The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-03-08 00:00:00

SATURDAY, MARCH 8, 1879.

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT_

In the HOUSE or LORDS, March 3, Lord Beaconsfield was
present for the first time since his recent indisposition, and
was congratulated on recovery by a number of the Peers.
On the motion for the second reading of the Bankruptcy
Law Amendment Bill,
Lord Ratherley said he did not wish to offer any obstruc-
tion to the measure. On the contrary, he thought it ought
to be sent down to the other TlOuse of Parliament. He
contended, however, that the system established by the
Act of 1869—that of giving the creditors the realiza-
tion of the estate of their debtor—had not worked
unsatisfactorily. The principle of leaving the creditors to
work their own estate was a right one. It was because that
Principle had not been properly carried out that the Act of
1869 had not fulfilled the intentions of its framers; and if
any remedy could be devised for that evil it would deserve
the support of the Legislature. The supineness of creditors
In omitting to take an active personal interest in realizing
bankrupt estates had been a great encouragement to fraudu-
lent debtors.
Lord Selborne said people were beginning almost to
despair of the whole subject of bankruptcy, but this was
not so much due to the law as to the feeling among creditors
themselves. He objected, so far as this Bill was concerned,
to the powergiven a debtor to make .a bankrupt of himself.
He also objected to the change which it was proposed to
make in the order of discharge. At present the Act re-
quired that before a debtor was entitled to his discharge
he must have paid a dividend of 105. in the pound, or ob-
tained a resolution of the creditors giving the discharge.
The present Bill, he believed, would make a retrogressive
change, for it would allow a debtor to obtain his discharge
Without paying any dividend whatever, or without any
claim being secured on property afterwards acquired by the
debtor.

The Earl at Powis complained that even under this Bill
Proxies would be allowed.
-- -

