THE Curiosities of Dudley AND THE Black Country. (continued 4)

Lord Priory (entering late, and much excited.) What work is this, my countrymen, in hand. Where go ye,—what do ye,—speak, I pray you. I tell you, friends, most charitable care hath the Member for you; you might as well strike at the heavens with staves as try to unseat him. You do us wrong to thus traduce our deeds before you hear our reasons; either you must confess yourselves wondrous malicious, or be accused of folly. Beware, friend Tom, of false ambition, unmerited deserts, and silly men. Our member’s course has been to win ye all, and thus retain your loves; but sadly ye do now requite him for his care. Past services, present local advantages, and expectant hopes, you bury in the deep malice of your bridled minds. Beware the ire of our noble house,—beware the malice of our blasted hopes, upon your puny heads. What would ye have, ye curs? that like not war nor peace; the one affrights you, the other makes you proud. He that trusts you where he should find you lions, finds you hares; where foxes, silly geese. He who deserves greatness gets your hate, and your affections are like a sick man’s appetite, who desires most of that which would increase his evil. He that depends upon your favours, swims with fins of lead, and hews down oaks with rushes. Trust ye, ah! with every minute you do change your mind, and call him noble that was once your hate; him vile that was once your friend. What is the reason that in these several places of the city you cry against our noble senators. Shame you not for this unnatural alliance; remember whom you take withal into your puny councils, and reconsider your uncourteous ways.

Chartist (greatly excited.) A thing devised by the enemy, thus this babbler wishes to over-awe us. Go, gentlemen, every man unto his charge; let not such babblers affright our souls; conscience is but a word that cowards use, devised at first to keep the strong in awe. Our strong arms be our conscience, swords our law; march on, join bravely; let us to the pell-mell, not to lose, but hand in hand to win. (Immense shouting.)

Enter Messenger (breathless.) Gentlemen, gentlemen, Mr. Benbow has just entered the town!!!

Molley. Friends, where shall we meet to-morrow?

Isaac. Oh, at my house, at ten.

All. We will be there in time. Till then, adieu.

“A LOOKER ON IN DUDLEY.”

July 22nd, 1847.

Such was the literary talent evoked, which helped to keep alive a little electioneering excitement, under an almost foregone conclusion, for Mr. Badger had declined to be put in nomination—although it was almost certain he would have been elected—so Mr. Benbow had only one opponent to face on the hustings, his Chartist antagonist, Mr. Joseph Linney. The nomination day came, surrounded with all the tactics celebrated in the house of Himley; the two candidates had their say, the mob and electors had their fun and bonnetting. Mr. Joseph Linney was elected by the show of hands, by a large majority; the usual poll was demanded, and the day and time fixed upon, but, alas! for human greatness, poor Mr. Linney could not find the necessary guarantee (funds) for his election expenses, and his friends and admirers were in the same plight, so before the polling commenced, it oozed out that Mr. Linney had retired from the contest, leaving the old member master of the field. Thus, Mr. Benbow was again returned the member for the Castle interest in another Parliament.

Much dissatisfaction was felt at this election, by both Tories and Reformers, at the apparent intention to stamp out that small spark of political freedom, whenever it was wafted by a little political breeze, and, as might became right, there was no redemption then from a thraldom which was afterwards so signally revenged by both political parties on the house of Himley in 1857.

The Irish famine and distress, in the winter of 1846-47, in the southern and western counties of Ireland, had awakened profound sympathy and benevolence throughout the nation; and Old Dudley was not backward in her material pecuniary assistance on this memorable occasion. A public meeting was convened by the mayor (James Fisher, Esq.), and a numerous committee was at once formed to canvass the town for liberal subscriptions to the “Irish Relief Fund.” At the close of the canvass, March, 1847, it was announced that the handsome sum of £655 2s. had been collected for this very deserving object.

Died, September 10th, 1847, at 11 a.m., having dropped down dead in the street, old Mr. Stevenson, tailor, of Queen Street. Aged 77 years.

Died, September 24th, 1847, a well-known feature in the Market Place, old Mr. Morris, of the “Jolly Colliers” Inn. Aged 87 years.

Died, September 26th, 1847, Mr. Cole, the keeper, and visitors’ guide to the Castle Grounds; this old familiar townsman had been for many years the butler at Himley Park. Aged 86 years. It was through the strenuous and oft-repeated wish of John Maughan, Esq., the estates land agent, and Mr. Cole, that Mr. C. F. G. Clark, chemist, in the Market Place, was induced in 1846 to write and compile the “Dudley Castle Guide Book;” a condensed history of the Castle, which was much needed by visitors to our fine old feudal ruins, and delightful sylvan walks and drives along the Castle Grounds. This popular Guide Book has now attained its Fifteenth edition, and retains its long-won favours and popularity.

1847. October 19th. A public testimonial of very valuable books, handsomely bound, was presented to Charles Twamley, Esq., Solicitor of this town, to mark the sense of kindly and generous feeling exhibited towards him by all classes of the inhabitants. Mr. Chas. Twamley’s removal to the lucrative appointment of Registrar of the Lambeth County Court was a source of much regret to his political friends (Radicals), for Mr. Twamley had always been a prominent leader and Reformer in the borough. Mr. Twamley was a scientific Geologist, and often lectured on that exhaustive subject; he also was a very prominent founder, along with others, of the Dudley Geological Society in New Street, which is now transferred to the New Mechanics’ Institute. Mr. Twamley’s charming and painstaking research in his History of Dudley Castle and the Priory, in 1867, will always stamp his history as superior to any others, having cleared away a host of illfounded surmises by the late Dr. Booker in his florid history. His lectures on the Silurian Formation and the Coal Measures are most learned and instructive, and invaluable to the Geological Student.

Died, November 15th, 1847, Mr. O. Gilbert Shaw, of the “Barrel Inn,” High Street, much respected by all parties. Aged 69 years.

Died, November 22nd, 1847, Miss Louisa Elkins, sister of Mrs. Dr. Johnson, Castle Street. This unhappy young lady procured in the night, from Dr. Johnson’s Surgery, a quantity of prussic acid, which she took up into her bed room and swallowed, death ensuing at once. Aged 22 years.

On Wednesday, November 24th, 1847, the recently built Gothic Trinity Presbyterian Church, situated in Wolverhampton Street, was publicly opened for divine worship with considerable ceremony. The Rev. Wm. Chalmers and the Rev. John Weir, both from London, were the preachers, and the Rev. George Lewis, Minister of the Church, assisted. This new Gothic edifice was considered quite a feature of prominence in the street. Mr. Lewis continued for a number of years to be a most zealous and acceptable preacher in this church to his fellow countrymen.

November 29th, 1847. A Public Meeting was held by requisition to the Mayor, Elliott Hollier, Esq., “to take into consideration the propriety of endeavouring to make such alterations in the days the Fairs in the town are held, and also of having an additional Fair in the year.”

1847, December 4th. The Vicar (Dr. Browne) publically announced that the “Parochial National Schools,” recently erected in Upper King Street, would be opened for the education of children of the poorer classes after Christmas. 1st class children charged 2d. per week; 2nd, 4d.; 3rd, 6d. Adult schools for male and females were opened shortly afterwards. This National School has been a source of immense educational good in this parish.

1847, December 1st. There was a general reduction of 20 per cent. in wages, both in the Coal and Iron trade. The slackness of trade and the great distress and want amongst the working classes, was most perplexing and distressing, and the local failures in the Iron trade became alarming.

DUDLEY POLICE STATION.

1847. The Borough Gaol and habitations for our excellent Police Force were erected at this time by the County of Worcester. Previous to this wise concentration of the Police Force into one locality, the men were lodging and living all about the town, much against that discipline so necessary in the force, and now so characteristically practised by the Dudley Police. The lock-up for prisoners was a dingy hole at the Workhouse, in Tower Street. Mr. Superintendent Burton is our veteran popular chief officer.

1848. Since the intimidation and undue influence exercised at the last election, it was determined to endeavour to counteract such hinderances to freedom of election, by using every effort to extend the Franchise. With this object a Public Meeting was held on February 8th, 1848, in Dudley, under the Presidency of the Rev. John Palmer, M.A., Unitarian Minister of Dudley, to promote an extension of the “Midland Counties Freehold Land Society,” whereby, it was shewn how a working man could obtain a freehold house and a vote for the County. The meeting was largely attended and addressed by Alderman Weston, Mr. J. S. Wright, and Mr. W. B. Smith, M.U., as a deputation from Birmingham.

1848, January 7th. Died Mr. Alexander Gordon (of the Straits House, Lower Gornal), formerly a very active public man in this town. Mr. Gordon was a strong Reformer in Politics, and the leading member of the Wesleyan Methodists in this town and district. He was a truly kind and benevolent old gentlemen, but was particularly partial to his own views. He died at the advanced age of 77 years.

January 20th, 1848. Mr. Ralph Musselwhite, Draper, in the old “Middle Row,” again brought an action against the Town Commissioners, in the Queen’s Bench at London, to recover the expenses incurred at his previous trial at Worcester, wherein he was defeated. He was again defeated at the Queen’s Bench, after having expended upwards of £1,000 in useless and unreasonable litigation with the Town Authorities.

1848, February 11th. Died at Bath, Chas. Molyneux, Esq., Manager of the Dudley and West Bromwich Bank in this Town; he was also a Magistrate, and sat on our Dudley Police Bench.

February 7th, 1848. A most influential and numerously attended public meeting was held at the Old Town Hall, Dudley, under the auspices of Mr. Elliott Hollier (the Mayor), “for the purpose of adopting the best measures for promoting the objects of the Mechanics’ Institute in the Borough of Dudley,” and the following report emanated from the meeting.

DUDLEY.

Mechanics’ Institute.—A numerous meeting of the friends of this project was held at the vacant rooms in Wolverhampton Street on Tuesday week, to consider the best means of establishing a Mechanics’ Institute, adapted for all classes, upon a solid and permanent basis. Elliott Hollier, Esq., Mayor, was called to the chair. After some animated discussion, entered into by those gentlemen who are usually found at their posts in advocating and assisting the advancement of knowledge, and the establishment of useful institutions, it was deemed advisable to give more publicity to the project, and canvass the merits of the question amongst all classes. In accordance with this disposition it was at once resolved to suspend operations till a more definite system should be agreed upon. The most effectual way of submitting this to the inhabitants was considered to be by petitioning the Mayor to convene a public meeting for the especial object, and then submitting a definite plan for approval at that assemblage. S. Blackwell, Esq., proposed, and Dr. Browne, seconded, a proposition to that effect: and a resolution was at once signed by the meeting to the Mayor, who fully acquiesced in the expediency and propriety of the movement. Amongst the various modes suggested for effectually maintaining a Mechanics’ Institution was one announced by Mr. Clark, which appeared to augur well for ultimate success; and as it is a project, which, if carried out, would affect collectively two other institutions already established in the town, it may not be amiss to give our Dudley readers an outline of it. The proposition is “that a Mechanics’ Institution shall be established by 200 or 300 shares of one guinea each, and that the annual subscription shall be 10s. The capital thus raised to be appropriated to the purchasing of a library, apparatus, and the necessary furniture required for the effectual carrying on of the institution. That overtures be made to the Geological Society (now almost defunct) and the New street News Rooms, for a mutual amalgamation of these bodies into one large and comprehensive Philosophical Institution, to be managed agreeably to the usual customs of such institutions.” In the event of this suggestion being carried out, little or nothing (save a capital for library), would be required to commence operations, for the News Room is already in full operation, and rooms connected with the Geological Society are partially unoccupied, and well-adapted for the purpose. Amongst the gentlemen and tradesmen present at the meeting, were the Rev. Dr. Browne, Vicar; Rev. Messrs. Noot, A. Davis, Rogers, and Lewis; Messrs. S. Blackwell, Houghton, Bateman, Hickman, J. C. Cook, Grainger, Boddington, Clark, Rudge, Minty, Rock, Wright, Mainwaring, &c. From an advertisement in another column, it will be seen that at a public meeting on Monday, the mayor in the chair, a series of resolutions were carried for the purpose of actively promoting the institution.—Birmingham Journal, 1848.

