The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-10 00:00:00

Che tourtirt4ge Obtserotr,

SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1878,

IAPEUIAL POLICY AND PARLIA-

LARY PRACTICE.

The :ast great debate in the House of Com-
io,7 Lae Session of 18Th brought to the
front the disadvantages of drawing such a hard
,c.nd fast lin twtween the powers and functions
the two 'louses ui Legislature as has so long
been the practice in this country. Our ancient
constitution, so rich in its various wisdom, has
many points which other constitutional peoples
might imitate with advantage. The home of free
duel and the mother of free Parliaments has set
an example worthy of being followed both in the
general principles governing its constitutional
machinery, and in many of its details. Yet there
is one point, and that a very important one, in
which existiu,* artangements union be open at,
least to reconsideration. Tile argument in favour
of the plan p n • inlay Lotintries, b;.
which the Minis. o Crown are allowed to
explain their pottey in either .d.ouse of Parlia-
ment, would aepear to receive Some
from the experience of the lat,st debate. Through-
out* the whole ox one week the representative
6ranch of the Legislature was engaged in dib-
eus:ing the forsigu policy of the Government anu
theintorpretation which ought to be placed upon
the eu;;;agements to which the country has been
committed by their action. Upon this point the
iwo:i,erAblatigei who were alone entitled to speak
wirli.a!esolut!': authority were our Plenipotentiarte.
at the 4Jtingres:4, tip., Prime Minister and the
*...c-retary 'of State for 'o:..eign Affairs. But the
were icCeifhnt of rir sitting in ,a different
assembiy aohths of Lord 13eaconslield
aid Lord Salia,viry throughout the whole of tn.:
discussion in the House or Commons; and it Iv.
only by ía remarkable coincidence that they nac.,
an opportunity of stating their opinions with re-
spLtet to the Eastern Question on the same day as
tt upou which the- debate in Parliament wa..-
bruaght to a close. Lord Mayor entertain._;.
tee Plenipotentiaries at a banquet, and thus the,
w,re • tply to uitiy of V. 1.:: CrltieVit:l6 U.
the ,vt:i!!!!.feeth cu
during d
• - •
‘.l
to a v •
who • .T.l, , , • .;
Foroigii . t ' , , • .-.tl.
bat. „ WoUldinctold W:t:
;Ai* more eLtect if they had 6een akLireSded to
prOnOtinee jtl _
11.38,341;31y that was called upon b
meat upon the acts brought under review.
ice ti: would have beeh possible ; and. tht.
i eaaOieil to defend, in either house, th,
it 3.3 has pursued. 4Vo do not expect
evati:::.iitianal rule whicb has- prevailed in thik
.")atitr-• ,:t.aturies to be altered because et.
, .L.danee has shown its dis-

j

.titat Lois tk; one of the thin,;_
,
ril.r.:t_feti ii Franc, very few wold ventut
Sow to day. .
•k to the.probab:e results of a pa(%)
taa, afido Cie subject Of A, grave debate ant.
dThr,tiu. in the 'douse of J 01111110123, the nip
toriau of the. future. rather than of to-tiay mus•
be the best judge. 'lle Treaty of Berlin is no,.
yet a month old, and it is too soon to judge of itt
value in preserving the peace of Europo. Tht
friends of the Governuient predict that, at all
events, it will last as long as its predecessor. tilt
Troaty of Parts; and that a development of peace-
ful trade and in.-tistry will immediately follow th
5t0,7at10 - - • ..
• • •
lh
i .:.1, .
- • --
IL o'"- .'•"".' r..e=112 •
SUCC49.• b Inaugurato an era of permanent
prosperity. J.W upiwou 1s that the settleniont

v,•.tita,;

•

ratified by the Congress contains within it the
elements of an adequate solution. Nothing could
be more decisive than his declaration that the
Anglo-Turkish Convention had secured for the
Ottoman Empire an immunity from further
molestation in the East, and a consequent
opportunity for the development of its internal
resources. For the first time since the existence
of the Convention was made known, the country
was given something approaching an authorita-
tive explanation of the general principles by which
it is proposed to carry the Convention into effect.
The aim and object of the Government, according
to its head, is to establish order and security
within the Asiatic dominions of the Sultan; when
once this end is attained, the expansion and re-
organisation of Turkish resources in Asia are to be
left to the initiative of private enterprise, to be
supplied not only by England, but by the other
states of Europe. We are told that justice is the
one thing needed to restore not only safety, but
prosperity to the countries subject to the
authority of the Porte. To establish the reign of
justice within the Asiatic possessions of the Sultan
is the purpose which the Government, by its
chief, tells us it has in view, and that is the
task to the accomplishment of which our efforts
are henceforth to be directed in the East.

Such is the declaration put forward by the
Minister responsible to the country for the foreign
policy which has been the object of so much
criticism during the past few weeks. It is one
which will receive the attention it demands,
coming from the quarter which it does, and deal-
ing with one of the most important subjects that
has ever been before this country. The Civic
Banquet has allowed the Premier and the Foreign
Secretary an occasion of supplementing the state-
ments tnade by their colleagues in the House of
Commons during the debate which was valuable
and opportune. Time and experience alone can
show us whether the anticipations now given to the
world will be realised in their results. The nail i-
eipations are for the present generation; the re-
sults will be for their successors. The prophets
who range themselves on either side to-day can
be answered only by the events of the future.