The Lord Chancellor said, having been allowed on a
former occasion to give a very full explanation of the pro-
visions of this Bill, he should be inexcusable now if he did
more than trouble their lordships with a few sentences. He
need hardly reply to all the points raised by his noble
friend (Lord Ratherley), because he quite agreed with a
great deal that he said. There was no doubt whatever that
there was no system of bankruptcy which could be intro-
duced which if the creditors did not watch over their
Interests could work properly. He also agreed that a great
deal of the evil of the present system had arisen from the
Indifference and supineness of the creditors themselves, and
the impossibility of getting them to look after their own in-
terests. They must look at things as they were, and, while
they very much regretted that such was the case, they must,
as far as possible, see that such changes in legislation were
made as the experience of those engaged In the administra-
tion of the law had discovered to be necessary. He must
first say a word about proxies. It was quite true that proeies
Were not abolished by the Bill. They must be necessary in
many cases- in fact, it wee almost impossible to abolish
them. The object of the provisions of this Bill was to
remove the difficulties found, by erperience, to be con-
nected with proxies. There was a provision with regard
to the refusal of the remuneration of the trustees.
There were various things which it would be necessary
to do in reference to the use of proxies, but he thought
ft would be better to allow them to be made the subject
of " rules " from time to time, ese experience might
suggest, than to put them in the rigid form of an Act of
Parliament. It was, therefore, proposed by a chime in
the Bill to enable the Chief Judge to make such rules as
might be found advisable. His noble and learned friends
Who had spoken first and second In the conversation seemed
to object to the power which it was proposed to be given
to debtors to make themselves bankrupt en finding that
they could not meet their liabilities. But had his noble
and learned friends considered this point very fully; As
,the law at present stood, a trader who found himself in
difficulties might do one or two thiugs. He might either
go on trading or by losing further money from day to
day diminish the sum to be divided among his
creditors when one of them had procured an adjudicatien
lin bankruptcy ; or he might go to some distant place of his
own choosing, and, after tracing there for a week, file a pe-
tition for liquidation, which could be supported by a few
friendly creditors, also of his own choosing, and so the
general body of his creditors wohld suffer. It was, there-
fore, proposed to enable men who found themselves in diffi-
culty to display their state of affairs to the Court, and so
to obtain an adjudication under which their estates would
be administered under the supervision and for the benefit
of their creditors. He could net help thinking it infinitely
worse that a bankrupt should be able to choose his own
Liquidation court than that he should be deberred from the
power of making himself bankrupt. (Hear, hear.) With
regard to order a of discharge under bankruptcy, It had
been the rule up to the present that a bankrupt should not
get his discharge until he had paid 10e. in the pound or
Obtained a resolution from a certain proportion of his
editors to the effect that he was to be discharged without
huing made such payment. Under the present Bill it was
propelled to-modify this system, and to leave it ultimately
for Os Court, and not for the creditore, to say whether the
dischane should issue. This was thought to be an improve-
ment tele the present system, for the reason mainly that there
would always he an appeal against the decision of et Judge.
(Hear, hear.)
The Bill was then read a second time, as was Also the
Debtors Act, 1869, Amendment BilL
Their Lordships adjourned at ten minutes past six o'clock
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, in reply to Sir A. Gordon,
Colonel Stanley said that the detail of regimental establish-
Ments at home and abroad, which had been omitted from
the Army Estimates for the year 1879-80, Would probably be
printed as a separate paper, and might be obtained at the
War Office by such hon. members as desired to see it.
In reply to Mr. J. Barclay, Lord G. Hamilton said,—So
long as contagious pleuro-pneumonia waste in the United
States the Government cannot, consistently with Tart -I of
the fifth scheJule of the Act of 1878, exempt cattle from the
United States tifinh the provision of the Act relating to
slaughter at the pore of debarcation.
In reply to Mr. Itylane'h. the Chancellor of the Exchequer
at were going on between Her
said that if the negotiation's 1:1
Majesty's Government and the (e.;:2oration of London for the
acquisition by the former of a peetion of the Victoria
Embankment for the erection of anew iniet should come to
a satisfactory conclusion, full perticulare reieting to the
subject would be laid before Parliament.
In answer to a question from Mr. Anderson, the Chancellof
of the Exchequer said he had noticed with regret that the
]louse had counted-out seven times since its reassembling,
and he could only attribute it to exhaustion or a lack of in-
tehesting business. To record the name of the member at
whose' instance a " count " occurred would be a very ques-
tionable proceeding, and the only remedy he could suggest
