The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-12-07 00:00:00

THE AFGHAN QUESTION.

A public meeting was held on Saturday afternoon in St.
George's-hall, at Bradford, "to protest against the war
with Afgh inistan and the policy which has led to it." Sir
Mathew Wilson, presided. Numerous letters ex-
pressing sympathy had been received. Mr. Forster wrote ;
" You will have received my telegram stating that
cannot attend the Anti Afghan war demonstration
which you inform me will be held at Bradford next
Saturday. It would be inconvenient to me to do so,
but I could not allow the inconvenience to prevent me
if Parliament were not going to meet immediately, or
if it had been possible by any expression of public
opinion, to prevent war being declared upon grounds
which, with any information the Government had
given, appeared to me to be insufficient; I therefore, as
you are aware, joined Lord LawYence and others in
signing a memorial pressing upon the Government the
duty of not involving the country in a war which they
have not shown to be just and necessary; but now that
the war has commenced and the House of Commons
meets next week, I think I had better reverve for my
place in Parliament what I may have to say on this
question, after cartrully reading the despatches, which
I have only just received, and after hearing what
further statements the Ministers may make in de-
fence of their policy. Pray inform the meeting that
it is with regret I find myself precluded by the above
considerations from taking counsel with my consti-
tuents on this question, the importance of which it is
not easy to estimate.. It is impossible, however, to
separate the Afghan policy of the Government from
the general foreign policy in which the interests, no
less than the duty, of the cAtntry are so deeply in-
volved, I had intended, when meeting my consti-
tuents next month, to have fully stated my views on
this policy. The summoning of the Parliament has
obliged me to postpone the time I had fixed for this
meeting, but I hope to find an opportunity during the
Christmas recess.

Lord Derby wrote :—" In answer to your letter of
the 27th (this day) asking my attendance at a meeting
about to be held for the purpose of protesting
against the Afghan war, I have to say that as Par-
liament is to meet next week, I think it better to
reserve till then any opinions which I may have to
offer on that question."
Lord Northbrook wrote :—" The meeting of Par-
liament is so close that I shall abstain from express-
ing my reasons for thoroughly disapproving the
proceedings of the Government which have led to the
Afghan war, until I can do so in my place in the
House of Lords."

Lord Lawrence wrote :—" I regret that the state of
my health prevents my attendance at meetings of any
kind, and lam besides so busy with the papers on the
Afghan question that time alone would not permit of
my being present at your demonstrations."
Lord F. Cavendish wrote :—" I have not had time
for a proper study of the Afghan papers which have at
last been delivered, but I much fear that they only
give too strong grounds for the protest against the
policy initiated by the Government which it is pro-
posed to make to-morrow afternoon at Bradford. It
is much to be regretted that by the concealment of
the change of policy made by the Government with
respect to Afghan, Parliament has been deprived of
the opportunity of expressing any opinion upon it
until too late to avert its consequences. It will DOW
require the utmost care on the part of those who con-
demn the past conduct of the Government, and deplore
the war which has ensued, so to act as to diminish as
far as possible its unfortunate results."
-

-
Lord Halifax said,—" I quite concur in condemning
the. policy which has led to the war with Afghani-
stan.'
Mr. Stansfeld said,—" Lord Cranbrook's letter
conveys, in my opinion, an unfair and inaccurate im-
pression of the policy of Mr. Gladstone's Government
towards the Afghans."
_ _ . _

The following resolutions were carried by the
meeting :
"1. That it the paramount duty of England to pursue,
as far as possible, a policy of conciliation in all her inter-
national relatious, and that this meeting cannot discover
any juditication for the war with Afghanistan in any of (he
declarations of the Government; it therefore expresses its
deep sorrow at the prospect of an unprovoked and unjust
war."
"2. That the constant danger to which the nation is ex-
posed, through the unchecked exercise by the Government
of the Prerogative of the Crown, renders it imperative that
the sanction of Parliament should be obtained before war in
any case is declared." '
It was also resolved to send copies of these resolu-
tions to each member of Her Majesty's Government.
and a memorial in accordance with the resolutions to
both Houses of Parliament.

The electric light in the Avenue de l'Opera, Paris,
Is to be continued till the 15th of January, pending a report
to the Municipality on the subject. .

Owing mainly to the profit from the gasworks, the
borough rate made by the Walsall Town Council was
only is. id. in the pound, as against le. Of. in the corres-
ponding half of last year.
The Registrar General reports that during the last
seven days of November the duration of registered bright
sunshine in Loudon was four hours and six minutes.

Orders have, says a cable telegram from Philadelphia
to The Times, b.,En received to prepare immediately for sea
four Reunion cruisers bought In the United States, and
which have been for some time past awaiting orders there.
They are all expected to leave before Christmas. Two are
already in commission—the Europe at Pniladelphia and the
Asia at Delaware Breakwater. Activity is shown in pre-
paring the other vessels.

- -
A widow named Martin, of the alleged age of 103,
has died at Darney (Vosges).
On Monday evening Commander Cheyne delivered
a lecture in the City-hall, Glasgow, upon his proposed ex-
pedition to the North Pole. He said that when the ship had
gone as far as possible he proposed with six sledges ro go
ever the ice a long distance, and then, by means of three
balloons lashed to one another, he would try to get to
the Pole. After waking observations he would send back
two of the balloons, and endeavour with the third to pro-
ceed to an inhabited part of u Ist a . A oommittee was
appointed to assist him with funds.