The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle. — 1884-03-08 (Stourbridge, West Midlands, England)

BRITISH AND FOREIGN.  Another serious landslip took place on the Oxford and Birmingham Canal at Fenny Compton, near Banbury, on Saturday. The damage done is considerable, and cannot be repaired under a month. The traffic had already been suapended for three weeks in consequence of a landslip whinh occurred a short time ago, and the repairs done during that period have been demolished. The bed of the canal for some distance has been entirely carried away. The recent severe storm caused several wrecks on the New England and New Jersey coasts, chiefly of schooners, by which 10 lives were lost. Five others were drowned by the capsizing of a sloop at Bolivar, North Carolina. Th Odessa correspondent of the "Daily News" has the b at authority for stating that, despite the formally prom lgated tax on English coal entering the Black Sea pons, Odessa will be exempted from its imposition. Thirteen thousand emigrants arrived at New York last week, showing that the incoming current is swelling. Castle Garden Labour Bureau has many requests for employment, and the belief is they will mostly be satisfied, as there is an increasing demand especially from the South for all kinds of help. In Paris the other day a member of the staff of the " Gaulois " had an interview with the Queen of Tahiti, who in the course of a 'conversation, said: "I propose visiting England, and will reside with an aunt of mine, who dwells near London. Then I shall return to Tahiti as I came, but neither in London or New York will I receive journalists again." A small box exploded in the parcels department of the Post-office at Gnesen in Poland on the 28th ult. The official on duty was severely injured in the face and many windows were broken. The box was found on examination to contain a clockwork arrangement, which had been connected with some explosive materiaL Her Majesty has been pleased to confer the dignity of a Viscounty upon the Right Hon. Sir Henry Bouverie W. Brand, G.C.8., late Speaker of the House of Commons. The title by which he will to elev Ited to the Peerage will be that of Viscount Hampden, of Glynde, in the county of Sussex. A Parliamentary return of loans sanctioned under to the Irish Land Act from the 21st of December, 1881, the 31st of January, 1884, shows that 76.150 applications have been found inralmissable and 322,515 have baen recommended, while 108,525 are at present being considered. The amount actually advanced is about £127,000. A labourer named William Ashton, of Ambergate, who was in custody at the Belper lock-up, committed suicide by hanging himself with his scarf during Saturday night. He was waiting his trial on a charge of stealing wine from the White Horse Hotel, Ambergate. The Printers' Pension Corporation Council have the gratification of announcing that John Saunders Gilhat, Esq., Governor of the Bank of England, has con3ented to preside at the anniversary festival of this Corporation for 1884. At a recent sitting of the Dominion House of Commons at Ottawa, Sir S. L. Tilley, Minister of Finance, stated that while the credit and financial condition of Canada was never better, the state of trade was unsatisfactory, owing to the prevailing depression, which he attributed to the decline in the exports of lumber, and to over importation. From Philadelphia it is reported that the loss by the recent fire at Powers and Weightman's works is estimated to exceed $1,000,000. The property destroyed consisted largely of Peruvian barks and their products. The firm were extensive manufacturers of quinine; and a large number of workmen must lose employment. Last week was another quiet one with respect to actual shipwrecks, the number reported being 30, or about the sane as the previous week, against 44 at this time last year. Though the weather in the Atlantic particularly was very bad, most vessels escaped with whole hulls, only four having been abandoned at sea. British wrecks numbered 17, of which six were steamers. Total lives lost 115, five vessels being lost with all hands. The aggregate wrecks since Ist January, 1884, are now 401, against 474 last year. A shocking accident happened to an Artilleryman during the march of the troops from Barham Downs to Dover, after a review at the former place. One of the drivers fell off a gun carriage while the horses were in full trot. He was run over, and had both legs broken below the thighs. Lord Randolph Churchill has collected some interesting statistics showing the various periods which the House of Commons has occupied at stages of successive Reform Bills, which will be made use of during the coming debate. It is stated that 46,000 inhabitants of Somersetshire have declared in favour of the Sunday closing of public houses, and petitions are still being signed. An explosion recently occurred at a powder mill near Omaha, by which four boys were blown to atoms. From an official paper issued by the Government of Bombay it appears that a mysterious epidemic exhibits itself from time to time among cats in India. It is stated that between the Ist and the 25th of July, 1881, 750 cats died at Ahmednagar ; and in 1883, 125 cats died in Poona, the chief symptom being vomiting. A letter from Constantinople states that the ball lately held in that city on behalf of the Armenian Schools yielded a sum of £