was that members should put down heisting; which would
attract and iidEp a House.
Sir M. Ificks-4eech, answering a question from Mr,
Chamberlaiii, said that einee the last despatches from South
Africa were laid on the table on Friday others had arrived
which the House ought to see—two especially—before
arriving at an opinion as to the causes 0, the Zulu War, and
In his opinion, therefore, the time had not arrived when the
subject could properly be discussed.
In answer to Mr. Onslow, the Chancellor of the Eire
chequer said that the statement as to the death of Shere Ali
was enthentic ; and Mr. Onslow gave notice that on next
3londa3 he would ask whether the Government have any
Information that Yakoob Khau is likely to be accepted by
the people as his 'successor, and whether they are prepared
te recognize hind ass the de facto Ruler of Afghanistan.
On going into Supply on the Army Estimates for the first
time under the new Rule, there were only three pro-
thninary motions (MI the mese one of which was not
brought forward, andthe House was able he Re into Com-
mittee at seven o'clock. Celopel Arbuthnot first called at-
tention to the regulations by whieh officers were preluded
from counting towards voluntary eptirement services
performed under twenty years of age, end moved a
- resolution, which he did not press on Colonel gtenley
promising to look into the matter. gr. Helms nert
moved a resolution calling on the War Office to pass 10,000
men of the Army into the Reeerve Forces with a view to
reduce the Army Eatimates. CoMeel Stanley opposed the
suggestion on the ground that the time tees importune for
reducing the Army. Mr. Cempbell Bannermen and Sir H.
Havelock also spoke against the motion, which, in the end,
was withdrawn. The House having gene hit° Committee,
Colonel Stanley eta/tined the Army Eselinatee for the
year. He commenced by gtating that it had been his hoe
to respond to the generosity with which the House granted
all the demands of the Government lest year by a con-
siderable reduction: but at the last moment it was found
Impossihle to diminish the numbers of the Army, CO
to some extent the Estimates had been recast. Pass-
ing at once to details, he said the eepruiting for
She year had been most catisfactory both in numbers
and quality, and the desertions had cost the Army about
ti,760 men. Next ha touched brieffy on measures contene-
Pulled for the improveraeat of the Army Pay Department
and the areation of a Reserve of Officers, and went *t
length into various shortcomings which experience has
disclosed in Lord Cardwell's Localization Scheme, and
In the Short Service 'system. The chief of these is
the necessity which still esigte of transferring men
from one regiment to another ; end in illustration
of this he mentioned that in the eepodition just
sent to South Africa, the 91st Regiment was
obliged to re-
ceive 374 men from 11 regiments ; the 21st, 898 from eight
regiments; the fah, 197 from four rehiments ; and the 94th,
846 from nine regiments. The remedial reeesines were for
the present confined to an expansion of the Dephts, read the
changes in the Mutiny Act, by Which greater elasticity ts
given to the Reserves; but it is .lso coaeemplated to appoint
small commission or. committee. pealing nhet with the
health of the Army, which he said bad been very
good, speaking generally, he went at length bete the
statistics of the sicknese among the troops at Cyptus, show-
ing, by comparison with other stations, that it vtis not 30
eXceptionally unhealthy as hed been supposed, and that b
considerable improvement might be ebleeeted with increased
attention to sanitary precautions. The pal:tine of the
gedical Officers he discussed at some length, pointing (het
the impossibility of returning to the regimental system, and
promising anew Medical Warrant. Withregard to the Reserve
Forces he mentioned that the Improvements efieeted in the
recruiting for the Militia had been most successful,
and
justified his decision to shorten the period of training for
the Militia and the Yeomanry, by the exceptional circum
stances of the year, which made it necessary to take (Iraq
legitimate means of keeping the Estimetee within reason-
able limits. a Volunteer Force now emenieted to
203,213 men, and Mingle the War Office reserves 115
opinion on most of the recommendations of the
;scent Committee, an increased vote will be taken
at ow* for camp instruction. On the controverted matter
of limitaeien of establishment, Colonel Stanley said that,
though he shohld approach it with great caution, he
could foresee that the time might come whenee wouldbe de-
sirable, with a view to keeping the expenditure within
bounds. With regard to elle transport service, the
changes had worked most satisfactorily, and other
Improvements were being effected. Toughing briefly on
the remaining vote, he said that the Clothing gati,
mate shows a decrease f£30,000, and as a proof of the
he mentioned that on the
efficiency of the DepartmenP
late emergency 17,000 garments had been made up in
one week. He deseribed next the amoeht of work to be
g_ot through in a year, sod mentioned tfiap ;',;:to Martini-
Henry has now been distributtee te all the Cavalry and a
Under the Army Localizatlen
great of the Artillery.
Act 62 Depete have now been established, hat in regard to
works nene have been aeacttoned this year which menet be
Interrupted Without injury to the public service, and the
Estimate half Defl4 bronght wi.thirs the lowest possible