February 19th, 1848. The committee appointed at the public meeting, after mature and earnest consideration, issued the following suggestions as a programme, upon which a sound and successful Mechanics’ Institute might be grafted; it being arranged that the prosperous “Reading Room,” which Mr. Secretary C. F. G. Clark, had established in 1845, at the Geological Rooms in New Street, should be incorporated with the new institution.

DUDLEY MECHANICS’ INSTITUTION, UNDER THE PATRONAGE OF THE RIGHT HONOURABLE LORD WARD.

The Sub-Committee appointed at a Public Meeting of the Inhabitants of the Borough of Dudley, convened by the Mayor, (pursuant to a Requisition), and held at the Old Town Hall, on Monday Evening, the 7th instant, for the purpose of taking into consideration the best means to be adopted for the permanent establishment of the Dudley Mechanics’ Institution, beg to call your attention to

THE FOLLOWING RESOLUTIONS WHICH WERE PROPOSED AND UNANIMOUSLY ADOPTED:—

1.—That this Meeting, acknowledging the desirability of the permanent establishment of the Mechanics’ Institution in the Borough of Dudley, pledges itself to promote the same by every means in its power.

2.—That for the promotion of such an object a Sub-Committee be appointed, for the purpose of soliciting subscriptions and donations to establish a fund to carry out the purposes of such an Institution to the fullest extent possible.

3.—That a Sub-Committee of the following Gentlemen be appointed for the purposes referred to in the preceding resolution:—The Rev. Dr. Browne, Vicar; Mr. Elliott Hollier, Mr. S. H. Blackwell, Mr. William Bourne, Mr. John Bateman, the Rev. John Raven, the Rev. George Lewis, and Mr. Henry Johnson.

4.—That in order to afford all classes an opportunity of attending, and deriving the greatest benefit from the establishment of this Institution, it be recommended that two classes of Subscribers be adopted, consisting of Honorary Members at One Guinea, and Ordinary Members at not less than Ten Shillings each per annum, which may be received fortnightly, in advance.

5.—That the Sub-Committee be requested to solicit the patronage of the Right Honourable Lord Ward to this Institution, and that of the Members for the Borough, the Eastern Division of Worcestershire, and the Southern Division of the County of Stafford, and also the support of all parties who, though not residing in, may have property or an interest in Dudley and its neighbourhood.

The want of an Institution of this character in Dudley, has been so long acknowledged, that the Sub-Committee cannot but hope that such general support will be given to it as will render it effective for the objects it proposes to carry out, and ensure its being established upon a permanent basis.

These objects are, the establishment of a READING ROOM AND LIBRARY;—the diffusion of general information on the various Branches of Science and Literature by LECTURES;—and especially the providing its Members with opportunities of acquiring good and useful instruction by means of CLASSES in WRITING, ARITHMETIC, DRAWING, MUSIC, &c., &c.

The Sub-Committee regard the establishment of these Institutions as most important, and as having a direct and immediate bearing upon the great question of National Education. They are calculated indeed to furnish almost the only means by which the ends proposed to be effected by our various schools can be fully carried out, for, unless facilities are afforded to those whose education has been commenced in these schools, of continuing and perfecting that education, the advantages already obtained must be, to a certain extent, lost.

The Sub-Committee therefore appeal with confidence, upon this ground, to all those who recognize the importance of General Education to all Classes, and who, feeling that the question has long been decided whether Education is to be general or not, are anxious to render it as sound and comprehensive as possible.

Some of the neighbouring Towns of smaller population, and of less manufacturing importance than our own, are already in possession of Mechanics’ Institutions affording all the advantages proposed by this; and when the extent and character of the population of Dudley, and its position as the Centre of a great Manufacturing District are considered, it must be acknowledged that it possesses ample means for the establishment of an Institution that shall be at least equal to any in the neighbourhood.

To ensure this, general support alone is required, and therefore the Sub-Committee venture to solicit your individual patronage and active assistance; at the same time they have much pleasure in announcing a Donation of Fifty Pounds from the Right Honourable Lord Ward, with an Annual Subscription of Five Guineas, and also a Donation of Ten Pounds, and an Annual Subscription from John Benbow, Esq., M.P.

(Signed) on behalf of the Sub-Committee,

ELLIOTT HOLLIER, Mayor.

Dudley, February, 19th, 1848.

Died February 12th, 1848. Mr. John Allen, who held the office of Parish Clerk in St. Edmund’s Church for the lengthened period of thirty-seven years. Aged 86 years.

1848, February 22nd. A sanguinary and destructive Revolution broke out in Paris, which lasted six days, ending in the abdication and flight of Louis Phillippe, King of the French, and his family to England, wherein he afterwards died. A Republic was established on the wreck of this criminal revolution.

On the 25th of February, 1848, a large and influential meeting of all classes of the inhabitants of Dudley was held at the old Town Hall (Mr. Elliott Hollier, the mayor, in the chair), “for the purpose of petitioning the Legislature against the Income Tax, and in favour of a Property Tax alone.”

The following placard issued by our old Chartist leader, (Mr. Samuel Cooke), gives the public a pretty good notion of his views on this European calamity.

BRAVO!!!

Three Cheers and one Cheer more for the Establishment in France of a Republican form of Government.

French Men, and French Women, yea and English Men and English Women, study the following portions of the Bible!

Genesis1…26…29

Judges8…22…23

“9…1…6

“…7…15

“…50…55

Samuel8……

“12…16…19

Hosea8…4…

“11…12…

Isaiah1…26…

The Bible is the most ample Republican and Democratic Book in the world.

Who makes Governments, and what are they made for?

Are they not made by the people, and for the people?

Made by the people to be a benefit to the people.

If they injure instead of doing good to the people, ought not the people to remove them and punish them?

SAMUEL COOK.

Dudley, Feb. 26th, 1848.

Died, March 2nd, 1848, at his house in Vicar Street, Mr. John Hodgetts, Nail Master. This gentleman took a very conspicuous part in politics, on the Reform side, during the passing of the Reform Bill in 1832, and acquired for his zeal the cognomen of “Lord John.” Aged 59 years.

March 6th, 1848. A New Cattle Fair was established this day, to be holden on the first Monday in March annually. The usual May, August, and October Fairs were ordered to be held on the first Mondays of the respective months. E. Hollier, Mayor.

On Monday, (March 20th, 1848,) a large meeting of the working classes was held at the Old Dock Square, Dudley, (Mr. Samuel Cook in the chair), “for the purpose of congratulating the French on the recent victories obtained, at the recent Revolution, by that noble and patriotic nation, and adopting the National Petition (the People’s Charter), and other measures for the general advancement of the people.” Mr. Thos. Clark of London, Mr. J. Linney of Bilston, Mr. Ernest Jones, and Mr. Fussell of Birmingham, advocated the nine points of the Charter with much heat and zeal, for they said “that the day of your political regeneration is drawing nigh. The political earthquake of France has pierced the hearts of the tyrants to the core; show that you produce all and partake of the least of God’s blessings; that you have been the easy prey of those who have fattened upon your labour; and in return they despise the very men who feed them, are facts no one will dispute,” for,

GOD SAVE THE PEOPLE.

“Notice!!! The originators of this meeting strictly forbid riot or tumult, and should the same occur, an adjournment will immediately take place.”

This Chartist meeting took place, and after a fair amount of banter and wind had been let off by the various speakers, the meeting quietly dispersed, for they well knew that the authorities were watching their movements, and that a strong body of police was at hand to put down either riot or tumult. The Chartist movement throughout the country was at this time assuming large and formidable dimensions.

March 24th, 1848. The Town Commissioners purchased the Jolly Colliers Inn, and three other houses at the back, on the Market flat, the property of Mr. Homer, Kateshill, for the sum of £2,800; the rental brings in £142 per annum.

April, 1848. In consequence of the frequent “pitfalls” from mining operations on the Dudley Castle grounds, it was deemed expedient to close the grounds entirely for some little time.

April 18th, 1848. The opening address to the members of the newly-established Mechanics’ Institute was this evening given by Dr. John Percy, of Birmingham.

“The Easter season,” observed by the Church, again awakened the ire and ruffled the temper of our old townsman, Mr. Samuel Cook, for here follows his public effusion on that head.

TO THE PUBLIC.

The word “Easter,” in the 4th verse of the 12th chapter of Acts, is a notorious lie.

The word “Bishopric,” in the 20th verse of the 1st chapter of Acts, is a notorious lie.

The word “Harlot,” in the 1st verse of the 2nd chapter of Joshua, and in the 31st verse of the 11th chapter of Hebrews, is an atrocious lie.

Is it not a disgrace to, and ought it not to shame, the religious public, that they have allowed the impious scoundrelisms of James the 1st so long to pollute the Sacred Volume?

SAMUEL COOK.

Dudley, April 20th, 1848.

1848, April 26th. A public meeting was held at the old Town Hall, under a numerous requisition of tradesmen to the mayor (Mr. Elliott Hollier), “to consider some measure calculated to obtain an unanimous closing of the shops at eight o’clock in the evening throughout the year, (except on Mondays and Saturdays), for the purpose of allowing to the assistants engaged in business an opportunity for the enjoyment of healthful recreation, and to enable them to participate in the benefits it is intended should accrue to them by the recent establishment of the Mechanics’ Institute, but from which this class of the community is totally debarred by the present system of late closing.”

This question was not very enthusiastically taken up, for many long heads in the town thought, and thought wisely, that the “Public House” would be more likely to be patronized than the Mechanics’ Institute, where such “pleasure and relaxation” was afforded, and the upshot of it was that every master was the best judge of his own business requirements as to labour and relaxation.

TO THE INHABITANTS OF DUDLEY.

Oakham Cottage,

5 a.m. Saturday, May 27, 1848.

My dear Parishioners,

I eagerly embrace the opportunity afforded me for congratulating you most cordially on the unanimity and good feeling displayed at the general meeting of the supporters of the Mechanics’ Institute, last evening.

