The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-11-15 00:00:00

NEW WRIT.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS a new writ for Hackney
was issued.

xaluTorrm.

Replying to Sir H. Tyler, the Marquis of Hartington
said no information had been received, either at the
Foreign Office or at the War Office, as to the further
rumours of the fall of Khartoum. As to an inquiry
whether any, and if so, what preparations had been
made and what plans and route had been decided iipon
for withdrawing the garrisons and refugees from the
Soudan on the arrival of the British expedition at
Khartoum, his lordship said it was quite impossible to
form at present any definite and final decisions, still
less to announce them.
TILE SUPPLEMENTARY VOTES.
Mr. Gladstone, answering a question from Sir S.
Northcote, said that the supplementary estimates
would be moved on Thursday, and in the course of next
week he hoped to be 'abls to intimate the views which
the Goverment took of Lord Northbrook's report,whicli,
however, he added, was not yet put into formal shape.
In answer to further questions, he said there would be
a supplementary estimate for South Africa and a state-
ment in regard to the navy, but it was not intended to
take any other business except, perhaps, a bill in re-
ference to Colonial Federation.

THU FRANCHISE DILL.
On the motion for the third reading of the Fran-
chise Bill, Mr. Goschen contrasted the tone of Monday's
debate with the conciliatory speeches of Friday, and
feeling sure his regret that the hopes of a satisfactory
settlement were diminished would be largely shared
out of doors, he made an earnest appeal to the Oppo-
sition to do what lay in their power to facilitate an
early settlement of the whole question.
Lord J. Manners declared, amid cheers from the Con-
servative benches, that every debate of that libuse,
every meeting he had attended, and the general result
of the descent of the Prime Minister and his colleagues
into the streets during the autumn, had confirmed the
wisdom, the prudence and the patriotism of the course
which the Constitutionel party in both Houses had
adopted and maintained.
Mr. Gladstone declined to discuss the matter in the
combative spirit of the noble lord, which, he thought,
was calculated to widen the breach and make accommo-
dation impossible. As far as he and his colleagues
were concerned they were determined to have no share
in the responsibility for what might occur. '1 hat there
had been a change in the tone and temper of the debate
was obvious, but it began, he maintained, with the
speech of Mr. Lowther, which was followed up by Sir
S. Northcote's reduction of Sir R. Cross's significant
suggestion of resolutions to the level of a mere obiter
dictum. He himself had adhered to all the conciliatory
declarations which he had made, and, notwithstanding
Lord J'. Manner's declaration that no communications
were possible, he did not recede from his desire for an
agreement. Though he denied that he had asked the
Opposition to bring in a bill, he Ftill continued to think
that the settlemeet of the question would be promoted
the other side giving some intimation of their views.
But, if it was not to be peace, the Government, he said,
would take care to place it on record that they had done
all in their power to obtain it.
Sir R. Cross, referring to his speech of Friday, said
his contention had always been that there must be a
guarantee against the possibility of a general election
on the Franchise Bill without redistribution. .If the
Government would bring in their Redistribution Bill,
the Opposition would give it the most candid considera-
tion with a desire to pass it into law. But he believed
that the Government were not yet in such a condition
of agreement as to place their bill on the table.
After some explanatory remarks from Sir W.
Harcourt,
Mr. Ritchie regretted the change of tone which had
taken place since last week, and had read with dismay
the speech of Mr. Lowther. It was impossible either
for the Government or for the House of Lords to sur-
render all that they had demanded, hut he strenuously
advocated conciliation, and declared that it would be a
scandal upon any party who prevented a settlement
being arrived at.
Following Mr. Newdegate, Mr. Illingworth, and Mr.
Macfarlane,
Mr. Stuart-Wortley spoke in. support of the con-
ciliatory views expressed by Mr. Ritchie, but he failed
to see why the Conservative party should surrender all
their contentions while the Government declined to
give up anything. He justified the course pursued by
the House of Lords, but, as one last word of entreaty, he
asked the Government to produce their Redistribution
Bill.

Mr. Parnell moved that the bill be re-committed in
order that a clause might be inserted to make provision
for a reduction in the amount of security required by
returning officers.
The Attorney-General, while approving the principle,
deprecated dealing with it in a Franchise Bill, and Mr.
Parnell ultimately withdrew his motion.
Eventually the question that the bill be read a third
time was put from the chair. Several Conservative
cried" No," but a division was not pressed for, and the
bill was read a third time amid loud and prolonged
Ministerial cheering.