The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-08-23 00:00:00

SATURDAY: ritT74T7gT 21: 1R79:

MR. GLADSTONE AT CHESTER.

A. meeting of the Liberal electors of Chester was
held in the Linen-hall Rink in that city on Tuesday
night to hear an address from the Han. Beilby
Lawley, who has been chosen second Liberal candidate
for Chester at the next election, and also addresses
m
fro the Right hon. W. E. Gladstone and the Right
Hon, J. G. Dodson, the present Liberal member for
Chester. The building was crowded by several thou-
sand Persons, and the proceedings were most enthusi-
astic throughout. Earl Grosvenor, Sir Robert
Cur"le, Sir Francis Doyle, Major Scotland, Mrs. W.
E. Gladstone Lady Frost, and others were on the
Platform. When'
Mr. and Mr. Gladstone entered the
building the cheering was long and loud. After
ePeeches from Mr. Lawley and Mr. Dodson, both of
Whom were well received, Mr. Gladstone (who rose
amid loud and continued cheering, which was pro-
longed for nearly half a minute, the audience arising
masse), proceeded to address the meeting. After
cordially recommending Mr. Lawley to the consti-
tuency, Mr. Gladstone reviewed at considerable length
the policy of the Government, dwelling principally upon
that which, in his opinion, was its failure—to repress
Ruesian ambition and aggrandisement. The Peace of
Berlin, he said, left Russia more powerful than ever,
and enabled her to assume the position in the East
Which we had long claimed for ourselves. After de-
Precating the South African war as wanton and un-
necessary, Mr. Gladstone ridiculed the notion of
retaining Cyprus as a menace to Russia, or even as a
check upon her ambition, and in the course of his
remarks, said_
"You know what Cyprus is. It is a small island,
but it is a great imposture. (Laughter and cheers.)
That small island played a great part in the opera-
tione of last year, but it was net in itself a very
great matter to add a hundred thousani people to
a dominion of over 280 millions. It was not sr very
gr_eat matter, but it was made to pass as a sort of
`canY•money transaction, as a kind of earnest you
itrere invited to receive and put in your pockets, and
Ltldge from that what other blessings were in store
`Ve You. (Loud laughter.) It was announced that this
r'ell and fertile land was to be an arsenal equal or
ItiPerier to Malta, and there was to be gathered to-
?ether a powerful body of gallant soldiers, who were to
be ready at any moment to march into Asia Minor
and across it, regardless of whatever little rocks or
lununtains might be ill.judged enough to place them-
in their way. You were told at the same time
tilat CYPrus was not to cost a shilling for its civil
r_verttraerit. What happened? Fever began to make
way among the gallant soldiers; an enormous pro-
f:Mon of these men were laid by the heels with local
lever, and, instead of being ready to march against the
Virrians they had to send for the doctors; and the
eoctore had more than enough to do, and the matter
Deeatoe so grave that Her Majesty's Government, six
nionths after they had sent the soldiers there, considered
it the very best thing to send them back again. (Ap-
Plauee.) In this great and wonderful arsenal, which was to
cf)„,entain an army that was to threaten Russia out of its
rts, they have now, I believe, 300 (laughter) ; and so
duty is this handful of soldiers, even to the
"tI7Y of keeping the people there in order, that, not-
'withstanding the promise given us nine months ago
tiaat Cyprus should not cost a shilling for civil govern-
one of the last acts of the Administration, with
cne benches of the Commons thin and deserted, was to
earl? a vote through Parliament for the support of the
civll police of the island. (Cheers.) In the name of
Ileaven, if the people of England did prefer to be go-
verned in this manner, I for one would rather not
spend the end of my days in a state of dis-
turbance. We shall have the issue fairly raised,
arld must decide upon it. It the country
„again return to Parliament the present Adminis-
aa,tinn do not you presume and do not affect
LaY the blame upon Lord Beaconsfield (hear, hear),
Or upon Sir Stafford Northcote, or upon any of those
eoPle. Those people have given you ample means of
Jahn:tent of knowing what they are. You can judge
ill:1Na now by their words, and you can judge them by
their acts. (Hear, hear.) And if those words and
ee`"se acts are such as elicit your approval take the
4Ponsibility. Do not like cowards, shrink from it.
;;`,;(1,3 acts will become your acts, those words your
,e're" ; that trampling upon law, your trampling
er"
rn 15w; that disregard of treaties, your disregard
treaties ; that insatiate expenditure, your insatiate
..eaditure. All this you will have taken upon your-
epres
„ You must stand by it and you ought to bear the
00
"equences." (Hear, hear.)
Gin 'Peaking of the dissolution of Pa rliament, Mr
4adatone said—
"I have yet a word to say about the dissolu-
b„erel. You know there is a dissolution coming;
" You do not know whether it is to be soon or
rthether it is to be late. You do not know whether
to will be in one or two months, or in five or six
tb?"11' or in nine or ten or twelve months. One
~1111? f would wish you to understand is this,—lf it
Zere really the contention of the Liberal party that
.75 °tight to have an early dissolution, I have not the
ereallest doubt in the world that we could make
e• (Rear hear.) Do not suppose that it is
tiT any violence of proceedings at all, It is by
„eS neost common-place proceeding that can be con-
'elured. It is by simply sending our men into the
ueld in the different constituencies of the country,
ZlNting our speeches, holding our meetings, and in-
