The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1878-08-17 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

The HOUSE 07 CoNnioNS sat on Saturday, August 10, to
dispose of the 'Ash Sunday Closing Bill, which was finally
sent up to the House of Lords after a debate of not quite
three bolas.
On the Third Reading being moved, Mr. P. J. Smyth
moved as an amendment that the Bill be recommitted for
the purpose of introducing clauses to compensate the publi.
sans for the loss of one day's sale. Mr. Snaw seconded the
amendment; and the O'Conor Don, in opposing it, contended
that Parliament had a right to alter the hours of closing
without compensation.

In the debate which followed, Mr. O'Sullivan again de-
nounced the Bill as Class Legislation, and disputed the
existence of any demand for it. Mr. Wheelhouse and Mr.
Murphy spoke in the same strain; Mr. 0 Shaughnessy sug-
gested that the question of compensation should be inquired
Into by a Select Committee next Session; and Sir P. O'Brien
an Mr. Onslow also spoke against the Bill. Mr. Ifi'Laren,
on the other hand, pointed out that no compensation had
been given to the Scotcb publicans when a similar measure
had been passed.
On a division the amendment was negatived by 63 to 22,
and the Bill was then read a third time amid considerable
cheering.
The Territorial Waters Jurisdiction Bill was read a second
time, and the House adjourned at five minutes to three
o'clock.

