The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-01-01 00:00:00

THE IRON TRADE.

WOLVERHAMPTON, Wednesday.

A. f'.‘v of the works rcstirted after the lylidays
lost night, but certain others will remain clused
till to-night, and more still will not begin again,
excepting here and there a separate mil, until
next-week. The works to which the later date
applies al-e mostly those where the retu:irs have
proved of more significance than had been ex-
pected. Prices remained strong this afternoon,
though but little business sv.s done. Spring
iroti was quoted firm, at 40s. for common,
50s. for mine, and 60s. for hydratQ. Foreign
pigs were equally firm ; some, indeed, wt.:re
nigher than a week ago. For 'I ins!t-y- Us. 61.,
, and or Stanton 50s. was asked. Finished-iron
' was equally strong. 'tolled and cast teel was a
little better enquired for, and Lander° (Siemens)
and Blaenavon (Bessemer) were both offered.
There was a prelirnivar3 discussion upon the
Xruployers Liability Bit) but general action
;eft pretty tus.,,, ale Iron masters'
AASOciatiOli, Wilo are likely to niscriss the
eraj-ct tit the ensuing annual meeting. The
tnisw and the rein are priudicing the wz,rks upon
be a' Terms. To-day the Swindon and also the
W.nlen Works of Messrs. Baldwin are stopped
through the riding of tilt, Stour- Coal was quiet.

liul:oway's Ointment and Pills are the best, the
cheapest and the most popular remedies. At all seasons
and undrr al circumstances they may be used with
safety and with the certainty of doing good. Eruptions
rishes, and all descriptions of skin diseases, sore.
ticerations, and burns are presently benefited and
U eured by these ealing, soothing, and puri-
i. wf-dicarrients. Tne Ointment robbed o tile
dWi.e ,bevk aJ tendency to iir tatiol ifte, hiweis
Cndavtrts uyeentery anti other disordcrs oi toe intes-
tines. Pimples, blotches, inflammations of the sitin,
tans.zular pains, neuralgic affections, and enlarged
giandi can be effectively overcome by using Holloway's
remedies according to the "instructions accompanying
each packet,

