The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-04-06 00:00:00

EPITOME OF NEWSS

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.

The London Mirror of last week records five anony-
mous donations of £l,OOO each to metropolitan charities.
One of the inest interesting events in a nation's
history was celebrated by the Dutch on Monday—the ter-
centenary of its independence.
Six hundred joiners struck work at Leicester, on
Monday, in order to get the nine hours system, and an ad-
vance in the rate of sages of one halfpenny per hour.
Twenty-five years ago San Francisco contained only
100 inhabitants. it has much deteriorated since them
Nearly half a million persons attended the Paris
churches on Easter Sunday. It is stated the health of Paris
is bad, the result, it is supposed, of defective draining.
A frigate, with a large batch of Communist con-
victs, leaves for New Caledonia on Sattirday. It is stated
that Henri Rochefort and Assi are among them.
Tine Home Secretary has directed an official inquiry
into the circumstances attending the Bolton riots of Nov-
ember last, when a man WU killed on the occasion of Sir
Charles Dukes visit to that town.
Shocks of earthquake have been spread over two
days in South California. Thirty persons were killed and a
hundred injured in one hamlet, whilst numerous casualties
are raported in others.
The way a Colorado lover expressed admiration for
his fair She's a peeler, she is. She killed bear when
she seas fifteen, and a Digger Indian when she ass eighteen,
and now she'll %hip her weight in wildcats."
Prince Oileff, as soon as the Russian Easter, which
falls thirteen days later than ours, is over, will visit clennany
to settle sonic important affairs. The Ambassador s absence
from Paris will not exceed a fortnight.
Don Piatt says that Senator Conkling is a" man
of diction and contradiction," and considers it essential to
his high position that he should be, to use a homely but
expressive phrase, "a Vploftical mahogany high-poster."
About five hundreilLondon compositors struck work
on Saturday in consequence of the employers having refused
compliance with the demands of the flier, for an advance of
one halfpenny per thousand on the quantity of type net up,
and a reduction ef the hours ef labour to 54 per week.
Snowballing has led to fatal results between two
boys at Stratford. Exasperated at being struck several
times, one of the boys threw a closet at the other, which
punctured the skull and lacerated the brain. He seas COM-
mitted for trial at the Central Criminal Court.
We (Daily News) hear that the wholesale execution,
without trial, of the Kuoleas, who lately revolted under a
fanatical impulse, and upwards of 60 of whom were blown
away from guns, has been condemned by the Indian authori-
ties. We are further informed that the papers on this
painful subject will shortly be laid before Parliament.
The difference between a blunder and a mistake has
thus been defined 4—When a mean puts down a bad umbrella
and takes up a good one, he makes a mistake ; but wh, n he
puts down a good one and takes up a bad one, he makes a
blunder.
In responding to a -request for an autograph, a
literary gentleman recently wrote "You ask for my auto-
paph with a sentiment. Itly sentiment is this When a
gentleman wines to another on his own business he should
inclose a postage stamp."
A young woman of great personal attraction com-
mitted suicide on Saturday afternoon in the shop of a con-
fectioner on the Boulevard Saint-Michel, Paris, by swallow-
ing aquantity of arsenic in a glass of wine. She had been
abandoned by a young man to whom she was deeply attached.
flie body was removed to the Morgue.
The weekly account of Treasury receipts and pay-
ments shows that, while the revenue of the financial year was,
as previously stated .474 708,314, the expenditure had been
£71,490,0 o—thus presenting an actual surplus of rather more
than £3,200,000.
At the resumed sitting of the Bolton Co-operative
Congress papers were read on the Prevention of Fraud, and
an animated discussion followed, the gist of which was that,
In addition to an ellen lit checking system, notices for
honesty should be held out to servauts bi the payment of
bonuses. _

Ada-ices from the Cape speak somewhat disparag-
ingly ot the diamond fields and reported gold discoveries.
Failures have been frequent, and hoaxes not a few. The
discovery of any more rich fields was considered Improbable.
Lyons was the scene of an attempted assassination
on Tuesday. The intended victim was an infantry officer,
who, being forced to use his sword in self-defence, killed
one ,d his assAilants in the scuttle. The affair is being in-
vestigated by the civic authorities.
Mr. William Sheepshanks, a merchant prince of
Leeds, expired at Harrogate on Sunday, in his S,Sth year. Ho
bad built and endowed several schools and churches, and
was brother of the late Mr. Sheepshanks who presented to
the nation the celebrated collection of paintings now in the
Kensington Gallery.
A very daring act of brigandage has been committed
In Spain. The Andllusian train, on its way to Madrid, was
brought to a standstill by the rails having been torn up,
when it was attacked by a band of brigands, and plundered
of X3,l.101) and other booty, and three persona who ventured
on resistance were wounded. The rubbers appear to have
escaped. . .