In the HollSll OP LORDS, August 12, the Lord Chancellor
laid upon the table, for consideration during the recess, a
Bill for Consolidating and Amending the Acts relating to
Municipal Corporations in England. The Irish Sunday
Closing Bill was brought from the Commons and read a first
time. The Drainage and Improvement of Land (Ireland
Bill and the Locomotives on Highways (Scotland) Bill were
read a third time. The Marriages (Fiji) Bill, the Turnpike
Acts Continuance Bill, and the Prison Officers' Saperannua-
tdon Bill were passed through Committee.
Lord Truro having made some remarks with regard to the
metropolitan police force, and intimated that next Session
he would move for a Commission to consider the best means
for reorganizing the force throughout the country, with the
view of focussing the whole criminal population from Scot-
land-yard; the Duke of Richmond and Gordon stated that
the questions affecting the constitution and organization of
the metropolitan police had already been referred to a Com-
mittee, and protested against the conclusion of the noble
Lord, that the heads of the polioe were incompetent, because
they were over sixty years of age. The subject then dropped,
and their lordships adjourned.
In the Houss on Commove, in answer to Sir C. Mike, Mr.
Bourke said that no intelligence had reached the Govern-
ment of a Russian force having crossed the Oxus.
In answer to another question from Sir C. Dilke' Mr.
Bourke said the Government was not aware that the Porte
intended to refuse to arrange a rectification of frontiers
'with Greece; whereupon Sir C. Dilke gave notice that he
would call attention to the subject either on Tuesday or
Wednesday.
In answer to Mr. Gourley, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
said that the fleet under Admiral Hornby in the Sea of
Marmora would be removed from the neighbourhood of
Constantinople at the same time that the Russian forces were
withdrawn, which he hoped would be very soon.
On the Second Reading of the Expiring Laws Continuance
Bill,
Sir C. Dilke, Mr. Lewis, and Mr. O'Conor commented on
the failure of the Government to fulfil its pledges to pass a
Corrupt Practices Bill, and the Attorney-General replied
that when he gave the pledge he meant to fulfil it, and it
would have been fulfilled had business gone on as it used to
do. He promised, however, to do all he could to secure an
early discussion next Benton.
Mr. Bats and Sir. W. Haroourt urged that this pledge
should be oonfirmed by a member of the Cabinet, and the
Chaneellor of the Exchequer said he had no difficulty in
promising that the subjeet shoald be one of the first taken
up next Session.
The Bill was then read a second time.
On the consideration of the Irish Intermediate Education
Bill as amended,
Mr. I. Lowther announced the names of the Commis-
sioners—Lord Chancellor Ball, the Earl of Belmore, Chief
Baron Palles the O'Conor Don, Professor Molloy, Professor
Porter, and Professor Salmon—and expressed his regret that
Mr. Butt had felt obliged, by his multifarious engagements
and the state of his health, to decline to serve.
Mr. C. Lewis took the opportunity of repeating his con-
demnation of the Bill as concurrent endowment in disguise;
She certain precursor of a University Bill on the same lines;
and the death-blow to the mixed system of education.
Mr. Newdegate took the same view of it, while Mr.
Sullivan pointed out that no member for a Presbyterian
constituency had opposed the Bill.
Mr. Lowther briefly replied, and Sir J. Leslie and Lord C.
Bereaford gave a cordial support to the measure.
Mr. O'Shanghneasy expressed approval of the names of
the Commissioners. Mr. Courtney and Mr. ilacartney also
spoke, and the House then proceeded to consider the
amendments.
Mr. C. Lewis moved to amend the Conscience Clause of the
Bill, which, he contended, was quite inadequate, by substi-
tuting the words of the Clause in the English Elementary
Education Ad. He was supported by Mr. Macartney,
Mr. M. Lloyd, and Mr. Courtney, and opposed by Mr.
Goldney and Major Nolan, who preferred the Bill as
it stood. Mr. Butt also opposed the amendment, which
he characterized as bigoted. Sir William Harcourt,
speaking on the same side, said it was Impossible not to
recognize the fact that the Roman Catholics would not have
mixed education. Mr. Cowen deprecated unmanly fear of
the Roman Catholic clergy, and Mr. J. Lowther maintained
that the Bill as it stood gave ample securities. On a division
the amendment was negatived by 102 to 21.
Another amendment moved by Mr. C. Lewis, on behalf of
Mr. Newdegate, to leave out that part of Clause 5 which pro-
vides for the payment of results fees was discussed at some
length, and ultimately negatived by 110 to 24.
An amendment by Mr. Courtney extending the provisions
of the Bill in regard to female education was negatived by
123 to 32; and after some other amendments had been
disposed of, Mr. J. Lowther appealed to the House to allow
the Bill to be read a third time. Mr. Lewis raised no objec-
tion, and the Bill was according read a third time.
The Inclosure (Provisional Orders)Bill was passed through
Committee.
The Appropriation Bill was read a second time.
Some other Bills were forwarded a stage, and the House
adjourned. .
/n the MUSS oF Loans, August 13, the Commons
Amendments to the Foreign Jurisdiction Bill, to the Statute
Law Revision Bill, to the Education (Scotland) Bill, and to
the Intermediate Education (Ireland) Bill were considered
and agreed to. The Metropolitan Commons Bill was, on the
motion of Lord Monck, read a second time.
Lord O'Hagan moved the second reading of the Bale of
Intoxicating Liquors on Sunday (Ireland) Bill, which he
said had been very much debated in the House of Commons
and elsewhere, so that he felt it unnecessary to say very
much in moving the second reading. The measure, he
added, had been substantially before the House of Commons
for more than one Session, and it came before the House
of Lords with modifications proposed by the Govern-
ment and supported by a large amount of Irish opinion, be-
cause it aimed at a vice most blighting to the population of
that country. He believed that the Bill was likely to pre-
dice the best moral and social effects, and in its present
shape it was a temporary measure.
The Duke of Richmond and Gordon said that he had no
objection to the proposal for the second reading of the Bill,
which had occupied the attention of the House of Commons
during preceding Sessions. I