• 3-,ty ; previous to the next monthly meeting.
aith Istrut tOt
TOWN' OFFICERS REPORT.—The nuisances remain-
tit tiCSM.
ing from last month 11; reported during the month,.
37, total 48. Re—wed old 5, new 31, total 36, re-
DRUNKENNESS—At the Police Court, on Friday, maining 12.
the 24th ult, before Colonel Fletcher and Mr. F. NIGHT SOIL T iAL —One hundred and twenty
Evers, Andrew Mitchell N^ as charged with being tvo privies, 92 ',pits, one cess pool, belonging to
drunk and disorderly at Stourbrielge, on the 18th 227 houses have • van emptied and cleansed, and
u't. Police-sergeant Herman proved that defend- their contents removed. The slaughter houses
ant was drunk and disorderly and warred to fight a and lodging houses and bakehouses, are in good
man. He went home quietly when requeted. Illnitary condition.
Fined 2s 6d and costs.—Thomas Meredith was DR. PARSON'S REPORT.--Yun,' Committee report
charged wilt being drunk and disorderly at Wollae-
progress ; els-) Fire Report. Your Committee call
cote, on the 20th ult. Police-constable Widdows attention to fires in Market Street and High Street.
proved the offence and defendant was fined 2s 6d and I On the motion of the Chairman the report was
costs; in default 7 days. , received.
CAUTION TO CARTZRS. WilliamLippett, a The Chairman proposed that Mr. Wall do take a
youth, vta4 summoned for not being in such a draft plan of the town to London, se as to be in
positien as to have control ovi r his horse and time to present it to the Board. Carried.
cart on the 15th ult. Police-constable Poole, NOCK AND WILLIAMS PropEßTy.—The Chairman
stationed at Bellbroughton, said on the above date said in reference to this property a special meeting
he was at Elagley and eaw defendant, who was in had been held to consider the desirability of pur-
charge of a horse and cart, fast asleep in the cart chasing it, so as te improve the town. After it
He watched defendant for about 300 yards, A. had been discussed twelve voted for purchasing the
property and three were neutral. He afterwards
previous conviction was provt d against defendant I
for a similar offence and he was fined 5s including accompanied by Mr. Hughes, saw Mr: Oliver as to
costs. . purchasing the property. That gendeman said. he
A WIFE BEATEE.—Joseph Hill, horse nail maker, had had two offers of £5O p_ofit and one of .275.
of the Lye, was charged with assaulting and they agreed to purchase his lot and had bought his wife ,
Maria Bill, tan the 13th ult. Complainant said lots 1,2, 3, 4 and 5 for .21825. He considered they
that on the above date defendant struck her several had done well in obtaining such an important site
times and blackened her eye. Defendant was con- and
and suggested that they advertise the old material to
,
tinually assaulting her when drunk and she be sold and so make such:important alterations that
e
would not live with him. Defendant said the rows the whole of the money wmficl be refunted to the
were caused through a son. Col. Fletcher said the town. Great improVements would b made and he
Son did not give complainant the black-eye and Proposed the Commissioners purchase the property.
recommended the complainant to go back and live This was seconded by Mr. Allsop and carried with
with her husband. Complainant said she would one dissentient.
not do so. Defendant said he was willing to keep a
Messrs. Harwards, Shepherd, and Mills to the
The Chairman read a letter he had received from
good home for his wife but he would not keep his
effect that they hod been instructed by Mi.-e Hunt
,
son in idleness. Defendant was fined lOs and
costs; in default 14 days. and Miss Unwin to oppose the proposed tramway
STEALING MoNEY.—Thomas Hasicck Richards
be injurious to the r property. about to be constructed in High Street, as it would
(17), was charged with breaking into and entering I
the refreshment room at the Bell Hotel, Market A petition was also presented, signed by 27 per-
Street, Stourbridge, and stealing from the till Is 9d sons.
on the 17th ult., the property of John Dutton. Mr. Mr. Haskew_remarked that he had no doubt the
Waldron defended. Mr. John Dutton deposed: I keep Commissioners would in a few days received a more
the Bell Hotel,
.Marlict Street, Stourbridge. Upon influential signed petition in favour of it.
premises belonging to part of the hotel, there is a The Chairman also read a letter from Mr. H.
refreshment bar. There is a till in the refreshment Collis, on helialf of a client of his Mr. 14. G. Rowley
bar and that till is kept locked when the building as t an alleged encroachment of land in Bell Street,
is not being used. On Friday, the 17th December, adj:dning the Rink Referred . o the Improvement
Committee.
I saw Police-constable Madeley and in his presence
I placed some money in the till. The coins were
Is 4d in coppers and two sixpences; 13 penny pieces
and six half penny pieces. Five of the half-penny's
were new and the other was dated 1799. The half-
penny produced is the one I put in the till. I
know it by a mark I put upon it. I locked the
till but not the bar. I left Police-constable Madeley
at the back of the counter. He was between a yard-
and-a-half and two yards from the till. The
counter weuld be about four feet high.—Williarn
Madeley deposed: I am a police-constable stationed
at Saeurbricige. On the 17th December between
two and three o'clock in the afternoon, I handed to
Mr. Dutton, in the refreshment bar 2s 4d. I had
marked the coins which consisted of two sixpences;
thirteen penny pieces, and six half-penny pieces. I
had marked one of the siepences on the ear of the
Queen's head and the other on the side of the
crown. I marked the thirteen penny pieces, four
on the rim and the others in different places, some
on the head and others on the neck, and on the back
ofthe head with a cross. One was marked in the front
of the face, two under the head, at the bottom of
the coin. Some were marked on the Britannia." I
marked thejpalf. penny pieces and the old coin on
the rim. NI was dated 1799. 1 saw Mr. Dutton
put alithe coins in the till. He locked the till
and took the key away with him. I then concealed
myself behind the counter about seven or eight feet
from the till. There was a counter between the
till and myself about four feet high There was a
white curtain ou the top of the counter. About
twenty minutes past four I heard the door from the
rink to the refreshment bar unlocked and I saw the
Prisoner enter the refreshment bar. He looked all
round and then came up to the till, took a key out
of his pocket and unlocked it. He opened the till,
put his hend in twice and I heord. money "chink."
He put it in his pocket,. I could see pr: Boner
by ralsiug the curtain a little. I jumped up and
ran my face against the corner of the counter and
prisoner got away. Some time afterwards I saw
him at the rink and pointed him out to Sergeant
Jones. I brought him to the police s!etion and
&arched him in the presence of Sergeant Jon-s. 1
found in his left hand trouser pocket is 9d in
different coins, two sixpences, six penny pieces and
six half-pence, one of teem the old coin. In the
right hand trouser pocket I found a two shilling
piece, two shillings, and two penny pieces. I pro-
duce the coins found in the left hand pocket. I
marked all those tint were found in that pocket,
the two sixpences and the old coin more particularly.
None of the coins found in the right hand pockst
were marked. I did not know anything of those.
I charged the prisoner with stealing various coins
in money,;rom the till in the refreshment bar at the
Rink, the property of Mr. Dutton. He s,id "1
know nothing about it."—Sergeant Jones said. I
aue:police-sergeant;statioued at Stourtridge. About
five o'clock on Friday, he 17th December, I
went with Police-constable Madeley in search of
t
prisoner. Between ail's and seven o'clock we got to
the Rink. Madeley pointed out prisoner to me and
I went with Madeley and prisoner to the police
station. I saw prisoner searched and a quantity of
various coins were found in his left hand trouser
pocket. The old coin Madeley pointed out to me
and also the two sixpences marked.—On being
charged by Mr. King, prisoner said "Not guilty., I
will be tried here." Mr. Waldron for prisoner, said
he was the son of Mr. Richards, the hall keeper at
the Rink, who had always born a good character
for steadiness and honesty. There had not been
any charge of theft against prisoner before. Under
the Summary Jurisdiction Act, the Bench had the
power to inflict a fine instead of sending prisoner to
gaol and the Bench could inflict a fine as they
thoughtwould meet the merits of the case.—Colonel
Fletcher said they were very glad that the recent
alteration of the law would enable them to deal
with the case, as it was prisoner's first offence.
They had always been glad to avail themselves of
that instead of sending young men to prison for
their first offence, but at the same time prisoner
could not 'expect to be let off with a fine of a few
shillings and they should fine him £5 ; in default
two months imprisonment.

