The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-10 00:00:00

THE VOTE OF. CENSURE,

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS Sir W. Lawson gave
notice that he will move the following amendment to
the motion of the right hon. gentleman the member for
East Gloucestershire (Sir M. Hicks-Beach) : "That
this House, while regretting that General Gordon has
not yet succeeded in bringing to a successful conclusion
the mission which he patriotically undertook, declines
to censure her Majesty's Government for not taking
steps which would involve military operations in con-
nection with a mission which was distinctly and
avowedly of a pacific nature."
At a subsequent stage of the sitting, Sir M. Hicks-
Beach, who rose amid cheers, said: I wish to ask the
right hon. gentleman the Prime Minister what facilities
he can afford me for bringing under the consideration
of the House the motion of which I gave notice on
Friday last.
Mr. Gladstone, in reply, said: In consequence of the
notice given by the right hon. gentleman on Friday I
have considered the matter with my colleagues, and we
are desirous—l will not enter into remarks upon the
motion now—we are desirous to give the right hon. gen-
tleman the earliest day possible. The arrangements for
to-day and Thursday having been made, the earliest
possible day will be Monday next; but looking to the
limited scope of the motion, confined as it is to the
question of the conduct of the Government with regard
to General Gordon, we trust the debate will be brought
to a conclusion on that evening. Should it, unfor-
tunately, not be brought to a close on that evening, we
shall, but very reluctantly, place Tuesday morning at
the disposal of the r 7,ht hon. gentleman for the purpose
of continuing it, am it will be for him, if necessary, to
make arrangements with regard to Tuesday evening.
Sir M. Hicks-Beach: I think it will be generally
agreed that the House ought to have before it, before
the debate, which, I understand, is to be commenced on
Monday, all the information that her Majesty's Govern-
ment can possibly give in regard to the telegrams that
have passed between General Gordon and Sir Evelyn
Baring. I should like to ask whether he will not arrange
that all telegrams which can be published consistently
with the public interests, shall be laid on the table at
once? If the presentation of telegrams from Sir E.
Baring since the 25th of March be postponed until they
be published in due course, we shall not see them for
two months to come. I think the House will be anxious
to have them before the debate next Monday.
Mr. Gladstone: I quite agree with the right hon.
gentleman that it is desirable that the House should
have these telegrams before the debate. They will be
laid on the table during the present week, or at the
earliest moment after.
Sir A. Gordon: I beg to give notice that when the
right hon. gentleman the member for East Gloucester-
shire brings forward his motion I shall more as an
amendment—" That this House continues to place oon-
fidence in the general conduct of business by her
Majesty's Government."
THE GOLD COINAGE.

Lord G. Hamilton asked the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer whether he had any estimate to show what was
the yearly loss from abrasion or wear and tear of the
coined gold in circulation.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said: The most
trustworthy estimate of the loss from the wear and
tear of the gold coins in circulation is that each
sovereign and half-sovereign lose more than 4-100ths of
a grain of its weight every year. It follows that to
make good the yearly deficiency of metal in the present
standard gold coinage if, as is estimated, that consists
of £90,000,000 in sovereigns and £20,000,000 in half-
sovereigns, the cost would approach £50,000 a year, ex-
clusive of the expense of re-coinage, and this amount
would, of course, increase with an increase of circula-
tion.