The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-07 00:00:00

it EitS OF ASSISTANCE IN TEE WAR

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In the HOUSE :OF LORDS, March 3, the Earl of
Kimberley informed the Earl of Camperdown that
offers of assistance in the Soudan had been received
from the Nizam of Hyderabad, the Begum of Bhopal,
the Rajah of Puttiali, and the Rajah of Theend. The
two first States were Mohammedan, and whether it was
possible or not for her Majesty's Government to avail
themselves of these offers they could not but regard
them as a gratifying proof of the loyalty and good
feeling of the native States, the recollection of which
would strengthen our position in India.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE IN AFGHANISTAN.
Earl Granville stated, in reply to the Marquis of
Salisbury, that the Russian outposts had occupied the
.kar Pass, about twenty miles south of
.atun. A post of Yulatan Turcomans had been
stationed at Pul-i-Khisti, a very few miles north of
Penjdeh, by Colonel Alihbanoff, who, after placing
them, retired to Sari-Yazi. Representations were
being made to the Russian Government earnestly press-
ing them to give stringent orders to their military com-
manders to refrain from any further forward movement
which would bring about a collision between the Afghan
and Russian outposts. The Russian Governmbnt, in
reply to a remonstrance from her Majesty's Govern-
ment, declined, on the 24th ult., to withdraw from
their advanced posts at Sari-Yazi and the Zulfikar
Pass, but gave assurances that their officers had
been ordered carefully to avoid conflict with the

Afghans, and that complications were only to be fearea
in the event of the Afghans attacking the Russian
posts. Sir Peter Lumsden who had exerted himself to
prevent any collision, had advised the Afghans to main-
tain themselves in the positions now occupied by them,
and this advice was approved by her Majesty's Govern-
ment, who had instructed him to urge them at the same
time not to advance beyond their present position.
Negotiations were proceeding with the Russian Govern-
ment on the subject of the boundary, but he did not
hesitate to say that the posts named were within
what her Majesty's Government regarded as Afghan
territory.

Their: lordships rose at a quarter to five o'clock.
THE RUSSIAN ADVANCE.

In the House of Commons, in answer to Mr. Stuart-
Wortley, Lord E. Fitzmaurice made a statement similar
to that of Earl Granville in another place with regard
to the Russian advance on the Afghan boundary. Mr.
Bourke inquired whether the Russian Government had
been told that her Majesty's Government had approved
the action of Sir Peter Lumsden in advising the
Afghans to maintain their present positions by force,
but Lord E. Fitzmaurice declined to reply without
notice of the question.
THE SPEAKER'S ACTION IMPUGNED.

Mr. Sexton asked leave to move the adjournment of
the House for the purpose of discussing a matter of
"urgent public importance," viz., the action of the
Speaker on the 24th ult. in directing Mr. Redmond to
resume his seat, and in naming Mr. O'Brien for disre-
garding the authority of the Chair.
The Speaker reminded the Hou.e that the large dis-
cretionary powers entrusted to him had been greatly
increased by the rules passed in 1882. If his action in
the exercise of those powers was to be brought before
the House by way of casual conversation and indirect
assaults upon the Chair, the bonds of discipline in the
House would be relaxed, and a grievous, if not fatal,
blow would be aimed at the authority of the Chair.
While bound to respect the rights of every member of
the House, he also had his rights; and it was his right
that if his conduct was impugned it should be by a
direct appeal to the House upon notice of motion pro-
perly given, when a direct issue could be laid before
the House and an amendment moved which should test
its judgment. He ruled the motion of the hon. mem-
ber to be out of order, and, amid loud and general
cheering, declined to put it from the Chair.
Mr. Sexton explained that his action had been
prompted only by a desire to vindicate the rights of
private members, and the appeal to the Prime
Minister, seeing that the Government had ap-
propriated private members' day for the Redistribution
Bill, to give facilities for the discussion of a motion
directly challenging the action of the Speaker.
Mr. Gladstone, however, declined to establish a for-
midable precedent by admitting that a motion impung-
ing the conduct of the Speaker in the chair was to be
regarded with greater favour than any other motion,
and the subject dropped.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.
The adjourned debate on Sir John Lubbock's pro-
posed instruction, on the motion for going into com-
mittee on the Redistribution Bill, empowering the
committee to make arrangements for proportional
representation, was resumed by Viscount Folkestone,
who warmly advocated the principle of the single trans-
ferable vote, and predicted that if it were not adopted
the question would have to be re-opened at no distant
date. Mr. Courtney and Mr. C. Lewis also spoke be
support of the proposed instruction, which was opposed
by Mr. Rylands and Mr. Gregory, while Sir S.
Northcote expressed a doubt whether the proposal
would produce the results which had been claimed for
it. On a division Sir John Lubbock's motion was
negatived by 134 to 31.
A prolonged discussion took -plaee upon it
amend-
ment, moved by Sir John Hay, declaring t to be in-
expedient to increase the numbers of the House, and
that Ireland would be sufficiently represented by 90,
and Wales by 25 members. Eventually the amendment
was negatived by 132 to 25.
The debate was then adjourned.