THEATRE ROYAL --Mr. Jennings has produced a
first-class pantomime for the holidays, entitled
"Beauty and the Beast," and his endeavour to
merit the patronage of the public has met with the
success he deserves. The pant3mine isone of the:best
ever placed before a Stourbf dge audience, both as
regards the acting and the scenery. The parts
allotted to Messrs. Steed, James, Mellon, Garratt,
Nortcn and Giddings, and Mesdames Steed, James
and Giddings were admirably sustained. Miss
Giddings and Mr. Ward, as columbine and harle-
quin, elicited loud applause from those present, and
the singing and dancing by the children was given
to perfection. The transformation scene is one of
great splendour and the whole affair is gone through
in a style of magaificerce never before witues,ed
in this town.

TEA PARTY AND ENTERTAINMENT.—A tea pirty
and entertainment took place in the Corn I...xch.eage
on Thursday eveuieg, in connectioe with St,
John's Church. The trays were given by ladies of
the congregation. A large number sit down to 'tea
after which the chair was occupied by the Rev. B,
Penley. The proceedings commenced with a duet
which was well !rendered The flute solos by
Mr. James Mathews proved as usual, a great treat
and he was heartily encored. The comic singine. of
Captain Brindley brought the house down, and he
was deservedly encored. A duet "H. \1 S. Pina'ore"
by Miss Penley and Mr. E. L. Penley was well exe-
cu ed, The reading of the Rev. L. B Penley,
was very amusing and delighted the audience. The
violin solo by Rev. C. Stockdale was well selected
and admirably performed. The glees were very
good also the part song" The Three Chafers." The
entertainment terminated by singing God save the
Queen, and the whole affair was a success.
D.auericEezerEss.—At the Police Court, yesterday,
before Col. Fletcher and Lord Lyttelton, David
Sou: hwick, of Cra iley, was charged with being
drunk on 27th ult. Police-constable Oakey proved
the case. Defendant pl-aded guilty. Fined 5s to
include costs.—Alfred Williams was charged with
being drunk on the 27th ult, and refusing to quit
the Rose and Crown Inn, Cradley, when requested.
Defendant pleaded guilty. Police-constable Oakey
proved the case. Fined 5s to include costs.—Peter
Corley was charged with being drunk In Coventry
Street, on the 22ad ult. Police constable Williams
proved the case. Fined 5s and costs.—John Caffity
was chargel with being drunk on the 196, ult.
Police-sergeant Herman proved the ens.% Police.
constable Madeley proved seven previous con-
victions. Fined 20s. and costs; in cefault one
month,
DRUNK AND REFUSING TO QUIT.—John Pearson
was charged with being disorderly and refusing to
quit the Angel Inn, Coventry Street, when reque-ted
on the 24th ult. Thoaias Pagett proved the eas
and wae supported by Police-constable Widiams.
Defendant denied being disorderly aid that it was
political feeling as he differed from t :e complainant.
He felt is position most acutely, and itihad spoiled
his Christmas. Ordered to pay costs. Thomas
Meredith, John Smith. and Joshua Taylor were
charged with being disorderly, on the 27th ult, and
refusing to quit the Rose and Crown. James
Green proved the case. Fined 5s each, to include
ousts.

