The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-02-16 00:00:00

MR. BRADLAUGH.

At the end of the "question time," Mr. Bradlaugh, who
had been standing for some time at the bar, came up the
floor, accompanied by Mr. Labouchere and Mr. Burt, and,
on arriving at the Table, as on a previous occasion, took a
paper and a book from his pocket.

_ _
Sir S. Northcote rose, and the Speaker, rising at the same
time called "Order, order," which was loudly re-echoed
from the Opposition side.

Mr. Bradlaugh nevertheless continued and apparently re-
peated the words of the oath, kissed the book, and sub-
scribed a paper which he left on the table, and returned to
the bar.

The Speaker then, addressing Mr Bradlaugh, directed him
to withdtaw while ths House 'considered his conduct in
endeavouring to admir.ister the oath to himself without
being called on, and without any of the forms prescribed by
law; whereupon Mr. Bradlaugh bowed and withdrew to the
seats under the gallery. .
Sir S. Northcote then rose, amid much cheering from the
Opposition, and, assuming that the Prime Minister had no
Intention of taking the Initiative, pointed out to the House
that the ceremony which Mr. Bradlaugh had gone through
was not in accordance with the statute, and moved that,
having reference to the Resolutions already passed, and
the report of the Committees, Mr. Bradlaugh be not per-
mitted to go through the form of repeating the words of
the oath.

Mr. Gladstone, admitting the consistency of Sir S.
Northcote's motion, but still thinking that no responsibility
rested on the Government to give effect to a decision of
which they disapproved, especially as it might be their duty
to direct the Attorney-General to test the legality of Mr.
Bradlaugh's conduct by an action at law, urged the House
to accept the motion without a division. - -
-

Mr. Labouchere opposed the motion on the ground that
it would prevent his colleague taking his seat even it he
obtained a decision of the courts in his favour. He con-
tended that Mr. Bradlaugh's action was perfeatly legal, and
as to the matter in issue between him and the House—viz,
that the words of the oath were an unmeaning form, Mr.
Labouchere contended that in saying so Mr. Bradlaugh was
in strict accordance with the fact, and for his own part he
entirely endorsed it.
In the course of a heated discussion which ensued Mr.
Forster expressed regret at the tone of Mr. Labouchere's
speech, but would not allow it to alter his intention to vots
against the wrongful expulsion of Mr. Bradlaugh.
Mr. O'Donnell claimed that Mr. Bradlaugh should be re-
quired to withdraw altogether from the House, in order
that he might not carry out his intention of voting in the
division, but the Speaker ruled that he had not the power in
the case of a member who had not taken the oath to compel
his withdrawal except beyond the bar.
An amendment moved by Mr. Sexton to exclude Mr. Brad-
laugh before the division on the main qaestion was taken
was withdrawn, Mr. Gladstone pointing out that it would
net deprive that hon. member of the opportunity of voting.
On a division being taken, the tellers reported that Mr.
Bradlaugh had voted with the "noes." Mr. Healy forthwith
moved that his vote be expunged, and this, after further dis-
cussion, was carried by 253 to 161, Mr. Bradlaugh again
voting in the minority.
The numbers in the division on the main question were
then announced, as amended by the omission of Mr. Brad-
laugh's vote—viz, 280 or the motion, and 167 against.
Sir B. Northcote next moved that the Serjeant-at-Arms do
exclude Mr. Bradlaugh from the precincts of the House until
he should engage not further to trouble its proceedings.
Labouchere having promised on behalf of his colleague
that if the motion were withdrawn he would not disturb the
proceedings of the House until the decision of the courts had
been taken,
- _

-
Mr. Bright and Mr. Gladstone urged that the resolution
should not be pressed, but Sir S. Northcote remarked that
Mr. Bradlaugh had already acted in defiance of the Chair,
and that it was only necessary for him formally to give the
engagement proffered by his colleague to render the resolu-
tion no longer operative.
On a division the motion was carried by 223 to 126, Mr-
Bradlaugh again voting in the minority.

Mr. Chaplin moved the adjournment of the House in
order to ask whether the Government had taken, or in-
tended to take, any steps to relieve the garrisons and popu-
lation of Sinkat and Tokar, now in imminent danger of
massacre.

