The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-02-18 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the House of Lords, Feb. 13, the Earl of Bessborough,
Lord Atewatd of the Household, brought down her Majeaty's
Fent to the address. It was ea follows —'lc thank you for
yohr loyal address and the expression of your good wishes on
the approaching marriage of nay daughler. Ido not doubt
that the measures submitted to you win receive y, ur atten-
tive consideration, and yoke may rely with confidence on my
cordial co-oFeration In any effort to promote She welfare and
enwtre the security of the country."
Lord Granville then moved an Address In answer to the
IC iyal Message relating to the marriage provision of the
Princess Louie.). Their lordehlps, he believed, would gladly
show their duty and affection to her Majesty, and their at.
tachmeut to the Royal Family, by cheerfully cdneurriug
etth the Houle of COmM,III 111 providing a suitable dowry
for the Princess.

The Duke of Richmond concurred lo the remarks of the
Foreign Secretary, and said that everything connected with
the happiness of the Royal Family must find a hearty
response In the nitride of the whole nation, lie was sure
their lordships would only be glad to have an opportunity
of asserting their loyalty and the affection they felt for the
Queen.

Lord Oranniore was sure that in considering Her
Majesty's gracious alessage their lordships would all feel
that their reply should not be formal, but should evidence
the devotion they felt for all that touched their
S ivereign, th:lr attachment to her person, and their
loyalty to her Crown. Her most gracious Majesty had
now reigned over these realms above thirty -two years,
and It was btit a truism to say the wisdom she had shown
at a Q.usen had only been excelled by the admirable
exgreple which, as • mother and woman, she had shown to
every woman in her broad dominlous. It was apprecia.lon
of so much excellence which called forth slick a heartfelt
outburst of sympathy from all her subject. at the time of her
great bereavement, tier nu),jects felt the loss was their
own, from a c divictlon of how wise a counsellor the
lamented Prince Consort had been to Her Majesty. For
a considerable time afterwards the people of this
country sympathised with the retirement of Her Majesty
from public life. The greater, however, our veneration
and affection for anyone, the more did we feel a
separation from them. Again, when Her Majesty con-
descended to publish her journal, many thought that even
the evidence of • life so pure, and kind, and good, should
not be exposed to public view, and that it was making
so high a position too common, but experience had shown
that the Queen was wiser than those who thus theught,
she trusted her subjects, and she virtually said to them,
This is the life I have lost ; would not your life be
blank and cold after such • teal ? This Is why I have
not been among you as usual." The people appre-
ciated the confidence which Iler Majesty had placed in
them. They felt with her and for her, and longed only the
more eagerly again to enjoy the privilege and pleasure of
seeing her among them, it was snot g to conceal from Her
Majeeti that the feeling of disappointment was great that
she had net condescended to be seen more by her loyal and
loving entr'acte. It was vain to conceal from ourselves that
these were no ordinary times. There was nothing sacred or
human that was not weighed in the balance. Men's minds
were distorted on rePgious, social, and political subjects.
Everything was called into question. The exile once of a God,
the belief in Christianity, the duties of subjects to their
Sovereign, the duties of children to their parents, of husbands
to ti elf selves, the relative position of women to men,—
nothing was now accepted as an axiom To preserve,
therefere, what was most worth preserving in this country,
preserve three institutions under which we lived,
the fonn latlon of which was the devotion and loyalty
which all class°. in this country felt towards tier Ma-
josty it was necessary that she should be seen more
by her loving people. Many would say that it was ends-
titles ef so humble a member of their lordahlps' House to
ventnre to tender advice to the Throne ; but with the
'mat sincere respect and devotion he did so because he
felt that duty obliged him, and liar Majesty had always
shown so much wisdom, lied such a determination to fulfil
every duty of tier exalt,d station that elm would not deepise
the counsel because it came from a humble aource, nor re-
gard the performance of a public duty, by a faithful subject,
tts an L.truelon on her high position. If, moreover, he did not
truthfully c nvey pudic opinion, be was in the presence of
the almost etatearnen, as well as the moat polished courtiers,
in the realm, who would he able to refute what he had felt
it his duty to utter.

The motion was then agreed to n,n. dia.
The Slarfm.s of Saltsbury moved the appointment of hie
coninuttee on the Unlversity Tests, and said that there
would probably be no difficulty In the report being presented
before the time for discussing the bill which was to come
befre their lordships
Earl Granville did not oppose the motion, but said be bad
rot changed his opinion, yet the assurance given by the noble
teapots was satisfactory to the Government.
The motion was agreed to.
• • - • -

- - ---
A bill brought In by the bebop of Wincheeter for (sent
toting the reelguetion of benefices by Incumbents who were
aged and Incapacitated by Illneee, was rood a first time.

