The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-08-02 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the HousE or LORDS, July 28, the Royal assent
was given by Commission to the Elections (Hours of
Polling), and several other bills.
THE CONFERENCE.
The Marquis of —alisbury said: Can the noble lord
give us any information with respect to the Conference?
I understand that something passed which he is at
liberty to communicate to the House.
Earl Granville replied: I am quite ready to give the
noble marquis what information I have. The Con-
ference met again to-day. An important point arose,
which required reference to the Powers. We meet
again to-morrow, in the hope of the plenipotentiaries
having received their instructions. This, however, is
not certain, but I can assure the noble marquis that we
are making every effort in the Conference to lose no
time.

A NEW ARN7 arFEE.

Lord Wemyss called attention to the proposed manu-
facture of a new small-bore rifle for the Army, a weapon
which would be heavier than the one now in use. He
pointed out that the adoption of the rifle for the Army
would cause a break of gauge as between the weapon
supplied to the Army and that used by the Auxiliary
Forces.
Lord Morley, in reply, stated that an improved
weapon for the Army was necessary, if we were to keep
pace with other rations in the arming of our troops;
but the War Office had come to no decision as to the
adoption of the particular weapon referred to by Lord
Wemyss, though it was recommended by a mixed com-
mittee of militaty men and civilians which had been
considering this question of the best small arm during
the last two years.
WESTMINSTER RAM. .

Lord Norton asked her Majesty's Government whether
the designs being exhibited in the Library of the House
of Commons for battlemented buildings blocking up
again the buttresses of Westminster Hall were decid d
on, or whether the House would have an opportunity
of expressing an opinion on the propriety of such work
before it was undertaken.
Lord Sudeley replied that when Mr. Pearson's plans
and specifications were placed in the Library of the
House of Commonspit was understood that they would
be carried out if there was no opposition, and up to this
there had been none.
A number of bills having been advanced a stage, their
lordships rose at twenty minutes to seven.

In the HousE OF Conixoris Mr. Ashley Informed Mr.
Errington that her Majesty's Government had been for
many months in communication with the French
Government with respect to the landing of released
convicts in the Australian colonies, and they had reason
to believe that their representations were receiving
serious consideration. They would not interfere with
any reasonable measure that the colonies might adopt
for their own protection.

THE AFGHAN FRONTIER.
Replying to Mr. Onslow, Mr. J. K. Cross intimated
that Major-General Sir Peter Lumsden had been
appointed British Commissioner to examine and report
upon the boundaries of Afghanistan, and that the
Commission would probably commence its work in
October. The party would be accompanied by a small
escort. The Ameer had given his consent, but the
Afghan representative had not yet been appointed.
Mr. Bourke gave notice that on going into Committee
of Supply he would. move that it . was inexpedient for
her Majesty's Government to incur such obligations as
the proposed arrangement for fixing the Afghan
boundaries must necessarily impose upon the country.

THE IRISH POOR LAW GUARDIANS MTh.
Answering a question from Mr. Parnell as to the Irish
Poor Law Guardians Bill, Mr. Gladstone said the
Government would not agree to " tack "it to the Ap-
propriation Bill, and if they were in a condition
to resort to this unparliamentary practice he was not
wire that this was the hill they would select for the ex-
periment. Neither would they undertake to introduce
it in the autumn session, but they would consider the
suggestion of making it a Government measure.
THE HOUSE OF LORD S.
Mr. Willis said: I beg to give notice that at the
earliest opportunity I will move the following reso-
lution—(laughter) : "That it is necessary to declare
that the House of Lords in rejecting the Representation
of the People Bill for the purpose of forcing the Minis-
ters of the Crown to dissolve Parliament—(cries of
Order )—has abused its authority, encroached upon
the prerogative of the Crown—(Opposition laughter)—
and assailed the independence of this House, and that
the House of Lords in refusing its assent to the second
reading of the said bill, in the principles of which it
concurred, because the said bill was not combined with
provi-ions for the redistribution of political power, has
violated the fundamental right and privilege of this
House to determine in what order it will redress the
grievances that happen within the realm." (Ironical
Opposition cheers and laughter.)
Mr. Newdegate : I beg to ask the first Lord of the
Treasury whether her Majesty's Government will give
any facility for the consideration of the notice that has
just been given?
Mr. Gladstone: No application has yet been made to
us on this subject by the hon. member who has given
the notice, and I do not think it would be usual to reply
to an application from another member, even from one
so much respected as the hon. gentleman.

SUPPLY.
The House went into Committee of Supply, and
was engaged for some hours on the Army Estimates.
On the Vote of £31,600 for Miscellaneous Effective
Services there was a long discussion on the Contagious
Diseases Acts, Mr. Puleston, Mr. Cavendish Bentinck,
Dr. Farquharson, Major-General Fitz-Wygram, and
others complaining of the suspension of the compulsory
clauses and bringing forward evidence of the ill effects,
moral and physical, of the change made last year.
Lord Hartington admitted that the health of the
army had suffered, although slightly, but maintained
that the effect of the Acts in this respect had been
exaggerated. As to the moral results, though he did
not underrate them, he asserted that the Acts were not
passed for moral but solely for sanitary purposes.
Mr. Campbell-Bannerman spoke in a similar strain in
regard to the navy; and Mr. Stansfeld and Mr. Hop.
wood warmly opposed the Acts.
On the vote for Distinguished Services, Sir J. Hay
commented on the refusal of the Government to pro-
pose a vote of thanks to the forces engaged in the opera-
tions in Egypt, but was ruled out of order in attempt-
ing to give practical effect to his views by moving a
reduction in the vote.
After the Army Estimates had !been concluded, the
committee took up and disposed of the remaining Navy
Estimates.
Several bills were forwarded •a stage.l
The House adjourned at a quarter past five.

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, July 29, on the motion of
the Marquis of Salisbury, a new standing order was
adoptefi providing that when property occupied by the
labouring classes was taken by a railway company under
compulsory powers, the promoters should be required
to provide within a limited time sufficient accom-
modation for the persons displaced.
Lord Granville, replying to Lord Salisbury, stated
that the Plenipotentiaries had not yet received replies
to the reference made to the Powers on the previous

day.
Lord Thurlow' in answer to Lord Forbes, stated that
the Trustees of the National Portrait Gallery had
already spent this year's Parliamentary grant to the
Gallery, £750, and would have no funds for additional
purchases till next year.
-

THE SUEZ CANAL.

Lord Lamington having called attention to the foul
condition of the Suez Canal, Earl Granville replied that
no complaints had been received by the Canal Company.
or her Majesty's Government, and that the com-
manders of her Majesty's ships did not complain, but
he admitted that certain narrow parts of the passage
might not be free from some of the charges made
against it. The real difficulty which had to be dfalt
with was the small dimensions of the canal. A technical
commission was now engaged in considering plans for
its enlargement, and he hoped that the results of its
labours would ba known at the end of the present or
the beginning of next year.
A number of bills were forwarded a stage without dis-
cussion, and their lordships rose at five o'clock.

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. Gladstone, in reply
to a question from Sir S. Northcote as to the Con-
ference, stated that the plenipotentiaries had met in
the courF,e of the day, but none of them had received
their instructions, and the next meeting had been post-
--d until Thursday.

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