The Bill was then read a second time. Several other Bills
were advanced a stage, and their Lordships adjourned. !
,
In the Hones oF CoX3rOve, Mr. E. Stanhope, in moving
that the House should go into Committee on the East
India Revenue Accounts, made the usual annual statement. 1
He explained that the accounts for the year 1876 77 showed
an income of £55,995,000, as against an expenditure of
£58,178,000, leaving a deficit of £2,182,778. For the year
1877-78 the revenue was estimated at £58,635,472, and the ex-
penditure at £52,018,853, showing a deficit of £3,383,381. The
only material decrease of income was in the land revenue,
which exhibited a diminution of £BOO,OOO, entirely due to the
famine. The estimated expenditure in the year on account
of the famine was £1,425,000, but that sum had been very
largely exceeded. The total famine expenditure amounted
to nine millions and three-quarters, six millions and a half
of which was the expenditure for last year. According to
the returns which the Government had received, the loss of
life in the Bombay Presidency was 260,000, in Madras
eOO,OOO, and in Mysore 400,000, making a total of 1,850,000.
It was estimated by Sir John Strachey that in the
course of every ten years we should have to provide
for a famine expenditure of fifteen millions sterling. The
hon. gentlemen defended the fiscal measures of the Govern-
ment, and said the effect of the new salt tax would be to
enable a large portion of the Indian people to obtain salt at
a much cheaper rate than hitherto. With regard to the
financial year 1878-72, the revenue was estimated at
41133,19b,000, and the expenditure at £61,039,000, leaving a
surplus of £2,164,000, which, however, would be reduced to
£2,000,000 by the change in the duty on salt. The great in-
crease in the expenditure was due to the loss on the
exchange .of silver, amounting this year to £3,000,000, as
against £1,600,000 last year. The gross earnings of the
guaranteed railway lines in India had increased 70 per cent.
within the last five years, but the State railways did not
show such satisfactory results. They were being constructed
principally for military purposes; but they had been of
great social advantage to the people, and their value in
time of famine could not be questioned. In concluding his
Budget Mr. Stanhope • said he thought that, taking India as
a whole, we might regard her prospects as thoroughly satis-
factory and full of promise.
Mr. Eawcett contended that the real expenditure of India
was increasing more rapidly than the real revenue, and that
K WWI impossible to obtain additional revenue without re-
sorting to taxation which would produce such discontent so
greatly to affect our position in India. He moved that the
House regarded with apprehension the present position of
Indian finance, and was of opinion. in view of the power
claimed for the employment of Indian troops in all parts of
her Msjesty's dominions except the United Kingdom, that
there was no sufficient security against the military expendi-
ture of India being unduly inereased.
This was seconded by Mr. Dillwyn, who complained of the
Indian Budget being driven off to so late a period of the
Benin.
Air. Afaclver having spoken in reply to Mr. Fawcett's
, apeech,..Mr. blunts, Mr. Whitwell, Mr. Jacob Bright, And
,
! other I members of the Opposition advocated a considerable
, reductk nof expenditure.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer pointed out that it was
our duty to civilise the people of India, and to develope
their resources ; but good government was expensive where
it had to be conducted by a highly civilised Power like
England, and not by a semi-civilised native Prince. He ad-
mitted that mistakes had been made, but the Indian Govern-
'. went were sedulously endeavouring to secure a good and
economical administration.
Sir George Campbell expressed unqualified approval of the
abandonment of the scheme to increase the Salt Duty. He
thought there was ground for apprehension with respect to
Indian finance, but it was not possible to reduce the ex-
penditure. He could not concur in the recommendation to
reduce the Indian Army, which had already been brought
down to a minimum In point of numbers. After a few
words from Mr. Stauhope in reply the amendment was
negatived by 69 to 22; the House went into Committee, and
the usual declaratory resolutions were agreed to.
In Committee on the Appropriation Bill, Sir C. Mike asked
for explanations of the rumoured advance of the Russians to-
Wards Afghanistan and the mission of General Chamberlati
to Cabal, and also for information as to the state of the
negotiations between the Porte and Greece as to the rectifica-
tion of frontiers.
Mr. Bourke replied that the Government had not heard of
the Russians having crossed the exits, and did not believe
they had; but he was not in a position to say where their
forces were. They had also heard that a Russian Minister
had reached Cabal, but they had no official information about
his mission there. General Chamberlain had been sent to
Cabal on a mission of which he could say no more than it
was of the kind which seemed to be called for by the circum-
stances, and for which the Government was ready to take
the responsibility. Any interference by Russia with Afghan-
istan would be objected to now just as much as when the
question of a neutral zone was discussed between the
two Governments ; and, considering that Russia had
then pledged her word that Afghanistan was outside
her sphere, the House would understand that the Govern-
ment could not look with indifference on the acts which
had recently been done in Central Asia. With regard to
Greece, he maintained that we had done as much for her as
Could be done by any Power which was not prepared to go
to war for her—as no Power in Europe was prepared. The
views of our Government had been stated in the Protocols
and the Treaty of Berlin, and it they were called on to
mediate between Greece and Turkey, they would mediate
In the spirit of those deolarations.
Sir W. Harcourt read an extract from a speech of Mr.
Disraeli in 1872, to show that he had no fear of the
"Central Asian scare," and with regard to Greece, he main-
tained that nothing could be got out of the Porte exe,ept
by the sword.
Several other members having made some observations,
the Appropriation Bill then passed through Committee.
The Telegraphs Bill =tread a.third time.,
Some other Bills were forwarded a stage, and the House
adjourned at twenty minutes past one o'clock.,
's