After some observations by Lords Cairns and Itamilly, the
second readinv was hied tor next Slonday, and their lord-
thlrs adjourned.

In the louse of Commons a Ire number of private bills
were brought In and read a drat time.

Sir John Hay gave notice that on the 16th he would a•lr
th, First Lord of the Tresenry whether the declaration made
I y Mr iJo Russell to Count Bismarck on the 2151 of
:sovember, of the readiness of the Government to declare
war, with or without allies, was authorised by the Govern.
ment, and what preparation they had made in support o
their t rest.

Sir C. Dilke gave notice that on an early day be would
Call attcution to the papers relating to the Conference, and
move a resolution.

Captain llswsomDamer &eked questions relative to the
release of the Fenian prisoners
Mr. Secretary Bruce stated that twenty ef the prisoners
bad had their second•chnis passaae.money to America paid
for tht xi, and had also received ,C 5 each. Of the four other
prisoners who hail been released, the terms of sentence of
three years were nearly expired, and the fourth had been
liberated on licence In consequence of the state of his health.
Mr. Bruce, In answer to a question from Lord Eustace Cecil
said that shill dealing with the use of lithe weights and
measures was DOW In preparation, and would be introduced
in the course of the session. The Licensing Bill would deal
with the question of adulteration of drink, but It was not his
intention to endeavourto legielate this session with reference
to the milect of adulteration of food.

Major Dickson asked when the bill for the adjustment of
local burdens would bo Introduced, and whether It was In-
tended to make property used for Government purpoies u-
Nimble to local rates.

Mr. Goschen said that he would introduce such a bill at the
earliest practicable mornent, and the assessment of Govern-
ment property would form put of that scheme.
In answer to • question from Mr. A Herbert, Mr. Glad-
stone stated that on January 20th a paper had been sent to
the Prussian Government by the British Ministry, suggesting
the expediency of making known the terms of peace on which
they were disposed to ins Pt. But they were not acting now
in concert with other neutrals to secure moderate terms of
peace, because, though he still adhered to his opinion that
the belligerents were not solely interested in the terms of
peace, they were certainly chiefly concerned, and he had no
reason to believe that it was the desire of them that the
neutral. should Interfere.

The !louse having gone into Committee, the Queen's
Message relative to the Princess Loulte's marriage woe read,
and

Mr. Gladstone rose to move a remlution granting an
annuity of 5'6,060 to her Royal Highness, which, he ex-
plaUied, would be anpplemented in Committee of Supply by
the grant of a dowry of 1;30,00. Assuming with great re-
giet and pain that the motion was not to be passed unani-
mously, Mr. Gladstone went on to combat the objections
which might be raised to It. In marrying her
dimghter to a subject the Queen had not proceeded
without the advice of her responsible Ministers;
and the had acted In accordance with the womanly
and motherly character which had always led her to
choose for her daughters husbands on whose principles she
cionitirely. The practice, too, was not a new one to our hle•
tory, aril it was quite agreeable to the usages and social
spirit of the country. The provision was not immoderate
compared with analogous grants to the daughters of George
111., for instance. Replying to the suggestion that the
Crown ought to save out of Its Income for them paws.,
he pelt ted out that, though the Queen's Income was large,
Its application was to a great extent predetermined, and that
during the whole of the present reign Its economical
management had been an example to every home.
hold In the country. The Civil List, he argued,
when settled at the commencement of the reign, did
not cot.template provisions of this nature, nor would It he
convenient that it should. Lie pointed out that though the
Crown Land. now produced an income only about equal to
the Civil List, If they were managed la the same manners. a
private estate-they would put the Sovereign In possession of
the largest income in the country. What, for instance, If
Ifyile Ptak and the other metropolitan parks were cut up
Into building plots? But Mr. Gladstone put the proposition
on higher grounds, dilating on the political importance of
supporting the dignity of the Crown in a becoming manner,
on the value of a stable dynasty, and on the unwisdoin of
entering into too minute pecuniary calculations on such an
occasion.

The motion watt seconded by Mr. Disraeli, and we. carried
by acclamation, though Mr. P. Taylor appeared to be rising
to speak on It a moment after Mr. Dodson had put the pies.
Don, when it wan too late.
Oa the .nott,n of Mr. Gladstone a Select Committee was
appointed to consider the best means of promoting the
despatch of public business. The motion gave rise to a short
conversation, in which Mr. lientinck, Mr. C Bentlock, Mr.
Newdogate, Mr. !foreman, and others, protested agianat any
design on the liberties and privilege's of private members.
Mr. Gladstone, however, declared that the Government
would go Into Committee entirely uncommitted to any plan,
and without any foregone conclusion.