The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-05-30 00:00:00

the century, no doubt the *on at this day would be
frying his bacon to hitters, and evaporating the essence
of his vegetables at the highest pressure of an English
pot.
As the system of foreign Cookery is thoroughly
rational at its foundation, it comes in usefully
everywhere, and a .lapta itself to the needs of all
Classes. Tiw British soldier, for example, does not
know what ti make of a pound of raw meat when
it is served out to hiuu. His natural idea is to stick
it on the point of a bayonet awl burn it at the blaze
of the bonfire he hex kindled in the open air, to
Noir it it in the glowing outliers, or to boil it as
quickly as possible in his camp kettle. The French-
man, on the contrary, is at home with it at once!:
he hair only to •i,ractise the Cookery and the self-
restraint he has been familiar with from boyhood. He
puts it away in his kettle by the fire and waits with
patience ; and if the sheep or ox has been newly slain
after being goaded along for days in the rear of the
columns, nothing but patience will make the flesh
palatable. His cumrades to botanizing in the fields
and the hedgerows in search of wild herbs they were
wont to mice in their fathers' cottages—weeds that the
British peasant•would turn up his nose at. The result is
that sooner or later the Frenchman has a tolerably com-
fortable and nutritious meal. So it is in somewhat
higher spheres. Sir gild you hire an old chateau in
France or a country villa in Italy and look into the
details of your accommodation, you are likely to be
greatly dim ;listed with the arrangements of the kitchen.
Instead of the ingenious but complicated ranges you
have been accustomed to, you see something that looks
as if it had been borrowed for the term of your
, occupancy from the Museum of the Hotel Cluny. Yet,
! as you are agreably surprised to find, you have no
cause to complain of the dinners that are served you,
the rook beginning the day's cookery betimes, after
having done the marketing, in person ; and dear as fuel
is, and although your kitchen fire is perpetually
smouldering, your bill for fuel, if you are not robbed,
is a trifle. . .

with freedom of contract between landlords and purpose which no menaces could daunt -ancl—nn—
persons the value of whose occupations was force could overcome, and a wary, supple, pene-
under £5O a year, on the ground that Uwe were so trating patience that defied all machinatians and
ignorant and dependent as not to be aide to take intrigues of insidious aggressors, it is difficult to
care of themselves; but he did not think that was the imagine that this consummate diplomatist and deter-
way to treat English agriculturists. (Hear, hear.) mined statesman was the author of those " Thoughts
A, a body of men they were quite as intelligent and on Different Subjects" which a COMMOR worldly
capable of taking care of themselves Cs any wisdom might reproach with their almost excessive
other class of the community ; and by the 12th claim, opthnism. Mans-of them, it is true, are Lacked with
of the kill be slid not knew whieh side was the most a piercing wit and is most subtly humorous observe-
insulted— whether the landlord or tenant. It appeared thin ; but from first to last there is not a bitter line,
to be framed upon the principle that either the hind- not a our w ord, or a cynical suggestion. These
lord would cheat if he could, or that the tenaht was such scattered thonghts are a perfect manual of discretion
a fool that he had not the power if the landlord put and discernment in tih, practical affairs .4 life, the
his band in his pocket to prevent him from robbing essence of a wide and rare experience of mm and
him. He knew Gm House of Commons pretty well, : things; but, above all, they are a perfect manual of
and he was convinced that anything in the shape of counsels of charity and goodwill, 01 the most generous
this 12th clause in a compensation bill as between constructions and interpretations of motive and duty,
landlords and tenants had no more chance of passing teaching at every turn reciprocal forbearance, and
than there was of flying over the moon. If that clause breathing a moral atmosphere of honesty, and
were removed there would he little difficulty in passing , honour, and high-minded philosophy, that strengthens
a bill. Generally, the opinion of the House of I ',nutuons 1 and exalts the conscience. Never, perhaps!, wane wit
was in favour •,f compensation to farmers for unex- 60 mordant and incisive, so free from any taint of met-
hausted improvements, but if that clause were insisted bity, and so incapable of cruelty. M. Van de Weyer's
urn it was a rock upon which legislation in this 1 sense of humour was ioexhaustible, and he indulged it
direction would be certain to stumble, freely, yet without ever inflicting a wound. Sydney.
Smith loved him for his wit, and still more became it
was a wit that, like the aim in Prospero's island, gave
THE FOOT-AND-MOUTH DISEASE. delight and hurt not. The departed statesman was
from his earliest entrance into public life the devoted
The Pall Mail Gazette remarks :-- lover of letters and philosophy, who had gained the
The foot-and-mouth disease has again broken out in
1 prizes at the University- of Louvain, and won the
Cheshire, and at the meeting of the
respect and affection of the most famous Pr femurs of
Cleshire Chamber
the time, whether in the Netherlands! or in France, in
of Agriculture on Saturday the chairman, in calling
16the chairs of Literature and Moral Science, Letters
attention to the fact, stated that the disease was
and Philosophy were his first and his last love—the
spreading through the county, and, though the
th
local authoritim had formerly some power to control it joy of his you , and the refuge and consolation of his
by supervision and inspection, that power was now re- declining years. The last of a race of great BE3W:ilea
moved by the withdrawal in August last of the Orders ^losrcod wolf Off' most liftifoate of two
in CounciL Cheshire, as the chairman pointed out, is i Royal families and two dynasties, engaged as ati inter-
ni a different position to most other counties with mediary in the vomit considerable transactions, the
regard to this matter, as it is Aunt, hi one or two large trusted agent Id a King !mom-fled for his sagacity in
ports by which cattle from Ireland enter the country. the roost delicate and difficult affairs, he was,
As the law at present stands, the only. power which nevertheless, from the prime !if his busiest days to his
the local authority possesses is that of imposing fines last moment the thinker, the philosopher, the student,
for actually exposing, either in fairs or markets, or in the man of letters, the scholar, and the book collector
travelling upon the road, animals affected with disease, even more than the Minister of State; or rather, he
The Council of the Chamber urge that it in desirable never allowed public cares tst banish him from the
that this power of control, which was taken from the • beloved silence of his library. Until his very Eat ill'
local authority last year, should be in some measure ness he was a pmsionate bibliophilist, and many of him
return to it. It was resolved to address a memorial most precious and happy moments were spent, no
to the Privy Council asking them to restore such doubt, in discussing the treasures and curiosities of
power to the local authority as will enable some con- the literature of all ages and all countries with his
trot to be exercised over the movement of cattle corn- faithful and attached friend M. Octave Delepierre, in
hug in contact with diseased animals, and to inspect whom he found an ever congeniel explorer of the
lairs and other places adjacent to or connected with secreter paths of bookish lore. It was pleasant to note
markets Cr fairs, the glance of fondness with which he would survey Ids
crowded shelves. It seems but the other day that he was
meditating the construction of a new library at New
Lodge, in which his collections might at last find space,
and light, and room for a most careful classification.
according to.nationality and subjects. DM design he