I point to the labours of the Committee and to the encouraging support they have received with honest pride and the most sincere delight—and, in consequence of these successful labours, and this public approbation thereof, I feel called on to suggest and recommend the most prompt, energetic, and unanimous support and co-operation of all classes and individuals in behalf of this Philanthropic Institution—that this unostentatious but admirable and holy principle, so dear to every Christian heart,—“Glory to God in the Highest, peace on earth, and goodwill towards men,”—may be brought into active and perpetual operation in this Parish, is my motive for offering my humble support and anticipating your co-operation.

Why—let me ask—should any individual withhold the hand of fellowship from his neighbours and fellow parishioners in a work from which the elements of discord are carefully and fundamentally removed?

I do not envy that man’s feelings who can allow groundless and purblind prejudice, the offspring of unreasoning ignorance, to blind his eyes, and steel his heart against endeavouring to benefit his fellow creatures.—Let such an one—if indeed he can be found—remember that man is not a mere animal, but a reasoning, reasonable, and consequently a responsible being; and according to the food his mind receives, so will it be vigorous for good or evil.

Let us therefore feed men’s minds with wholesome information, and thus—“Lead them thro’ nature up to nature’s God.”—And rest assured this grand remembrance is the mainspring of my every action, the burden of my every waking thought, and the leading object of my life.

“Magna est veritas, et prevalebit.”

Great is the truth and it will prevail.

Believe me to remain,

My dear Parishioners,

Your faithful friend,

JAMES C. BROWNE, D.C.L., Vicar of Dudley.

June, 1848. A most heartrending and devastating accident happened at Hartshill. A boiler connected with a forge mill suddenly exploded, and eleven men were instantly scalded to death.

Church rates were still levied in this parish, and occasionally we had to witness some very unwise and unpleasant seizures of respectable townsmen’s goods or furniture, who conscientiously refused to pay the obnoxious church rates. The spirited remonstrance made by Mr. Joseph Pitchfork, the talented and genial master of “Baylisses School,” in Tower Street, who was occasionally a victim in this unrighteous cause, will repay perusing.

CHURCH RATES.

“GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST, PEACE ON EARTH, AND GOOD WILL TOWARD MEN.”

“Do this in remembrance of me.”

Luke 22. v. 19.

Fellow Townsmen,

My household goods have been pounced upon a third time, to furnish the Churchmen of the ward, in which I have the misfortune to dwell, with means to worship their God more cheaply; with wine to drink in remembrance of their Saviour at the communion table, at less expense to their niggardly pockets; to pay for the washing and mangling of their parson’s surplice, and for removing the dust and dirt which will accumulate in “temples made with unclean hands.”

Now, is it not a burning shame that churchmen still resort to this disreputable means of “raising the dust” to save their own miserable pelf? Why will they not render unto God the things that are God’s without sending the Constable to lay his hands upon Dissenters’ goods? Cannot they partake of the Sacrament at their own cost, without bringing down upon the solemn ceremony the suspicion and reality of unspeakable shabbiness? Cannot they remove their own dust and dirt without making use of the cleaner hands of their dissenting neighbours? Why not quite as reasonably call upon the Dissenter to pay their Bakers’ and Butchers’ Bills? Why not tax him with the washing and mangling of the Vicar’s Shirts as well as the Vicar’s Surplices.

I wrote some time ago to the high-spirited D.C.L. of Dudley, offering to pay the amount of my present and all future church rates, towards the support of what are called his Schools; which I could conscientiously do; because Education benefits and blesses Society at large; it does not, like Church-of-Englandism, take my goods and in return tell me that I shall “without doubt perish everlastingly”: I have received no answer:—of course, a person doomed like me was not entitled in this upper world to any politeness from one who without doubt will lie in Abraham’s bosom everlastingly.

What a miserable mockery it is to plead a Law in defiance of such wretched practices! What is called the Law in Dudley is no law at all in Ireland:—In the large towns of Birmingham and Wolverhampton;—in Westbromwich and in every other place, in which intellect, intelligence and education have the upper hand of vulgar, ignorant and unscrupulous wealth, the inhabitants have swept the accursed tax indignantly away.

Besides, is it quite certain, that my goods are gone to the support of the Right Church, to the “Right of Private Judgment” Church, or to that more ancient church which forbids the Right? It is notorious that a sort of leaning lovingly towards the elder Sister with the Scarlet Robe extensively prevails in the Church of England, and that if the temporalities of the Church did not stand corruption-like in the way, great numbers of your Reverend Doctors and divines would fall, “nothing loth,” into the arms of the “nameless one” of Rome.—Verily, the Shepherds are infected, if the flocks be free.

Let us hope, that in no long time the Churchman will be shamed into dropping this wretched tax into oblivion for ever: for if it continue many years longer to annoy and distress Dissenters without the slightest semblance of common sense or common justice; they will, I’m afraid, be led on to regard the Churchman with suspicion and aversion, and his church, as our Saviour regarded the temple at Jerusalem, when he chased from its precincts the Money-mongers who defiled it.

I am, fellow townsmen,

One doomed by the Church of England “without doubt to perish everlastingly” and through Church-rates, to pay the expenses of his own condemnation.

JOSEPH PITCHFORK.

Dudley, June, 1848.

The subjoined placard will shew that everyone in Dudley was not a believer in Mr. Samuel Cook’s politics and singular religious tenets:—

TO THE PEOPLE.

SAMUEL COOK

Having, by a shameless and impious placard, invited you to attend a meeting on Sunday evening next, to hear a discussion on the question of resistance to the law, and endeavour to TREPAN YOU INTO DISAFFECTION AND REBELLION, we think it our duty, as sincere friends to your welfare, to caution you against the BASE AND GODLESS DESIGNS OF SUCH INFIDEL MEN. Whatever they may tell you to the contrary, we know their object is to make you like themselves—DESPISERS OF THE COMMANDMENTS BOTH OF GOD AND MAN, and thus bring you into a condition for every wicked work. They will teach you to become a set of wretched infidels, like the FRENCH, and then make you their tools to aid them in getting up a REBELLION, AND FILLING OUR LAND WITH PLUNDER, SLAUGHTER, AND BLOOD.

Be assured this is the end they have in view.—Therefore, as you love YOURSELVES, YOUR FAMILIES, and YOUR GOD, AVOID THE COMPANY, AND GO NOT NEAR THE PLACE WHERE SUCH SABBATH-BREAKING FIREBRANDS ASSEMBLE.

Dudley, June 30, 1848.

Asiatic Cholera.—This much dreaded epidemic, which was now spreading with fearful rapidity in most of the large centres of industry and dense populations, had infected the towns of Bilston and Wolverhampton with great severity and loss of valuable life, and at last reached the town of Dudley, causing much fearful looking to a premature ending of all earthly things.

Our local Sanitary Authorities at once put in force all the powers the law then gave them, viz., “The Nuisance Removal and Disease Prevention Act of 1848.” Our back streets were kept cleaner, and free from refuse and stinking garbage; our ashpits were thoroughly inspected and cleansed; orders were issued for the absolute observance of much greater attention to both personal and household cleanliness and sobriety. The poorer victims were generally buried at night, in St. John’s and St. James’ Churchyards, and the “Cholera Black Waggon,” slowly and mournfully “picking up” and conveying its loaded freight of once bright and happy beings, both young and old to their unbidden, hurried, and mixed common grave, was a nightly sight not easily forgotten, and one sight quite sufficient for one lifetime to witness. “As drowning men,” it is said, “catch at straws,” so we, the denizens of then poor stricken down Dudley, were too glad to listen to any advice which might help to mitigate the fearful scourge in our midst. The Rev. J. B. Owen, M.A., of Bilston, at this particular juncture, came and lectured at our newly formed Mechanics’ Institute, “On Sanitary Improvement securing Good Health.” It need hardly be written that this lecture was densely crowded, as Mr. Owen was one of the God-fearing guardian angels and friends of all the awe-stricken inhabitants in Bilston, who was night and day to be seen aiding in the cause of our common humanity. It was afterwards known that upwards of 750 persons perished in Bilston of Asiatic Cholera. Up to this date the death rate had been observed principally amongst the really poor, indigent, delicate and sickly; the deaths amongst young children being very numerous also.

The once celebrated Dudley Races, held where the present railway station and railway line runs towards the Lime Kilns, down the New Tipton Road, were held the last time in July, 1848. The grand stand was backed up against the Castle grounds wall, and the race ground extended in an oblong course, running from the New Road to the Lime Kilns.

July 24th, 1848. The town was suddenly agitated this day, by the announcement of the failure of Messrs. Jno. and M. Williams and Co., Corn Millers, of this town; liabilities said to be £35,000.

The general trade of the town and district was now in a most deplorable state, and in the recollection of the old tradesmen it was never known to have been so bad. Added to the distress, the puddlers and colliers, &c., received notice for a reduction in wages of 10 per cent., which was equal to 6d. per day.

At this distressing period of our history, men, women, and children, in a state of absolute starvation, were seen daily dragging a light waggon through our streets, asking for alms of loaves of bread and victuals for their famishing families, shewing the dire disasters that had visited our old town and locality. To make matters worse, seventeen shops, ranging from St. Edmund’s to St. Thomas’s Churches, were “to let” at this unhappy time.

Our active and exciteable neighbour, Mr. Samuel Cook, was still bent upon enlightening the people in something, which eventually did not fill their bellies, but caused some of the incautious to be sent to jail for seditious speaking and rioting. This time he secured the services of that Arch Infidel from Leeds (the hot-bed of Chartism) to lecture at Tipton, on a Sunday, “On the Curse of an Aristocracy, the Rights of the People, and Primitive Christianity.” The drum and fife band, with Mr. Cook and the lecturer at its head, led many foolish men and youths on the broad road to infidelity and lawlessness.

“THE PEOPLE, THEIR RIGHTS, AND LIBERTIES, THEIR DUTIES AND THEIR INTERESTS.”

On Sunday, August the 13th, 1848, TWO LECTURES will be delivered in the open air, Waterloo Street, Tipton, by Mr. JOSEPH BARKER, of Wortley, near Leeds.

Afternoon Subject.—“The Curse of an Aristocracy, and the need of a Democracy.” Evening Subject.—“Primitive Christianity, True Religion, &c.” The lecture in the afternoon to commence at Three o’clock, and the one in the evening at six. Go ye men and women in your Tens and Hundreds and Thousands, and hear Mr. Barker on the above important subjects.

SAMUEL COOK.

1848. August. The St. Edmund’s National School Foundation Stone was laid by Lady Ward, of Himley. The Right Honourable Lord Ward subscribed £100 to the Building Fund and gave the land, the remainder of the money was raised by public subscription. This flourishing school has been of immense value to the poorer classes of the inhabitants, having turned out some very clever boys and girls.

Died, September 6th, 1848, Mr. John L. Wood, Grocer, High Street. Aged 40 years.

BRAVO!

THREE CHEERS AND ONE CHEER MORE FOR THE NAIL MASTERS.

