The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-09-19 00:00:00

DRESS IMPROVERS.

An interesting article in the Frankfurter Zeitung
on the origin of crinoline, a device, like many others
accounted modern, states that it is exceedingly ancient.
It seems that Hesiod, who wrote in the eighth century
before Christ, advised young men not to be led astray
by certain women of his day who wore their clothes
puffed out behind. For more than 20 centuries after
Hesiod's time, however, the crinoline languished in
obscurity; and it was not until after Queen Elizabeth
had come to the throne that the farthingale became
fashionable. The farthingale, or vertugade, which
served to extend, the skirts of ladies of quality who
were Shakespeare's contemporaries, is described as
having been made out of hair and wadding. In the
18th century whalebone generally took the place of
these cumbrous materials; but already iron or steel
hoops were in use in England; and, covered with silk
or cotton, steel hoops won their way to universa.
favour until a few years ago, they were partially
superseded by folds of highly starched muslin

MR. GLADSTONE AND LORD ROSEBERY
ON DISESTABLISHMENT IN SCOTLAND.
The publication of the following letter from Mr.
Gladstone has been authorised. It was written in
reply to the Rev. Dr. Hutton, who, as representing the
'Jnited Presbyterian Church Disestablishment Com-
mittee, wrote with referen we to the following statement
in Mr. Gladstone's letter to Mr. Graham, Established
Church, Newhaven. "He (Mr. Gladstone) can in
reply only say that he sees no possibility of dealing
with a question of this nature in the present Parlia-
ment, nor would Parliament be likely to entertain it
exeept upon the declaration of some strong national
feeling in its favour in Scotland." This letter, dated
I, Richmond-terrace, Whitehall, July 28, is as
follows:

"Dear Dr. Hutton,—l much regret the accident
which caused a delay in answering your letter. The
letter written by my direction to Mr. Graham does
seem to be in itself ambiguous, but much allowance is
to be made for varieties of construction where strong
convictions and feelings are enlistf,d. The basis of
my own position in relation to the Established Church
of Scotland remains precisely that which was laid by
Lord Hartington and I about seven years ago. It is
a Scotch question, and ought to be decided by the
people of Scotland. Parliament ought to accept their
sense. To lay down beforehand the mode in which
the sense ought to be declared might be mischievous
in excluding other modes which might be as authentic
as the one specified, and yet might be sirup out by the
specificator. Clearly, it ought not, as I think, to be
required by anticipation that an election should be
held upon the question.—l am, dear Dr. Hutton,
with much respect, very faithfully yours, W. E.
LADSTONE."

The Earl of nosebery has addressed the following
letter to the Rev. J. Kennedy Scott, who wrote to
him from the United Presbyterian Manse, Fraser-
burgh, urging that the disestablishment of the
Church of Scotland should be formally adopted as a
"plank of the Liberal platform" at the coming
elections:

" Mentmore, Leighton Buzzard, Sept. 3.

,
"Reverend Sir,—l am grateful for the tone, and
recognise the earnestness of your letter of the 26th
ult., which reached me a day or two ago. But Ido
not agree with you that the moment has come for
making the disestablishment of the Church of Scot-
land an indispensable part of the present Liberal
programme. I can well understand the impatienco
of those to whom that question is a vital one, ani
who have long waited for the fulfilment of their
hopes. Many such will refrain from voting for any
candidate who will not pledge himself to disestablish-
ment, and if I were a voter and felt this question to
be the most important of all political questions I
should do the same. But I do not feel this to be so
vital and pressing a matter. Ido not believe that the
country is ripe for it, while I suspect the main result
of raising it will be to further Conservative prospects
in the coming election. If the people of Scotlasid
wish for disestablishment., nothing can prevent its
becoming a test question. If the people of Scot-
land do not wish for it, nothing can make it
one. To my mind the main issue to be
fought out at those elections is whether the country
is to be ruled for the next six years by Liberal or Con-
servative methods, to which nil other controversies
are subordinate. From those 6,,,ctions, too, we shall
learn, I hope, what is the true tendency of the con-
stituent body with regard to pending political
questions, of which disestablishment, of course, is
one. I doubt, therefore, if the disestablishment of
the Scottish Church can be made the main issue at
the coming elections. In some constituencies it will
be, in some it will not. Where a constituency feels
disestablishment to be the vital question, it will
choose a member who agrees in that view. Where a
constituency does not think so, it will probably select
a member on other considerations. But we who
regard it as a question to be settled by the people of
Scotland cannot prejudge or force it. I adhered to
the declarations of Mr. Gladstone and Lord Harting-
ton cn the subject, and have not departed from
them. They are even more valid now when we are
appealiw to a new constituency than when they
were made. I cannot, therefore, -for-vard your views
on this occasion, though I well understand the im-
patience you express, which must be shared by many
of the best men of our party.—l am, rev, sir, yours
respectfully, ROSEBERY."