The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1870-05-21 00:00:00

ifdPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the House of Lords, May 16, Lord Stratheden Called at-
tention to the subject of appropriating a portioh of the rate.
In boroughs for the support of eliding schools. He said he
bad long entertained a conviction that there ought to be
come power to enforce the attendance of children at schools,
much as there was in several Continental countries. The bill
Which he proposed to bring forward had Miring last autumn
been subjected to the criticism of town counsels nod other
bodies. His bill was shinier to that which was brought forward
by Earl Ruuell in Pt... 3. Like that bill, It utilised the power
of town c,,uticils, looked to the imposition of retell, laved
existing Interests In school., and recognised the j irtsdietion
of the Privy Council but unlike the bill of 1863 (which en-
deavoured to develop It, it made the imposition of a rate
obligatory, and gave to town councils that compulsory
power Which Is now so well understood and so generally de
-
mended. There were strong arguments in fevour of com-
pullsion, and It now had popular opinion in Its support ; it
was subje t to some Minnie but true statesmanslup should
give it every char co and facility.
Earl Granville ilbi not oppose the meanies, at this dam%
but pointed out that there was before the other House a bill
which he finned would be fortunate enough to reach their
ordshirs' Muse.
The bill was reed t first time,
In relilY to Fart Huta, Carl Granville sal. the report on
Primary 3.lllcation in Ireland west to, et present lathe hands
of the Gi.vertiment, hut frtili a communication which had
been received fres the president of the commission it was
thought that it would be ready before the Ist of Jose.
ii reply to the Earl of Shaftesbury, who put a question
about the presentation of the report of the Ritual Coin-
113111Slon
Earl ilranville made an explanation, which was inaudible
In the gallery.
Shortly afterwards.
The Bishop of Winchester said he would state how the
matter stood, The Ritual Commissioners would meet this
week, to go through the small amount of business that WU
before them. They had been occupied a long period, bnt
time had not been wasted, and there had not been any want
of care or labour In inendring Into the matter wide!, had
been submitted to them 1 The reports which they bad
already issued had been of very great use to assist-
leg people to form their opinions on this subject.
Having been a constant attendant at the meetings of the
Commissioners, he could state that time had not been lost
on the difficulties of the question, which had been great, and
the matter needed to be thoroughly exhausted if the result
were to be satisfactory lie trusted that within a very short
time the final report would be Issued, and that it would bear
within it the marks of care and prudence, and an absence of
haste, but a re.olve to maintain important principles, and a
readiness in things indifferent to consult men's feelings as
far as.pc.issliihi,

Their lordships then adjourned.

In the Hones of Commons, a number of private bills were
road a...econd and s third time
. . . . .

-Mr-C-liaVy;iple-asked whether it might not be possible that
spare duplicate hooks in the British Si °ileum should be dis-
tributed so as to form the nucleus of public tree libraries.
Mr Walpole said the publishers were only bound to furnish
to the Museum new additions of books when they contained
additions to, or alterations from, the original work. There
were three elitism, of duplicates In the museum ; lint, the new
editions stave mentioned, which it was desirable In the in-
termit of the public that the Museum should be preserved.
Seriondle : Duplicates of Works in the King's and Grenville
ihraties, which works, however, being flue editions, it was
desirable that the duplicates should be kept for the general
use of ordinary reader,; and thirdly, duplicates of books
constantly In use by the students, and of which it wes
necessary there should be several copies. If anything in the
way indicated were to be done, absolute power would have
to he given to the tru eeeee , and it should be given only under
the most stringent regnlationa
Replying to Mr. Vernon Harcourt.
Sir. Illaostone said that the Royal Commiasion on Primary
Education in Ireland had ceased to take evidence and its
Ratings were now en led. It was correct that the expenditure,
which was estimated at £1,400, hail been £8,505, with a
further estimated expenditure of £5,450. Its recommends.
Lions were not within the cognisance of the Government. Its
report a. aid probably be ready by the let of June, and be
hoped that the House would go into Committers on the Ele-
mentary Education 13111 In the second week in June or there-
abouts.

