The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-11-06 00:00:00

THE STMSRBRIDGE 013 SERVER.

•
the year 1825. It would hove been a gait thing for
himself had lie been cursed too early with no splendid an in-
heritance. It was essential for him to learn some of the true
mditions of human life ere he was called to a position in
which he might seem superior to them all Even those who
have differed from him in timec of political change will
grant that ho has held his Owe fairly in the House of Com-
mons. It is neither adulation nor exaggeration to say that,
by all who know him, he is beloved and respected as a true
English gentleman. He seems hitherto to have gone the
round usual with those of his claris—ws an Eton boy, a youth
at Ballkil, Oxford; then member of the House of Commons,
Captain of Cheshire Yeomanry, Lieutenant-Colonel of %Vest-
' minster Volunteers, and so on, (abiding the duties of his
tation as he proceeded. Those who have known for s. long
time past that the life of the late Marquis was in c. nitwit
jeopardy, cannot be surprised when they hear at his death at
Forithid, and will he scarcely accused of spe .klng prema-
turely If they temper their regrets with the expression of a
wish that the new Marquis of Westminster may have many
years of prosperous life, and the strength of body and mind
to meet Ida new and grave reaponaibditiea.

be to ooloptl thew to go to Yana for that tutraticit
which they could not obtain at home.

Professor Macdonald, St. Andrews, thought there
was no use in forcing ladies into a university, some
members of which were opposed to receivirg them.
Let them get qualified the best way they could, whether
in this country or elsewhere, and if they attained a
sufficient qualification they could be presorted with
university honours.
Mr. Skelton, advocate, said he understood tint there
was a strong desire among ladies to be attersied, not
only at certain interesting periods of their life, but
generally, by members of their own sex. That ap-
peared to him to be a very natural and a verylaudable
desire. It had been objected that it would be very
difficult to provide against the sort of communication
that would arise between the male and female students
of the university. He did not attach much force to
that objection. He did not think there was any ridt
of golden-haired young graduates turning the heads of
the young men, or becoming the occasion of amatory
odes to medical professors. On the contrary, the
graduates' proposed to be admitted were framed on a
much severer model— the model of the Minerva
Medias.
Principal Sir Alexander Grant said he thought the
Council should leave it to the applicants to find out
whether the medical profession was suitable for them.
Dr. Alexander Wood said that if women were fit
to enter the medical profes.ion, and fit to compete with
men in it, he was sure there was not a member who
would not bid them "(toll speed." He rx,inted out
that in one f the universities, on the model of which
that of Edinburgh was founded, one of the most dis-
tinguished professors of anatomy who ever lectured
was a woman, lie repudiated the insinuation that
there there was anything of a degrading or impure
tendency in medical studies.
On a division Professor Masson's amendment was
carried by a large majority. A committee was ap-
pointed to consider whether the regulations as to the
degree of Bachelor of Divinity might not with oilcan.
tage be modified so an to admit "candidates who are.
not membeis of the Church of Scotland," without re.
corking of them attendance on the Theological Faculty
of the University ; and also whetherany changes should
be made in the system of graduation generally. The
meeting then separated.

