The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-07-24 00:00:00

GETTING INSIDE "THE HOUSE;'

The Bermingham Ga:eitt says that one day last week
a Birmingham artisan was in London, and being
anxious to see what the House of Commons was like,
and being anxious also to bear a discussion on trade
union matters, he repaired to Westminster, fully re-
solved to procure adinissi4m to "the first assembly."
Mr. B--, as we shall call the visitor, sauntered up
to a policeman—and here we leave him to tell his own
story :
" Is Dixon In the House
"Don't know." said the officer. "I saw him a few minutes
ago tie was in, but I think he's gone out."
"Musts?"
" Don't know ; haven't seen Bunts."
. . .

" he In t"
" Oh, yes." said the policeman, after an Interview with
another official, " Bright's there on the Treasury Bench."
"'Would you tell hint I want to tee hirer was the next re-
mark of our Birmingham visitor, whose appearance unmis-
takably indicated that he was cue of the genuine working
class sort.
" Can't do that," said the officer. "Send your card."
The Birmingham artisan produced a card on which was his
name, lie then on the back wrote the name of "Mr. John
Bright." The card was " passed " to Mr. Bright, who straight-
way left his place, and "come out"
Our informant goes on "seeing Bright coming forrard
out of the doore, I walks up to him, and he sass, says he,
'ls this trim you!' Yes,' says I.
May lank what you want ? ' says Bright, quite gentle-
, manlike.
" 'To go inside,' says T.
'Oh,' says he, 'I think lean manage that.' After a while
he calls me, and he says, 'Go up thar."this was up a flight
of siaim. I goes up, and I was in the (loose. There was
there Cabinet Ministers there—Forster, Bruce, and Bright.
Lord John Manners was a talkin'.
"Astor the ' House,' think much on it. It Is not by
no means the place I should ha' thought it was."
Asking the visitor if he were not impressed with the
courtesy and attention of Mr. Bright, he replied "Ah ! but
I shouti have sent tor Lord John Manners, or Gladstone for
that matter. I only wish I'd keen up there this week, I'd
been able to tit it out better this hot weather than sense of
those old rich nobs."

For the plaintiff it WAS contended that until he saw
the danger signal exhibited he had a right to infer that
the defendants' train, according to the usual practice,
would stop short of the level crossing, and that there-
fore he was justified in crossing.
No witnesses were called on behalf of the defendants,
but at the close of the plaintiff's case,
Mr. Carter (for the Company) submitted to the
learned judge that the defendants were not responsible
citing the case of " Waburton v. the Great Westena
Railway Company," recently decided in the Court of
Exchequer. The learned counsel contended that the
payment of an annual sum by the defendants to the
London and North-Western Railway made the plain-
tiff the joint servant of the two companies.
The learned Judge said he would consider whether
he ought to reserve the point.
Mr. Carter then addressed the jury, and contended
that the plaintiff had contributed to the cc :ident by his
own carelessness in not looking to see if the train was
going over the crossing.
The jury found for the plaintiff—Damages, £175.
His Lordship afterwards declined to reserve the point
raised.