BREACH OE TILE PEACE.—John Thomas Wool-
dridge and Emmanuel Hart were charged with
committing a breach of the peace by fighting in
Birmingham Street, on the night of the 28th ult.
Police sergelnt Herman proved two previous con-
victions against Hart, who was bound over himself
in £lO and a surety in £5 to keep the peace for six
months. Wooldridge was also bound over,

CAUTION TO CARTERS. - George— Mal Pass was
charged with causing an obstruction at Wollaston,
on the 28th, by leaving his horse and cart in the
road fr 45 minutes. Police-coustabl, Cartwright
proved the case. Pleaded guilty. Ordered to pay
costs, 6s 6d.

A VIOLENT CRatAcixa.—Michael Ready, an old
offender, was charged with being diunk and refusing
to quit the Bridge Inn when requested, on the 26th
July; further charged with breaking 3 glasses and 3
jugs, value 2s; further charged witti assaulting
Charlotte Foxhall, on the 28th July; further charged
with being drunk and refusing to quit the Free-
mason's Arms, on the 27th nit; he was also charged
with asstalting Police-sergeant Herman on the
27th ult, wale in the execution of his duty. All
the cases welt:, clearly proved. The defence was
that he was drunk on each occasion. Policer-con-
s able Madeley proved five previous convictions.
For the first offence, defendant was fined lOs and
costs ; in default 14 days ; for the second offence,
a similar fine; for the third offence, ordered to pay
2s the value of the gat.ss and the jugs ; in default 7
days ; for the assault of Charlotte Foxhall, one
month hard labour; and for the as,ault on Police-
sergeant Herman, defendant was sentenced to one
month hard labour.

ASSAULTS.—GIeorge Smith, of the Lye, was
charged with assaulting Joseph Jones, also of the
Lye, on the 28th ult.---:Complainant said that on
the day in question, he was passing the defendant's
house, and had a dog with him. His dog and de-
fendant's dog began to fight, and whilst he was in
the act of partirg them, defendant came out of his
house and stuck him. Wisdom Cattwright,
Major Cartwright, and William _Dudley gave corro-
borative evidence.—Josivh Jones was then charged
with assaulting George Smit'l. George Smith said
that when Jones came up, the dogs were paned,
and because he (witness) gave his i.tog a kick he
struck him several times. i-:e (witness) only gave
Joni s a push. Elizabeth Smith also gave, similar
evidence.—lsoth summonses were disinissed.—Eli
Baggot, of the Lye, was charged with assaulting
Emma Westwood, of the same place. Defendant,
who pleaded guilty was fined 40s. and costs, with
the alternative of one month's hard labour.

PIORON STEALMl.—Freclerick Kendrick (15)
and Henry Gardener (13) were charged with stealing
two pigeons, on the 3rd November, the property
of William Wooldridge, of the Lye. Prosecutor
identified the pigeons produced, as his property,
Martha Beasley proved that Kendrick brought the
two pigeons to her house. Sh 2 did not see Gardener,
Ormond Young proved that Le gave Kendrick
three rabbits fur the two pigeons produced. David
Roberts proved that he exchanged the pigeons with
Young. Joseph Pugh proved that he had them
from Young. Laban Bingham proved buying them
for Pugh. Police-sergeant Payne proved appre-
hending the pis ners. Kendrick admitted stealing
them. Kendrick was fined ss. and Gardener die-
mi,sed.
BOARD OF GIJARDIANS.—TII6 w a)lily meeting,
of this Board was held yesterday. Mr. Raybould
the chair. There were also present Messrs.
Haskew, Hale, Lavender, Kelly, Taylor, homer,
Hingley and Newnan]. Admitted into the
house during the week 19 ; discharged 14;
born 0 ; dead 1 ; remaining in the house 566 ;
Corresponding period last year 516. Out-door
relief, Kiugswinford district, £36 14s sd; Stourt
bridge district £33 15s 74d ; Halesowed district
£l7 12s Od ; non-resident 48. Total £BB Os Bd.
against .t 77 Os 34d.

