The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-06-26 00:00:00

(The remarks under this head aro to be regarded as the en•
preanon of independent opinion, Itout the pen of a gentleman
In whom we have the greatest confidence. but for which we
do not hold ourselves responidlile.l

aev-e-ks.

Cesear has paned the Rubicon, or, in plainer English,
the Lords have read the Irish Church Bill a second
time, and we breathe again, for it ie scarcely too much
to Nay that the country was in breathless expectation
daring the last critical stages of the debate. We must
go back to the last Reform Bill—not very far back, it is
true—to find any parallel to the deep interest which the
country has taken in any public question. The previous
debates in the House of Commons did not excite so
much general interest an have the debates in the Lords.
It was known that a large majority of the House was
in favour of the measure, and the certainty of the bill
passing the Lower House deprived the discussions of
much of their interest. But very different was the cage
of the Peers. t was known that a large majority was
opposed to the bill, and that if it was read a second
time it would b from motives of expediency rather
than • principle, and hence each speech was looked for-
ward to with special interest. A crowd outside the
Peers' entrance, and every available seat occupied in
the chamber itself each evening testified to the deep
interest felt in the question at stake. In Palace Yard
at an early hour in the evening would assemble so large
a body of people to see the Peers and their friends ar-
rive that a number of police hail to be present to pre-
serve order, or rather to keep the entrances clear, and
scarcely a peer that VIM reciyilised WAS allowed to pass
without more or le-s hearty elwerieg. And on any
"great debate' night lately the House itself presented
.brilliant scene, more brilliant than even the House of
Commons does, because ladies add a charm to the
former chambs r which is wanting in the latter.
The luxurious scarlet benches, waich on ordinary
occasions are but scantily occupied, on any of these
nights were closely packed with peers of the realm—
lord. spirituel awl temporal in Parliament assembled;
princes of the bloor I royal occupied the cross benches;
Prince Christian might be seen among favoured com-
moners on the steps of the throne ; the sacred Wool-
sack itself was invaded by friends of the Lord
Chancellor; and n the galleries were duchesses,
oountesees, marchionesses, and ladies of the host tan,
whatever that may he, with ambassadore and diplo-
matists ; and, last and least, the "strangers" who are
always snubbed am) unacconimodated. Fortunate, how-.
ever, was any stranger who hail the opportunity -of
listening to any portion ot the debate. A good m 94
bard things have been said against the House of Beide
lately, but their previous high reputation for elotmence
has been decidedly raised. I shall not soon forget the
style and manner, though I may forget the matter -of
some of the speeches I heard. It must have heed the
finest display of oratory in the world —polished and
refined, powerful and vigorous, awl alternating with
scathing invective, deep pathos, and earnest an-I per.
surieive appeal. As to the result, perhaps the majority
of 33 in the Lords fairly represents the majority in
the country favourable to at least the second reading
of the measure, though neither in nor out of the House
is this majority necessarily favourable to the measure
twit.

"All's well that ends well," and after the storm about
Mr. Bright's letter it seems to be generally thought
that he has come out of the affair tolerably well, and
that the ,Ministry are not compromised by his injudi-
cious productisn. The letter, however, has create! con-
siderable sensation, as might have been expected. Mr.
Bright hits hard whether he speak or write, and in this
particular cane he undoubtedly bit peculiarly hard ;
but when the Government was sought to be made
answerable for it, the answer of course was, briefly
put, that he wrote what he liked and that nobody is
responsible for it but himself. Will he be more cautious
for the future? It is doubtful. He might at all events
take the hint given in the old classic maxim, Lttera
scriptcs manet. Aap,,ken word or two may be easily
explained away, and is soon forgotten, but a letter—
ala, that's another affair !
The unusual array of ladies in the House of Lords has
been simultaneous with the attention of the House of
Commons being directed to the quasi attendance of
ladies on the debates in that house. The question was
asked of the First Commissioner of Works whether he
would remove the grating which cages in the ladies,
but Mr. Layard could not see his way clear to it, though
he thinks that but for those who are behind the grating
the place might be called a chamber of horrors. Mr.
Herbert immediately gave nota.e, with commendable
gallantry, that on going into committee of supply he
would move that the grating be removed. It certainly
is a curious place, that ladies' chamber! It is by no
means a luxurious place. Three little cells, of the real
Millbank style of architecture, constitute the Ladies'
Gallery, as it is grandiloquently called. A grating
in front strengthens the impression that the apart-
ments were intended for the penitential chambers
of a reformatory. One of these apartments affords
accommodation for about eight ladies. This chamber
is under the control of the Speaker. The two other
apartments hold each about thirteen ladies. Here
they can see moderately well, but cannot well be seen,
though their presence is occasionally made known by
pocket handkerchiefs or fans Dying poked through the
bars. The light penetrates with difficulty ; its
presence, however, is sufficiently potent to make legible
the inscription in large letters on the walls, "Silence is
requested." More plain than polite loerhaps, but some
malicious persons insinuate that more eloquence is often
displayed in the ladies' gallery than down-stairs, but
this doubtful compliment to both parties is of course
exaggerated. The ladies' chamber as it now exists is
certainly a foolish institution. If ladies are to be ad-
ulated at all, why not enlarge the strangers' gallery
and admit them with their gentleman friends? If this
were done under proper regulations, what possible
harm could come of it?