1

In the HOUSE or LORDiI, August 14, the ArTEMMOre Polling
District (Ireland) Bill passed through Committee, the Ex-
elsegner Bills and Bonds (No I) Bill was read a second One,

the Metropolitan Commons Bill passed through Committee;
the Petty Sessions Clerks and Fines (Ireland) Bill was read a
third time, and the Sale of Intoxicating Liquors on Sunday
(Ireland) Bill was passed through Committee.
The Appropriation Bill was brought up and read a first
time, and their lordships adjourned.

In the Horn OF COMMONS, replying to Mr. Monk, Colonel
Stanley said: I received a telegram from Sir Garnet Wolseley
two days ago in which he says there is no serious illness
amongst the troops, but six per cent. are in hospital from the
mild fever of the country. The cases, however, are doing
well, and likely to be doing duty soon. I have since received
a telegram about other business, in which no reference is
made to any special degree of sickness; and therefore I am
in hopes that these cases are not so severe as some people
seem to imagine. By this morning's mail I had a letter from
Sir Garnet Wolseley, beginning in this way:—" The health of
the men continues excellent, although the heat during the
day is very great."
Mr. Bourke, replying to Mr. Denison, said he stated last
night that a Russian Ambassador had arrived at Cabul. Her
Majesty's Government did not know what negotiations had
taken place between the Russian Government and the
Ameer.

Replying to Mr. IL B. Samuelson, Mr. Bourke said he
could find no confirmation at the Foreign Office of an
alleged massacre of women and children by Turkish troops
at Verdi Koussa. No special commissioner had been sent
by her Majesty's Government to inquire into the matter.
A great many outrages had taken place, and probably were
taking place, on both sides, and he proposed to lay upon the
table papers giving such information as had come to hand on
these subjects.
- -

On the -order for going into committee on the Expiring
Laws Continuance Bill, Mr. Hopwood raised a discussion on
the reappointment of the inspectors of salmon fisheries.
•

Mr. Crosa and Sir H. S. Ibbetson both bore testimony to
the value of the services of the inspectors.
The House then went into committee, and the Bill, having
passed that stage, was read a third time.
On the order for the third reading of the Consolidated
Fund (Appropriation) Bill, Mr. H. B. Samuelson called at-
tention to the circumstances under which Mr. C. C. Ogle,
Times' correspondent in Tbessaly, was murdered, and moved
a resolution. After some observations from Sir E. Wilmot,
Mr. Bourke, Mr. Forster, and the Chancellor of the Ex-
chequer, who said the Government had no hesitation in pro-
nouncing that a full and searching inquiry should take
place, Mr. Samuelson withdrew his motion.

The Appropriation Bill was then read a third timkand
passed.
On the order for the third reading of the Bishoprics Bill,
Mr. E. Jenkins called for a division against the mewure,
which he said was regarded with disfavour both by High
Churchmen and Evangelicals.
The House divided, when there were for the Bill, 62;
against, 20; majority for, 42.
The Bill was consequently read a third time, and passed.
The other orders were disposed of, and the House
adjourned.

THE MINISTERIAL FISH DINNER.
(From Tuesday's Daily New.)