“Dudley Nail Ironmongers’ Meeting.—On Wednesday last, a Meeting of the Nail Ironmongers was held at the Hotel in this town, on the recent alterations of the prices to the nailers, when it was agreed that the latter should receive the prices as in the year 1838, and which we are pleased to add will be in effect, giving to the nailers their old and increased prices.” Birmingham Journal September 9th. Nail Masters, Iron Masters, Coal Masters, Cotton Lords, Woollen Lords, and all other manufacturing Lords and Masters.—Get fair profits, and be content—give reasonable wages, and let live, as well as live. Be not avaricious, and go not beyond your tether. Try not to undersell each other, and keep the markets steady. Then the Australian, the East Indian, the Brazilian, the American, and other buyers will know how to order.

This is the radical advice of

SAMUEL COOK.

Dudley, September 13th, 1848.

1848. October 3rd. The following public notice was extensively distributed in the town and parish, in reference to the attack of cholera:—

THE NUISANCES REMOVAL AND DISEASES PREVENTION ACT.—1848.

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,

That the Board for repair of the Highways of this Parish are resolved to enforce the provisions of the above Act, and are prepared to receive Notices in writing, in accordance with the said Act, from such Householders who may have cause to complain of any nuisance.

The required Forms and further information may be obtained at my Office.

JOHN BATEMAN,

Clerk and Surveyor to the said Board.

3rd October, 1848.

1849. January 20th. An explosion of gas, arising from the frost, took place this morning at the shop of Mr. Thomas Guest, grocer, Queen Street; the window was blown into the street, and the goods in the shop were much damaged. Mr. Guest, who was in the place at the time, escaped most miraculously.

February 7th, 1849. This evening, the members of the “Rose and Thistle” Lodge of Odd Fellows, M.U., unanimously seceded from membership in the Manchester Unity, and issued the following “reasons” for their proceedings:

TO THE INDEPENDENT ORDER OF ODD FELLOWS, M.U.

REASONS

For the Secession of the “Rose and Thistle” Lodge of Odd Fellows from the Manchester Unity.

1.—That the present system of management is extravagant, vexatious, and unnecessary, and consumes 29 per cent, or nearly one-third of the Income arising from the Contributions.

2.—That the Scales of Payment are not based upon the actual rates of Sickness and Mortality, as shown by the Reports of the Registrar General, and other practical Actuaries. For instance, the M.U., in the Dudley District, proposes to assure to its members, on the payment of 6d. per week contribution, and an entrance fee of £1 1s. 0d., the following:—

At the death of a Member, £8 from Lodge fund; £6 from District fund; £1 from Widows’ and Orphans’ fund. At the death of a Member’s wife, £4 from Lodge fund; £3 from District fund; making a total of £22; besides 8s. a week during sickness, and 5s. per quarter allowance to Widows, and some small payment to Children; whereas, to assure all these benefits, taking the average ages of the members at thirty-two years, 8-1/4d. weekly contribution should be paid instead of 6d.

See Mr. Nelson’s Observations on the Insolvency of the Manchester Unity. (Page 22, 23, 24).

3.—That the M.U., not being protected by Law, is subject to fraud, robbery, and imposition, without any redress against the offending parties, as lately witnessed in the wholesale fraud committed by the late Corresponding Secretary of the Order, at Manchester.

4.—That the uniformity which exists in this District, in the payments of Tradesmen’s and Miners’ Lodges to the district fund, is contrary to all well-recognised principles of justice; because the Miners’ Lodges are subject to a much greater percentage of Sickness and Death than the other Lodges, and only pay in the same ratio.

5.—That the members of the M.U. do not pay according to their respective ages, for a member at thirty five years of age pays no more contribution than a young member at eighteen years of age, with the exception of an increased initiation fee on his entrance.

6.—That the M.U. makes no real provision for the infirmities of old age; because, as long as a member (it matters not how aged) is not under medical treatment, he is not entitled to lodge pay: thus a member may live to old age, and not receive any benefit from the Lodge, except at death.

7.—That the present general system adopted throughout the Unity is delusive, and incapable of fulfilling perpetually its professed engagements, which justifies the adoption of a sounder principle of assurance for the Working Classes, according to the actual returns of Sickness and Death, as furnished by scientific and practical Actuaries.

See Mr. Nelson’s Pamphlet. Page 40.

By Order of the Committee,

GEORGE DEELEY, Chairman.

Rose and Thistle Lodge,

Hope Tavern.

February 14th, 1849.

Died Feb. 18th, 1849, Mrs. Dixon, the beloved wife of Edward Dixon, Esq., Banker, formerly of this town. Aged 67 years.

Two numerously attended lectures were given in the Lancasterian School Room, on the 26th and 27th February, by J. Kingsley, Esquire, of London, on “No Church Rates,” and “Separation of Church and State!!!”

The members of the “New Dudley Provident Society,” which emanated from the secession of the late “Rose and Thistle Lodge of Odd Fellows, M.U.,” issued their new rules and scales of payment in sickness and at death.—John Finch, President; John Bagott, Secretary.

Feb. 27th, 1849. The druggist’s shop of Mrs. Lydia Morris, High Street, took fire this evening, but was soon got under. Damage about £50.

Feb. 27th, 1849. The Postmaster General having intimated his intention to discontinue the Birmingham and Ludlow morning mail coach, and intending to substitute a mail cart to convey the letters and parcels, a public town’s meeting was convened by Mr. Edward Terry, the mayor, to petition against the same.

BRAVO! BRAVO!!

Ten thousand times ten thousand cheers for the defeat of the French Ministers on the nefarious conduct of their General against the Illustrious Roman Republic.

Soon may all the Continental Brambles be supplanted by Olive Trees, Fig Trees, and Vines (Judges ix.),

Is the ardent prayer of

SAMUEL COOK.

TO CHURCHMEN AND DISSENTERS OF DUDLEY, AND THE PARISHIONERS GENERALLY.

DOWN WITH CHURCH RATES!

You are again called upon in these times of deep distress to arm the State Church with power to add to your already too heavy burden an enormous Levy or CHURCH RATE of TENPENCE IN THE POUND.

It remains for you to protest in the face of your country against such an impost, OR FOR EVER BE SLAVES!! Join with your neighbours who think proper to support their own forms of religious worship, their Ministers, and Temples, and declare by your united action, THAT NO CHURCH-RATE SHALL BE ADDED TO YOUR BURDEN OF TAXATION.

(A COPY).

NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN,

That a meeting of the Ratepayers in the Vestry, of and for this parish, will be holden in the Vestry of St. Thomas’s Church, Dudley, at Eleven o’clock in the forenoon of Friday, the 9th of March instant, for the purpose of granting the Churchwardens a Rate or Levy of TENPENCE in the pound.

If a poll be demanded, the meeting will be immediately adjourned to the Old Town Hall, and the poll will commence forthwith, and be kept open till four o’clock in the forenoon of the said ninth day of March, and the poll will be continued at the Old Town Hall aforesaid, from the hours of Ten in the forenoon of Monday, the 12 day of March, to the hour of Four in the afternoon of the same day, and again at the same place, from the hour of Ten in the forenoon, to the hour of Twelve at noon on Tuesday, the thirteenth day of March, when the poll will then be declared.

JAMES C. BROWN, D.C.L.,

JOHN ORME BRETTELL, E. HOLLIER,

Vicar.

} Churchwardens.

Dudley, March 3rd, 1849.

CHURCH RATES.

A Church Rate is proposed by the Churchwardens of St. Thomas’s Church, of Sixpence in the Pound, to be granted, in the Vestry, on Thursday, the 8th instant, at Ten o’clock. Will the People of Dudley submit to this? Ratepayers, attend the meeting, and show your opposition to the obnoxious Tax, by voting for a Penny Rate.

A preliminary meeting will be held at the “Swan Inn,” on Wednesday Evening at Eight o’clock. All Persons in favour of Religious Liberty are requested to attend.

Committee Room, Swan Hotel, Dudley, April 5th, 1852.

Died April 28th, 1849, Miss Mary Parsons, of Wolverhampton Street. On the death of this very elderly lady, £8000 reverted to the Unitarian Schools and Charities in this town. Aged 96 years.

Died May 14th, 1849, Mr. Abiathar Bunch, Auctioneer and Valuer. He unhappily dropped down dead in a fit in the Market. Mr. Bunch was decidedly a very eccentric man of the true Dudley type, but very genial and hearty withal. Aged 57 years.

Died August 2nd, 1849, Mr. Benjamin Wood, Tobacconist, Market Place.

August 28th, 1849. The Town Commissioners bought the last lot of building remaining on the Market Place (formerly occupied by Mr. Robert Houghton, Draper) for £1,860.

Sept. 15th, 1849. On the grand occasion of the British Association visiting the Silurian Caves and the Castle this day, the Caverns were beautifully illuminated at the expense of Lord Ward, and a splendid luncheon was given at the National School Room to commemorate the event. Many thousands of people attended the illuminations in the Caverns, for it was such an unique and unparalleled sight as cannot be repeated, for some of these spacious limestone caverns have since that time “fallen in,” and the canal is not used.

Sept. 29th, 1849. The “Dudley News Room,” held in New Street, was finally closed this day, its numerous members having joined the new Mechanics’ Institute. The balance of fund in hand was presented to the Dudley Dispensary Fund. C. F. G. Clark, Secretary.

Sept. 25th, 1849. The awful scourge of Cholera still raged in our midst, and we had fifty-four well authenticated deaths by Cholera, and all conceivable human efforts were adopted to assuage its attacks.

Died Sept. 25th, 1849, Mrs. Allender, of the Woolpack Inn, Castle Street, of a clear case of Asiatic Cholera. Aged 54 years.

Sept. 26th, 1849. This day was appointed by the Bishop of Worcester (Dr. Pepys) as a day of fasting and prayer to Almighty God to assuage the raging of the Cholera in this afflicted district. It was held with great solemnity by all denominations of people, for we all felt most acutely that we were in the same boat in this perilous voyage of life, daily hanging in the balance, and dreading, but little knowing, whose turn it would be next to be suddenly called away. Some curious remedies and preventatives of Cholera were adopted. Some people kept close quarters in their comfortable houses, and watched the destroying angel pass by, others thought it best to be out and abroad. Vegetables and fish were eschewed by all genteel people, although it was clearly shown that the poor who ate such forbidden things died no sooner for the use of such edibles. Pills, Plasters, and Mixtures (having reputed infallible cures) were taken wholesale, and brandy and salt found its many votaries, for the brandy was swallowed whilst the salt was employed as a poultice to the stomach. The use of Cayenne Pepper (largely) was considered an infallible preventative of Cholera Morbus. Alas, all failed, and the Cholera raged until it burnt itself out, and had claimed all its victims. God grant that we may never have such a dreadful and alarming visitation again.

Nov. 15th, 1849. The Queen in Council ordered a general Thanksgiving Day for the abatement of Asiatic Cholera in England, for happily it had nearly been stamped out. This day was held with great earnestness and thankfulness throughout the land.

During the strain of fear and sorrow which this sad visitation had forced upon the nation, and the local enquiries which were held in various important towns on the principles and practices which ought to govern Local Authorities in managing their own districts, a great divergence of public opinion was elicited, which ultimately ended in Parliament appointing a searching Commission to examine these undissolved problems of scientific men.