cAT.iiir TC601i:21,3 AT liit!ERLEY HILL.
The ahLual soirce and te., luny iu onnection
with the Iluinan Catholic Chinch and schools at
Brierley Hill, took place on Monday, in the Town
Hall there, As in previous years a large number of
persons sat down to tea. At the after proceediegs
the body of the hall and tie gallory were well fillosal

The Rev. W. Hall (St. Patrick's, Wolverhampton)
presided him on the platform beim.; the Revs T.
Whelan (Brierley Hill), J. Terry (Oldbury), E. A.
Platsier (West Bromwich), 'l', Dickeneon (Dudley),
and E. Hanley (Wolverhampton).
The Chairmanhaving at the outset made a few
remarks on education, said perhaps he might be
pe-mitted., as an lrisliman—(applause)—when e
great Irish question hid come to the front, and was
not only causiag intense interest throughout the
Emerald Isle, but was exciting interest throughout
every civilised country in Europe and even in
America—to ask them to bear with him whilst he
offer: d an apology for the agitation which at present
had embraced neva, south, east, west, every town
vi lage, and hamlet in that laud which was dear t
him as tee land of his bieth—(applause). He knew
teere we e in that audience persoes who did not be-
long to the land which he claimed as his own, and
who had no connection with that island which for
seven centuries had been united to and constituted
a p ation oi the United Kingdom; yet from his ,
knowledge of the sense of justice that pervaded
this country, and from the sense of justice which
Mas the inheritance of the English name, he would
appeal to them to be li-teners whilst he offered to
them an apology for the anxious agitation which at
present pervaded every portion of Ireland
(applause). The whole of the Press rang with this
agitation—the Tory Press denoueeed it and cried
out for the repression of it and for co?.rcion, and
said this agitation was not constitutional. But
that was what the Tory Press had ever said in
reference to every effort that Ireland had made
from the time it became a portion of the Uoited
Kingdom—of every effort she had made to remove
the grievances from which ehe suffered, to redress
the wrongs under which she laboured, and to re-
move the injustices which oppressed her and ground
I her to the very earth—(applause). It was net
necessary for him to trace the remote causes of this
agitation—(" no")—they lay in the history of tee
connection between Ireland and this country, but
he was obliged to go back to the furthest period of
that connection in order to po:nt out the remote
sources from whence the necessity for this agitation
had risen. He M ould quote from a book written
by one of Ireland's greatest, noblest, and most
devoted sons—who broke the fetters which bound
Ireland, as a Roman Catholic nation, in chains, and
who secured for the catholice of these isles that
emancipation which had given them religious free-
dom, and from who thank God, at the present time
they derived all those religious liberties which
teey enjoyecl—(applause)—he referred to the
illustrious Daniel O'Connell—(applause) whose
name was held in reverent respect by every Irish-
man, no matter in what land or climate he fixed
his abode, and whose services were held dear by
that Church which Christ built on a rock, and
against whtch He declared the gates of hell should
not prevail. O'Donnell in his "Memoir on Ireland,"
(between the years 1692 and 1778), said "the Irish
in every respect performed with scrupulous
accuracy the stipulations on their part of the Treaty
of Limerick. That treaty was totally violated by
the British Government the moment it was per-
fectly safe to violate it. That violation was pr-
petrated by the enactment of a code of the most
dexterous but atrocious iniquity that ever stained
the annals of legislation." Continuing to quote
from the book mentioned. the chairman went on to
give instances of the " barbarity " with which the
treaty of Limerick was violated. First, under the
head of " property," he quoted a clause which
stated that " if the eldest son of a Catholic &Vier
at any age, however young, declared himself a
Protestaut, he thereby made his father the mere
tenant for life of his property, deprived the father
of all power to sell or dispose of his estate, and such
Protestant son became entitled to the absolute
dominion and ownership of the estate. Thus the
eldest son was encouraged, and, indeed, brae d by
the law to rebel against his father—(" Shame ").
If any Catholic purchased for money any estate in
land any Protestant was empowered by law to take
away that estate from the Catle die, and to enjoy
it, without paying one shilling of purchase money
—(" Shame"). if any Catholic get an estate in
land by marriage, by the gift, or by the will of a
relation or friend, any Protestaitt could, by
take the estate from the Catholic and enjoy it him-
self—(" Shame"). After giving other instances oi
the violatiou of the treaty with regard to property,
the Chairman said he would new show what the
law had done in reference to education, and it mast
be remembered that the dates and laws referred to
were the times and laws from whence Lad come
sad crop and series of miseries that hal ca sad the
agitation which now laved throughout Ireland,
:twee people cried with a loud voice fer he redress
of their grievances—(applause). •He went on to
quote instances of the manner in which the trea y
was violated by the Legislature during the period
named with respect to Catholic education, personal
