The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-12-02 00:00:00

MR. E. A. LEATHAM, M.P., ON PUBLIC

AFFAIRS.
At Huddersfield on Monday night, the bon. member
for Huddersfield addressed his constituents. In the
course of his speech Mr. Leatham said that probably
the first question that would be asked was what was to
be ilone with the House of Lords. It was only too
evident that that House had set itself resolutely
to withstand those changes which were the logical
consequences of the revolution of 184;7. Hence the
unirme epectacle presented last session of the whole
work of legislation being trampled under foot— the
Ballot Bill, rejected upon the most frivolous pretext;
the Army Purchase Bill, which had received the
caref hi consideration of the Home of Commons, thrown
out with equal ignomy ; and even such a minute matter
as the clause in the Vaccination Amendment Act which
rendered compulsory vaccination lees oppressive was
opposed by the Upper House. He did not except the
'University 'rests Act, because their conduct on that
measure was the result of a compromise entered
into before the session began. A few years ago, when
the Lords were dealing with the Irish question Mr.
Gladstone described the House of Lords as being
"upin a balloon.- Well, they were there still; they
had net yet come down ; they were still in the clouds ;
and he (the hon. member) should suppose that
the atmospheric conditions seemed to cloud their
vision. After saving it would be a strange thing if
an alliance bad to be formed for social reforms
between the leaders 44 the working men and those
who had always opposed their political power, the
speaker said that the working men were not going to
be led away by Mr. Scott Russell and his seven red
herrings. Well, what was to be done with the House
of Lords? (A Voice Turn them out.) lie did not
believe that it would be a good thing to create life
peerages ; it would place too much power in the hands
of a Minister. Besides, both sides would create in
their turn, and these pairing the hereditary residuum
would still remain. The hereditary system might be
considered anomalous in a free State; but being one
of those who believed that the power suit to be in
the representative body, he was not ready hr the aboli-
tion of the hereditary system. It was a source not of
strength, but of weakness, and it must always from its
nature contain a number of feeble minds ; and from
the very privileges themselves they would be far less
courage.s in opposing popular demands than if
composed of men not of rank and birth, but of those
rewarded for having renderedldistinguished services to
the country. It would become like the American
system, where the power was centred in the Senate,
but with the disadvantage that in America the Upper
House was elected, and here it would not be SO. He
thought the best way to reform the House of Lords
would be to define its functions by statute. He agreed
with a writer in the Saturday if. rice', who told us that
the use of the Second Chamber was to prevent or post-
pone decisive action when it appeared that the House
of Commons was not with the community, or that
the community did not know its own mind. After
a general election, measures which the Peers
had rejected if they were again sent up by the House
of Commons, the House of Lords must reject them
no longer. The effect of that woubl be to limit the
powirs to reject, not to one session, but to one Parlia-
ment. After claiming religious equality and the
separation of the Church and State, and defending the
foreign policy of the Government, especially with
regard to Ameriea, the hen, member proceeded to say
that the six weeks' debate on the Ballot Bill had not
been wasted, as the bill had materially improved, and,
if the Lords had refused to consider the bill, the
nation had by no means refused to consider the Lerls.
'rho arbitrary manner in which the Lords had rejected
measures ha') justified the use of the Royal prerogative.
The meeting was enthusiastic, and at the conclusion
a vote of confidence in thy hon. gentleman was
Tried unanimously.

SPUTTERINGS FROM "JUDY'S" PEN.
JULY To ire Y,ENG ERIENDS.—AII that is necessary for
the perfect enjoyment of the fragrant sausage!, ...olden,.
THE cheapest wine you can drink f—The wine of other
people.
Om a cold day one likes to see the fire getttng up, yet
one grumbles at the rise in coals.
THE Pleasantest hinging in One's Earn—That of the
dinner-bell.
A Eter.—Some of Jody', jokes, recently read aloud to one
of singer's sewing nm.b.ines, made it laugh till the tears
came to the eye of its needle.
IT is low' enough to live in an attic, but a ground Boor LI a
basement.
Goa, should not try a soldier's patience, because be can
stand a tease.
Tux young lady, with speaking eyes has made them quite
hoarse by over-using tlicHL
LAPS or Timu.—Old coat-tails.
THE nmst Comic Animal -The Lord Mayor's Show.
Mock Tuttle— Kissing before company, and fighting after-
wards.
You had better lend anion von name on a bill than lend
bini your umbrella, because the first is pretty sure t be re-
turiad.
Pi LLoWS, thOligh Hot belonging. tithe human species, come
under the head of rational beings.
HINT To fornies.—How to 'leen • Holiday—Keep sobe
0,1: or Judo's godchildren Is too little to spell out. She
pells kitten, though, easily.
WISES: ELIZABETH had fourteen hundred dresses. What
extravagance ! Ball the muuber ought to be enough (orally
lady.
The Bean for Picnics—The rainbow.
TEsETII THINKING 4.F.—Though soldiers profess Intone the
wives they leave behind them, they, somehow, generally go
away in transports.
A N.,OSE-PAPER.—A maniage certificate.
A BELLas, is generally very sensitive of any kindness.
He will cry if you give him a shilling.
WHY does a dog snatch at a honey—Because it's natural.
—Jody.