The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1873-02-15 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

HAHN:II7AT ON AYRTON.—The Daily Telegraph remarks :  ills not safe to bully Mr. A 3 rtou. That is the practical inference to be drawn from Monday night's debate in the House of Commons on the Parke Regulation Bill. The Home Secretary laid on the table some new Regulations for the use of the Parks, which cancelled Mr. Ayrtou's (=Ohl order, and thus no room was left for the motion In which Mr. 141 ands would have censured the First Commissioner of Works. Hut Mr. Vernon Harcourt felt that the House c.oula not afford to lose the Mil store of rhetoric which he had carefully prepared for that occasion so out it came. A great master of satire, the Member for Oxford kept his hand in during the recess by practising on Mr. Ayrtou and thus the First Commissioner of Works was the theme of some of the best epigrams which lighted up the dead season of the political year. He said so many clever and cutting things about the hero of the Parks Regulations that is seemed more than doubtful whether any could be left for the House f Commons : but he showed last night that use could not "stale bin Menne variety," and, in fact, he left the impression that " II arcourt on Ayrton" would be one of the best politic a sent-books of the season. The Government you asked whether it had struck out the famous rule that bathers in the Serpentine should he allowed to use no soap, and whether it would continue to employ the whole power ef its executive machinery to prevent small lads from gating for minnows in that mighty water. Mr. Ayrton was congratulated on the fa t that his Regela ti ne had won .publicity which might be envied by a popular author, since they had gone through four editions in little more than six months. He was pleroaritly reminded that he might be prosecuted for a misdemeanour by the Attornry-Oeneral because he had not obeyed an Act of Parliament which deer, ei that the Regulstions should be tail on the table of the House forthwith. And the conclusion was, that the Rules aad the Statute Book together made up an excellent book of nonsense. The satire was telling, although It fell flatly on the House because the personal attack on Mr. Ayrton was felt to be unfair ; but Mr. Harcourt bad certainly no realms to congretnlate himself on a victory when the First Commissioner of Works sat down. Ile was repaid in his own coin. The satire, if not quite to elaborate, was full of blunt force, which had the merit of being " intolligible to the meanest capecity." Mr liarcourt was roundly told that he was "pretentious," that he fancied himself to be the only wise man In the House, and that he imagined all the other members to be fools. Such wee the Frothier: arrow which Mr. Ayrtr n shot at hie foe as he est down, arid the House laughed a loud approval. Apart from the game of personalities between two very clever men, who have a remarkable talent for saying ellagreeable things, and who both practice the virtue of candour, the debate drew from Mr. Ayrtou a subitantially complete technical defence of what Ile has doers to shut Pontlnil oratory out of the Park.  Lift "DICKENS DicrioNeity."—The Graphic Oar  A work, "The Dickens Dictionary," by Gilbert A. Pierce, end published at Boston, give* the following summary of the character, portrayed by the late Charles Dickens in his novels :-Actore 17, actresses 10, actuary 1, adventurers 2, aeronaut. 2, alderman 1, amanuensis 1, Americaos 25, appmitices 6, architects 4, authors 8, beldee 3, bachelors 10, bmbers 4, barmaids 2, beadle. 6, blind persons 3, boardinghouse kem,ers 3, boAles 2, boot. 4, brokers 9, circus performers 7, church 1 (Little Bethel). clergymen 13, clerks, dtc., 47, corporations, 6:c., 8 cricketers 6, cripples 6, dancing. master. 1. detectives 12, editor. 4. migrants 7, fahies 2, fernier. 4, footmen 6, fops 3. Frenchmen 23, Germans 5, governesses 3, grocers 3 invalids 7, Jews 3, lawyers 36, 11.P.'s 7, mieera 9, murderers 10, nurses 13, old melds 16, pawnbrokers 3, physicians plasterer 1, pony 1. poli.inen 12, pugilist 1, reporter I. raven 1, r.urroollouist 1, serious 3, showmen 7, shrews 12, surge°, 5 7, spies 2, swindlers 14, thieves 12, toadies 10, tobacconist I. tramps 2, turnkeys 6, undertakers 6, vagabonds 8, vessels'', vestrymen 6, wulters 13, widowers 3, and widows 39.  •