The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1878-05-18 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

ALP., has almost recovered from his severe attack of congestion of the lungs, and it is hoped that in a few days he will be able to attend 0 his Parliamentary duties.  The simply of stook at the Maidstone May fair (held OD labuday), was not so large as on previous years, but there was a large attendance of buyers, and prices, as a consequence, ruled high, Down and Kent store eheep realising 5Ck. to 655. ; yearlings, £9 to £10; 4eni ewes with lambsl7ls. to 745. fid. The supply of horses was unusually large, and the following prices were obtained :—First class horses, brewing purposes, 100 to 120 guineas; for farming purposes, 80 to 90 guineas; inferior qualities, 15 to 20 guineas; ponies and cobs, 15 to 28 guineas.  At Liverpool, on Monday, at the Sailors' Home, a gold watch and chain was, on behalf of the President of the United States' presented to Captain Gleadell, of the White Star steamer Celtic, as an acknowledgment of his services ir January, 1877, to the crew of the dittreased American schooner Island Belle. The chief officer of the Celtic, Mr. Mason, was also prosented with a binocular glass.  This French Exhibition is bringing about some strange meetings. At the Affaires Etrangeres on the 6th, whilst the Princes of Wales and Denmark and the male portion of the guests who had been invited to meet them were smoking after dinner in the Minister's Cabinet, before presenting themselves to the crowd coming to attend the reception, Gambetta was ushered in. M. Waddington seemed astonished, and his manner was rather cold; but Gambetta asked to be presented to the Princes, and remained talking politics with them for half an hour, and airing his favourite theory of an alliance of France, Austria, Italy, and England.—The World.  An inquiry has been held at Sheerness as to the death of Thomas Jones, aged 28, a gunner of the Royal Artillery, who committed suicide at Garrison Point Fort. One of his comrades got up early on Friday morning, and found that he had killed himself by lying at full length on the ground with his NO suspended by a rope attached to the handle of the door, the handle being only 3ft. from the ground. He was of a morose and eccentric disposition and had been drinking the previous night. A verdict of "Temporary insanity" was returned,  A new cattle plagne, according to the New York Tribune, is raa4ing ravages in Cleveland and the vicinity. he disease is said to have started in Texas. There is the usual alarm as to the poisonous infection being propngated to human beings by eating diseased beef or drinking the milk ; but until some cases of the kind are vertifled, it is as well to doubt thee rumours. If the new plague should prove as rapid in spread as the rinderpast, we may soon expect to hear of it as having crossed the Atlantic. As a curious instance of the distances to which such diseases travel, it may be mentioned that the rinderpest has penetrated to northern Siberia, and destroyed large numbers of reindeer."--Land and Water. From Paris I hear that the Prince of Wales has been the one only success in the whole of the Exhibition arrangements; but he has worked very hard, as indeed he has been working for months past, to give éclat to all the proceedings; and that the Parisians now claim him as one of thi.mseives—a vrai Parisien,' who has by mere accident been temporarily forced to inhabit the foggy islands of Britain, but who always looks to Paris as the centre of ail things. The interest the Prince has taken in Cuis matter will assuredly bear good fruit in rAauy ways; for it is precisely this kind cif manifestation of friendly sympathy which the French most value and moat tenaciously remembe r.”— Vanity Fair.  The Rev. H. Haweis preached to the coth Middlesex Rifles in St. James's Hall, London, on Sunday morning, and in the course of his sermon remarked that the people of this country desired to settle the existing difficulty quietly, but they did not mean any longer to be beguiled and cheated. In whatever event the voluntel•rs of gligland would always remain true to their motto, " Pro arts et "We learn on the best authority that there are enough mpdier,lionicers available on the home establishment to supply the requirements of the First Field Army Corps, and also the nucleus of a medical staff for the second, but mor;7 than this could not IT done without leaving the 111.;e-4, 4arrisons entirely denuded Recourse would tileze:ore be had to civil aid. We have progressed tp, tins extent, and no further, since the crir,ner,nyar I ".-=-Intitehali Review. Tne iirerman Firscherei-Verein is engaged new in introducing the Californian salmon extensinly into German Waters. Of 300,000 eggs Bent acre:4ola ocean, 25,000 arrived in good condition, and t'As resultant fish have been divided between th? rivers 'al the Danube valley and those of the vhiLe. Three hundred thousand young eels frora NorMandy are being introduced into the Prroeian streams. "The fact that ..q.obart Pasha, an admiral in the Turkish sprviee, was specially invited to dinner by the Queeri, Is held in many quarters to indicate that war is c3-4sidered certain, since, it is argued, Her Maje4ty would not have taken this step, which must necessarily be distasteful to his Imperial Majesty the Czar, without being assured that, there was no longgr ai Zleeil to regard the Imperial humours. This, however, seems to be putting a very strained construction on a very natural act. tier Majesty takes, as becomes her high position, the greatest interest in the affairs of the East, and is always desirous to obtain information regarding them at first hand. It was therefore quite to be expected that, on learning that Hobart Pasha was in England, toj9 Queen should desire to see him. I hear that the 'interview and the information it elicited were equallY satisfactory to the Sovereign and to the Vanity Fart