disabilities, and religion, aed remarked that the
present Irish agitation was only the natural no alt
of the evils arising from the working of the Acts of
Parliament which he had quoted. Coning to the
immediate c use of this agitation, it was to be
found, he said, in the bad harvests in Ireland du inc
the years 1878 and 1879, by which a famine was
threatened to the whole of the Irish populatien.
Men who were observant—and had an interest in
their country, and felt for the people—saw what
was coming. They raised the cry of alarm, and
told the Government the state of things that existed,
and the evil consequences that would result unless
timely measures were taken to guard against
,it.
The Tory Press at that time, as well as the land-
lords, declared that there was no necessity for
alarm, that this cry was raised by interested
parties, that it wits the result of a spirit of lawless-
ness which abided in Ireland, and of the efforts of
those whose sole occupation was agitation; and the
landlords and the Tory Press united in declaring
that there was no foundation whatever for the
statement that any serious distress was impending
over the country. They continued to make this de-
claration until the Mansion House fund and the
Duchess of Marlborough's fund were established to
relieve the wants of the people, when they were
hound to admit that there was some ground for
the statements about the distress; and it was only
through the action of those two great committees
that thousands of lives in the 'West of Ireland
were saved from perishing—(applause). 'Thou it
was that Mr. Parnell—(applause)—a name that had
been greatly abused—came to the front and placed
himself between the people and their aggressors,
told the poor farmers that it was their duty—if
they had only sufficient to provide necessaries of
life for themselves and their families through the
approaching winter, to stick to what they had;
that selt-preservation was the first law of nature,
and that only if they had over and above what was
necessary to meet essential expenses, were they to
give such surplus to the landlords—(applause)
He (the clairman) urged that no humane man
could dispute the justice of that advice the humane
nature of that advice; had it not been given and
taken the landlords would have seized on all they
could grab, and thousands of poor people
ould have been evicted, and he was
satisfied would have perished on the roadside, or in
the workhouse—(" Shame" ). It was since then
that the present movement was started, with the
object of securing a proper status for the occupiers
of the soil in Ireland ; it was since then that this
agitation for procuring for the farmers of Ireland
trie fruits of their industry and of their capital, be-
came general throughout the island, with a view to
inducing the Government to obtain from Parlia-
ment the removal of those artificial restrictions
which stood in the way of the land gutting into the
market, and whereby the tillers of the soil would
be enab:ed to secure for themselves its ownership,
and with a view to securing a system of tenant
proprietorship, which had been fraught with such
glorious results throughout every country in
Europe whereever it was established—(applause).
Mr. John Stuart Mill—(applause)—a recognised
authority on political economy, describing the state
of timings in Ireland as he saw them, said
Lauded-property in England is thus very far from
completely fulfilling the conditions which render
its existence economically justifiable. But if in-
sufficiently realised even in England, in Ireland
those coaditions are not complied with at all. With
individual exceptions (some of them very honour-
able ones), the owners of Irish estates do nothing
for the land but douin it of its produce. What hiss
ben epigrammatically said in the discussions on
peculiar burthens ' is literally true when applied
to them—that the greatest but then on land' is
time landlords. Returning nothing to the soil, they
consume its whole produces, minus the crop of
potatoes which are strictly necessary to keep the
inhabitants from dying of famine; and when they
have any purpose of improvement, the preparatory
step usually consists in not leaving even this
pittance, but turning out the people to beggary, if
not starvation. When landed property has placed
itself upon this footing it ceases to be defensible,
and the time has come for making some new arrange-
ment of the matter "—(applause). Che speaker
next quoted from M. de Sismondi to show the very
satisfactory results of peasant proprietorship in
Switzerland, and said that was what the people of
Ireland were looking for; they wanted peasant
proprieeorship, and especially they wanted land-
! lordism brought to an end—(hear, hear). They
did not want to show any injustice towards the
landlords ' • what they proposed was that the land
should be bought out, arid that they should get a
fa equivelent for what was bought tom
them ; that the State should be the puicheser
of it, and become the landlord of the present
occupiers, letting them have on easy terms for a
tam n number of years the soil they tilled, and
tit Li 'it, tiw expisation of mat period the tioit should
be m theirown. But this eves called coil muniern
and socialism, and there was a cry for coercion,
and the Government had even been called upon to
to suspend the liberties of the peoale ; had been
pre,sed by the Tories and by their organs cf the
press, to suspend the Ilabeas Corpus Act. But