Her Majesty's Ministers by assembling to eat their
annual fish dinner at the end of the Session uncon-
sciously pay a high compliment to the great piscatorial
industries of our favoured island. The fishery interests
of this country are of the highest national importance
—firstly, as affording "food for the people ; " and,
secondly, as training schools for the navy and the
merchant service, inasmuch as brave fisher lads will in
due time become able seamen. The "toilers of the
sea" naturally develop themselves into " men-of-war's-
men," sailors of the mercantile navy, or, if not aspiring
to such things, as is often the case with oyster
dredgers, to handy sailors and responsible officers on
yachts.
We doubt much whether the Ministers at the fish
dinner aforesaid know very much about the details
and practical workings of our British Fisheries, or about
the fish they are eating. At their festive board will
doubtless appear :—turbots—trawled up from the Warne
and Ridge sandbanks between Dover and Calais, or
from the new fishing-grounds off Newcastle-on-Tyne;
soles—from Torbay in Devonshire, from Grimsby, or
from Hull; lobsters—from the far distant Orkneys
and Shetlands; crabs—huge fellows, caught on the
coast of Cornwall, especially from among the sub-
marine precipices in the depths of the ocean at the
Land's-end.; crayfish—so loved by French people
—from " Selman Cove ; " also Cornwall herrings—
from Loch Fyne; mackerel—from the kettle nets at
Rye, in Sussex, or caught by the Brighton drift nets;
shrimps—from Leigh, Essex, at the mouth of the
Thames, where the fishermen wisely pass the catch of
their small mesh nets through a sieve, so as to let the
babies not fit for market escape; eels—brought from
Holland by the Dutch vessels, called okoots, and to
which Queen Elizabeth gave an anchorage in perpetuity
opposite Billingsgate Market; flounders— caught may-
be opposite the House of Commons or below London.
bridge, thanks to the drainage works; sturgeon—
the Royal fish, caught possibly in the estuary of
the Severn, the Chester, Dee, or dredged up by a
deep-sea trawler from Yarmouth, off the mouth of
the Elbe, or near Heligoland; salmon—ah ! where is
the purveyor of the feast going to get his salmon ?—he
will surely not serve up salmon that has been in ice
some three days, from far-distant North Scotland or
from west of Ireland, or Norway, but a "clean run"
Severn fish caught at Diglii Weir at Gloucester, or in
the draft nets at Newnham, lower down the Severn
Estuary, or, maybe, a silvery beauty from the Duke of
Beaufort's stop-net fishery at Newnham, at the mouth
of the Wye. Whitebait—that cause of so much
"odium piscatorium," so called because it was for-
merly used as bait to catch common shore green crabs.
The shore crabs used to catch whelks, the whelks
used to bait the hooks for the " greatling" (i e. great
line) fishery in the North Sea. Excellent bait it proved
to be both for M.P.'s and for crabs; it was white in
colour, and it was used for bait, hence "white bait."
In reality the fry of herrings, sprats, gobies, sand eels,
&c., and when the spring floods wash out the marsh
ditches sticklebacks, also numerous, will be the minute
fish called "heads and eyes" by the fishermen on
account of their being so very small that they look all
eyes and heads, the rest of them being transparent,
glass-like bodies, devoured by our Cabinet Ministers,
who will also have the satisfaction of eating by the
forkful little fish called " Rushians," i.e. .Rus-
sians, minute but yet savoury fry, who take their
name from the fact that they appeared in the
Thames estuary when the last Russian war broke out.
In eating the perch water souchee our Cabinet
Ministers will recollect with pride and satisfaction
that th I, have, during the last Session thrown the
protecting arm of the law over our fresh water
fish, as exemplified by the "Norfolk Fisheries
Act" and the "Fresh Water Fisheries Act."
Nothing better than a perch well cooked, or a
pike served at the table fresh caught and from a
clear chalk stream, such as the Salisbury Avon.
We doubt whether " charr," other than potted,
will figure at the Ministerial banquet. Another
year or two and the fishers of Windermere and the
Cumberland and Weetmoreland lakes will assuredly
send their tribute of these beautiful fish. Legis-
lation has not yet protected these silvery beauties
long enough. Grayling, also, that beautiful fish
that smells so like the herb thyme, will also in a year
or so, we trust, become more plentiful than ever.
What better fish than the smelt, so odoriferous of
cucumber, and whose interest in the various estuaries
requires attention? One British fish, we guess, will be
absent from the feast; this is the pilchard—the
Cornish pilchard. Why Londoners will not eat these
savoury fish is best known to themselves. Shakespeare
mentions pilchards as food in his days. All the tens
of thousands of these fish caught in the seine and
drift nets off Penzance, Falmouth, and the south
Cornish coasts, &c., go to Spain, Italy, Portugal,
and other Roman Catholic countries; to London and
the provinces, few, if any. No herrings, either from
the north-east coast of Scotland, Aberdeen, Peter-
head, Wick, &c., will be present. These are all salted,
and go viL Stetting, Hamburg, &c., to feed the Prus-
sian and Austrian soldiers, and find their way so far
down the Continent as to feed the Turkish army. And
here a curious and hitherto unaccountable thing—Pil-
chards go to .Roman Catholic countries, herrings to
Protestant countries. This is universally the case.
Since then nations are so greatly affected by fish
diet, so may be the Ministers themselves of those
nations be affected; and let our rulers ponder and
reflect on the result—the British fisheries may have on
the future prosperity of her Majesty's subjects. Let
them recollect also that fish, though silent creatures
just now, when so much interest is taken by the
public in fishery questions, have many votes, and may
determine " yes " or "no " when future candidates
for parliamentary honours ask the favourable votes of
these dumb but yet influential inhabitants of our deep
seas, foreshores, lakes, and rivers.