In the course of the diacitrolve conversation which
ensued, Mr. Campbell-lLnnerman eommented on the in.
consistency of the Government in having meditated a re-
duction of the Army when they must have known in .trovem-
ber that a Zulu war was all but inevitable; and Sir W.
Harcourt contrasted in a saveastic vein the estimates for
Cyprus, with the magnificent We in our Eastern policy
which had been attributed to the island in Ministerial de-
(iterations. Sir W. Earttelot, replying to lir. Conpt,ell-Ban-
nerman, said it would have been absurd for the Government
to prepare for a rupture whish tlie despatches !showed
they had not contemplated. Colonel Mute, Colonel
Cathurst, Sir Ji. Havelock, Sir J. Kennawai, 4fr. I:l4.tchie,
Sir A. Gordon, Major Parker, Mr. O'Donnell, Oil Mr.
?emelt also spoke, and the vote for the number of men was
Shen agreed to.
Some other business was disposed of, end the House was
Counted out a 20 minutes to twe o'clock.

In the HOUgil OF Loitt)s, liarch 4, the Duke of Richmond
and Gordon gave notice that on Friday he will call attention
to the river conservancy and introduce a bid en the subject
A discussion took place on the City of Glasgow Bank
Bill, wh pp proposes that an arbitrwtoy should be appointed
to decide the difficult cineatiolui of liability.
The Lord Chancellor stated that, on the case SS prerzented
to him, he saw no reason to intartere with the ordinary
course of the law, but, as circumstances might alter, he pro-
posed that the second reading of the Bt should be post-
poned for two months. This suggestion Was agreed to after
a brief discussion.
The Supreme Court of Judicature Bill, the County Courts
Bill, and the Assizes Bill were read a second time.
Viscount Bury, ropiest.
•—0 to Lord Abinger, said the
Government could not recommend any system omarking
r
to prevent desertion ; and Lord Cranbrook stated, in answef
to Lord Walsingham that there is n resent apprehension
of a famine in the Punjab. o p
Their lordships rose at a few
minutes to seven o'clock.
In the irOUSE CONMONS Mr. A. Mills gave notice that
on an easty_day he would call attention to the correspondence
betweed Ser Majesty's Government and the colony of
Victoria with reference to the differences between the two
Houses of Legislature in that colony,

In reply to Colonel Tottenham, Colonel Stanley said that
the officers proceeding to the Cape had received instructions
to take with them the amount of baggage prescribed by the
Regulations, but that it, owing to shortness of notice, they
had been unable to provide themselves with proper neces-
saries before sailing, such articles would be forwarded to
them in due course.
In answer to Mr. Blake, the Chancellor of the Exchequer
said that only one of the Co operative stores—the Civil Ser-
vice Supply Association, which is registered as a provident
and industrial society—were exempt from income-tax, and
not one of them was exempt from the use of receipt stamps.
He added that the Government would consent to Sir C.
Russell's committee with a view to clearing up all these
doubtful points.
The Marquis of Hartlngton asked whether it was intended
to proceed with the second reading of the Army Discipline
and Regulation Bill on Thursday.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer said the Government
proposed to take the supplementary Estimates and the
Public Works Loan Bill on Thursday.
_ _ _ _ _

Mr. Trevelyan rose to move his Resolutions in favour of
extending household suffrage to counties, coupled with such
a measure of redistribution as will obtain a more complete
representation of the whole electoral body, and supported
his arguments in a speech of considerable length. Among
other reasons which should lend interest to the debate,
he pointed out that this would be the last opportunity
for this Parliament to express its opinion on it unless
the letter of the Constitution were strained beyond
precedent, and the next General Election would in-
fallibly turn upon it. After refuting the objection that
there is no demand for the change, he traced the pro-
gress of the question since it was first mooted in the last
Parliament, and maintained that a change of thirty seats
would be sufficient to commit the next House of Commons
to the change.
Sir C. Diike, in seconding 'the motion' enlarged on the
manufacture of fictitious votes which, ha said was carried
on to a large extent in the southern counties, and contended
that the anomalies of the present system were as great as
any which existed before 1832.
Lord C. Hamilton moved as an amendment "that it is in-
expedient to reopen the question of Parliamentary reform at
the present time." No demand, he contended, had been
shown to exist, and the question only assumed importance
because it was a good cry for the Liberal party. /t first
began to be mooted in the last Parliament, when the
tail of the Opposition began to move the head, and it must
be regarded solely as a party question raised for party pur-
poses. As to the "abstract right" and "representation of
classes "arguments, if they were insisted on the old Parlia-
mentary system must be swept away, and we must come in the
end to equal electoral dis Wets and universal—in cludin g f emale
—suffrage. He denied, loowever, that a class was necessarily
unrepresented because it did not possess votes, and re-
minded the members for small boroughs that at least 75 of
them would disappear.

