The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-09 00:00:00

THE STOURBRIDGE OBSERVER.

a distinct recognition by her Majesty's Ministers of the
oblig. tions which they had incurred by their intervention
ou the administration of Egyptian affairs.
Baron FL de Worms (no one having risen to reply frogs
the Ministerial side at the House) spate in support of the
amendment.

No one rose to cortinne the debate, and the Speaker ac-
cordingly put the Tiestion, and a division was taken, which
resulted in the repration of the amendment by 77 to 20.

Mr. Ifaclver then moved a further amendment, declaring
that the depressed condition of commerce and agriculture
demanded prior consideration to the other important sub-
jects mentioned in the Speech from the Throne. This having
been seconded by Mr. Warton was at once negatived without
a division.

Mr. A. Balfour reminded the House of the extraordinary
position in which it was placed by the Government having
allowed the discussion on Egyptian affairs to collapse with-
out attempting to reply, and, moved the adjournment of the
debate. which was seconded by Mr. E. Stanhope.

Mr. Gladstone objected to the motion en the ground that
it would not remove the disability under which the House
was placed by the "catastrophe" that had befallen the
Egyptian debate, and he suggested that that debate should
be revived on the report, and that in the meantime the dis-
cussion ot the other subjects should proceed.
At the instance of Mr. J. Cowen, Sir C. Dilke gave an
explanation of the cause of the sudden collapse of the de-
bate, which Lord John Manners characterised as the mosS
lame and impotent explanation he had ever listened to.
In the coarse of the subsequent discussion, Sir S. North.
cote and Sir R. Cross supported the adjournment of the
debate, which was then agreed to without a division, and
the HOUlle adjourned at twenty-five minutes past ben o'clock.

LORD RANDOLPH CHURCHILL'S CAN-
DIDATURE FOR BIRMINGHAM.

On Monday a largely-attended meeting of the
General Committee of the Birmingham Conservative
Association was held to decide whether Lori Randolph
Churchill should be accepted as a candidate, with
Colonel Fred Burnaby, at the next general election.
Mr. Hopkins, the president, read a letter from the
Marquis of Salisbury, in which his lordship said:
"Lord Randolph Churchill's acceptance is highly
creditable both to his patriotism and to his courage,
for he gives up a very safe seat in order to
fight one which has hitherto been looked upon
as hopeless. But the boldness of the attack is
very likely to make it successful. In any case,
it will greatly enhance his influence in the party."
Mr. Hopkins, in discussing the objections already
made by the Liberals to Lord Randolph, gave
some figures in which he calculated that the whole of
the pensions paid by England equalled an income tax
of three farthings in the pound. A person paying in-
come tax on £4COO would therefore pay El 31. 4cl.
towards the hereditary pensions. Alluding to the
objection as to Lord Randolph's strong language, he
said neither Mr. Bright nor Mr. Chamberlain ought
to complain on that grouud. No man used harder or
stronger language than Mr. Bright, unless it was his
junior, Mr. Chamberlain, and no man had been more
given to violent personal abuse. No two men were less
entitled to ot,ject to strong language. A resolution
accepting Lord Randolph as a candidate, was unani-
mouely and enthusiastica ly carried.

A FAMILY POISONED.

The correspondent of the Standard, writing from
Pee*, states that an extraordinary tragedy has
occurred in Ofen (Buda), that part of the Hungarian
capital lying Jost across the Danube from Peath, a
whole family being poisoned during Wednesday night
or Thursday morning in last week by an escape of gas.
The gas had penetrated into the house from a dis.
used pipe buried under the ruins of another house
at some distance which had been burnt down several
years ago, On Wednesday evening the doctor was
sent for, as everybody in the house felt ill, and
the symptoms of gas.poisonbg were apparent,
but as no gas was used in the house the doctor was
unable to account for It, and left after administering
some medicine. The patients were relieved and went
to sleep, hut next morning five of them were found
dead, and four others in a hopeless condition. Only a
nurse and a child have recovered from the effects, being
saved, probably, owing to their faces being buried in
the bedclothes. One of the victims was the grand.
mother of the children, who bad come the night before
on hearing of the illness of the family.