The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-03-23 00:00:00

Our yonbon gorresponbent,
(We deem It right to state that we Mit not at all times
mammy °ionises with 01.11. tiontespondems opieatins
Although the reply of the United States Government
te hoed Granville' note has not, for State reasons,
been published, the main purport of it is pretty well
known. At present, the negotiations arising out
of this unfortunate treaty have not effected any
practical advance to a pacific solution of the ilitlicul-
ties in abryance, but that this solution will come
sooner or later is almost a certainty. The people of
America and of Great Britain, as well as the respec-
tive Grovernments, are equally desirous of maintaining
peace, and on this one great fact our hopes of a peace
ful settlement of the dispute depend. Meanwhile
commercial affairs are seunsettled by uncertainty that
your correspondent for one earnestly wishes that Lord
Granville and Mr. Fish would negotiate by Atlantic
cable. What time this would save!

Parliament has not done very much this session as
yet, but her Majesty's faithful Commons are beginning
to want their holidays. Mr. Gladstone thinks it
will be practicable to give hon. members twenty-one
days at Easter and Whitsuntide together. Very likely,
and possibly just as much work will be found to
be done at the end of the session, as though the Easter
find Whitstm holidays were curtailed. But, neverthe-
less, it is certain that the House is not equal to the im-
mense amount of work that each succeeding session
beings, as was conclusi;rely shown during two recent
debates. Members who conscientiously devote them-
selves to their Parliamentary duties find that every
session the work becomes more and more laborious,
and it is Lot surprising, therefore, that it has just been
proposed in the Mouse of Commons, that no fresh
opposed business be proceeded with after half-an-
hour past midnight. "It is not in human nature,'
says Mr. Gladstone in opposition to this proposal, "to
wish to remain in the House till two or three -,'clock
in the morning ;" and, accordingly, the Premier has sug-
wilted a plan which, the House having adopted it, will
tend to shorten the sittings. This is a gain so far, but
it is evident that something is still required to be done
either to fkilltate the dispatch of parliamentary
business, or to have more time devoted to it. The
latter alternative hon. gentlemen are never likely to
agree to, and so we may congratulate ourselves on the
former having been approved of.
The Army reopoinistation scheme, proposed by Mr.
Cardwell, and which seems likely to be in the main
adopted, undoubtedly has some good points and some
bad ones—that is a statement to which almost every
one would assent, the only difference being as to the
relative amount of good and bad. This I shall not
canvas, but there is on. part of the Government
scheme which I think will, on attempting to carry it
but, cause more opposition than the originator of the ,
ieheme ever thought of; I allude to the creation of 68
" centres "or barracks. It is universally admit,
that the contiguity of barracks is by no means der:treble,
and there are already indications that the 'mhabitants
of districts where it is threatened to '..stablish centres
will make this fact unmistakeably known.
I should say that most people's minds are made up
about the Rat —for or against, as the ease may be—
and that people gonerrdly are becoming rather weary
of it. It is therefore consolatory to learn, on high
authority from more than one quarter, that the House
of Lords will in all probability this session accept the
proposal that voting shall be by ballot, and that thus
we shall at last c-et rid of this long-vexed question.
The well-wishers of France must watch with
anxiety the terrible &sandal difficulties that now
afflict her. 31. Thiers has stated that 140 millions of
francs are still wanted to balance the budget, and the
taxation lie consequently seeks to impose on the
testintry is tremendous. The Government proposes to
obtain fifty-one millions on textile fabrics, and sixty
Millions by taxes on raw material. This is a serious
matter even for sourselves, anti taken in conjunction
with what is called the denunciation of the French
treaty of commerce, we are placed ma very awkward
- -. . .

