The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1868-06-20 00:00:00


Or

I.;

Nonban Corrtspormr:.

itoew it rieht to state that we do net at alt times
..tir-elves with out ~.oresvonillevit's

The Howie et Commons has latterly proved clearly
emmoll that its one predominant feeling is • desire to
get through business which is absolutely necessary, in
order that this weary Session may come to an end;
and the Opposition having proved itself in the main
favourable to the Home Secretary's bill to facilitate
this desirable object, it will probably be effeeted. In
brief, the arrangements are these. Though there is to
be no change in the time of making out the list* and
claims, the revision is to et-immense a (ley earlier than
usual in the case of boroughs, and a week earlier in
ouunties, the revision in both ease, commencing on the
14th of September. An additional staff of revising
barristers is to be employed, ani the printing of the
registers is to he hurried—the electors being numbered
r. parishes or polling districts, instead of their being
numbered in each register in order right through, as
bet. rn. The registration lists will thus be ready by
tl e 31st of October, and the election* can immediately
ts tot place. Instead of thirty-one days between
the Issuing of proclamations for fresh elections
aud the meeting of Parliament, the period is to he
oily twenty-eight days. With all these arrangementa it
is thought that Parliament sould meet in the mound
sweet, in December, choose a Speaker, swear in the
trawl and, on the address is answer to the !Speech
from the Throne, decide whether we are to have a I
Conservative Ministry under Mr. Disraeli, or a
Liberal Ministry under Mr. Glailetune. This knotty
point decided, Parliament would be promo-tied, and
meet again in February, Ministers In the meantime
preparing the measured they intend to introduce on
the reasesernbling of Parliament. At present it is
probable that some such an arrangemeet as this will
be adapted, and it would be certainly satisfactory to
the country on the whole. Meanwhile political
sffairs are not very brisk; and some people, like
Mr. Ifilicawber, are waiting to see what will turn up.
whits others are already making preparatory move-
meats with an eye to the general election.
The House of Lords has, to some extent, aided the
sauce of railway monopoly, by reading a second time
the bill which, for traffic purpuem, will amalgamate
the South Eastern, the Brighton, and the London,
Chatham and Dover Hallways; but it has clearly ox•
',tensed its determination to oppose it on Its third
reading if certain objectionable clauses are not
struok out by the select eornniittee. The result
may well he watched with eonsiderable interest
by the travelling community. The -Upper House
has, at all events, done more than the Bruise of
Commons would have dune. The railway directors
are such a powerful body in that assembly, that a
measure which proposes to give more power tO three
great railway companieealmost if necessity secures their
• support. I venturetoaasert that if this bill be allowed to
pass in its present form, it will be a gross injustice
to the public; and that even after the committee have
introduced any modifications that we may reasonably ,
expect, the mettoure will be injurious to the travelling :
public. We may lush for higher fares and lee* me
eommodation.
That the Government dentee to earry the Telegraph
Bill is certain. Whether there will he time for it this
session may be doubted, and whether, on the whole,
the public would gain by it is also matter of doubt.
But one thing is clear—that the present system is dear,
teal, and uncertain. A gentleman writes to say that
ha scut a sheet message (which was 'valueless without
celerity) from the Crystal Palace to the City, and that
Cr clerk assured him it would be there in forty
to:net-ea "The message was actually delivered two
Liters and ten minutes after, and was then so full of
neitokes as to he scarcely intelligible." Such a fact as
(r.ight easily be paralleled by numberless others.
'lle truth is, that the slowness of telegraphic messages
to a h•ort distance is as wonderful as the speed of
nueiosges to vt long distance. Within my own ex-
perience some strange facts are narrated. A man, for
instance, will send home a message to his wife that he
will not be home to dinner, as he is going to the theatre,
and the message will be delivered next morning, the
po, r wife, meantime, wondering what can cause the
sosence of her dear Augustus. One friend will tele-
gee to another a few miles off in this great city, that
Le (tile one) will call on him (the other) at such an
hour; and the one calls on the other, and finds the
other has never received the niessage. For short
distances telegraphic messages, in fact, seem a failure,
c.• isequent on an inadequacy of arrangements. But to
make these arrangements in expectation of possible
business would cause enonnons expense ; and it is by
ro means clear that Government would do this better
the companies do.
1
Her Majesty is expected back at Windsor, and on
1.1 r 'ay is to ledil a Privy Council, when the approaching
