The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-14 00:00:00

THE EXPLOSIVES BILL.

The nonce 00 ay Orders f the D having been postponed pursuant to
44.111iam Harcourt brought in his Bill for amending the
relating to explosives. The dang.r, herald, which Parlia-
-en,4 had now to face from the enemies of society—the
11,11445 of the human race, as he described them—was
it "all to everybody, and he could assure the House that
a, was grave and imminent. The first line of defence
mai the police, to whose splendid services he took
▪ aDnortunity of !paying a (tribute of confidence and
atratien, and the second was the penalties of
At present he showed these were of a defective
1„,4-synadequate character, and he then proceeded to de.
--`toe the provisions of the amendment he proposed. Pre.
11 that explosions which caused loss of life would
under the law of murder, he stated that to cause
▪ explosion which did not lead to loss of life would be
slop,
411 with the penalty of penal servitude for life.
le, attempt to cause an explosion would also be a
with twenty yearn' penal servitude; and British
sii▪ Teote accessory to such an attempt, even though out of
Bitr,ealm, would be liable on their return to this country.
4th Clause, any person found with an explosive sub.
in his possession or in his control under a reasonable
~-"aoicion that it was for an unlawful object, or if he could not
if,tlain that It was for lawful purposes, would be liable to
b,,,teara' Penal servitude. Another clause declares that any
Nth
solicits money for, or excites or advocates the
4,'"rolssion of, any crime under the Act is to be treated
tO-I,ll,rinelpal ; and there is also a power to the magistrates
• (4,1 an inquiry even where no one is in custody; but no
"47tJecution can be undertaken except by leave of the
bie-LrneY-GeneraL Merchant captains are empowered to
"*. Open any,p- ackage which they suspect contains danger-
-4,„lnatters, and the definition clause includes all materials
Z
th„anUfacturing eeplosives and machinery for exploding
The Home Secretary concluded his speech by saying—
thil'uk I have called attention to all the material parts of
BilL I have heard it suggested that the Bill might
been made a temporary Bill. I do not share that
(Cheers.) There is nothing in this Bill which
t4ut not to be made the permanent law of the land. If
t
so, then to make it a temporary measure would
Lo ,
• •Y opinion, be to weaken its authority. (Cheers.)
would induce people to think it had been passed in a
With exceptional severity. It is nothing of-the
b.:aed * It is a Bill which ought, in my opinion, to have been
On ago. (Cheers.) It is a Bill which ought to be imor-
toLtnently maintained, and therefore, I hope there will be
o7.o„DroPosal to deal with it in a way calculated to
en ita authority. If it should turn out, as, of course,
h.alb.l3' possible, that errors have been committed in the
1:101.niC of the Bill, why it is easy to amend the Bill
Areafter just as you amend any defect in any Bill.
,01.vould be a very great disaster, and great detriment to
14'11„.t,We are doing to-night, if any proposal of the kind I
th°,4ndicated were made, or, still more, were aooepted by
11 '"Lnuae. Now, I have no desire to impress upon the
onse more than I am sure they feel it themselves the
neee'ea„„ !it), of this Bill and of passing it at once. My bust-
be rather to allay than to excite panic; but I should
cOO-'l4l very wrong if I concealed from the House my
and if I did not state upon my responsibility
1nj,0;,.,1 Know, that the danger is very great and very
liii-
Sid that it ought to be dealt with at once, and
Pact a atrong hand. (Cheers.) The House will not ex-
CO 0O say more than that. If I did. I should be
op --"iloR the grave error—against which I take this
otrrtUnity of protesting—of those interviewers, who, in
ver7,t42, gratify the public curiosity (cheers), make public
,_ `' I th,ten things which tend to defeat the ends of justice.l have sufficiently stated to the House what it
taurtended to do. I am sure the House properly estimates
laltek,,,."LY of the circumstances that they have to deal
reem„„., er on our part, have done our best to propose the
Whils'a which we think best fitted to deal with the evil
QO,, which we are threatened. It is the duty of the
toorLrinpent to press upon the House, at the earliest
ft. 74,6, to pass this BilL I shall ask leave to intr3duce
1/ thi truall then ask the House to read it a first time, and
a *"`cniae is, as I hope it is, unanimouly of opinion that
I thliti,of this character is necessary, and necessary at once,
to, till ,lak that it be read a second time. It that is agreed
1(4 tuovernment are so impressed with the urgent neces-
Bo: Passing the Bill that we shall thereafter ask the
not ato go into Committee on the Bill. Of course, Ido
for lait, the House to proceed precipitately with legislation,
neat would be panic, but, at all events, let us go on
Wttlekwe See that there are questions of a grave character
obseZ o,aght not to be disposed of at once. With these
tic To.tions, I ask the leave of the House to bring ia this
(Cheers.)
aatr It. Cross joined emphatically in the Home Secretary's
egies or the police, who he thought, had done as good
Zrrice as our soldiers or sailors, and expressed the willing-
g4a of his friends to join with the Uoverrunent in passing
'e Bill without delay.
,Leave was then given to introduce the Bill, which was
—ll4t first time.
e4C/n the motion of Sir William Harcourt the Bill was at
read a second time, amid loud cheers.
1144114_ d renewed cheers, the House then went into corn-
on the Bill. Clauses 1 to 3 were agreed to. On
1
tight 4
' ztansfeld said that he must call the attention of the
us, =Lon.
„ gentleman and of the Committee to what ap-
atria `0 him to be an imperfection in the clause. He was
d that as it stood, any man found in the possession of
a.ZlPtowder in a district where game was preserved, and who
Irra.._ll2Paoted of a tendency towards poaching, might be
a and held to come within its provisions.
mitro.r„-aY, as having had the honour of introducing the
ha,e '..Ycerine Act of 1889, remarked that he should
Intr„,,lnnah preferred to have seen the section of that Act
Th -mooed 131 this Bill, in place of this fourth clause,
e tt
a,,,honadA nrneY-General thought it necessary that the clause
41filettp.f, Passed as it stood. There was always great
oral,
oil in proving intention, and it was desirable that the
Dossawreving his innocence should be thrown upon the
4104 ot of large quantities of explosives. The mere posses-
quantity of gunpowder in a district where
1%100,, al Preserved would not bring a man within the pro-
-010 Del,,nt this Bill. (Hear. hear.) In all cases the guilt of
kint,cran Charged under the Bill would have to be deter-
-0.9a1d iury, and no prosecution under the measure
1.44 er,,,_instituted without the consent of the law officers of
(Rear, hear.)
Atter
licHze further discussion the clause was agreed to.
1.3.P1 was then reported without amendment and
l'oth'.7ll4 read a third time and plumed amid cheers from
tk101244742f the House, the whole period occupied by the
5' being less than an hour and a half.