The sanitary state and condition of a nation is a very broad platform to stand upon, and a good plea has been urged on the ground of private rights and privileges, but it is now unmistakeably admitted that the “Grand All People” must enter into a man’s calculations when he builds a house, or feeds his pig, and that he cannot be allowed to create a nuisance which can be proved detrimental to his neighbour’s health, or a shame to morals or decency. Since those memorable, harrowing times many most salutary Sanitary Acts have been passed, which will I hope for ever place beyond the pale of probability a revisitation of the fatal Asiatic Cholera.

THE GRAMMAR SCHOOL, DUDLEY.

1849. Rev. A. Kerr Thompson, M.A., Queen’s College, Oxford, Head Master, late Senior Assistant Master in King Edward the VIth’s School, Birmingham; Rev. F. J. Fairhead, B.A., Queen’s College, Cambridge, Second Master, late Second Master of the College, Wye, Kent; Mr. John Henn, Assistant Master, formerly Assistant Master in King Edward the VIth’s School, Meriden Street, Birmingham, and late Head Master of St. Peter’s National School, Birmingham.

DUDLEY UNION WORKHOUSE.

At a Meeting of the Inhabitants of Dudley, convened by the Mayor (Edward Terry, Esq.,) in compliance with a respectably signed requisition, held at the Town Hall, the 8th day of October, 1849, “to take into consideration the confined situation of the present Poor House, and the necessity that exists for the adoption of measures without delay for its removal to a more open and healthy site.”

Resolved,—On the motion of Thomas Badger, Esq., seconded by C. F. Hewitt, Esq., “That it is the opinion of this Meeting that the present Workhouse in Dudley is in a most inconvenient and objectionable situation, being too confined, and being too much in the midst of the population of the Town, and that during this period of pestilence it is (as on former occasions it has been) fraught with the utmost danger alike to the inmates, and to the inhabitants; and moreover, that it is the opinion of this Meeting that the situation of the premises does not admit of the said Workhouse being enlarged or improved.”

Resolved:—On the motion of Mr. John Vaughan, seconded by Mr. Thomas Wood, “That this Meeting be adjourned until Monday, October the 22nd inst., at eleven o’clock, to afford time for further consideration of the subject; and that Messrs. C. F. Hewitt, John Marsh, William Bourne, C. F. G. Clark, Fisher Smith, Alexander Patterson, J. Bateman, and J. C. Cooke, be appointed a Committee to collect information as to the probable cost of erecting a suitable Workhouse for the Dudley Union, and to report on the probable value of the present Workhouses.”

Signed,

EDWARD TERRY,

Chairman.

October 8th, 1849.

It is wise and prudent at times to look within ones-self and “try to see ourselves as others see us;” thus the subjoined public views of “Curiosities of Dudley” will illustrate this point.

The Government of all, by all, for all.

THE DUDLEY CHARTISTS, AND THE REFORM AND FINANCIAL ASSOCIATIONS.

At a Committee Meeting, held October 15th, 1849, It was resolved:—“That the Committee of Dudley Chartists renders its most cordial and energetic aid to any and all parties favourable to the present move for Financial and Parliamentary Reform, at the same time reserving to itself the right of progressing when these objects are achieved.” N.B. The above resolution has been copied into the Birmingham Mercury, the Northern Star, and the Nonconformist.

REFORM! REFORM! REFORM!

The MANIFESTO of the NATIONAL REFORM ASSOCIATION.

After mutual deliberation, the Middle and Working Classes have agreed upon the basis of a representative system—both parties accept the principles of the National Reform Association. They are—“1st. The extension of the Suffrage to every Occupier of a Tenement, or portion of a Tenement. 2nd, Vote by Ballot. 3rd. Triennial Parliaments. 4th. A more equal apportionment of Members to Population, 5th. The abolition of the Property Qualification.” Such a Reform carried in its integrity would make the House of Commons the embodiment and expression of the mind and will of the people; and with this, and with nothing less, should the people be content. To work, not words, we must devote the next few weeks for the advancement of our political rights, and to the means of alleviating the burdens of our fellow men. Republished by order of the Committee of the Dudley Mutual Improvement Society.

DUDLEY REPRESENTATION.

(From the Daily News, December 1st, 1849.)

Dudley was enfranchised by the Reform Bill. It is the centre of a manufacturing district; it contains a population of nearly five and thirty thousand; it has 1,300 £10 householders, of whom nearly 1,000 were registered electors: corruption has not been practised in it, and nevertheless it returns a strong Tory representative, and, under existing circumstances, would continue to do so, let the suffrage be extended as it might.

It will at once be inquired—what is the cause of this? An anomaly is here presented which requires explanation. These facts, it will be said, appear to militate against the arguments in daily use—that the feeling of the country is Liberal—that the people are well fitted to receive an extended suffrage—and that the large manufacturing constituencies are the most enlightened, and, as a rule, return the most useful representatives. It will be observed, too, that the position of Dudley appears the more anomalous because the town is immediately adjacent to, and in many respects materially influenced by, Birmingham and Wolverhampton—places which may almost be described as centres of political enlightenment. It will be asked how these things are to be accounted for and reconciled. In dealing with the borough system of England it is certainly our duty not to pass them over.

The Toryism which is predominant at Dudley is a very peculiar Toryism. It is a low and vulgar Toryism; an ignorant and very brutal Toryism. As a rule Toryism is the aristocratic principle of England: it presents itself in the flowing wig and ruffle style of the early days of George the Third; it boasts of long descent and ancient pedigree, and, as many a Tory of the present day will tell you, came to him as an inheritance with his family plate and pictures. But the Toryism of Dudley is nothing of this sort; there is not a Tory in the town who can boast of his grandfather; it is difficult to put your finger upon a member of the party who is entitled to the position and reputation of a gentleman. A coarser and more vulgar crew than the Tories of the town of Dudley, high and low, it would be impossible to pitch upon in any community in England.

The Toryism of Dudley is a Toryism of ignorance—a Toryism of habit—a Toryism of self interest—and a Toryism of coercion. We have been in places where Toryism was the representative of loyalty. At Dudley they care as much about the Sovereign as they do about the President of France. There are other towns where Toryism shadows forth the Church of England, and where Tories march in array to the poll with a view, as they believe, to keep dissent in check. At Dudley the Tories profess no Church principle, nor, indeed, any description of religious principle. Up to 1845, when a diocesan effort was made to civilize this locality, there were few places where the Church was so completely useless—where it was so apt a representation of the dried up well of the desert in which thousands are perishing of thirst. Even now, when the Church is making some effort to enlighten this depraved and almost heathen population, it is not the Tories of Dudley who support its efforts, nor the Tories of Dudley who promote its usefulness.

And this fact shadows forth one of the great causes of the Toryism of this town. We have said that the Toryism of Dudley is a Toryism of ignorance. The ignorance of Dudley Tories is not mere personal ignorance—though there is an ample amount of that—but it is an entire and utter ignorance of the population amongst which they live. That population is a most important population. It is almost exclusively a mining population. Within the parish of Dudley there exists 32,000 souls: but within a circle of three or more miles around it there are scarcely less than 100,000 more, and the great proportion of these are engaged exclusively in the mining operations of the district. Talk of our large towns—why the population of the parishes of Dudley, and of Tipton, Clent, Kingswinford, Sedgley, and West Bromwich, all in close proximity to Dudley, equal the population of Birmingham itself! What is the condition of this population? Who cares for and protects this enormous mass of labouring poor? The Dudley Tories—for whom so many of them labour? We lament to say not one of them.

It is a painful fact to record, but we do believe that there is not one of the employers of the Dudley district who knows one per cent. of the men who toil and labour to produce his wealth. Take England through, and you will not find a locality where there is not so little sympathy between the employers and employed, but such an utter regardlessness on the part of the former of every single interest appertaining to the latter. It is upon the records of official evidence that they omit even the commonest precautions for the preservation of their lives. Human existence here is treated as a cheap commodity. Those horrible pit accidents, of which we hear so frequently—(and yet, in comparison of the frequency of their occurrence, so very rarely)—proper precautions would prevent one half of them—precautions entailing trouble and expense no greater than is the bounden duty of every master to provide.

But the utter ignorance of the Dudley Tories of the population amongst whom they live is no better exhibited than by “the strikes,” which are of habitual occurrence in this important district. If the history of the labour of this locality were written, it would be found that “strikes” amongst the pitmen were the rule, and continuous labour the exception. The pitmen in the Dudley district are always, in fact, in an incipient state of strike, or else in strike itself. It is evident that there must be something wrong in a system under which such a state of things as this exists. We do not hear of these repeated strikes in the cotton manufacturing districts, in the woollen trade, or in the clothing trade, at Manchester, or Bolton, or Huddersfield, or Leeds. Why should the population on the Dudley side of the coal country “strike” so much more frequently than they do upon the Wolverhampton and Bilston side of the same district? There must be a fault here, and we have little hesitation in attributing it to the want of sympathy of the employers for the employed.

In order to explain this more thoroughly it is necessary to describe shortly how the mines of this coal district are worked. We will take the district immediately adjacent to the town of Dudley. The great owner of the soil is Lord Ward. Lord Ward lets his land on royalties: that is to say, the person taking a lease of it engages to work the minerals upon the property, to pay so much per ton for all the coal and ironstone obtained, to get no more than a certain maximum quantity, which is agreed on, every year, but to pay as for a certain minimum quantity, whether he may get the maximum or none. This is the contract as between the owner of the soil and the ironmaster. But the ironmaster does not work the mines himself: he contracts with a middleman, called a butty-collier, who engages to open the mine for him, and to get a certain quantity of coal or ironstone per week, at a price to be agreed. The butty-collier employs a gang of men for this purpose. These men are consequently never brought into connexion with, nor do they in the slightest degree engage the sympathies of, their real employer. In many cases they do not even know the “butty,” for the butty contents himself with negotiating with the master, and contracts with the men through one of their own class, who is ordinarily called a “doggie.” The master never goes into the mines: the “butty” very rarely. But it is in these mines that the colliers exist from one week’s end to another; it is here that they live, and breathe, and have their being.

Now, the effect of this system of labour in the iron district is highly detrimental to every class engaging in the trade. The labourer, having nothing in common with the employer, is continually striking to get more out of him—and hence the “strikes” by which the trade is continually suffering. On the other hand the employer is led to treat the workman as a mere machine; as a machine without wants or feelings; as a machine in which he is only so far interested as he can work it. A remarkable proof of this position is to be found in the fact, that although accidents in the pit-work are in the fearful proportion of no less than seventy-two per cent. per annum to the number of labourers, yet there is not in the Town of Dudley, or in the country round about it, a hospital, or even a dispensary! “All cases requiring peculiar care must be sent to Birmingham,” twelve miles off!

When people are found so careless of the lives of the labourers by whom they live, how can it be expected that they can be anxious concerning their political position? The late Vicar of Dudley put it upon record that his rich fellow townsman cared nothing either for the spiritual or moral welfare of the poor. “I had the greatest possible difficulty,” he says, “in obtaining money for building district churches. On coming to the parish I found only two old endowed schools in one building, and they were in great difficulties.” This reverend gentleman and other clergymen detail the difficulties they have in extracting a sixpence from the richest masters in the district for the benefit of the poor, and the utter regardlessness which there is for their social or spiritual well being.

