The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-10-11 00:00:00

LORD HARROWBY AT LIVERPOOL.

The Earl of Harrowby, who, as Lord Sandon, sat
a 3 member for Liverpool for several years, was on
Tuesday entertained at dinner at the .Tunior Conserv*.
tive Club of Liverpool. Mr. Alderman A. B. For
wood presided. The Chairman, having proposed
"Our Guests and the Conservative Cause," which was
received with great enthusiasm, Lord Harrowby said
he felt that this was a time when all should come
forward to take their part in the pressing questions of
the day. He did not want to exaggerate the position,
but it was not only a grave political juncture, but
commercial men all agreedthat it was a grave commer-
cial juncture, and all statesmen were agreed as to the
gravity of the position in regard to foreign affairs. If
ever there was a moment when political dissensions
ought to have been avoided by the lovers of their
country that was the time. The battle which they now
had to fight was a very old battle for Englishmen—
the battle of freedom and the battle of the Constitu-
tion. (Applause.) Mr. Gladstone would put the
people in such a dilemma as they ought never to have
been placed in, for they must either destroy the inde-
pendence alike of the House of Commons and the
House of Lords, or else Mr. Gladstone threatened to
effect a revolution by upsetting the position of
one branch of the Legislature. (Hear, hear.)
Every word Mr. Gladstone said about the House
of Lords had contained a veiled threat that if
they would not pass the Franchise Bill he
would attack the Constitution. The effect of yield-
ing upon this position would be one odious to all
Englishmen. (Hear, hear.) Mr. Gladstone was
assuming a position which no English Premier had ever
attempted to assume before—that of a dictator.
(Applause.) Turning to internal affairs, the Liberals
themselves acknowledge that their expenditure was
largely in excess of that of the Conservatives, and the
result of all their schemes was simply words.
(Applause.) The Bradlaugh question, London Cor-
poration, merchant shipping, railways, Ireland,
all these important matters had been managed
in a way which certainly did not justify any
claim to dictatorship. (Applause.) They must not
expect too much, hut they must as practical men
judge them by results. Then had they succeeded so
brilliantly in foreign affairs as to justify their mis-
carriage in domestic matters? (Cheers, and "No.")
Was the British name more respectea than it was five
years ago? (" No.") It made them sigh for but one
hour of old Lord Palmerston. Then, was trade in a
better condition than it was five years ago? (" No.")
Instead of finding foreign nations relaxing their tariffs
they found them making them more stringent. Was
their position with regard to France better? Egypt
was becoming the grave of our reputation (applause)
as of many of our bravest men. The fatal words
"too late" seemed to attach to every action of the
Government in that country. In South Africa the
story was worse even than in Egypt. They asked
that the franchise extension should be accom-
panied by al:fair redistribution. (Applause.) The
position of the House of Lords to his mind, was per-
fectly clear and perfectly defensible. They were bound
to do the bidding of the country as much as the
Lower HNise, but until they were convinced that the
country thought otherwise, they must insist on the
concurrent passing of the Franchise and of the Re-
distribution Bills, and in the second place, that the
future independence of the House of Lords should
not be affected or menaced in any degree. (Ap-
plause.) He expressed a hope that in the near future
a change would come over the political complexion of
the country when all men should agree that this
endless party struggle and war of words should cease,
and when, abcire all things, the happiness, welfare,
and real comfort of every citizen of Great Britain
should be the first and greatest object of all the
ministers they loved and reverenced. (Loud ap-
plause.)