--M-r-iltway, In answer to Mr. Peek, said there had been on
the part of the Foreign °Moe in the interest of the House
and the public, a desire to communicate all correspondence
on the Greek Massacre with the least possible delay. They
had been delivered to members within twenty hours of their
being received at the Foreign Office. The clerks had ben
employed in translating them, and two *or three had unavoid-
ably been pnblished in the French language. In other
respects the general practice had been, and would continue
to be, complied with.
. . .

be Committee on the frith Land Bill then proceeded with
the third part of the bill,—the advance, to be made by and
the powers of the hoard. The important clause .11), which
regulates the advances to tenants for purchase of bo'ilings,
was for some time under discussion, and it was amended
with the assent of the Government; so that the amount to be
advanced is not to exceed two-thirds of the price of the
holding, and the repayment to be by an annuity
of £5 for every .£lOO advanced, lasting 35 years. On the
question that the clause stand part of the bill. Sir 0.
Jenkinson insisted on marking Ms disapproval of its prin-
ciple by pressing a division, but it was carried by ad to

The remaining clauses of the bill were disposed of in a
very thin house •ithout much opposition, and Just before
half-post ten o'clock the last clause 4.9 was ordered to stand
part of the bilL .

The sew clauses were then brought up, and the first of
these was a clause In substitution for vlause 2, which provides
forth. equalization of customs outside of I_ later, and it was
agreed to without observation.
_

—Mr. Chichester Fort-e-scue-;iso brought up a clause pro-
viding that where a tenant has received permission to obtain
satisfaction from an incoming tenant he shall not be en-
titled to compensation under section 3, but • short dis-
cussion convinced him that it was unnecessary, and he did
not press it.
. . .

Mr Kavanagh proposed a scheme to deprive yearly tenants
assigning their interests without the consent of landlord. of
the right to transmit • claim for compensation, but on a
division it woe negatived by 192 to 120.
Mr Bazwell moved a clause conferring on every tenant the
right to a lease for 21 years, renewable for ever; but it met
with no support, and was summarily negatived. At this
point the Chairman was ordered to report pmgress, and the
next sitting of the Committee was fixed for Thursday.
On the second reading of the Army Enlistment Ball a short
debate arose, t olonel Bantelot otdsctiog to the new term of
service as being too short, while sir IL Verney thought the
ehortening of the term the readiest mode of attracting a
bettor dee of men into the army. Lord (lathes and Major
Walker also made some observations, sod Mr. Cardwell
briedy replied, promising to deal with all objectors in
Committee, and ultimately the bill was read a second time
. _ .

The' Gas. and Water F.etliis 8111 passed through Com-
mittee, and several other bills were forwarded a stage, sad
the Oil., adjourned.

•
In the House of Lords, May 17, the Duke of Argyll pre.
wilted from Glasgow •petition whtch bore 12 WO signatures.
headed by the Roman Catholic bishop of that env and many
of his cletgy, pro leg for. repeal of the law which forbids
marriage with a deceased wire's s!ster.
Several other petittons referring to the same subject were
presented by other noble lords.
The Lord Chancellor said he had received, and would lay
on the table, the communications which he had received
from the Lord Chief Justice and the other judges in re-
ference to the Appellate Jurisdiction Bill and the Judicature
Bill, two measures which are now pending. He desired to
have them printed, and fixed the committee for Monday
the 30th inst.