- -
Sir C. Legard, in seconding the amendment, predicted
that the proposed change would lead to universal suffrage
and to the ultimate establishment of a democratic House
of Commons as tha sole power in the State.
The discussion was continued by Mr. Osborne Morgan, Mr.
Coleman, and Mr. Bristow, who supported, and Mr. Wheel-
house, who opposed the motion. Mr. Elliot suggested the
Enlargement of borough boundaries as an alternative pro-
position to the motion Mr. Waddy supported the motion;
Mr. S. Leighton opposed, and Mr. Leathern supported the
resolution • sir W. Barttelot objected to hasty extension of
the franchise; Mr. Parnell vindicated the lash peopre from
charges of bigotry made against them in the course of the
detBte!
Mr. Lowe, commenting on the amendment, remarked that
the Government irtd preferred ip to the "previous ques-
tion," because it might be useful in electioneering to say they
only objected to the concession "at the present time.
Without entering into the details of the question, Mr. Lowe
repeated his well-known objections to further reduction of
the franch4e insisting that it must be considered not
from the phiianthropip point of view, but solely with
regard to the permanent interest; of the country. If this
change were made on the principles on which it was advo-
cated, it must be followed by others as long as a single class
remained outside the electoral body, and each change must
alter the strncture of the House of Commons. But all
power now centred in the ouse of Commons, and the result
must be the establishment Of an unchecixed democracy, which
all history showed was devoid of stability. The eTperiment,
therefore, ought not to be made without the most serious
consideration for failure meant the utter perdition of our
present Constitution.
Mr. Cuowles, though regarding the motion as premature,
held that something wpuld have to be done very soon to
give votes to the large class of arti„psns residing in the
suburbs of large towns; and Mr. Blehnerhassett and ;Ir.
Courtney, advocated some change in the electoral systom
which would secure a fair representation of minorities.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in announcing that he
should support the amendment, ala Ted the House to consider
whether it was advisable to make so great a change as that
proposed within so short a period as had elapsed since the
passing of the last 13,eform Bill. •
The Marquis of Hartipiton supported the motion and re-
marked that the Government soam,sd by their attitude to
wish to keep in their hands the power of dealing with this
question if they should deem it expedient.
On a division, the mopon was rejected by 291 to 236 votes,
The other business was disposed of, and the House ad-
journed at Ave minutes to two.

In the HOUSE op Coli4orqs, March 6, Mr. Anderson moved
the second reading of the Married Women's Property
(Scotland) Bill, the object of which is to amend the law for
the protection of the property of married women in Soot.
lend, by securing moveable estate or heritable property
to the separate use of a wife, and by extending the pro-
visions of the Zngliab Act to Scotland. The hon. mem-
ber said the Bill was practically the same as that which he
introduced last year, and which was opposed, it was said, in
the interest of the husbands; but, in point of fact, petitions
In favour of the Bill had been signed by many husbands,
and the only petition against it was signed by three persons
on behalf of a trade protection society. He hoped the House
would give the Bill a secoud reading, and thus remove an
injustice upon the married women of Scotland.
lfr. McLaren seconded the motion.
Mr. Maclagan and Mr. Shaw Lefevre supported the Bilb
which was read a second time without opposition.
The debate having thus unexpectedly collapsed,
The other orders were called over, but could not be pro.
ceeded with, awing to the absence of members in charge of
them. Mr Shaw Lefevre wished to move the second reading
of the Marriage with a Peceasod Wife's Sister Bill, but the
Speaker intimated that he could not 40 so, inasmuch as his
Mime war not on the back of the Bill.
On the motion of Eir IL -Tack son, the select committee on
gold and silver hall-markin4 was re-19po3nted.
The House adjourned at 1 O.