to the 31st of October, 1874 :
£9,990,324. Compared with the corresponding period for the
years 1872 and 1973, the amount Manila at £8,994,328 and
£8,395,768.
_ _

The following remarks are alleged to have been over-
heard on the Boulevards in Paris, proceeding from two dif-
ferent gronpe : First " This poor city of Paris, which
compelled to borrow 200 millions ! It must he poor I Second
"This fortunate city of Paris, which is able to borrow 260
millions! It must be rich ! "—Court Journal.

The Metropolitan Board of Worke have, in
furtherance of improvements in the East-end of London,
purchased the birth-place of Arthur Orion, in High-street,
Wapping; and this, together with the entire length of houses
on that side of the street, will in the Course of a short time
be entirely demolished. . .

Canadian papers state that application will be made
to the Legislature nest Sr...slim for an Act to incorporate the
Stadacona Bridge Company, having for Its object the con-
struction of a bridge across the River St. Lawrence sloe near
Quebec, for railway and other purposes.

- lialignani states that the French Stamp Office has
just purchased the secret of the composition of an ink
absolutely indelible, and which resists the strength of all
known reagents. Owing to that discovery, it will be able to
put an end to the numerous fraud. which are constantly
committed to the prejudice of the Treasury, mad which coo-
slat in restoring to stamped paper already used its original
purity. The annual loss to the revenue on that head is
calculated at tOO,ouo f. in the Department of the Seine atone.
The Marquis of Bristol has adopted a new plan in
the .waccruent of his labourers so his Suffolk estate.
Written contracts have been entered into, by which his
lordship agrees to advance the wage, from la. to 15s, per
week all the your round, with cottage rent free. The harvest-
money is abolished, but in lieu of this 3d, per hour is given.
The lmrsekeepers receive We. per week. The contract is to
terminate by a mouth's notice on either side. The men have
readily adopted the scheme.

- -
In reply to the offer of the Prince of Wales to give
£lOO to any local Institution recommended by the Mayor of
Birmingham, his Worship has recommended to his Royal
iliglines• the Midland Institute. In addition to the claims
of that institution as a valuable educational agency, it will
In all probability commend itself to the Prince on account of
the interest which his late father took in it, the foundation-
stone of the building having been laid by Prince Albert.
- -

Superintendent Hancox, of the Liverpool Borough
Police Force, has been presented with the Silver medal of
the Liverpool Shipwreck and Humane Society, in reupgnition
of his bravery at the recent fatal fire in Liverpool. Pollee-
constable Logan also received Ll and a vote of thanks.
Ile Khedive of Egypt, to whom Captain C. Onle
Browne was introduced by General Stanton, It. E., the Con-
sul. General, has given his cordial support to the English
Government Transit of Venus Expedition in Egypt lie has
furnished the principal dation on Mukattain Heights, 600 ft.
above Cairo, with' tents, a guard, mid a mounted escort, and
Ii making a telegraph line to connect that station with
Greenwich, through the Submarine, Gibraltar, and Malta
Cable His Highness has also sent a steamer to tow the
Thebes branch of the Expedition to their destination, and he
has brought all the huts and instruments up by special train
from Sure.
_ _

The Malta Tinvs understands that Dr. Naehtigall,
the African traveller, may ahortly pass through Malta from
Egypt. Dr. Nachtigall left Tripoli in February, 1869, with
presents from the then King of Prussia to the Sultan of
Wadai, but no tidings having been received of him f late
years, he was believed to have perished, a report having
been current of his death from dysentery. A short time
ago a telegram was received from him by Dr. Rchweinturth
announuing his safe arrival at Khartoum, to which plate he
had penetrated through Kordttfan, a territory not hitherto
traversed by any European.

On Monday et ening Mr. Baxter, M.P., addressed a
crowded meeting of the working men of Dundee, his inibjeiet
being Free Italy " The right hon, gentleman expressed the
fullest hope and confidence regarding the future of that
country. No doubt the moral and intellectual degradation
of the peasantry had been so great that the work of regener-
ation must be long and difficult. Still, the idea of Italian
unity had become a second religion to the people, and they
knew that it could not be obtained without economy, order
and good government.

A certain French deputy has a valet who drown
very loud while he himself dresses almost shabbily. The other
day the pair hied to a ball, when the deputy—who is fond of
a joke - allowttl liiinaelf to be shown into the servants hall
and his valet into the grand reception-room. Result :The
valet, despite his would-be gentlemanly ways, wasruiubbed
by the gay company, but the deputy was the life ana soul
of the kitchen. So runs the story, which may or may not be
true —Pictorial World

•
During the hearing of the cases at the Mansion
House in London, On Tuesday, the Lord Mayor incidentally
remarked that he never remembered a more orderly gather-
ing In the streets than that which assembled to witness
the civic proeessien. It spoke volumes for the respecta-
bility of the people that there were only four charges of
larceny to be disposed of at that court.
A telegram from Washington says that General
Sherman has sent in a report in which he deprecates the
inadequacy of au army if only 25,000 men for the require-
nienta of such a large arta of territory as the United iitettela
He compliments Guneral Sheridan on maintaining compara-
tive peace with the Indians, and attributes the troubles which
have arisen to the immunity the tribes enjoy at the hands of
the United States authorities.

The special committee formed by the Charity
Organisation Society to consider this subject, held its era
meeting in London on the 4th instant, it was stated that
there were 2,000 blind persons in London. id these it yen
thought that not more than 1,(MO would be able bodied, able
ard willing to work, whilst there would be about 400
children requiring education The diSCUSni.II had reference
chiefly to the question of finding a market for the prodttoe
of blind labour it was argued that good articles would find
purchasers, and that it was desirable to float the produce
out into the general market It was stated that some of The
provincial workshops for the blind frequently tendered for
and obtained c4mtracts from railway companies and other
public bodies.

On Saturday evening Mr. U. J. Kay.Shuttleworth,
Ml'., distributed the prizes and certificates awarded to cam
didates at the local examination of the oxford and Cambridge
Universities at the Hastings and St. Leonard's Centre.
Speaking of edueation, he said it was the beat patrimony a
man coold leave to his children. Theology, he thought,
should be studied among other subjects, as it tended 4,
elevate the mind but the theologian ehould hese falth.eg
candour.
The death is announced of Mr. Oliver Madox-
Brown, only son of Mr. Ford Madox.Brown, the painter. Mr
Oliver Males- roan (the Daily News says) was a yowl"
Man of varied intellectual gifts and of rare proutiOt
Although under twenty years of age he had already die,
thiguished himself as an artist, and had had a pictdirp
mtl?
Royal Academy's Exhibition when lie PAS yet lo the hon buy age. Laat, year he published a novel called " debrief
Denver," which attracted inueli attention. Be seemed-to be
at the ,puning of • brilliant career, when he was seized with
illness which ended in his premature death.
The chief item of general news by the last Chi%
mail, is that Prince Kung has been degraded to the-le:eat
class of princeship, and his son shares in the punishment.
The OM. (the China Mail adda I, said to be spite on the
part of the Emperor.
Advicas from Cope Coast Castle to the I.4th et
October state that the King el Ashantee, having failed ha
recover his asceudancy over the trilwa, haa settled dome .11
quietly, and Is oesiroua of resuming trade relation. Colt,
plaints were being made of pillage by the liouse• force
the Prah. and it Wail expected that a white officer sfO
have to be sent there. A great meeting of chiefs was tosbili
held at Cape Coast on the lath ult. for the purpose Of SR
pressing their views on sin very and other questions.