This ignorance of the working class—of their wants, wishes, feelings and interests—is no doubt a predisposing cause to the Toryism of the Dudley ironmasters. The system of their trade is another predisposing cause. Most people know, that virtually, the iron trade is a monopoly. The large ironmasters are continually struggling to maintain it so. You have heard probably of what are called “Ironmasters’ Quarterly Meetings.” Allow us an opportunity of exposing one of the greatest absurdities that ever existed in any trade. In the week after every legal quarter day the ironmasters of South Staffordshire perambulate the district to hold what they call their quarterly meetings, and to arrange what the price of iron shall be for the ensuing quarter. The ironmasters meet, say at Wolverhampton or at Dudley. They dine at the hotel. They fix the price of iron—the price that is to govern all the trade. One of them—a jolly red nosed old Tory—the most convivial of all the lot, and the most emphatic about the price, returns home after dinner, and finds a letter on his table requesting him to tender for a quantity of rails. Within twelve hours after he has “settled the price,” he is certain to be underselling all his neighbours. This “settling the price” of iron is a farce. But if so, what is the use of the quarterly meeting? Why, the use of the quarterly meeting is to keep up the monopoly, to afford an occasion for excluding “the new man” in the business—to present a favourable opportunity for a combination against the weaker and humbler manufacturer—and, in addition to all this, to put the screw upon the labourer, by combining to enforce the lowest rate of wages in the works and pits. For at these Ironmasters’ Quarterly Meetings, wages, forsooth, are regulated, as well as the price of iron. And you will find, if you examine the subject attentively, that these wages are fixed without regard to the quality of the labour or the skill of the workman, in the same way as the price of iron is fixed, without regard to its quality, or the nature of the supply.

Their monopoly, therefore, makes the Dudley ironmasters Tories by habit and Tories by position. We will now show how they are also Tories by self-interests and Tories by coercion. The coal-field, or as it is sometimes called “the great black cake,” is of limited extent. The lords of the soil are few in number. Lord Ward possesses the largest share of it. Sir Horace St. Paul was the next greatest proprietor. Now it is a matter of absolute necessity with the lessees, that they should be upon as good terms as possible with the owners of the soil. And we will explain the reasons why. When a coal-field is taken to work a considerable amount of capital is necessarily invested. Works have to be erected; a shaft has to be sunk. From the nature of the property no very large quantity of land can be taken at once. In a little time, probably, all that has been originally leased is worked out. The lessee has now to obtain a new piece of ground. You will see at once that in order to make his original pit and works available it is necessary that such new piece of ground should adjoin that he originally took. The instances are rare in which this adjoining ground does not belong to the same landlord. If the master is on good terms with the steward he gets it; if he is not, a large proportion of his capital is necessarily sacrificed. The self-interest, therefore, of these ironmasters induces them to go with the owner of the soil, and obliges them to submit to the coercion of the steward. At Dudley, as we shall presently find, this has gone so far that the constituency are content to swallow Lord Ward’s own agent as their representative in parliament, a person who rarely comes amongst them, who does the town no earthly good, and who is as careless about the fulfilment of his parliamentary duties as if he was sitting for Gatton or Old Sarum.

Such, then, to conclude this branch of the subject, are the circumstances under which the important town of Dudley is a Tory town. The explanation will set at rest all cavil as to the reason why this large manufacturing constituency should now send a Tory to the House of Commons. We started by saying that there was little hope of improvement—that an extension of the suffrage would probably have no effect whatever on the returns of this constituency. If the suffrage was household, it would be extended in Dudley to a lower class of “buttys” and “doggies,” who are all under the thumb and immediate influence of the master. If it was universal, it would be extended to the mining labourers, who in their turn are under the thumb and immediate influence of the “buttys” and “doggies.” Indeed the character of this particular population requires that, before the suffrage, another enlightener should be introduced, in the person of the schoolmaster. “The old collier of this town,” says the late Vicar of Dudley, “is a heavy, superstitious, gluttonous animal, most harmless, and naturally good natured, without a spark of political feeling, unless as regards his daily wages: all beyond is to him dreary and unreal.” Some years ago, the Chartists thought they had made an impression in the coal country; but it was a mistake. They were all powerful in Birmingham, but not in any way understood in Dudley. “The Chartists,” says a working man, “had a room in Dudley for a year or more before the strike. Occasionally Lecturers would come and lecture there. Not many men at any time enrolled their names. I should say 50 or 60 might be the most, and they paid 1d. a week, but the room could not have held that number at once.” Another working man says: “The men did not follow the Chartists from any principle, but fled to them for refuge in the strike, and were glad for any one to come and instruct them in the prices of iron and so forth. Political affairs had nothing to do with us; we had to deal with our masters. The Chartists never had any friends in Dudley.” A population of this sort evidently requires instruction in order duly to exercise political privileges.

And, now, having fully pointed out the position of Dudley as regards the social and political influences at work there, we proceed to give that which is more immediately the business of this article, the electoral history of the town. It is a short and dreary one, only marked by the occurrence of one exciting contest.

The large towns which were enfranchised in 1832 felt at the first election which occurred in them all the awkwardness of a first appearance in a new character. Parties were unformed, no combinations of any sort prevailed, and in the majority of cases accident rather than deliberate judgment determined the choice of the electorates. An accident threw the representation of Dudley into the hands of no less a person than the Solicitor-General, Sir John Campbell. Mr. Campbell had sat for Stafford in the parliaments of 1830 and 1831. But with the passing of the Reform Bill he was desirous of obtaining election by a different constituency, and indeed circumstances which had occurred at Stafford prevented his again sitting for that town. Dudley, a borough not far distant from Stafford, was selected, it is believed, by Mr. Joseph Parkes. Sir John Campbell went to Dudley in utter ignorance of the character of the constituency and of the men with whom he had to deal. But it was a new borough, a large borough, and a manufacturing borough, and therefore was supposed necessarily to be a Liberal borough. When Sir John Campbell got down he found apparently a very influential opponent in the field. This was Sir Horace St. Paul, one of the principal owners of the “great black cake.” The nomination of Sir Horace St. Paul, however, was not free from objection. He had represented Bridport in several preceding parliaments, and had been an opponent of the bill by which Dudley was enfranchised. For common honour the great body of the new electorate were obliged to set their faces against this. But there was another circumstance greatly to Sir Horace’s disadvantage. Although he owned a considerable part of the mineral property of the district, his possession of that property was far from beneficial to the iron and coal masters. Sir Horace St. Paul worked his own mines, and the ironmasters regarded him with some jealousy, as a rival in their business. The support he received from them was, therefore, anything but warm; and the political Union of Birmingham having declared for Sir John Campbell, “plain Jack” was enabled to secure a comparatively easy victory at the poll, where the numbers were—for Campbell, 348; St. Paul, 229. At this time there were only 670 voters on the poll, instead of 1000, as at present.

In February, 1834, Sir John Campbell having succeeded Sir Wm. Horne as Attorney-General, came down to Dudley to obtain his re-election. Circumstances, however, had vastly changed since 1832. The reform excitement had passed away. The Birmingham Political Union was defunct. The Liberal party had become less popular, and in Dudley Sir John Campbell had done nothing to secure for himself any local sympathy. The party which had brought him in in 1832 was a party without any influence or weight whatever in the town. They had succeeded mainly in consequence of the feeling of the day, and the fact of their having succeeded was sufficient to unite against them very strong and powerful influences. The Dudley Tories, in fact, had now begun to shew a formidable front, and were prepared stoutly to contest the seat.

The candidate they selected was a local man—Mr. Thos. Hawkes, of Himley. Mr. Hawkes was an amiable man, whose family had made their property in Dudley, and who had himself been engaged in the glass trade of the district. He was a man of some ambition, and had aimed for a long time at high society and a seat in parliament, without having either the means sufficient for the one, or the ability desirable for the other. However, the Dudley Tories were disposed to gratify him, the more so as he was a man very likely to succeed at an election from his general popularity, and the more so from his residence being next door to Himley Hall.

Mr. Hawkes was accordingly proposed. The Tories exerted themselves indefatigably on his behalf, and it was speedily evident that they would be successful. But the Tories of Dudley are not a class of people who can bear either success or defeat with moderation. They had displayed from an early period of this contest violent passions, and an infinite amount of bad feeling towards their opponents of all classes. Gangs of bullies had gone about to threaten and assault individuals, canvassers upon the Liberal side had been insulted in the public streets, and it was an open boast with the Tories that they would make the town too hot for their adversaries. On the day of election all those coarse and vulgar methods of exasperation were increased tenfold. People were insulted at the poll, and the authorities, all Tories, would afford them no protection. At length the town became a scene of riot and confusion. It was feared that Sir John Campbell would personally become an object of attack, and he was advised to leave the town. Accordingly whilst the Tory mob was bellowing in the street, in the front of his hotel, the Attorney General, accompanied by a friend, and disguised by a muffler round the lower part of his face, left the inn by a back door, and proceeding through the narrowest and dirtiest parts of the town, escaped from it by a circuitous route. The passage by which Sir John left Dudley received the name of “Campbell’s flight,” and will probably be so distinguished long after the circumstances which gave it celebrity have passed into oblivion.

An hour of retribution, however, was now at hand. The Tory mob had held the town all day, but it is a dangerous thing in a district of this sort to play a game at mobs. No sooner was it known that there was rioting in Dudley than the largest coal and ironworks on the Stourbridge side poured forth an army of miners; men to whom to see the light of day was itself almost an excitement. Into Dudley they poured with wild shouts and outcries. The people fled in terror. The shop windows had all been closed. As they came down the streets the colliers pulled down every shutter, and threw them through the windows into the houses. Not a whole pane of glass was left. The pavements were torn up. Stones began to fly in all directions. The town for a whole hour was given up to a worse riot than before, and then the Blacks began to retire.

The rear of their army was at one end of the town when the Dragoons from Birmingham galloped in at the other. The authorities who had permitted riots on their own side all the day, had sent expresses for the troops the moment they found they had got the worst of the game they had begun. The military arrived too late to prevent the mischief; but they held possession of the town all night, and thereby afforded security to the inhabitants. And thus terminated one of the most riotous elections ever known in England—an election thoroughly disgraceful to the town where it occurred, but of which the Dudley Tories boast to this hour, as if, instead of exciting the worst feelings of humanity, they had achieved some great moral triumph.

Mr. Hawkes sat for Dudley from February, 1834, to July 1844. At every successive election some one was brought forward to oppose him, but his majorities increased at every contest, and the Liberals polled fewer and fewer the more frequently they fought the borough. Except the excellence of their cause, they have not in fact a single element of strength in Dudley.

