The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-04-05 00:00:00

VOTE OF CONDOLENCE.

Mr. Gladstone, whose reappearance in the House
was loudly cheered from both sides, moved the Address
of condolence with the Queen and the Duchess of
Albany. Her Majesty, he said, was well aware,
from experience, that the joys and sorrows
of the Royal Family were shared by the
country at large; but the House would be ill doing
justice to the sentiments of the country if it
neglected this opportunity of placing on record the
feeling which animated it on this occasion. The
Prince whom we had lost was not marked out solely
by his birth and rank, but the gifts with which nature
had endowed him had been carefully cultivated,
and his Royal Highness had always shown himself
earnestly desirous of devoting those gifts to the service
of his country. His career recalled in no mean degree
the memory of his illustrious father, and if he had lived
he would undoubtedly have made his mark on the his-
tory of his country. Mr. Gladstone concluded his
speech by saying: The Duke of Albany had within a
period comparatively recent assumed the position of
the head of a family, and it is well known to the world
that in the choice he made he exhibited that sound
judgment and that careful discernment which are so
important in the case of every marriage, but most of all
in the case of the marriage of persons of high socialdis-
tinction. The short experience which this country has had
of the Duchess of Albany has sustained the opinion and
judgment which had already been formed by those most
intimately concerned on the ground of their previous
knowledge, and has amply shown that she was well
qualified both to fill her high position as a British
Princess and likewise to fulfil the duties of a wife and
mother to a man of the high character and distinguished
gifts of the Duke of Albany. Upon her, indeed, the
blow has fallen with unusual severity. This address is
little, either for her Majesty or for the Duchess of
Albany, for the purpose of mitigating such an affliction.
They look without doubt to higher consolation than any
that human heart and kindness can administer to be
their support in such a grievous contingency. But yet there
is something, sir, in the sympathy and concern—there is
i something n a ;ribute such as we now propose to carry
to the foot of the Throne to convey to her Alajesty and
to the Duchess of Albany, with the authority which the
Houses of Parliament can give to any expression of
their sympathy—something of alleviation. Such as it
is, it will be the true expression of our sentiments. We
can only regret that it is not more effective, but what-
ever can be done by genuineness and earnestness, and
by warm sentiments springing out of a deep, an old, an
affectionate loyalty to the Throne, will, I an sure, be
done on this occasion, and may a little, if not greatly,
avail in the hour of a sad and crushing calamity.
Sir S. Northcote, in seconding the motion, expre-scd
his gratification that Mr. Gladstone had been abl,.; to
come down to move the vote, in regard to which he said
the dominant feeling in the country must be sympathy
with the widowed mother and the widowed wife. On
these oocasions the country sympathised with the Queen
in her private character, and she herself had always
shown herself so prompt to sympathise with others—
for her own sorrows had never made her selfish—that
condolence was no idle form. The right hon. gentle-
man concluded by saying the life of his Royal
Highness the Duke of Albany was marked by much
of suffering, and by many near approaches
to the end which has at last come upon
him. That gave him a greater interest, perhaps in the
eyes of all who saw or knew and watched him, and
certainly must have done so in the hearts of those who
were nearly related to him. From time to time we were
in suspense lest the blow was about to fall; yet time
after time he was restored to us' and, rejoicing in the
thought that he had in her whom he had taken as his
consort a worthy and affectionate helpmate we had just
begun to think that his health was established and that
there was before him a peaceful and a useful life, when
suddenly our hopes have been so rudely shattered. But
in our sorrow we are glad to know that she who has
come among us as the bride of one of England's most
distinguished sons will feel that the sympathies of
England are extended to her, England's adopted
daughter.
The resolution was at once agreed to.
THE FRANCHISE BILL.

The adjourned debate on Lord John Manners's
amendment to the motion for the second reading of the
Representation of the People Bill was resumed by Mr.
Forster, who advised the Government, in the event of
the bill being thrown out by the Lords, to give their
lordships a second chance, and predicted that if reform
were postponed and a Conservative Government came
into power they would repeat their action of 1866.
There would still be a Household Franchise Bill,
but the Conservatives would have control of the
redistribution, which, in his opinion, would be a
calamity.
Sir R. Peel, alluding to the "candid criticisms" of
the Bill by Mr. Goschen, Mr. Baxter, and Mr. Forster
remarked that there was no more certain indication of
the crumbling up of a Government than when it was
assailed by its quondam friends and allies. The truth
was that the House itself could not recognise the
necessity for this Bill which appropriated to two
millions of the most ignorant and most inexperienced
classes the immediate and absolute control of the vast
machinery of the State.
The discussion was continued by Mr. Craig-Sellar and
Mr. C. Russell, who supported the bill, and by Mr. S.
Herbert and Sir R. Cross, who spoke in favour of the
amendment. The right hon. gentleman insisted that
before assenting to the proposed lowering of franchise
the Nouse ought to know from the Government how
many members Ireland was to have, and to obtain some
guarantee that redistribution and extension of the fran-
chise should be dealt with in the same Parliament.

Mr. S. Lefe-vr-e--iir-ged-tEat--W-iih the experience of
1866-67 before them, the Government had acted wisely
in keeping redistribution and the suffrage distinct.
It was their deliberate intention to deal with redistri-
bution in the next session, and it would not be their
fault if a measure was not passed before a general elec-
tion took place. With regard to the Irish representa-
tion, he contended that Ireland was entitled to be dealt
with upon an equal footing with the rest of the United
Kingdom.
On the motion of Sir M. H. Beach, the debate was
again adjourned.
Lord Hartington then moved the adjournment of the
House, and, on behalf of the House, thanked the
Deputy-Speaker for the sacrifice he had made of his
personal comfort in leaving his sick room to carry on
the business in Mr. Speaker's enforced absence. Sir
S. Northeote added a few words to the same effect,
and the House adjourned at a quarter-past twelve
o'clock.

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, April 1, Lord De La Warr
moved an address praying that in the Education Code
there should be zwerted words providing that " infants
till they have ai.tained the age of five years shall be
exempted from examination in reading, writing, count-
ing, and needlework." At some length, he complained
that the strain on young children in the schools under
the Code was too severe, and that there was no sufficient
provision for their religious instruction.
Lord Norton observed that in no civilised country but
ours were State grants paid for educational perfor-
mances by children of three years old, who ought to be
in the nursery and not in public schools; but he did
not believe in amending the code by the insertion of a
few lines here or the omission of a few lines there. The
system of payment byresults established by Lord Sher-
brooke was a bad one. -

Lord Stanhope hoped to hear from the President of
the Council that there was no intention to examine in-
fants under five years old.
Lord Carlingford replied that there was no individual
examination of those infants. There was nothing to be
earned for the school by it. What was required by the
Code was that all those children should be presented to
the inspector, in order that he might see whether they
were receiving instruction. -

The motion was withdrawn.
Their lordships rose at 10 minutes to 6 o'clock.

GENERAL GORDON.

In the HOUSE- or COMMON'S, in answer to Mr.
Ashmead-Bartlett, Lord Hartington said that a telegram
had been received from General Gordon generally con-
firming the account of the reverse sustained by his
troops, but making no mention of the expected assist-
ance of British troops. Indeed, he said that Khartoum
was now quite safe, and that supplies were coming in
freely. With regard to the general question, and also
as to the garrisoning of Souakim, he should prefer to
postpone saying anything until the Government was
able to make the general statement asked for by Sir S.
Northcote.

Mr. Ashmead-Bartlett -asked whether it was to be
understood that General Gordon was to be left to
t.he fate of Tewflk Bey, but no answer was given to
this.