BRIERLEY 8.11 .

DINNER TO AGED Pooa —On Tuesday afternoon
aLour. 501') aged and pour persons, resident in
Brierley Hid and the immediate locality were enter-
tailvd to dinner in the Town Hall, which had ,
been nea,tly decorated with bannerets arid mottos
surtal le to the occasion. The dinner was organised
by Mr. W. H. Hill, and a committee or ladies
belongin!, to the different reFgious denominations
of the Town—Church and Nonconformist--and
the guests were selected without any distinction as
to sect or. creed—Churchpeople, Dissenters and
Roman Cathdics, and any others who were foand
to be in needy cireumst daces, each reeiving a ticket
entit:ing them to a sutstantial repast. The funds
were provided by mewls of voluntary subscriptions
the total amount contributed being £27. The bid
of fare consisted of roast beef with vegetables and
bread, followed by a plum pudding and a plentiful
supply of tea. Each one present also received a
copy of so:ne periodical and a Christmas card as a
souvenir of the event. The quantity of beef con-
sumed was 4501b5., potatoes, 7501b5.. and b:t ad,
1501 b.. The arrangements were well carried out
by the members of the committee, wh were
unr,:mitting in their attention to the aged guests,
all of whom seemed thoroughly to enjoy theiusdves.
After dinner there was a sowal public mee irieg
presided over by Mr. John Rawlings, and addresses
were delivered by the Revs. A. G, Ward and P.
Bliss, Messrs J. Addison, G. Bennett, D. Holt
Isaac Smith, and others. 'Lhe committee, after
defraying the expenses of the dinner, had a surplus
of funds left amounting to about £5 and with this
sum a tea for the aged people will be provided
early in the new year. -
COMMITTED FUR TRIAL.-At the Police Court, on
Wednesday, before Messrs. H. 0. Firmstone ani H.
Hall, Thomas Firms.one (40), shoemaker,
Wordsley Greeu, was brought up and charged with
stealing a military saddle and accoutremen s, of the
value of £5, the property of Thomas Guest, beer-
house keeper, also of Wordslev G:een.—The pro-
secutor kept the articles named in the charge in a
stable on his premises. Sometime during the night
of the 27th
.instant entrance to the stable was
effected by breaking off the padlock of the door. and
awl the things were stolen. The police were in •
formed of the robbery, and from something which
came to the knowledge of Police-constable Hawkins
he went to the prisoner's house and there found in
a bedroom the stolen articles with the exception of
the girth, which had not been recovered. Tha officer
then arrested the prisoner and conveyed him to the
Brierley Hill lockup.—The Bench committed him
for trial to the Sess,ons.