Mr. Hawkes probably acquired some additional influence in consequence of the marriage of one of his daughters with the brother and heir presumptive of Lord Ward. The peer himself was for a long time understood to be the lady’s suitor, but the younger brother ultimately obtained her hand. Mr. Hawkes might have continued, under these circumstances, to represent the town, but unfortunately the pressure of pecuniary embarrassments obliged him, in 1844, to go abroad, with a view to repair his fortunes. He accordingly relinquished his seat, to which Mr. John Benbow, the agent and auditor of the Ward estates, immediately succeeded.

Mr. Benbow’s pretensions to the representation of the town rest exclusively upon the office which he holds. He is neither a native nor a resident, nor in any other way connected with the place. He is comparatively very slightly known in Dudley. He visits it but rarely, and does nothing of himself to advance its local interests. A representative he can scarcely be called, for Mr. Benbow is one of those members who rarely record their opinions by a vote in Parliament, being contented with the seat without the trouble of attending.

Dudley, thus represented, has reached, as one may suppose, the lowest point of its political degradation. It fell very low when the seat descended from the Attorney-General to Mr. Hawkes. It fell still lower when the resident and the friend was superseded by the stranger and the mere official. Nothing can change Dudley but a change in the opinions of Lord Ward. And stranger things may come to pass than that.

Dudley, in outward appearance, is an improving place. Within the last five years its shops have assumed a much handsomer aspect, some of its streets have been widened and more attention has been paid to cleanliness. It has all the bustle of a busy and a thriving town; but as its trade depends exclusively upon the coal and iron districts all around it, it is necessarily subjected to many fluctuations. We cannot recommend Dudley to the tourist as a halting place, for the smoke renders the atmosphere in the town and country all around it particularly disagreeable. But there is no district in England better worth examination, both as regards the state of an important trade, and the condition of an enormous population. Those who will face the dirt and dinginess of Brierley Hill and Tipton will find ample food for study; and they will see a scene of industry and wealth where, within the memory of man, little else was to be found but open waste and common.

The concluding paragraph in this severe editorial, but too truthful recital of the political status of Dudley at this period of our history, wherein it is written that, “Nothing can change Dudley, but a change in the opinions of Lord Ward, and stranger things may come to pass than that;” has been most unexpectedly fulfilled by his Lordship’s recent recantation of his former steadfast political views, discarding now for ever the long held Conservative principles of the House of Himley, and passing over with all his enormous powers and local belongings into the ranks of the modern so-called Liberalism. Pitiable is it indeed to witness the twingings of a forced compliance now to his new-born politics in all degrees and stations of his employes; whose former by-gone stereotyped orders, wrung from many an honest heart the secret feelings of a detestation of such doings, but silenced by the sense that his daily bread absolutely depended upon his compliance. Such is the fate of Political Toadyism!

Died January 10th, 1850, Mr. George Lester, Pork Butcher, High Street. Aged 32 years.

Died February 9th, 1850, Mr. Frederick Johnson, Solicitor, Wolverhampton Street. This was a young gentleman of brilliant talents, and had he lived would have been an ornament to the town. Aged 27 years.

“The Truck or Tommy system,” an odious practice of paying hard working men in kind or provisions instead of money, had very extensively ramified itself into the business operations of Iron Masters, Coal Masters, Nail Factors, and Nail Foggers to such an extent, as to threaten the annihilation of all fair dealings betwixt the employer and the employed in our varied labour markets. The consequence was, that a public meeting (under the auspices of Thomas Fereday, Esq., the Mayor), was held in the Old Town Hall, on April 1st, 1850, to form an Association for enforcing the law against the payment of wages in Truck or Tommy. A very influential Association was at once formed, and Mr. Geo. Boddington, Solicitor, Dudley, was appointed Solicitor to this Association; which, by its energetic convictions of numerous offending parties, speedily gave a sensible check to this wicked and dishonest usage. It was clearly shown that the poor working man was paying 25 per cent. more for his provisions than he ought to do; besides being deprived of the right to buy his daily food in the best market. Mr. C. F. G. Clark became a prominent Lecturer to the working classes in this district on this burning question, and laid bare with an unsparing hand the iniquity of the Truck system.

May 1st, 1850. The South Staffordshire Railway was this day publicly opened. It runs from Dudley to Alrewas, joining the Midland line at that Station. A procession took place from the Dudley Station to the Hotel, where was held a public Dinner to celebrate the event.

Died May 8th, 1850, by his own hand in a fit of temporary insanity, Mr. Joshua Wilkinson, Anvil and Vice Manufacturer, Queen’s Cross, Dudley. This sad death was most grievously deplored, for Mr. Wilkinson was a large and liberal employer of labour, and a most kind and genial friend and neighbour. Aged 56 years.

May 20th, 1850. This being Whit-Monday, the Dudley Castle and Silurian Caverns were opened to the public with uncommon array and splendour, as the caverns were lighted the first time with gas. Mr. Elliott Hollier, Chemist, was the chief instrument in having this grand spectacle opened to the public, for his untiring exertions throughout were truly extraordinary, the whole entertainment devolving upon his efforts. The fetes were kept open for three successive days, and as the profits were to be appropriated to paying off the debt of the Geological Society, it was gratifying to find that the realization of £750 was the result of this wonderful and pleasurable exhibition of nature and art. Upwards of 20,000 people attended these fetes.

May 26th, 1850. An Evening Lecture was commenced this day (Sunday) in St. Edmund’s Church, the Rev. A. Kerr Thompson, M.A., the Head Master of the Grammar School, was appointed the Lecturer. The stipend was raised by a voluntary annual subscription.

July 2nd, 1850. Miss Ellen Browne, second daughter of Dr. Browne, Vicar, was this morning married to the Rev.—Osborne, M.A., with much ceremony and rejoicing.

July 2nd, 1850. Died, in consequence of a fall from his horse in St. James’ Park, London, Sir Robert Peel, Bart., M.P., acknowledged the greatest statesman and debater of his day. Aged 64 years.

Died, August 26th, 1850, at Claremont, near London, “Louis Phillippe” ex-King of the French. Aged 77 years.

Died, September 8th, 1850, Mr. Mark Bond, many years Clerk at St. Edmund’s Church. Aged 79 years.

Died, September 13th, 1850, old Mr. Morris, maltster, Castle Street, much esteemed. Aged 78 years.

September 20th, 1850, there had been a great dearth for want of rain, as there had been none since August 20th till this date. The want of rain had dried up all vegetation and created a great scarcity of green meat for cattle all over the country.

Died, October 11th, 1850, Mrs. Wilson, formerly of Queen Street, feather dealer, &c. Aged 93 years.

Died, October 29th, 1850, John Roberts, Esq., J.P., Surgeon, Wolverhampton Street, Dudley. Aged 62 years. This gentleman was a noted but bigotted politician in his day; was appointed a Borough Magistrate; very fond of office, but was not always wise in administering the claims of justice; was a warm friend and good counsellor to those intimately acquainted with him. A marble monument erected in St. Edmund’s Church records the many virtues of this gentleman.

PAPAL AGGRESSION.

On November 26th, 1850, a large and influential public meeting of all denominations of Christians, Thomas Fereday, Esq., the Mayor, in the chair, was held in the Old Town Hall, for the purpose of presenting an address to the Queen, “against the recent insolent usurpation by the Pope of Rome of authority and jurisdiction in this your Majesty’s independent dominions.”

This meeting was addressed at great length by the Mayor, Dr. Browne, Vicar; Rev. Jno. Wesley Thomas, Wesleyan Minister; Rev. Jno. Palmer, Unitarian Minister; with our ever-green and watchful friend, Mr. Saml. Cook. The meeting passed off most enthusiastically, and the address was duly presented to the Queen; but, like all other efforts to put down freedom of opinion in religious faith, it signally failed to secure the ends aimed at; for all parties seemed to have forgotten “Catholic Emancipation,” granted some twenty-one years before.

February, 1851. This month all the Market ground which had been cleared of the old buildings was paved with new stones.

Died February 27th, 1851, Mr. John Smith, the kind, considerate, and jovial landlord of the “Hotel.” Aged 58 years.

1851. March 30th. The Census of the United Kingdom was taken this night.

Marriage of Lord Ward.—April 24th, 1851, the marriage of Lord Ward, so well known as being one of the largest proprietors of the empire, with Miss Selina Constance De Burgh, eldest daughter of Hubert De Burgh, Esq., was celebrated at St. George’s Church, Hanover Square, in the presence of a select circle of the friends of both parties. The ceremony was conducted in a comparatively private manner, owing to the recent demise of a member of the De Burgh family. The Rev. Legh Claughton, Vicar of Kidderminster, and brother-in-law to Lord Ward, officiated. Shortly after nine o’clock the bridal party entered the church; Mr. De Burgh gave his daughter away. Lady Wallscourt, the Hon. Mr. and Mrs. Dudley Ward, Mr. and Mrs. Hawkes, the Hon. Mrs. Blake, the Dowager Lady Ward, and other friends of the families, were present. At the conclusion of the ceremony the bridal party repaired to the residence of Mr. De Burgh, in Grosvenor Crescent, and there partook of breakfast. The happy pair subsequently left town for Sandgate, to pass the honeymoon.—Birmingham Journal.

This unhappy lady died shortly afterwards of fever, and was interred in the family vault in Himley Church, amidst a grievous sorrowing throng of relations and friends. Aged 22 years.

1851. May 1st. This day the Great National Exhibition was opened in Hyde Park, London, by the Queen and Prince Albert, in great pomp and state, attended with an immense retinue of English and Foreign potentates. Many of us denizens of the Black Country attended also and paid our respects to the immense block of coal exhibited, which came from the bowels of the earth at Dudley Port, or Horseley Fields.

May 5th, 1881. This town and locality was this day visited with a terrific storm of thunder and lightning. Some houses in Prospect Row and St. Thomas’s Church were struck with the lightning, but fortunately no lives were lost.

July 28th, 1851. A partial eclipse of the sun took place this day, at the hour of 3 p.m.

August 6th, 1851. “Proposed Application of the Public Health Act to Dudley.” Mr. Lee, one of the Inspectors under the Sanitary Act, held a Public Enquiry, and made a survey of the Borough of Dudley, and he declared “that this town was the worst drained and the filthiest of any town in the kingdom.” The death-rate was much higher than any other, being 28 deaths in every 1,000 inhabitants during the last 10 years!!! whereas the general average was 20 deaths in every 1,000 inhabitants. Oh! ye advocates for economy, and keeping your hands tightly on your breeches pockets; who draw the rent, with greed, from your ignorant tenants, but refuse to bear the burden which belongs to the landlord for the domestic health of those very tenants you live upon day by day, read the subjoined astounding report and ask yourselves whether conscience does not struggle hard to resume her seat!

PROPOSED APPLICATION OF THE PUBLIC HEALTH ACT TO DUDLEY.