ilution will probably be talked about. After
toying a week or two in the royal town, the Queen
will go to Osborne, and it is said that in the autumn she
will pay a visit to Germany. All this looks very
ratlike Her Majesty again mingling freely with her
sehjects, as was her wont ; but the visit to Germany
'twinge from so natural a feeling that no one can tind
fault with it.
have been reading a pamphlet on the Employment
of Vi'omen, which contains some sail facto. To an ash
vs.:ls ment for a nursery governess, no less than aOO
at.. ,es were sent; to another, offering a salary of £2O
a oils there were 500 answers. Salaries lower than
tl it's: given to housemaids are common; and it is stated
ti ituations offering more than £5O are the prizes of
, j :ofession, but are generally such as to compel !
etti,ots outlay in dram and personal expenditure.
GI, is aoil women at first found fairly paiil employment
in c tslegraph companies; but the immense numbers
of aoplicants for the situations has had the nature
s,sct of lowering the pay to a few shillings a week.
facts as these are in themselves a sufficient
an' • per to those who eomplain of women seeking em-
ploornent at low terms. They are obliged to do so,
the competition being so great. Many of us, too, are very
apt to complain of women taking employment which
leuisht to be engaged in by men. But there is a good
deal to be said on the other side. Men are largely
onoatted in occupations for which women are pe-
er:l:slay suited. The authoress of the present
pamphlet shows that 611,000 men are engaged in lett-
ne •sis immediately connected with wemen's dress
that there are SOD men milliners and dreesmakers (I)
880 stay and corset-makers, and 1,165 laundrymen and
washermen ! This is a fair set-off against the fact so
eft', cried out against that men usurp the place of
es in behind the drapers' counters. It is a great
'lit tit for tat is not played in employing girls as
s sat dining-moms, hotels, tee. For the ordinary
oreom, the " neat-handeil Phyllis" would be far
ssceptable to the generality of customers than
t- prnsent waiters. But, then, what would the
w. iters ? The whole subject bristles with lift'
entities, In my humble opinion, the assisted emigre-
ti. ef women ins the best remedy for the present dearth
of female emplayment. As far as it hen yet been tried
it los oacceeiled admirably, and benefitted both colonies
an I leather country; hut it has never yet been tried
en a s ifficiently arse scale.
I assisted, almost as a matter of solute, at the
Handel Festival, and on the two oecamione when I was
there the Crystal Palace presented as charming a
it • se: le ea ever it did, and that is saying a great deal.
f' hard to decide whether the eye or the ear
o 1, ge gratified. The spectacle was certainly
.1° most beautiful of the kind that was ever
jocomtod. In itseifs as • •si it
-re, the Palace in beautiful, . ,00lith of
flowers it is pecaliarly charming; hut, added to the
f • :s, shrubbery, r h statues, and the thousand and
e' • elite of the pi ce, there were the bright rainbow
. Lie ladies dresses, and the compact rows of
s. • .•I people. Seen from the Preen gallery, the
11. ,ileStrS was a splendid eight. At the foot of
it 1, act'. inning parterre of flowers; the instrumentalists
are toassol in front, and behind them the vocalists—
tla " dressed in light, elegant summer dresses,
r •ntlemen largely indulging in white waist-
• . 1 the beautifully decorated organ forms the
bac,. so otiol, while the statuary, ornamentation, and
eolouring of the orchestra itself adds tin the general
effect. On the whole, I think, Handets music was
nevermore effectively rendered, and such grand rompo-
siti,,,aasithe "Hallelujah" and "Ainen" chorusees were
evioi severing in their grandeur. I lope to hear that
the Handel Festival has brought a large return for the
lavish isitlay that bee been made for it; for, as far as I
not.ceil, nettling that the. directors could do to corn-
wail- ! success wee wanting.
I have to-day had a capital dinner off mutton-ham.
Thot fact is not in itself, perhaps, so important as the
fali of an empire or the death of an European
sos,sTsign ; but the smallest fact is of time little im-
eortance. Why cannot Australia send its mutton-
heats ° that Is the question that is suggested. And
why cannot None parts of South American beef be
surd in something the same way? 'the supply of
fon.l t, 0111. own country is always an interesting subject,
and just now it excites unusual attention, in account
ef the Foreign Cattle Market ItilL Whether this
measure would preserve us from diseased meat is
doubtful, but that it would raise the price of meat is
pretty certain. if this bill be iiamed, all foreign
settle is to be slaughtere,l u arrival at the ports of
entry. For the metropolis, the cattle must be killed at
I)(o:elitism, a few miles down the river. Thee* who
have staid great attention te this subject say that
discos, a .11 not thee he prevented from spreading.
D. n's, there are twit eicho to the question ; but an
alat:,,n of arspopiente pre and con leade te the
sous: I n th, oven Hit does thee to some teoliteata it