poeition. "The Government of M. Thiers," it is
stated, ^ are now levying upon goods imported into
France in English and American ships much heavier
duties than are charged to the majority of other
Powers, and they deny their liability under the treaty,
of 1860 to give us a position equal to that of the
most favoured nation." This is creating a very
unpleasant feeling on the part of our commercial
community towards France—a feeling, by the way
which strongly contrasts with that which dictated
English succour to the distressed French during the
war. And as toFrance herself, her Government seems
to be pursuing a suicidal policy to enable her to nurture
her revtrge against Germany. For example, it is said
that the Freneh Minister of War will demand a vote
of 2eo millions of francs—eight millions sterling !—for
engineering works, chiefly for the construction of forts.
Poor France! she appears to have fallenon evil times,
and her immediate future is dark and cloudy !
The system of boarding out pauper children has not
received half the attention it deserves. It has been
tried to omy a small extent, and, naturally enough, it
has not succeeded in every case, but it has in the large
majority of cases. The last attempt of the kind to '
which public attention is drawn has proved eminently
successfuL One of our unions some time since
placed 115 orphans and foundlings with working people,
labourers, &ea in the country, and the condition of
these children having been carefully and officially
inquired into, it is found that on the whole it is
highly satisfactory. Would it not be well for the
guardians of the poor throughout the country to give
this system a trial? It bids fair to lessen the
aggregation of paupers in our workhouses, to provide
boy and girl labour where it is required, and to im-
prove the health and morals of the juvenile pauper.
h all that nothing? And as to the expense, it is
lees than keeping children in the workhouse.
Some evidence, just given before a committee of the
House of Commons ought to furnish a warning against
the first giving way to a passion for intoxicating
drink—a passion that is productive of frightful and
innuMerable evils if once it is allowed to gain
the mastery. It is stated that about 15 per cent, of
lunatics in the Manchester Royal Asylum are cured,
but only about 7 per cent, of dipsomaniacs, or persons
who are afflicted with the mania for drink. It is then
twice as difficult to cure this mania as it is
to cure mania from other causes. This small per-
centage is certainly not very encouraging to those who
advocate the establishment of asylums for the
habitually intemperate. And lam afraid that if we
had asylums for this class, the institutions would have
to be very large and very numerous !
The 'University boat-race this yeas excites cer-
tainly not less interest than usual, as evidenced by the
conversation one may hear anywhere and by the extent
to which ladies don something or other of a dark or
light blue, according as they favour Oxford or Cam-
bridge, or mayhap according as the dark or light shade
suits hair and complexion; as also by the blue ties
which gentlemen now adopt. Every year this great
contest for the "blue riband of the Thames"
creates as much interest as any public topic
of the time. Parliament will of course stand ad-
journed on the day of the race, being Saturday, but
were it to take place on any other day of the week I
should not be at all surprised at an effort being made
to oliain an adjournment. As it is, most of our legis-
Wins so large a proportion of whom hiving been
educated at one or other of the Universities, naturally
feel the honour of Alma Mater at stake—will manage
to see the annual display of skill and pluck, and if the
day be but fine, the banks will be lined with spectators
of all classes. The interest in this race is healthy, just
beenuse tke contest is thoroughly genuine, and purely
for the honour ef the thing. Long may it remain so.
As there are many people who come but seldom to
London, it is easy to imagine the puzelement of the
stranger who, not having visited the Metropolis, say
for ten years, rambles about the neighbourhood of the 1
Holborn Viaduct, trying to identify the neighbour-
hood with what it was when he last MON it, and he will
also he surprised that so large a quantity of land in the
locality still reins ins unlet. This source of surprise is not
likely to last sine longer, and if our friend the stranger
goes house to Blankshire and two or three years hence
again rambles about the neighbourhood of the Holborn
Viaduct, once again he will be unable to recognize it.
Another great change is about to be effected. The
London, Chatham, and Dover Railway have gem-
menced the works for their new station on the Holborn
Viaduct. This station, which will cost some £70,000,
will be the city terminus of the line, and as running
powers will be given to other railway companies, the
traffic to and from this great central terminus will be
immense. Of course this will involve a great demand
for building land adjacent, and already arrangements
have been made to build A large, commodious, terminus
hotel, at the cost of LlO,OOO. In a word, this part of
London is now entering on a course of vast improve-
ment, and in a few years' time it will become one of
the moat important business localities in the whole
metropolis.

CHICAGO RzcoVritirto !—A Chicago letter in
the New York Times mays :—We are showing our
gratitude to a liberal world by supporting 2.000 saloons
—the police report I,6B7—five theatres, and still
further to exhibit our poverty and need of assistance
from abroad, we are told that plans are being drawn
for a 44900 dollar opera house. So you see we intend
to
.kee‘i up.with the " civilization of the age," notwith-
standing the great destruction which came upon us last
October. But I would not have you suppose that all
our energies and resources are expended on these
panderings to the vicious elements of society. The
support of 2,000 saloons at 5,000 dollars each only costs
10,000,000 dollars a year, and this is a mere bagatelle,
even for burned-out Chicago.