The Bishop of Winchester, In moving the second reading
of lus bill, laid down the principle that benefices with cure
of souls were not the private property of the temporary
holder, but were endowment. charged with the performance
of spiritual duties, which no clergyman could rightfully
alienate or divert by hie own carelessness or imprudence. He
instanced a case (which was understood to be that of the
parish of CaniberwelL where a benefice, endowed with £2,000
a year and containing a population of 20,000 souls, had been
for 30 years under sequestration, during which time all
that the Bishop could take out of the sequstrator's
hands for the payment of curates did not exceed
£2OO a year. The bill proposed a stringent remedy—
that any clergyman who shall become bankrupt, and be un-
able to obtain • certificate from the Bukruptcy i.'curt, shall,
at the discretion of the Bishop or Archbishop, forfeit his
benefice. He pointed out that it would be • positive advan-
tage to the clergy to deprive them of the right of pledging
their endowments for debts, to the injury of the parishioners
for whom the living, were endowed. With regard to the
second hill, the provisions of which the right rev, prelate
subjected to • searching analynis, he contended that it was
Unworkable and inequitable. It was founded upon an op-
posite and irreconcilable principle, and he hoped it would
not be referred to the same Select Committee, but that their
lordships would at this stage of the two measures deter-
mine the principle on which they intended to legislate.
Lord Cairns pointed out some technical objections to the
bill, and doubted whether it could fairly apply to any of the
existing holders of freehold benefice. The real cefect of the
present law wu that the Bishop could not make a Inure
ample and liberal provision for the performance of the
spiritual duties of a parish under sequestration, and in this
respect he preferred Lard Harrowby's Bill. He recom-
mended that both measures should go to a Select Committee.
The Archbishop of York replied to the objections raised
by Lord Cairns, contending that the trust, and not the free-
hold, of a benefice with cure of souls ought to be most pro-
minently kept in view by the Legislature. He saw no reason
why every parish and every incumbent should not have the
benefit of the bill as to all debts hereafter contacted
Lord Harrowby had no objection to the second reading
of the right rev, prelate's bill, but hoped 'that his own
measure, the provisions of which he explained, would be
referred to tee same Committee.
Tile Duke of Cleveland trusted that the present Session
would not pass without s ,me practical remedy being de-
vised against the great evil of sequestrations.
Lord We•thury, while regarding the first-named bill as •
violation of the rights of property, acquiesced in the principle
that a clergyman ieceived the income of his living on con-
dition that he performed his clerical and parochial duties.
If he were prevented from doing this by the sequestration of
his living, the diocesan should be empowered to take so
much of the income of the living as was required for the
discharge of thou duties.

Lord Salisbury could not altogether agree with the
opinions expressed by Lord Cairn., and, in reply to an slim
lion of Lord Westbury, said he supported the present bill on
the same ground that he had opposed the Irish Church hill,—
namely, that the income enjoyed by the clergyman really
belonged to the parishioners. The tendency of modern legis-
lation, as well as Governmental administration, was to regard
bankruptcy as something of a penal offence: and be saw no
reason why this principle might not be fairly applied to the
clergy.
The Bishop of Olocester supported the bill of the right rev.
prelate. and hoped that it would alone be remitted to the
Select Committee.
The Lord Chancellor strongly urged the necessity for lest.
I Won, having himself known six or seven parishes which had
fallen into a state of the greatest possible disorder in con-
sequence of the absence of the incumbents and the seques-
tration of the livings. Ile gave reasons for preferring the
Bishop of Winchester's bill, and recommended that Lord
Ilarrowhys measure. should be withdrawn.

The Bishop of Winchester's bill eras then read a second
time, and ordered to be referred to a Select Committee.
. . . .

- -----
I,47rd—liarrowby withdrew his bin, and their lordships
adjourned.

In the House of Commons, several private bills were read
a third time and passed. . .

