Widnes Examiner. — 1891-09-12 (Widnes, Cheshire, England)

TOUCH AND GO."  We have received coannunications from "A Looker-on," "Blue boy;' and" lona," which are crowded out this week.  The cold wet summer has been hard on farmers and holiday people; but it has been hard, too, on the pestilential microbe; for the Warrington Hospital for Infectious Diseases does not at the present moment contain a single patient. That is something to be thankful for.  "Dear old Sir Gilbert" must have felt flattered, on Saturday, when the ardent old woman sought to kiss him in the public streets. What it is to be a baronet and a brewer, especially when the beer trickles from its lofty height and ends in a lowly kiss! Well, well, as the poet says—" Some men are born great, some achieve greatness, and some have kisses ' thrust upon them."  But the member for Warrington always had "a way with the women." Did he not himself tell how, when canvassing, he offered to turn the mangle whilst the busy wife went to look for the absent husband? Or as the poet again has it : Sir Gilbert once promised to mangle, To humour a woman's whim; But to-day we see a reversion— 'Tis a woman who mangles him.  There is something the matter with Lord Cross. What can it be? He usually makes an exhibition of himself when he proceeds, as he once said, to "reply to Mr. Gladstone," but he went beyond his known worst at Muncaster, on Tuesday. " When people," he said, " make up their minds on a great question they did not change their minds." What a pity Lord Cross cannot change or exchange his mind. The chances are great that he would profit by the transaction.  Lord Salisbury seems to have been afraid of losing another seat in a Parliamentary contest, 80 he has got over the difficulty as to a new Postmaster-General by appointing the Duke of Rutland. And who is he, it may be asked ? He was Lord John Manners, who rendered himself famous as a young man by writing those unforgettable lines : Let wealth and commerce, laws and learning die, But leave us still our old nobility.  Why all this wild talk and wild speculation as to the reported recent agreement between Russia and Turkey? According to a statement made by Lord Salisbury—and as Foreign Secretary he ought to know—" Russia possesses no rights in respect to passage through the Dardanelles and Bosphorus which are not possessed by the other powers also." If this be so, what is there to trouble about? Why prolong the play of "Much ado about nothing " ?  The Cardiff Licensing Bench have refused the renewal of six licenses, one of which was objected to by the police on the ground of its being unnecessary, and another because the house was the resort of thieves. Convictions were proved against the remaining four. At Cardiff there is one licensed house to every 344 of the population ; but at Warrington there is one to every 250 of tho population; and yet the Warrington magistrates have renewed all the licenses!  Education at 'Daresbury and at Dutton is to be absolutely free. Daresbury and Dutton are small places, but they are possessed of School Boards, and that is "one for the School Boards." The schools too under the Runcorn Board are free; but the Widnes Board are charging a small fee. This is being done because the majority on the Board are denominationalists, whose first thought is to accommodate themselves to the managers of Voluntary Schools.  There seems no doubt, that the outbreak of typhoid fever, at St. Helens' had its origin in the milk supply, the Medical Officer of Health reaffirming his statement that" more than half the cases had consumed milk from the one dairy." It is not pleasant to think of fever coming in with the milk; but the facts should be faced, and special precautions taken. Cleanliness in the dairy is of the utmost importance in shutting off disease germs.  A man named Stockings was brought up at the ingligate Police Court, on Monday, for attempting to commit suicide. It seems he was found sitting on the kerb with an unloaded revolver pointed at his head. He had plenty of cartridges, but didn't know how to load his weapon. Is this a case in which it maybe said—" Where ignorance is bliss folly to be wise ?" Or is it not rather suggestive of " make-believe " ? Stockings might not be " all there" ; but there is reason for thinking he was "not such a fool as he looked."  The dear, delightful "great unpaid" must be kept going ; they are so very, very funny, at times. On Saturday, two boys were charged at Croydon. with stealing mushrooms, and, after the evidence had been heard, Captain Kemmis (chairman) addressed the prisoners as follows: "Boys, no doubt you stole the mushrooms, but you will have the benefit of any doubt that might exist, and be discharged." This is about on a par with that other sapient J.P. who said :—"According to the evidence you are not guilty ; you are discharged this time; but don't do it again."  The Revision of the Voters Lists at Warrington, during the past week, has resulted as usual in a great deal of haggling over values and dates of occupancy. When shall we (Yet to the commonsense view that the vote should attach to the citizen apart from any question of property or occupancy? It is something to look forward to that reform in the registration law is one of the chief planks in the Liberal platform. The Tories seem to have made a considerable number of frivolous objections, and have had to pay for the privilege. The Liberals have every reason to be satisfied with the results of the Revision.  John Carlin, who is not unknown to fame as a loquacious sweep, has taken to organ-grinding