b The b. TILE NATIONAL DEBT.
fa-Lotule then took up the adjourned debate on the
and, before going into Committee of Ways and
divc,'uard moved a resolution, which he did not press
`4ll44Cuon. condemning the proposal to use the Chancery
ch?irdtelare, reduction of debt, and oaitn-ladienpe
rt g:eertfiae"(...-f.
tit:of th: El! !Re.. 2
, :et wnicushreeASlPs right to expect from the
ef the terminable annuities in 1886. As an alter-
.4l6 this he sketched a plan of his oven of short termin-
Rio ~,,,,_"•natilties which in twenty years would extinguish
of' debt.
th.
Dotted -‘2,llort discussi° n which followed 'Mr. Gregory sup-
4DDro, "la resolution, while Sir G. Goldney cordially
ir Bevel tllB Chanoellor of the Exchequer's scheme.
Zeeal bee l;C°rtheote asked when the proposal with regard to
r,„ would come on, to which the Chancellor of the
Nailed that it would be embodied in a separate
Hubbard's resolution, he assured the House
"'"erne had been very carefully considered by the
--"40ell0r, and that there was no risk whatever.

wintiDied--7,14r Part of the remainder of the evening was
r,„ eh we tal the resumed debate on the Budget proposals,
orposted re eventually agreed to, and, progress haying been
"4 Rouse adjourned at ten minutes past one