An American critic says, "The dog Grimaldi, whose
clown-like performances in The Black Crook excite so much
merriment, Is the most wonderfully trained animal we have
ever seen upon the stage, and the manner in which he goes
through his role suggests a sort of grim humour which it is
hard to believe he does not really possess."
One of the most interesting items of St. Petersburg
Hie will shortly cease to exist—the chorus of male voices for
the perform:wee of religions music—which was supported
entirely by the old Count Scheremet)eff. This chorus cost
him £6,000 a year to keep up, and, as he is dead, his heir de-
clines to continue the somewhat costly pleasure.
"The welcome news of the recovery of his Royal
Highness the Pance of Wales was received here with the
greatest enthusiasm. Even in this s ssentially mercantile
community the price of wool and copper was but a secondary
consideration. Addresses to the Queen and to the Princess
of Wales from the members of the House of Assembly, and
from the Mayor and Corporation, go home by this
Letter from dastralia.
'

A movement has been started amongst the farm la-
bourers in the West of Scotland for an increase of wages, and
a reduction of hours. Married men now receive 18s. per
week and free house ; they desire tl a week. They work
fourteen and sixteen hours a day ; they wish eieven hours,
stopping on Saturdays at tesip.m.
'The Great Northern Railway Company have sup-
plemented their concession of third-class fares by all trains
by a further concession—that the third-elass fares by all
their trains shall be Parliamentary, in Government fares.
As one consequence of this the third-class tare from Brad-
ford to Leeds will be reduced from Is. to 9,1., and at the
intermediate stations reductions will ci made hi the same
proportion.
The Australian papers give us the true account of
the shelling eta native village by her Majesty's ship Ronario.
It appears that the Routrio visited the island where Bishop
Matteson was murdered, and as the boats attempted to land
they were tired on, and one seaman killed and another
wounded. It was then that the Boxario shelled a native
village, and killed nearly 30 of the inhabitants.
The death of the Rev. F. D. Maurice, from an attack
of pleurisy, is announced. He was in his 7oth year Mr.
Maurice was one of the most brilliant ',leachers of the so-
called " Broad" school, and retired from his professorship
at K ing's College some years ago, when his views on the
ettrnity of future punishments were challenged.
"Sisters—You are foolishly alarmed, and acting
heartlessly. Surely you eau send a line or a message to me,
to ease my mind and to let me know how much is really
known and who is at the bottom of all the mischief, and
what my wife really means and wishes as to the future. Try
to obtain Monday's local paper, or send me address of post-
office where I can forward it, so that you may see It. Will
stilt trust. You are trying my patience cruelly and most un-
deservedly."—Advertisement in The Times.
A dernure-looking chap in Connecticut hailed a
driver of a perambulating shop with the query, "Have you
get anything to sell in your waggon?" "Yes, sir," said the
expectant driver, stopping his horses. " That's right," ob-
served the questioner, with an approving nod " always tell
the truth. and people will respect you." lie hurried 611,
as the pedlar was getting out of the waggon to look for a
brick.

Mr. John Knight, a farmer, residing at Chorlton-
eum-fiardy, died on Hood Friday, from hydrophobia. the de-
ceased was bitten by a dog on the 3rd of January. He was
promptly atteieled to by a medical man, and the wound
subsequently appeared to have healed. 11, however, re-
opened on Monday, and the sufferer continued growing worse
until his death.
A tribute was paid by the London coroner to the
diseretiou of the police, as intlnenced by the public press,
in the case of a woman who poisoned herself with an over-
doe et paregoric to correct the effects of tot quarterus of
rum taken over night. She was removed from the Police-
station to the hospital, where, notwithstanding the appli-
cation of proper remedies, she died. The jury found she
died from the effects of opium, which, however, was not
taken for the purpose of causing death.
The trial of the Paris Figaro for a libel of General
Trochu was brought to a conclusion on Tuesday by the jury
acquitting M. Villesnessant and 31. Vito of the principal
charges of libel, but convicting them of ii,mlthig a public
functionary. The two defendants were tie:reopen s.entenced
each to a fine of 3,000 francs and One month's imprisonment.
On Monjay evening the position of the agricultural
labourer was incidentally discussed at the monthly meeting
of the Farmers' Club, which took place at the Salisbury Hotel,
London. The general tenor of the observation. made WM to
the effect that there were two ablest° this as well as to every
other question, and that while the labourer complained of
his weekly wages, it might to be remembered that he WY not
discharged from his employment miring the winter, when
the work of the agriculturist was almost completely at a
, atandetill.
In bidding good-bye to the Deputies on the adjourn-
ment tf the Assembly for the recess, the President of the
Republic spoke with some confidence on the position of
affairs in France, as fulfilling national associations and the
legitimate demands of Europe. The reorganisation of the
army could be regarded as a matinee by no other Power.
This was said in public •, in private M. Titters was mere epi
grannuatic. "I hope," he said, "tomcat the Deputies will
come back less Republican, some less Monarchical, and all
more French"
. . . . .

A Special Correspondent, writing on Tuesday MOM-
log front Rotterdam. gives a full account of the patriotic
fC•irs which have just taken place in that city. From literally
every house, even in the merest bye-streets the national
banner was displayed. Every ship was dressed ill colours,
while every One of the population—Mali, women, and child
—wore some orange ornament. The procession consisted
of rather more than than three thousand persons, moat of
whom were in picturesque costume. Unfortnnat,iy, the
Mattehits were somewhat marred by the rain, winch tell
throughout the greater part of the day. At night the illumi-
nations wele as geuerid as the flag display had been, tool
there was not a house In the main thoroughfares that had
not its dozen wax candles tastefully arrangen so the window&
Ate bazaar held at Tunstall, on Monday, Mr. Mellyi
M.P., r Stoke-on-Trent, declared that the only true and the
hest isolation of oar educational diffionlty lay in voluntary
labour. Ile WY sure that ha should carry °miasma,e sym-
pathy with him when he said that the future Christian educa-
tion was in the hands of laymen, clergymen, and minister!
' of true Christianity, and rested entirely on voluntary
teaching in Sunday schools. More especially on the part of
Christian women there might appear to be religious dial-
cattle' in the way; but if I was net for parson and for
theologians there would be seen to be only differences ot
church discipline. Those conditions of religious education
were already to • great extent supplied by the 40,000 Sunday
school teachers connected with the Primitive Methodist
body and further efforts In the seise direction by other
Churches would solve every diScalty connected with the
=notion AA