there were three men in the Cabinet—three of the . i—ALll]—S - OWEN,
greatest friends of Ireland that any EnglishGovero- 0
oTHALING FURNITURE —At the Halesowen Police
ment had had since the day when Ireland became Court, on Tuesday, before Messrs. E. Gem and E.
cenneefed with England—he referred to that B. Phillips, George Harris. of Romsley, was charged
illustrious statesman Mr. Gladstone—(leud applause) with stealieg a quantity of furniture, the property
—and his equally honourable, foasless, and liberty-
of Gsorge Tomkins, haycutter, of Day House Bank.
loving colic ,goes Messrs. Bright and Chambeila n Mr. Stokes appeared to prosecute. It was all,ged
—(cheers) they had eirifstood the pressure that the defendant assisted the complainant's wife
broueht to bear upon them nobly and fearlessly,
to remove a quantity of furniture, and ('onvEy it to
and,in a sprit which accorded with their bright Selly Oak, where it was afterwards found by the
and glorious care T. It had been said tl at there
i police. The prisoner was re ID and •d.
should be coercion because there had been certain
outrage Ireland, because there had been
outr tees on cattle, and bee tuse there had h en a
sacrifice of life. He thanked his audience for the
patience they had sho xis in listening to him wi.ilst
he pleaded, as an Lishman, for his country, whics
had been for so many cen,uries under the iron heel
of despotism but he would ask for a continuance.
of their patience a little longer whilst he quote()
from an auth erity beyond dispute to s'so‘v that if
Ireland, because; certain outrages lad been there
cammit-ed, ought to have hr liber y suspended ;
England, a hundred times more, ought to Lave her
liberties taken from her—(apelauss). He would
quote from the report of the Society for the Pro-
tection of Animals against Cruelty. Sir Charles
Mike said, in a speech recently delivered, that he
was very sorry to think there ei as reason to believe
that the Government would be forced to intrduee
certain measures of repression because there had
been outrages on animals in Ireland, 43 in number.
and that because of those 43 outrages the liberties
of five millions of people ought to be suspended.
Now let them look how many outrages there had
been in England. The report of the society ref..rred
ti showed Lhat during the year 1876 there were
altogether 2,468 convictions for cruelty to animals,
and of these no less than 253 were for cruelty to
horses. In the same report the manager of the
London General Omnibus Company aeknowleds el
that of 8,000 horses employed by the company three
out of every five had to be sold to the knacker-,
and two out of every five were sold to agrieeilturlsts
after 54 mouths work. This dreadful fact (said
the report) justly eunuch envolved agony of a
terrible intensity. In the year. 1877 there were
2,726 convictions ; no less than 2,142 for eruelty to
horses, 121 again3t the faithful animal the dog, and
65 against the cat. in 1878 the total number of
convictions was 3,533 ; 2,123 being for cruelty to
horses." In the face of these facts, said the chair-
man, was it not surprising and astonishing that
such a shrewd observer as Sir Charles Dike should
say because there were 43 outrages perprtrated on
animals in lreland that therefore the liberties of the
people should be suspended, and laws of repression
introducd ? He (tne chairman) in conclusion
asked his audience to use their influence, whenever
they went, in support of " justice- to Ireland."
Ireland looked for no exceptional legislation. but
simply for justice—(he er, hear)—an I his illustrious
colleagues—Mr. Bright and Mr. Chamberlain—
(applause) could succeed in do sg justice to
Ireland, a me,esure of agricnaural rel.orm would be
introduced that would remove the heavy grievance
which for so many centuries had pte4se 1 upon the
removal of 'these grievances would be given to that
island, in the future, that happine s, peace, and
prosperity .to Which she had hitherto been a stranger
—(applauee).
The Rev. E. A. Platsier, in proposing a vote of
thanks to the chairman, ssid there was a great deal
of ignorance shown upon the Irish question,
especially in the English newspapers. Ile believed
many of the English papers were bought by the
landlords to represent the views of the landlords
and therefore many of the outrages they read of
were considerably magnified, or at least described iu
such a way that they looked very abominable in the
eyes of the English readers. He believed that a
great nu tnber of the outras.es reported by the English
papers as having occurred in Ireland and never
happened at all—(hear, hear).
The vote of thanks haying ben acknowledged by
Father Hall, a concert and entertainment was given
by ladies and gentlemen in connection wi,h the
church.

HAGLEY.

STOCK SALE —The last wile of the present year
was held on Monday. There was a small supply
of.wock, probably owing in some measure t3t Fe
weather, saow having fallen heavily during the
night, which made travelling diffi, ult. There was
a moderate attendance Mutton was rather better
sold. Beef made late rates. The sales will now
bu continued weekly to the end of July.