tri b;rinorstc OP LORDS, April 10, the Royal assent was
aaraisirion to the Explosive Substances Bill, which
both Houses on the previous day.
13111 w...L°M Chancellors Representative Peers
(li
discussed at some length, and eventually
wcoastlreaandd
eiVojeelaetirne ; the Earl of Galloway'sio Billon the same
allei lag thrown out on a di risn by Si to 21.
tair.l°Ziellips adjourned at seven o'clock.
.:esointfo4 '1101:TSE OP ColisiONs, Sir Henry an moved a
4 under to the effect that in cases of counts-out, the ques-
-44
*qui the rio(liunlasion should be treated as a dropped order,
' c...... se proceed to the consideration of the next
4447 on n
the paper.
*tlele sitsnlale debate, Mr. Gladstone pointed out that on the
aiantlere existing system did not bring about much sub-
The Interference with business.
Inqiuti Was withdrawn.
a 14 ~,_ TEM DISTRESS IN IRELAND.
tt...;' ,•oalior Power next called attention to the
Ireland,
kid 1°,7 Prevailing in certain congested districts innt reland..„
oiapl.vet.d a comprehensive resolution setting ou
system of
n
'4I4W " Permanently remedied by a judicious 2!
altDerti:rk and optional emigration carried out undero‘uw;
. kil}eri luil
°I
a uummission. After describing his
11° tzteadtaeas at a recent visit to the distressed d-istritc_t,
citetL -diaßthe ..,,a !‘. 1 the periodic Irish famines to ne.o
bt4
-tfit"v - -e" lanisuofarms in poor laud, unskilful hu
tor . tri4 a standard of food below that necessary
Druseedaf...tualist.enanoe of health and strength. Before..
‘ll de -,Lig to au t remedies he disclaimed emphaticallY
ti'4. 'ire
t° al:Tie:let° the Imperial funds, and laid it down
the ,the_tileasures he proposed should be carried out from
uttlen.,
T'lstancesu,_;gtes of Ireland Emigration, properly ragulated,Pl
would be desirable ; but it should be entirety-
:,. and It Should not be undertaken unless the ext 01, 44,-,,11at nitre 1 3, of transport but of settling the emigrant
Of were provided. But, holding that the popt,.
ih-`414 ii„.,.,*relikad Was not too great as a whole, and that in
the population was too scanty, he
r _e
Lalpet.„,--; Ot an extensive system of emigration under ty.
„ikkat iork or a comnatissum. ft was calculated, he !aid. ,1.,11114 te's'aoha. families, n boring 250,000 person., would I
-re
t-til on: th. us Provided for • but he proposed to deal onlyLainilles. „ke paeht pf these would require 20 acres
444-1 bb necessary for the commission
he 1:, coat thee to purchase 500ited
ItOlUd°' Waste or unoccupied land, which he ti
des.itrbopoied
to
spend
stemrliiinligogs t o:mt this,
40,2140t6.e. works" &nod Inv(' all, an expenditure of fly,
sterling.
for
r addition
i:vielune
be required,
levy
1
fixed rental in a certain period
..e
l
which he proposed shstulou.
end of which the tenant should be_e tn
Lord-Lieutenant would be empowered to
(4aila tli; airj on the counties affected, so that by no possibilityn
woul iroPerial Excheqner be made chargearole • The
L'qo 47"vd have compulsory powers of purchase.
`4, qdinveeneOtlidate holdings, and to prevent sub-divisions of
*asibilil9'e are. After quoting high authorities as te the
14 of his Plan. 51r. Power concluded by arguing that
140Doeil°,1a_runient
of their would
" not accept his plan they, ought to
~7 own.
• --
ell,Stli tar4g,l2to.-1 seconded the motion, and maintained at
-Decialli `" Was Practical and financially sound, dealing
Loria t with the rate In all
...1
Lailfratt...../tuington moved an gmendme_ nt fi omitting the
.0111. port n of the scheme and
Manning it to emligra.

Mr. O'Shaughnessy was also in favour of emigrattion,
pointing out from the examples of Germany, Italy, and
Scandinavia that emigration was inevitable from eountales
where agriculture was not supplemented by the develop-
ment of commercial and manufacturing industries.
The discussion having been continued by Mr. O'Donnell,
Mr. Kwart, Colonel Colthurst, and Mr. O'Brien,
Mr. Trevelyan opposed the motion, and observed that
the difference between the Government and Mr. O'Connor
Power was that while they had been trying to relieve the
congested districts of their surplus population by the
process of emigration, which was only just beginning, the
hon. member proposed to do it by another, which, even
it his figures were assumed to be correct—was merely
another form of peasant proprietary with the dis-
advantage that the peasant would have to buy, not his hold-
ing, but bad and unsuitable land upon which he was not
settled. The experiment of making the State a landlord and
rent charger, moreover, would be tried under the most un-
favourable circumstances. In the opinion of the Government
the best and most permanent remedy was emigration, and so
far as that remedy had yet been applied the expectations
of the Government as to the economical effect-had been corn-
pletely fulfilled.
After some remarks from Mr. M. Henry and Mr. W. H.
Smith,
Mr. Gladstone explained that if the Government voted
against Mr. Power's plan of migration, which had been
proved to be impracticable, it was not that they were
opposed to migration under all circumstances, and, after
some remarks from Lord G. Hamilton, Mr. Dawson, and Mr.
T. O'Connor, Lord Lymingtoes amendment was carried by
99 to SS, and the resolution as thus amended was negatived.
Some other business was disposed of, and the House
adjourned at a quarter to two o'clock.