Mr. Somerset Beaumont gave notice, on behalf of the hon.
member for East Surrey, that he would on the 14th June
move that It I. desirable to appoint • royal commission to
revise the authsrised version of the Scripture.
Mr. J. Talbot aaked the Home Secretary whether his at-
tention had been drawn to the way In which the return,
" Prisons (ftelMious Instruction)" had been prepared ; and,
whether he can hold out any hopes that these returns may
be laid upon the table in an amended shape.
Mr. Bruce attributed the want of uniformity in these re-
turns to the uncertainty of the terms of the order, and was
afraid that the defects could not be remedied except by
moving afresh for the returns.
Reply i ng to ('cloud l Sykes,
Mr Otway said that if the report of the alleged Indignity to
her Majesty'. representative in (hits, which had bees
brought under his notice on the 131 h inst, should be authen-
ticated, an inquiry would be made into the circumstances.
In answer to Mr. Magniac,
Mr. Monsen *aid the last regiment had been withdrawn
from New Zealand, and the question of military assistance
to the coin; in time of peace had been finally settled.
Although Earl Granville had declined to sanction a scheme
of state-assisted emigration, he had consented to grant the
Credit of the Imperial Government to New Zealand to assist
them in raising money for road-making and other purposes,
and had promised to submit it to Parliament a proposal tor
guaranteeing • loan of L 500.000. After some discussion, the
sum had been increased to £1,000,000, and he thought that
the right honourable gentleman treated that the House
would agree to the proposal as • mark of goodwill from this
couutry to New Zealand, at a time when the Important prin-
cipal of self-defence in time of peace had been established.
Mr. Otway, le reply to sir Jsmes Elphlnstone, said her
Majesty's Government had required of the Government of
Greece that the Investigation into all the circumstances con-
nected with the recent murders there should be searching
and complete, and her tiajesty 'a Sllnister bad called upon
the Government that an efficient inquiry t.hould be con-
ducted with all practicable speed. Mr Erskine had the
fuesiatance of site counsel. What w 6 to be desired wa. that
the truth should be made manifest, but the Government did
not believe that Judie* would be done without the presence of
a foreign aimed keen

Sir W. Gallwey called attention to the defects in the
Channel pitmans between England and France, particularly
between Dover and CaLats. The suggestion for its Improve-
ment on whigh he planed most vale* was the building of •
new port on the French side ; and, considering that the
Blair. was much mere important to ne than to France he
recdimended that the Government should give some assist-
ance or countenance, either in the shape of • guarantee or
otherwise, towards effecting this by private entermise. Sir
Walla= coneluded with a motion coiling on the Govern-
ment to co-operate With the French Government in the
matter.

Mr. ErCullagh Torrens proposed to move an Addreesto
the Crown praying that measures may be taken for providing
to= to the et
ifi7eo I
Speaker,onies f r
whoint emn d e
thamtithe nytt;tibountlebeee
essentially the same. the motion of Mr. It Torten., rejected
by the thquie in March, and therefore could not be reuewed
this Session.
_ .

Mr Graves next called attention to the constitution of the
Council of India, and moved a Resolution declaring that It
, should embrace among its numbers persons conversant with
the trade and commerce of India. He did not complain that
cominerCe had been neglected, but sullicient prominence, he
argued, had not been given to it for lack of men on the
Council poliseming a thorough knowledge of the trade of the
two countries, and he anticipated from this infusion of a
COMmeicial element a large expansion of Indian Imports.
Anally, however, at an splits/ from Mr. Gladstone, Mr.
Graves withdrew has resolution.
Mr. Fawcett was bringing forward a motion on the
condition of education in the rural district., when the
House was " counted out," at ten minutes to sim'clock.

