The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1880-01-17 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

EPITOME OF NEWS.  BRITISH AND FOREIGN.  El.  Pzince Bismarck is said not to be so very bad in health as has been represented. He is, however, suffer. lug from hypochondria, and believes himself worse than he is.  There were 23 British and foreign wrecks reported during the past week, making a total of 40 for the present year. The approximate value of property lost was 4300•000. including British £210,000. Ten were lost off the British coasts.  The Chancellor of the Exchequer acknowledges in The Times, under the head of "Conscience Money," the receipt of the first halves of bank-notes for £.300 from "H.," and for ZE. from " Doubtful; " and the second halves of notes for £5OO from "A. B," and for £lO from "C. D." All great men have tastes of their own, and it may be interesting to some people to know that M. Gambetta delights in fresh plover's eggs. As plovers are very rare in France, the President of the Chamber has rented a preserve at Osnahrtick, near Hanover, and the eggs are sent up to the Palais Bourbon as fast as they are collected.—Court Journal.  Rus.ia again threatens to give a serious aspect to Central Asian affairs, for she has formally announced her intention of marching upon Mery as soon as possible. The number of appraisers and house agents licensed, in the last year was 4,876, at a each, and the revenue was £9,752. .  The American sewing machine trade is becoming of great importanoe in the United States, very nearly 4,000 skilled artizans being employed In the sewing machine factories. An extensive export trade is being carried on.  At the quarterly meeting of the Chesterfield and Derbyshire Institute of Engineers, Lord Edward Cavendish expressed the opinion that there was going to be a revival of the iron trade, and suggested that in view thereof attention should be turned to possible improvements in the production of coke.  Tho Governors of the Royal Masonic Institution for Girls has accepted the sum of 1,000 guineas from the Province of West York for the purchase of a perpetual presentation of one girl to the school, to be called the Bentley Shaw presentation.  Mr. W. H. Wills, member of the tobocco firm of London and Bristol, and a Liberal candidate for Coventry, has presented an organ of the value of £I,OOO to the Bristol Grammar School.  The Financier understands that the depositors of the City of Glasgow Bank, the balance of whose claims at the date of the liquidators' report amounted to about £1,200,000, are rapidly availing themselves of the offer of an immediate 20s. in the pound without interest. The bill holders outside London are also said to be coming in with some readiness.  The shipments of grain from America for the week, as telegraphed from New York, comprise 138,000 quarters wheat, of which 118,000 quarters are In transit for the United Kingdom, and 25,000 for the Continent. 01 176,000 quarters maize, 76,000 quarters are for the United Kingdom, and 100,000 for the Continent. The visible supply is represented by 00.625.000 nllllll6lB Wheat, and 11,375,000 bnahala maize.  The Empress Eugenie has intimated to the Union Steamship Company her intention to embark in their Royal mail steamship German in March next for conveyance to Natal, en route to Zululand, for the purpose of visiting the spot where her son lost his life. The Empress will be accompanied by several ladies and gentlemen, and a small retinue of servants. The German will leave England with the Cape of Good Hope mails on the 26th of March, and her great speed should insure her reaching Natal in ample time to allow the Empress to arrive at her destination by the Ist of Jane, the anniversary of her son's death. - - -  • Preparations for the celebration of the twenty-fifth anniversary of the accession of the Czar are going forward throughout the Russian Empire, his Majesty having succeeded to the throne on March 2nd, 1855. The Government intend founding a University at Woronesch. Should this Idea be realised .Russia even then would only have one University for every eight millions of its inhabitants. A terrible case of suicide is reported from Marseines. In old man who had long bee„uffering great torments from psral paralysis, while left alone in his house, saturated his clothes with oil, and setting fire to a bed of shavings previeway prepared, laid himself down upon it. The flames quickly enveloped him, but his resolution was firm. Re was found in a partly calcined state, but did not die until some hours afterwards.—Paris Correspondent of Daily Telegraph. Friday, the 9th, being the seventh anniversary of the death of Napoleon 111., the occasion was commemorated by a funeral service at Chisiehurat. Mass commenced at eleven o'clock in St. Mary's Church. The service consisted of a low requiem mass, celebrated by Father Goddard, and the ceremonies were of the simplest character. The Empress Eugenie prayed for a considerable time at the tomb of her late husband.  Lord Beaconsfield's mot. "You seem to be in now, my lord," said a visitor, "for all time." "Well," said the Premier, "that depends upon the date of the Day of Judgment." _ _ - -  An extraordinary accident occurred a few days ago at Lembotug, a village in the Bernese Jura. A small cask of petroleum had been placed in a room in which five children were sleeping The cask leaked, and on a light being brought Into the room the petroleum took tire. Three of the children perished in the flames, and the house was burnt down so rapidly that the surviving inmates had barely time to escape with their lives.  The Address to the Crown in answer to the Speech from the throne, at the opening of Parliament on the sth of February, will be moved in the House of Commons by Lieutenant-Colonel H. E. Home Drummond Moray,