The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-23 00:00:00

THE VOTE OF CENSURE.

The adjourned debate on the Vote of Censure was resumed
by Sir John Lubbock, who gave a cordial support to the
Government policy.
Mr. Marriott, speaking from the front bench below the
gangway on the Ministerial side, vigorously assailed the
policy of the Government, declaring it to have been con-
sistent only in its vacillation and inconsistency. "Too late"
had marked their every step ; and he believed that even )et
they failed to realise the actual position in Egypt, and were
utterly indifferent to the human suffering of which they
were the cause. Her Majesty's Government had lost, as
they deserved to lose, the confidence of the Liberal party and
the country. In conclusion the hon. member intimated that
when his vote had been given he should at once apply for
the Chiltern Hundreds in order that it might be shown
whether the majority of his constituents approved his action
or not.

Lord J. Manners maintained that the calamities in Egypt
were " unforeseen " only by her Majesty's Ministers, for
everybody else knew what would happen, and Ministers had
been amply warned. Reviewing the history of events in
Egypt since the war, he showed that the Government had
invited disaster by neglecting Lord Dufferin's advice, and
expressed the opinion that if Lord Dufferin had remained
three months longer at Cairo the catastrophe would have
been avoided. He blamed the Government for turning a
deaf ear to General Hick's complaints of the inadequacy of
his force, and showed from the papers that they were per-
fectly well aware of the unreliable character of Baxer's army,
and had no reason to be sanguine as to its success. He showed,
too, that notwithstanding their disclaimers of responsibility,
they had interfered in the composition of Baker's army,
and severely censured their apathy in regard to the be-
leagured garrisons, characterizing Mr. Gladstone's excuses
as mere afterthoughts and insulting to General Gordon. In
reply to the complaint that the resolution laid down no
policy, he pointed out that it would c3mmit the House to a
policy the reverse of the "inconsistency and vacillation"
condemned—in other words, that England, which had
assumed a direct responsibility for Egypt, should no longer
palter with any danger which threatened the country, and
that neither sentimentalism nor party exigencies should be
allowed to shorten the necessary term of their occupation.
The debate was continued by Mr. Waddy and Mr. Slagg,
who opposed, andi by Mr. Leighton and Mr. Ritchie, who
supported the motion.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, referring to Mr,
Marriott's speech, said he should be very glad to grant him
the Chiltern Hundreds, and hoped for his own sake that he
would be more fortunate than others who had taken a
similar course under similar circumstances. He then pro-
ceeded to contend, with numerous extracts from the
papers, that the Government had been completely consis-
tent throughout in disclaiming responsibility for the Soudan,
that their attitude had been thoroughly well known to all
the world throughout, and that the Opposition had taken
no objection to it. As to the relief of Slakat, he repeated,
amid loud cries of "No" from the Opposition, that the
defeat of Baker was entirely unexpected. The doubt felt by
the Government as to the views of Gordon in regard to the
landing of a European army at Souakim was genuine, and the
Government felt bound to ascertain his opinion. The Govern.
ment, he said, would continue to promote the evacuation ol
the Soudan as far as possible by peaceful means after the relief
of Tokar, and they would continue to occupy Egypt until
the objects for which we went were accomplished. At
the same time they would keep in view a prospective retire-
ment from Egypt, and would do their best to restore the
financial equilibrium in Egypt, which had been gravely com-
promised by the compensation for the bombardment of
Alexandria and the expense of the Soudan. There was no
middle course between this policy and the policy of annexa
tion now tentatively recommended by the Opposition, which
would entail on the country at least two millions oh
additional military expenditure, to say nothing of the in-
crease to the Naval Estimates.
Mr. Stuart-Wortley add Mr. Grantham having spoken in
favour, and Mr. Bryce against the motion the debate was
again adjourned on the motion of Mr. Ashlead-Bartlettp.
The House adjourned at one o'clock.

In the HOUSE Or Lours, Feb. 19, Lord Dalhousie, replying
io Lord Ellenborough, stated that the number of men added
to the metropolitan police force last year was about 715.

TEE GOVERNMENT AND GENERAL GORDON.

Earl Granville stated, in answer to the Marquis of Salis-
bury, that General Gordon's instructions required him to
give special consideration to the steps to be taken to coun-
teract the stimulus which the slave trade was likely to
receive from the revolutionary movement in the Soudan
and the withdrawal of the Egyptian troops. A large
discretion was left to the General, but the Government had
the fullest confidence in him, especially in regard to the
adoption of measures which would tend to prevent the re-
tntroduction of slavery.

THE CONTAGIOUS DISEASES (ANIMALS) BILLS.
The Duke of Richmond, in moving the second reading of
his Contagious Diseases (Animals) Act, 1878, Amendment
Bill, referred to the reports of the Privy Council Inspectors
and of a Royal Commission to prove that foot-and-month
disease had been imported into this country. It was because
he believed it was brought into the United Kingdom from
abroad that he had introduced this Bill, which would enact
that no animal should be admitted to our shores from any
country in which foot-and-mouth disease existed. The
measure did not deal with cattle plague or pleuro-pneu-
monis, because these were sufficiently met by the provisions
of the Act of 1878. As no Bill of this kind had been pro-
mised in the Queen's Speech, and as he was ignorant of that
branch of agriculture which consisted in the manufacture of
Jam, he thought himself instilled in introducing the measure
which he now asked their lordships to read a second time.
Lord Carlingford, while not denying that foot-and-mouth
disease had been imported from abroad in the first instance,
still maintained that the outbreaks of that disease in 1883
were not due to imported cattle. He admitted that the
Government did not think that a Bill such as the one which
he had down for second reading was at all necessary, having
regard to the discretionary powers already possessed by the
Privy Council, rand that they had introduced it only In
deference to agricultural opinion. He could not accept the
noblo duke's Bill, because it went too far.
The Earl of Jersey supported the Bill, while the Earl of
Camperdown expressed his preference for that introduced
by the Government.
6The Bill was then read a second time.

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Subsequently Lord Carlingford moved the second reading
of the Contagious Diseases (Animals) Bill, and the Duke of
Richmond having indicated the amendments which he would
move in committee, especially in regard to the clause limit-
ing the operation of the Act to two years, the second reading
was agreed to.
THE PARCEL POST.

The Earl of Bradford asked her Majesty's Government
whether any steps were being taken to develope the new
parcel post system, so as to enable parcels to be delivered
by the letter-carriers in the rural districts.

Lord Tharlow said, in reply, that full use was now made
by the Post Office of the rural postmen in all parts of the
country both in the collection and delivery of parcels; but
If the noble earl would state more specifically in what
respect he desired to indicate a still farther development of
the parcel post careful consideration should be given to his
suggestions. The parcel post was a new and complicated
Institution, requiring the experience of a few years before
Li could be perfected. The Postmaster• General was most
anxious to perfect the parcel post in all its branches, and
would carefully consider any suggestions made by the noble
earl.

Their lordships adjourned at five minutes to seven
o'clock.