The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-18 00:00:00

HAL ESOWEN DRILL HALL AND ASSEHBLY

110031 S.


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LAYING OF THE FOUNDATION STONES.
Tie foundation stonss of a Drill iHail and As-
senbly Room for the use of th H sksowen Corn.
pa-ty of 'tie Is. VD. of the Wore, stershire Rozi-
went, and of th piPai° genera ly, were Lid on
AL,n nv ny th • R,:th ioi. L irl Lyttelt in slid Mr
Feroinando D. Lea Smith, ii the presence of a
auin, r‘fui as embligs of he to .neolk and of
visi•ors. .Uhs land u •oi whih tie buil deg is be-
iug! elected, h If n acre in ext.tit, 1, 1. need from
Lord Lyt!eltoo for a t- inn of ninety-nine y are at
an aonual renal of £2. The hall will be built of
brick, with s'one .-lressings, ant will consist of -a
large room 90 by 45 feet. with sta4,3 and retiring
rooms; adi .i..g room, 45 by 25 feet; billiard and
readjust ri one, and a house and outtuildings for the
use of the sergeant instrno' or. Tee cost will be
.21,600, for whicn Capt. Thompson and the
other ofll:ers of the compiny are responsible. Up
to the present the public hove subscribed 300
towards ine funds, and it is t xpected that furiher
saws wiil be donated, as the hail is not intended
for the use of tie Volunte3—, but is also bring
en-cted for the biinetit of the inh tbiia,ills of the
town. woo at pee -nt hove no room wh Jtev r in
whi hto nold entertainments and meetings The
architeo.t is -Mr. T. Graz:brook, of ..:tourbridr, and
tht• offitractor Mr. J. Guest, ot the same to+rn Tile
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Volunteer Company an i their bald took pa, t in the
proceedings, and Lord Ly ttelton, on his arrival, was
received with a general saln-e. Tne chair was oo-
cupied by Mr. J. flomfray, 'mil there were also lire.
se ,t Lard Lyttelton, fur. Ferdinand° D. Let Smith,
Japt 'Pnoinpson, Lieutenanis Homfrity and D.:cker,
Acting-Surge.42 Ker aad Mrs. Ker, Mr. A Him•
fray and the Misses Homfray, Miss MeCreith, Mrs.
I. Grove, ihe Rev. Co4hili, and Messrs. tie
Daunts, E L me, G. H. Dunn, S. Hingloy, B. 11.os,
G. Rose, F. D. Nort J. Grove, E. Distey, S. Good.
ins, J. Wright, 11. Hayes, W. Geen, W, Neath,
and F. ers apolirgising for non-attend.
ance had been received from Ve Rev 'C. Nation,
rector ot Elals:sows.in ; and M,ssrs. B. Hingluy and
J E Reay.
Afti-t prayer by the Rev. Mr. Coghill, the Chair-
man called upon Lo d Lytteltoa to lay on of the
toundai i tones.

L trd Lyttoltm, who was rec.iiv 1 wi h load ap-
plause, expr.-sse,-1 he deep interest he as a field
officer in the Ist liattylion ~f tne Worctershire
V.O unteers felt in al: that concnne I the w !Hare of
the bat alien—(tear, hear)-- herefore he Joni-flea--
lady r, joicid at that sign of the vitality and life in
che regialent. A- 10-ig as Volunteer offic•rs were
fe.oly t 4 incur oxp.inditura and p cuniary risci 111
un.iiertqkings of tnat sort they might alt feel con.
111,mt that he Vol:tuts:or flre,e s ood oa a healthy
taelin-4—(heat, hear) lie contrasted Vie Englis:h
sys'etu ot rectui7ing for the army witl the syst
of ,;-eise.iption in Vt.),TLlti on the C tatinent, anti as-
s-7rt -1 Ii a b-lief tit t if our system was in fore, on
t,e U., t, neat the various nations of Enron° would
not i,e ..blO 7o maintain half the n :tuber of men we
mantiaiito-i by purely voluatary means—(ll-ar
•,ear). A lar,ie sum of money .vas voluntarily st n'
on oar army ev..ry ye r mt in n like C tpt iin T o ep •
sun and thic inn .ers of the thai,owen Company.—
(applause). Tnere was hardly an officer in t ,e army
or navy who lived simply up n his pay, ani hero
wre very few captains of Volunteers wh did not
find it necessary to take a stro.igish pull at their
pa;diets in ender to inake their camp tni•7B effic;ent.
He was not perfecly certain that prite citizens
ought to contribute 8') much. When officers cr
men wh.,tever rank give their line and trouble
lie dui nut think they ought to he called upon to
make pecuniary sacrifices for the defence 0 the
country; bud if tly.i movement were developed
Lunch tuither he did not know whether the Govern.
meat would not to a certain extent ose sigot of its
responsibility in the imater of putdic det.-nce. The
otffiers of th it coot .any had acted wisely and
sarewlly and in tneir owe interests in what they
had one, necause there was no doubt that by en-
listing he interest of the public in the building thy
would to seine extent lessen iheii own responsibility
and conttibuto larAcl to the reinuu•raiive eh tr-
acter of the hall—(applause). - He concluded by ap-
pealing to the public to assist the offi era of the
company in tin hug the funds required for the erec-
tion of the b tilding—(applaue).
His lord-hip was then presented with a hand-
some silver trowel, tsearing a suitable
and he proceeded to lay one of the foundation
stones.

Mr, F. D. 1,..)a• Smith, whl was presented with a
Bimilax trowel, 'laid the er.cond fouulation stone,
but b4ors doing so he adlrc's+.l th assemblage,
contras,ing th posttLou et thd
Volu toot h
what it was twtmly-six yeArs ago. lie w.-is tht, first
'
he bAteied, to eur.,l nitainif As a Volun-,>er in thtt
coutcy—( tnt he stw pr.!s
sorgo,nz,li ves, Nv,o S Otte
Ac. Sol L.. Lioa 10.11 tit toaAig.

On the motion of Captain Thompson, secontled
by 2dr, J. Lirrovea and supported by Mr. B, Tr*,

walla, a hearty vo'e of thanks Nvgs accorded to Lord
Lyttelton and Mr F. D. L. a-Smith ; and a similar
complimet.t having been paid to the Chairman for
his presence and the great assistance he had ren
dercd to the movement, the band played "God
save the Queen," and the proceedings terminated.