The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-09 00:00:00

MR. LOWE, M.P., AND SIR CHARLES
DILKE, M.P.

At the annual aoire of the members of the Halifax
Mechanics' Institution, held in their hall, on Monday
evening, the Chancellor of the Exchequer occupied
the chair, and after a lengthened and explanatory
speech on the Education Bill, and expressin? an
opinion that the Government would be performing a
very useful office if they were also to found Univer-
sities, he made the following reference to the speeches
of Sir Charles Dilke

"One more topic he would wish to touch upon. A member
of Parliament, of whom he had no wish to speak otherwise
than in terms of perfect amenity, had seen fit, in the exer-
cise of his duty, or what he no doubt supposed to be his
duty, to call attention, at a publie meeting held In the north
of England, to the manner In which the Government had
dealt with the Civil List, to the constitution of the Royal
household, and to the conduct of the Queen. Ile (Mr.
Lowe) should not take upon himself to censnre that gentle.
man for bringing forward such a subject. It was • matter
entirely of his own discretion and judgment whether he
should do no or not, and he (Ma Lowe) who was the person
on whom It devolved to answer for that department of the
Government, would be the last in the world to throw:tor tor-
necessary obsti actions in the way of the fullest and fairest dis-
cussion of any part of it. ile had some knowledge of the
gentleman to whom he referred. That gentleman was a
man of pronthing abilities, st hich he hoped aincerely
would some day turn to what lie at least conceived to be
better purposes. (" Hear, hear,” and applause.) There
was one thing, however, on which he was bollnd to express
his opinion of that gentleman's conduct, and in reference to
which lie thought it desusved very severe censure. Raving
formed the opinion, no doubt couivientiously, that
It was his duty to raise this location before the
public, he had not selected the only place in. which
the question could be properly discussed. Of course,
it was very easy to go before persons not informed
on such matters, and to elicit cheers and hisses by
reading a list of the names of the offices that bad been
part of Iler Majesty's household sieve olden times. Of
course, it was very easy to make rash, and he would say un-
foumled statements, when nobody had had notice that they
were to be made, and nobody possessing the requisite
knowledge was there to reply. Hear, bear.) lie sub-
mitted, what he felt most strongly, that if such charges
were to be made they should be made after due notice bad
been given, WM to the presence of the Minister of the Crown
whose duty it wee to reply to such charges, whore docip
molts could be moved for to illustrate the subject, where
the fullest explanations could be given, tool where the
tribunal was met that was competent to decide and to give
a decisiou in which the country would liave eoolidence.
(Applause). hut this gentleman made a charge at New-
castle which he (MV. lain e) must answer at
and if lie made a charge at Chelsea and lie must Ilud Wit
somewhere else to answer him, he thought all would agree
that that was not the way in which matters of that kimi,
tinghing the compact between the Queen and her People,
and touching the conduct of the Queeu herself, should be
treated. Ile. had prxsiuned, and he thought with the ap-
proval of his Laren, to censure the gentleman to whom he
cot rtfivred fir Winging forward this subject; therefore,
they would easily Infer that he was not himself going to fall
Into the fault which lie hit censored. Should the gentle-
man, upon imusiderati ~,, , think that it would be well to bring
the matter forward in Parliament, he (Mr. Lowe, would be
prepared with the fullest inf.innation and explanation, which,
he doubted not, would be satisfactory both to Parliament and
to the public. (Hear, hear.)
• • • •

"One thing he did feel disposed to mention, although he
was almost ashamed to do an. Tine gentleman had said
that, as far as he could understand, the Queen, after having
undertaken, through Sir Robert Pen-1, to pay the tax upon
her income, bad not fulfilled her promise, lie was, as lie
said, almost ashamed to take notice of such observations,
because they formed an accusation which those who knew
what the Queen was would be able to acquit her of without
a monientl consideration. She had reigned over us for
34 years, and din Mg that time she had maintained a
high and stainless character. (Loud applause, and a voice.
Three cheers for the Queen!' Great cheering, after
which a verse of the " National Anthem" was sting, the en-
tire assemblage listening to it standing. Mr. Lowe resumed,
—He lout intent sajing whet, so kindly interrupted ,applause
and laughter, that fir tile 31 years during which she had
reigned iuser ita the Queen had mnnai,ntaiuenl a high and stain-
less character, which was all hbllelle to herself and a credit
to the mitten which had the happiniess to be tinder her
tile. (Bear, hear.) Those who, however remotely, had
been brought into contact with the Queen would know thgt
if there was any feature in her character Mete telletektlide
than another it was her strict adherence to her word under
all cireurussances and under all difficulties. It might he
truly said of her—
' Her armour is her honesty,
• And simple truth her only shield.'
No one had ever ventured to charge lier with having stepped
one hair's breadth beyond the prerogative which was assigned
to her by the Constitution. Nobody could allege that she
ever gave a promise that she did not fulfil. Nobody could
say that anything hail ever dropped either from her lips or
from her pen but what was absolutely true, without tine
slightest intention hi the world on her part to deceive or
mislead. It MIS because he felt and knew this so thetelleilly
--until all those wino had anything to du with the affairs of
State knew it also—that he really felt almost ashamed to say
what he was going to say*; but with regard to the statement in
reference to the income-tax, Inc would state, being the person
from whimu Mat statements would come with the proper
official authority, that the sum contributed by Iler Majesty
to the income-tax ghee the year lag!, when the income-tax
was imposed, amounted to hundreds of thousands of pounds.
(Applause.) If the hon, gentleman should bring the subject
before the House of Commons, he (Mr. 'owe) would be
moat happy to give the fullest explanation, and he doubted
not that the country would he satisfied in this. as in all
other things relating to her conduct in her high and
houourable Mike, that lier Majesty had betel true
to herself and a worthy representative of the feeling,
of honesty and of the true spirit of Englishmen,
"Au for the rest of the matter, Inc would certainly nol
discuss it. Ile should think it degrading and insulting to
his hearers if lie were to allude for one moment to the dis.
mission as to the relative merits of Monarchy and Repub-
licanism. Polities were not a speculative or metaphysical,
but a practical and inductive Belelkee. The test of what
was politically right WWI what had answered and worked
well. (Applause.) The EngliSh Monarchy beginning under
Williani the Conquerer, with the steniest aud most cruel
tyranny, had in the course of 500 years endured, till under
it we had attained in this happy country more of
order connected with liberty, more of ancient tradi-
tion connected with the spriuging power of boundless lin.
provement, than had been granted to any other people on
the earth. (Applause.) Ile did pot misrepresent the feelings
of Ids countrymen when lie said they would not be disposed
to consider for a moment the propriety of changing an Midi-
tenon under evlikh they had derived so many great benefits
—benefits admitted by all students of history to be such
sans other country hi the world had experienced. (Loud
applause.)