itnting our canvasses where we were so unfortunate
litito have them to perform. You may depend upon
if We do this it makes places too hot for them. Now,
.200, llect that. Do not suppose that a oissolution is a
which depends entirely on the voice of one
Part,; there is also the voice of the other party. I
tightbe asked whether I wished for an early dissolu-
_en or not. Gentlemen I hope to have spoken on
most matters with sufficient clearness and without
tY, but on that matter I feel very considerable
diTaitY in coming to any definite opinion—great
th' cuitY indeed. I think there is no doubt of one
taing—that there are various modes used for entrapping
annaPProbation of the people. One of these is a showy
Pretentious policy, a preference of what is
PParent to what is real, and a preference of what is
Pf_arent to what is future. Well, that game has been
rasiani with tolerable liberality and boldness for the
aff • ye Years. The very large number of human
themrs, belonging to all imaginative categories of
'JF,i't and action, have a great habit and likelihood
eat world of coming to one single issue, of the
!7u, f all others, most intelligible. It is the issue
_nacmonly known as the issue of pounds, shillings, and
Mee. (Hear, hear.) The greatest of all the objects
off bold policy of the Government has been to stave
that issue. (Hear, hear.) At the beginning of the
;Inancial year the deficiency stood at six millions of
money,,_ and it is going on accumulating. Do not
Zees's.'
.that from yourselves • it is accumulating
L.Zre week to week, and from clay to day. (Cheers.)
ii7:tbodson has told us—and there is no man
ae 'ea country better able to judge—that there will
iTia' a deficiency of 3 millions here at the end of the
b0,,,411.,eial year. Wnatever efforts you make, it is
sen-I`4 to be paid. The day of payment must come
lonner or later and the longer you postpone it the
di ger the bill will be, and the more deplorable the pre-
coeitarnent in which you will stand when you have to
endi eat; Yotz misdeeds and come before an offended and
yotignt!ent people to ask them to bear the coat which
deeecuare by every shift you can contrive en-
ikeew Itred to keep from their view. (Loud cheers.)
the A• gentlemen, that bears on the question of
rem,Pselution. (Cheers.) You know, they say that
ehe, mer will out. (Laughter.) It is exactly
winsaenee thing we may say of deficiency; deficiency
it °tat?. (Laughter.) The question is, when will
Paler' ' (Laughter.) The longer you delay the dis-
di_ lon the more sure is the deficiency to out before
are:ohne°, comes.
(Cheers.) It may be that there
wins,?rue People who think that the people of England
Dre,,,nver come to a thoroughly right mind about the
'nt Government until they have to pay the bill.
peneng, hter and cheers.) No doubt it very often
ith iiap-
o;t4r4PPerosisinvgeoryneg ioodd,ining at an hotel with a friend
the wine excellent, and
Perfiect until the bill is presented. (Laughter.)
hes en-
Particular case we do not think enjoyment
the ef'n so Perfect, but whether it has been so or not,
(Luteeleeeentation of the bill will settle the whole affair.
if eieegiltc'r.)lt will be a great stroke for the Government
solett? can Put the presentation of the bill after the die-
and gr°: itself, (Laughter.) There is a motive for this,
endeavoiLt reasons why, in my opinion, they should
could L-c' to do go. Though it is very difficult, I
their l'iadrist, I think, tell you what they will Bay in
have ie ',\`'in_et now. (Laughter and cries of "Let's
shell i)
When they come to consider whether they
ca - In
then w. r„e or not, one will say, 'Dissolve soon, and
pl,:,eueaU get another well-organized majority that
Berme tue bill without making any disagreeable oh-
' That (111 a at all.' (Laughter.) Another will say,
hum, Is verY good, but some of ne are old, and
two nilake is limited, and a bird in the hand is worth
go on as tb.nah, and we had better let well alone, and
taett are, and run out the sand-glass of Parlia-
you .1 not
r
a single grain rem
iain s.' (Laughter.)
reust admit, I ation think, that this s a very puzzling
at, and I cannot decide it with any confidence.
rot uenever it comes, I do not believe we need fear,
Prepteeetre Prepared to do your duty; if you are
to tki:29‘.l,, Yeu and the Liberals throughout the country,
Pared d
views of public affairs, if you are pre-
re V.
4,-,01 dharge your duty in the spirit of English-
beil4r isc I
say, I have no fears whatever. (Cheers.)
nPon " to be a majority in the country; and it is
Pend, (euh'n the main that the hopes of the country de-
bate a`,e., :era.) It hae been from the Liberal Party that
corintery'use eded
all the measures which have made the
led to thogreat and so strong (cheers), and that have
terra for e prosperity which lasted in an unbroken
arrived ,een,c/1 a Dumber of years until that crisis
ruat -4 • .
Med SIR So unhappily prolonged and aggra•
itht
Vated by th ;as e present h been prolonged and aggra-
bY that
wa fit eancial extravagance of the Government,
heed nto
of confidence which they have intro-
tile globe relations with the different countries of
no fear for „ You do your duty, gentlemen, there is
titletevr Liberals ; and, gentlemen, do not let us
:
Penservaev: alone. There are a few far and wide
constituencies which we cannot influence!
nandle pec, ?lan look at home, let every man try to
kid to ;,,,'" e_eeriY that which lies within arm's length,
"Pret these words into what the case of
ester rr
"hone equies I say you have here to night a man
"
9ate for :.°Juariceirtor see standing before you as candi-
right
Wane 411 a; andtriges, He has shown you he is the i , (Loud
cheers for you to put him In the right
e.)