On Tuesday last, William Lee, Esq., one of the Superintending Inspectors of the General Board of Health, opened an enquiry at the Old Town Hall, Dudley, for the purpose of enabling the authorities at Whitehall to form an opinion as to the desirability of bringing the provisions of the Public Health Act into operation within the Borough. Such investigations have mostly hitherto been instituted upon the petition of the inhabitants of such towns as were considered to require improvement in sanitary matters. In this instance, however, the Board had taken advantage of the powers given them by one of the sections of their act, which directs them to take steps for the application of its provisions to towns where the returns of the Registrar-General showed that the deaths annually exceeded twenty-three in the thousand. Although doubtless the attention of the Board had been called to the matter by some influential gentlemen of the town, we suppose we must attribute the very thin attendance of the inhabitants at the opening of the enquiry as much to the private and non-popular nature of its origin, as to any want of interest in the matter either as a question of public health, or as one which may ultimately become important to the community as ratepayers. The proceedings did not commence until nearly an hour after the appointed time, and even then not more than a dozen or fourteen persons were present. Amongst them were the Rev. Dr. Browne, (the Vicar,) John Houghton, Esq., T. W. Fletcher, Esq., (firm of Robinson and Fletcher, Solicitors,) Messrs. Hollier, Fisher, Richardson, Bowen, Bateman, T. P. Stokes, Minty, Griffiths, and Cook.

Mr. Lee began by remarking on the scanty attendance, which either showed that the inhabitants were not generally aware of the enquiry being about to take place, or that they did not feel very much interested in the question. It was, however, a question of very great importance to all the residents of the town, and he regretted very much that the room was not filled. All the rated inhabitants had a right to be present, and to be heard on any matter touching that enquiry, and it had been proved that full notice had been given, so as to enable the inhabitants to know when and where the enquiry would be held. The fact of there being reporters present would enable those inhabitants who were not present to know something of the proceedings, and he hoped that the result would be that if any misapprehensions existed, they would be removed. In the few remarks he should make, he thought it would be well to direct their attention to that portion of the Public Health Act which related to preliminary inquiries. Under that Act, the General Board of Health was appointed to intimate its application under certain circumstances stated in the 8th section. They were to appoint inspectors to make preliminary enquiries in large and populous towns and places, and these enquiries would be instituted either upon the petition of not less than one-tenth of the inhabitants rated for the relief of the poor, or where the returns of the Registrar-General showed that the deaths annually exceeded the proportion of twenty-three to a thousand. Upon the latter alternative the Board had the power of directing an enquiry to be made, without any petition from the Inhabitants. The section then went on to state the chief objects of the enquiry. The report was to be made to the General Board of Health by the Inspector in writing, and was then to be printed and circulated in the parts to which the enquiry related. Upon that report any inhabitant might make any statement in writing, as to anything contained in, or omitted from, such report. It would be the duty of the General Board of Health to consider the report and statements made; and there were then two modes of proceeding for that body to adopt, according to circumstances. If the inquiry had been instituted upon the petition from the inhabitants of the locality, if the boundaries for the district were the same as those from whence the petition came, and if there should be no local act of Parliament in force in the district, then the act might be applied by an order of Privy Council, naming the day when the election of a Local Board of Health should take place. But if the inquiry should have been instituted in consequence of the mortality being over twenty-three to a thousand, and if the boundaries were different, and if there were a local act of Parliament, then the General Board, if they thought the Public Health Act should be applied, would have to make a provisional order, which would have no force or effect until it had been approved by Parliament. In the case where a Municipal Corporation exists, it is made the Local Board of Health. As the inhabitants of Dudley had no Corporation, either the Commissioners must act as a Local Board of Health, or the residents must meet and elect one. Mr. Lee then proceeded to detail the duties that would fall within the province of the Local Board, stating that their powers were permissive, not compulsory, and that money to carry out the necessary works could be borrowed on the rates, to be repaid by equal annual instalments, running over a space of thirty years. By the latter provision, all difficulty as to causing a burden on the inhabitants was removed, for if the amount should come to anything like the sum of £5 per house, the rate of interest would not be more than one penny per week. He would now take them back to the grounds on which that inquiry had commenced. The census of 1851 had been taken, but the returns of the Registrar-General had not been made up so that the general rates of mortality could be ascertained. There was no difficulty, however, in the returns for any particular town, and it would be sufficient for him to show to them that the rates of mortality had increased very considerably in Dudley since 1841. He had before him the Registrar-General’s return for Dudley, dated the 7th of June, 1851, made according to the terms of the act, from the year 1844 to 1850 inclusive. The present population of the parish of Dudley was 37,954. The deaths during those years were 6,864, giving an annual mortality of twenty-eight to every thousand of the inhabitants living. If he took the comparative returns of 1841, he should take a much more favourable view of the condition of Dudley than now existed. In 1841, according to the census returns, the rate of mortality in England and Wales was little more than twenty to a thousand of the population; and at that time the rate of Dudley was 26.7, while in Walsall it was 24.2, in Wolverhampton 25, and in Birmingham, (with a population four times more than Dudley,) 26.5. He found that in the same year the deaths in Dudley were 1 in 37; in Walsall, 1 in 41; in Birmingham, 1 in 38. The deaths from epidemic diseases in Dudley were 1 out of every 131 of the population annually; in Walsall, 1 out of 154; and in Birmingham, 1 out of 202. The average age of all who died in Dudley was only 17 years, at a time when the mortality was less than it was now. In Walsall it was 19 years and 3 months; in Wolverhampton, 19 years and 1 month: and in Birmingham, 23 years and 9 months. They would see by that excessive mortality how large a proportion of the community were cut off before they arrived at the years of maturity. Of those who died above 20 years of age, the average was 50 years and 10 months; in Wolverhampton it was the same; in Walsall, 52 years and 6 months; and in Birmingham, 51 years and 7 months. There they saw that no place among them all was so bad as Dudley. Taking the whole of the deaths, and dividing their per centage, there were 34.5 per cent. under a year old, in Dudley; in Walsall, 29.7 per cent.; in Wolverhampton, 27.6; and in Birmingham, 24.8. Under five years, in Dudley, 60.8 per cent.; in Walsall, 55.7; in Wolverhampton, 55.3; and in Birmingham, 48.4. Seven out of every ten persons under 20 years of age died annually, a much larger rate than any other place mentioned. As death had done its main work during the years of infancy, they were not persons who had lost their lives in mines, for two-thirds of their population died under five years of age; as they got farther on in life there were, of course, fewer remaining in Dudley to be killed, and consequently the per centage was less in unhealthy than in healthy districts, as the greater portion had been destroyed before arriving at the years of maturity. He would give one instance—between 70 and 80 years of age 4.4 died in Dudley; in Wolverhampton, 4.8; in Birmingham, 5.7 The figures were greatly to the disadvantage of Dudley. Indeed there were very few places in the kingdom so unhealthy as Dudley. To show the enormous disparity that existed between Dudley and registration districts in the counties of Worcester, Stafford, and Warwick, Mr. Lee quoted a number of other figures. For instance, he showed that in the district comprising Bewdley, Martley, and Tenbury, (containing a population equal to that of the Dudley district,) the average age at death was 41 years and 4 months against the average of 17 years in Dudley. Now he said, there might be persons who talked about economy with respect to sanitary arrangements, and would be fearfully alarmed at the expense that would be brought upon the town of Dudley by the adoption of sanitary measures. It would be found from the registration districts he had named, with a population equal to their own, by the most extensive experience, not only of the medical men, but of those who had made the strictest enquiries into the sanitary condition of the country, that there were not less than twenty-eight cases of sickness in excess, spending on an average 20s. each, to every death in excess. Well, comparing the registration district of Dudley, which contained, in 1841, 86,000 inhabitants, with the district he had cited, they would see that there were 831 deaths in excess in a year, and of these more than one-third were due to the parish of Dudley. Taking twenty-eight cases for each death in excess, it exhibits a loss of £23,268. Taking next, the mourning fees, coffins, and other incidental expenses connected with a funeral, which could not amount to less than £5 each, they would have a loss by funerals of £4,115. Every adult lost eight years and eight months of his life, and every individual twenty-four years and four months. Taking only the adult deaths, and reckoning those adults to have been able to earn only 7s. 6d. per week each on an average, the loss in labour would be £115,934. Those three items of loss, by one year’s deaths alone, for sickness, funerals, and labour, was £143,357. They would all admit that, at a very moderate estimate, one-third of that cost would fall upon the parish of Dudley, and they then would find that the parish were annually losers in those three items to the extent of £47,786. That was the loss upon a mortality of 26.7, but the last returns exhibited a mortality of 28 to every thousand of the inhabitants, during the seven years’ average. They might, therefore, fairly conclude that their loss at that present moment, from excessive deaths, was £50,000 per annum. Could anybody imagine for a moment that the most efficient sanitary works that could be constructed in Dudley, would bear to be looked at, in comparison with these figures. He could direct their attention to a very important table from the same returns, containing 61 registration districts in England and Wales, with a population of 1,003,124 persons, having a mortality of only 16 to a thousand, and where all who were born, on an average lived to the age of 37 years and 5 months; and adults on an average to 60 years of age. Now, compare that with Dudley, and though no sanitary means were used at the places he referred to, nevertheless the mortality was 16 as against 28, in the parish of Dudley; average age, 37 years 5 months, as against 17 years; adults, 60 years as against 50 years and 10 months, and the percentages of deaths under 20 years of age, 38.4, as against 70.1. Could anybody doubt that there was a cause for that, and one that might to a great extent be removed? Could any reasonable man say it was not a case of vital importance, and one that demanded careful enquiry? Was it not the duty of every inhabitant to promote such an enquiry, and if it were found that remedies could be applied, to take the greatest interest in their application? He did not suppose that any person resident in Dudley was aware that such a comparative state of things existed. They had the facts now before them, and he therefore anticipated that he should receive all the assistance they could render him in making that enquiry, while he stayed in Dudley. They perceived that the jurisdiction of the General Board of Health arose from the excessive mortality, over 23 to 1,000, which the Legislature regarded as such an excess as to call upon the General Board to take proceedings to apply the act without any petition from the locality. The mortality of Birmingham, Sheffield, Bradford, and Leeds, was less than Dudley, and he did not believe the mortality of Manchester was higher. He could not recollect a large town in the whole country, except it was Liverpool, as it existed previous to the application of sanitary measures, that was in such an awful condition as Dudley appeared to be. It was growing worse, as was the condition of most unimproved towns. The filth accumulating in open cesspools, ash-pits, privies, &c., in consequence of badly-constructed channels and drains, was constantly saturating the earth, and going into the subsoil underneath. As that saturation increased, the unhealthiness of the town would increase, and there would come a time when the subsoil of such towns would become a mere dunghill, and the site of the town would be uninhabitable. They saw themselves how the healthiness of the place had decreased since 1841. He next explained the manner in which he intended to conduct that enquiry. Awaiting the assembling of the inhabitants that morning, he had taken down several complaints that had been made to him of nuisances existing in the vicinity of houses, and he should be glad to enter more upon his minutes. He would place also upon his minutes the name of any person who should wish to accompany him in making an inspection of the town. He should adjourn the enquiry, as far as that room was concerned, until that inspection was complete. He should have to depend upon those who accompanied him to point out the worst parts of the town, and, if there was a difference of opinion existing amongst them, he should wish both parties to accompany him. After other general observations, he concluded by saying that his object was to discharge faithfully his duty to the Board of Health and the inhabitants of Dudley.