The Emigration movement continue!, chiefly to
Canada. It appears that during the last six months
no less than 1,80(1 persons have been assisted to
emigrate thither by the British and Colonial Emigra-
tion Fund. One of our journals, noticing the fact of the
Dacia steamship taking out 188 emigrants, says that it
is not likely there were among them many who had
seen the wide tracts of uncultivated soil in their native
country, or had had an opportunity of fairly esti-
mating the waste resources of the land they left behind
them ; and that thus they were spared the reflection
that they might have been as usefully and profitably
employed at home as abroad. This is all very well as
far as it goes, but it is only half the truth. We have
been agitating more or lees for the cultivation of waste
lands as long as any of us can remember, but theorising
and agitation will not employ and feed people- Theorise
as we may about waffle lands, the fact is that remunera-
tive work in this country is less than the labour avail-
able for it, that the hard, stern fact of want of em-
ployment must be met, and that nothing so fully meets
that want as emigration. No doubt it is to be re-
gretted tbat workingmen, with their wives and families,
have to go abroad to seek work, and no doubt also the
emigration movement may he overdone, but we are a
long way from that point yet.
When we were beginning to congratulate ourselves
that the rioting in France was quite over, and when
some of us were hoping that the agitation in the
country would only have the effect of inducing the
Emperor to initiate Liberal reforms, we, so to speak,
get a letter from him in quite another sense. The
Emperor does not say, with Louis the Fourteenth,
"L'etat, c'es, moi," but he speaks on behalf of
"my government" and very significantly quotes the
words of the Baron, to whom the letter is addressed.
"You add, with reason" says the imperial letter-
writer, that the concession of a principle or the
sacrifice ef individuals is always ineffectual in the face
of popular movements, and that a Government which
suspects itself ought to yield neither to pressure, to
excitement, nor to revolt- This opinion is mine."
This letter has produced a discouraging effect, but we
cannot be surprised that the Emperor writes thus. It
is not to riots in the streets that we must look for
reform, but to the increase of Liberal representatives in
the Legisla.i,e Pssly.
An interesting and a lad topic of the day is the dis-
astrous gunpowder explosion at Hounslow. Once
again--I believe for the sixth time since the establish-
ment of the works—has the scene of ruin and desola-
tion been the powder-mills of Messrs. Curtis and
Harvey. TI e cause of the calamity is still being
Nought, but its effects are patent enough. The glazing-
house blown to atoms; the charge-house fired and
shattered ; outbuildings damaged ; houses all round
the centre of destruction blown to pieces, or less seri-
ously injured, windows smashed, and numberless
dwellings shaken to their foundation; and above all,
the lobs of three lives, and several people me-re or leas
seriously wounded—such are some of the features of
this ghastly casualty. While the noise ef tho di-a:ter
is being legally inquir, d into, the iniblic are asking
whether the Act of Parliament which regulates the
manufacture and storage of powder is adapted to the
present time, when the population of London has be-
come so den-e, and so closely trenches upon the fac-
tories where what may be called mait's deadly enemy
is called into being. This Act is, like most of our laws
very complicated, and like too thany of them, it con.-
tains loopholes and facilities for practical evasion,
while nominally there may be obedience to its provi-
sions. The great fa -I that is now painfully proved
cf. nee more is that gunpowder can be mails and stored
In such quantities in close connection with our dwel-
lings, that at any moment s serious destruction of life
and property may occur. Will Parliament now shut
the door after the steed is atelen ? Not this session
eertairaTobut this terrible explosion ought to attract