Mr. Gladstone reiterated his refusal to make a statement
upon the enblect before the general debate on the Egyptian
policy of the Government, and intimated that he had not
the necessary materials before him for that purpose.

The motion, after some further diseuuion, was with.
drawn.

Subsequently Mr. Sexton resumed the adjourned debate
on Mr. Parnell's amendment to the Address, and indulged
in an attack upon the Orange party, whose recent action
was vigorously defended by Mr. King-Harman and Mr.
Beresford.

On the motion of Mr. O'Connor Power, the debate wait
again adjourned.

Some other business having been disposed of, the House
adjourned ak tnn minutes to three o'clock.

in the Hors OF LORDS, Feb. 12, there WU a large at.
tendance ot peers, and the peeresses' gallery was much
crowded.

Lord Hertford took his seat on his succession to the
peerage, and the Bishop of Lichfield took his seat as a
spiritual peer in succession to the right rev, prelate who
recently resigned the see of Chester.

Earl Granville, in reply to the Marquis of Salisbury, con-
firmed, with an expression of deep regret, the reported fall.
of Sinkat and the massacre of its garrison,

THE VOTE OF CENSURE.
The Marquis of Smite), moved a resolution declaring
that, in the opinion of ,o e Howse, the recent lamentable
events in the Soudan were due hi a great measure to the
vacillating and inoonsistent policy pursued by her Majesty's
Government, and in enforcing ft the noble marquis argued
that the judgment of the House must be against the
Government whether they thought it right or wrong to
abandon the Soudan. Their lordahips might not be able to
infuse energy where there was none before, or induce the
Government to throw aside the screen of a sham responsi-
bility, but at least they could record their opinion and that
of the large and influential portion of the community whose
opinion that House represented, that the apathy and timid
repudiation of responsibility by the Government required an
indignant protest.
Earl Granville maintained that the country had no inte-
rest in the Soudan, while that of Egypt was not of a per
maneut character. With regard to the garrisons of Sinkat
and Tokar it would have been impossible to relieve the
former after the news of Baker's defeat had arrived, but it
had been ascertained from General Gordon that an effort to
relieve Tokar would not interfere with the object of his
mission, which was to effect the evacuation of the Soudan
and the withdrawal of 29,000 troops now scattered over it,
and accordingly orders had been issued for the immediate
despatch of a British force to Suakim for that purpose. As
to the position of this country In relation to Egypt, her
Majesty's Government entsrtained no views in the direction
of annexation, but our troops would remain in Egypt until
there was security for the stable government of the country.
Earl Cairns invited their lordships by their votes to show
to foreign Powers, as well as to the people of England, that
they had no sympathy with a policy which
,bad led to such
deplorable results.
The Lord Chancellor argued that there had been neither
vacillation nor inconsistency in the Ministerial policy, and
that this constituted the real ground of the attack made
upon them.
The debate was continued by Lord Lsmington, the Earl of
Dunraven, Viscount Bury, and Viscount Craubroek, all ot
whom supported the resolution, which was opposed by the
Earls of Aberdeen, Derby, and Kimberley.
Their lordships then divided, when there appeared, in
favour of the vote of censure 181, and against it 81, so that
the vote was carried by a majority of 'lOO. The result was
received with much cheering. The Prince of Wales went
within the enclosure in front of the Throne when the ques-
tion was being put, and remained there till the numbers had
been taken.

Their Lordships rose at 10 minutes past 12 o'clock.

In the Hours oF COMMONS, on the motion of Mr. Sheik
new writs were ordered for the election of members for the
county of Meath and for Cork, in the room of Mr. Maga
and Mr. Daly respectively.
THE CASE OF MR. BEADLAUGH.
Mr. Labouchere moved for a new writ for the election of
a member for Northampton, in the room of Mr. BracUaugh,
who had accepted the Chiltern Hundreds.
r Lord R. Churchill urged the House not to take any pre-
cipitate action pending the result of the more or less
collusive action which, it was understood, the Government
were about to institute against Mr. Bradlaugh, and moved
the adjournment of the debate. This, however, was nega-
tived on a division by 2PB to 145.
Sir H. Giffard complained that the action of the Govern-
ment in granting the stewardship of the Chiltern Hundreds
to Mr. Bradlaugh prejudged the question whether that hon.
member had or had not ipso facto vacated his seat by acting
in a direction opposed to the opinion of the majority of the
House.