sieve prices, then there was something to go upon—if not,
otherwise. JI ear, hear.) He thought the other sidlewould
have some difficulty in getting over that. The exports
of cotton goods had been 45 per cent more to France,
Belgium, Holland, and Germany in the three years sues
ceediug the American war than in three years preceding it,
but our home trade in these goods had decreased 35 per cent.
At the same time, the expenditure on intoxicating drinks
heti increased, so that while on the average every man.
woman, and child in this country spent only 4w iid. per '
head on cotton goods, they spent £3 es. 7id on intoxicating
drinks. (Hear, hear.) He would tell working men in all
, honest simplicity and truthfulness, that the depression of
trade was a great deal their own doing. Every strike for
wages set foreigners at work with greater diligence and per-
severance; and, besides this, many English workmen had
, gone abroad and taught foreigners to make the very things
that were made at home. dlear, hear.) The sooner work-
men understood the evil and danger of strikes, and came
up to the principle of arbitration Rear, hear, the less they
would have to groan under the competition of foreigners;
and if they would spend their money on cotton goods, or
000,c5 of a reproductive character, instead of fooling it away
on intoxicating drinks, which stole away their brains, in-
jured their physical constitutions, and brought distress and
poverty on their children (who were thus deprived of the
means of education which they ought to have), they would
not now be lamenting that the industry of the country was
1 deci Ming, and calling in question the policy of free trade.
Let them only reverse their policy In the matter of drinking
and they would have plenty of trade, and plenty of money
to support it with.
Mr. Church (Constitutionalist) said that if Mr. Tank had
shown that before free trade was adopted there was no money
speut on intoxicating drinks, he would have given fart the
reason that was wanted for the badness of trade. Every
one most regret the prevalence of drunkenness, but when
such statements as Mr. Pank's were made to account for
the depression in trade, it was the commoueet claptrap a
man could use. After contending that the Board of Trade
returns were false, and that they were wrong to the
extent of two millions in the silk trade, Mr. Church
stated that prior to 1848 the cost of panperism was
be sd. per head of the population, arid that at present
it was is 1.1, per head, and but for emigration it would
have been far greater. educe the repeal of the Corn Laws
Duce millions 01 people had left tins country, and there had
been an enormous influx of gold; yet wages were not raised,
and pauperism had increased. The slightest dispute with
America would convulse the nation from end to end, and
beggar hundreds of thousands of families at one fell
swoop It was said that other countries were as badly
iitf. Ile very niuch questioned that. ~ Bear, hear.) Ile
did not hear of terrible distress in America, notwith-
standing that they put henry duties on Engiish manu-
factured goods. There was no cry of very deep distress
and increased pauperism from France or Belgium (Hear,
hear.) An intelligent Yankee told him, "You are a gone
set of coons; you are force 4 to have free trade, because
) rem posvers are eaten out. We can do without you, but you
°mil do without us." He asked the Yankee why the
Americ Ins did not have free trade, and the answer wets,
We don't ire it; we are in a position to dictate TrtiMS to
pus" He (Mr. Church; maintained that nations, to be
tricedly acid prosperous, must reciprocate. The state of
affairs demanded investigation, and tithe policy of then to
whom homage had been yielded was found to be wrong, it
mint as soon as possible be abandoned.
Mr Basnett thought that, instead of Emigration being a
shame to us it was a glory. (Laughter.) It was manifest
i hat it was the destiny of one race to people the world. Ile
had in his hand a Blue-book, but as the figures were ques-
tioned it would be of no use to read thein. They showed
that trade of all kinds was on the increase; so far as the
value of exports Was a criterion, there was a balance in
favour of British trade in the first eight months of 1869
ever the first eight months of 1861 of more than eve mil-
lions sterling. (Cheers.) In the latter period (1467) the
total declared value of British and Irish exports to foreign
countries mid the British possessions was £101,056,913, while
in the former (1869: it was £116.244,957. lie believed that
Enland was in a better condition now than it hail ever
Wen since it existed as a nation. (Loud laughter, and
'• Hear." People were better clothed and housed, and looked
better after; the good times, if ever there were any, were the
present (laughter., and it was a dream and an idle sumer-
etition to say that better times had ever been. (Renewed
laughter.) The country was not on the decline, there was '
no need to resort to protection, and the depression of trade
was owing to the nation'. growth. The existence of distress
in America had been questioned, but he stated that in
America people were in a most woeful condition, and in
the State of New York alone there were 83,090 persons un-
einplm ed. If any in that meeting thought of going to
America he should advice them to reconsider the matter. In
conclusion, and amid much laughter. Mr. Basnett sad that
a great deal of the poverty and distress arose from improvi-
limit marriages; if the people would overpopulate the country
they must Differ for it—if they would play the fool they
must endure the consequences of their folly.
Mr. Davenport said that he had had to do with foreign
Commerce for 17 years, and that he had seen French jewelry
in this coutitiy which was sold at two-thirds of the coet of
thesame articles uiade in England, and English jewelry had
to pay 15 per cent, to enter France.
After one or two other sneakers had been heard, the
meeting adjourned until - next Saturday, and Mr.
Hallett said that he should be prepared to open the
, debate on the subject of the American tariff.