In the House of Commons, May 18, Mr. C. Buxton moved
the second reading of the Municipal Boroughs (Metropolis)
Bill, having also Introduced two other bills in reference to
the Walls subject, entitled the Corporation of London Bill,
and County of London Bill. lie proptoes that for the ad-
ministration ot all great metropolition affairs the whole of
London shall be formed into • Corp.ratlon, with a Lord
Mayor at its head, and that for all local purpoets the
inetropolltan parliamentary boroughs shall have municipal
bodies endowed with a imitable organisation for the manage-
ment of their separate affairs. It la propi,ed that the
general central body shall have control over the
piece, the administration of justice, military measures,
improvement of streets of all kinds, including sewage, gas,
bridos, asylums, etc. The hon gentleman explained that
the essence of the scheme being that the corporation of the
City shall be extended over the whole of the metropolis, It
follows that the property belonging to the City shall go to the
governing body. Ile contended It woe right that It should
be no applied, because the property left to the City was not
intended for • part but the whole of London—the heart of
the eintire. He appealed to the Government to endeavour
to get from the committee, to whom he understood his bills
were to be referred, a satisfactory measure to effect the
object he desires to accomplish.
Mr. Bentinck moved that the bill be read a second time
on this day six months, as it Involved an entirely new
scheme, differing from any scheme which had ever been pro-
posed. He thought the form of a municipal institution for
the whole of Loudon was objectionable, especially when it !
could net exercise the usual powers of a municipal body, by
controlling the police, for he was perfectly certain of this, I
that her Mejeety's Government would never allow the control '
of the metropolitan police to be taken out of their hands.
But his principle objection to the bill was, that It failed to 1
secure an efficient central government.
After a discussion, In which several hon. member k took ,
part,the House divided—For the second reading, lO; against,
456 ; majority 64. .

_
The bill was then read a second time, and ordered to be
referred to a select committee.

Mr. Russell-Gurney, in moving the second reading of the
Married Vs omen's Property Bill, said that the existing lass
was • source of great mischief sr d crime, and was almost
universally condemned. The object of the bill was simply to
extend the practice of the equity courts, mid was chiefly
intended for the benefit of the S,ovo married women earning
wages in this country. Marriage settlements could not he made
applicable to the cases with which the hill would deal, and
he proposed by the bill that the wife ahould not forfeit her
property by the act of marriage, but that it should remain
been. 'the change had been introduced Into the United:Hate.,
Canada, and India, and had beau found to work well, lie
urged, therefore, that the benefits which had been conferred
upod the rich should be extended to the poor women of the
country.
Mr. H. Cecil-Itaike. Intimated that although he had moved
the rejection of the LIR in the last session, he did net feel
himself justified hi now taking so decided • step. Ile fully
admitted the miserable and scandalous otate of the existing
law, at.d the necessity for Lome speedy change, but could
Cot concur in thinking that this would beat be effected by
the bill before the House. Ile himself had Introduced • bill
on the subject, and he hoped that both bills would be passed
and referred to a select committee. Ile was of opinion that
the property of a wife should be protected by an official
trustee, and that she should be prevented from alienating it
from herself merely at the wish of her husband. In the
first place the husband would be the trustee, but the wife
might apply to a megietrate, who might appoint another
trustee in his place. The earnings of the wife should be
Protected, when she had become the breadwinner of the
family, and there should be • registrotion of the settlement,
to order to prevent any fraud on creditors.
After remarks from Mr. Jessell, Mr. Charley, Mr. Staveley
Rill, Mr. Hermon, and the Solicitor-General, the bill was
Ceti a second time without • division.
..

Mr. H. C Blokes then messed the second reading of the
Married Womenh Property ,No. 2, Bill.
Mr Jacob Bright moved as an amendment that it be read
a second time this day six months.
• " - -

The House divided—Yoe the ae,.ond reading, 46; against,
208; majority, 162
!he bilTwas therefore Ist.
-

Mr. C. Paxton moved the second reading of Corporation of
London Bill, which forms one of the series of which the
Municipal Boroughs ,Metropolis Bill is the first.
Mr. Cavendish Bentinck moved Its niection, but after
sonie discussion the amendment was witodrawn. The sd-
journment of the debate wax then moved by Mr. Aldermen
Lusk, seconded by Lord Enfield, nod the motion was agreed
to.
The Petty Customs (Scotland) Abelltion Bill was read
third time end passed. Several other bills were advanced
stage, and the llctoe sdpnrned.