The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-11-21 00:00:00

WRECKS AND CASUALTIES.

A Parliamentary return, accompanied by a series
of excellent charts, giving details of the wrecks and
casualties on the coasts of the United Kingdom and
British possessions abroad during the year 1883-84,
has just been issued. The return affords some idea of
the frightful sacrifices involved in the maintenance of
our position as the first maritime nation of the world.
It is impossible to believe, however, that the terrible
loss of life and property annually incurred in our
ocean-carrying trade is entirely unpreventible. Much
of it is undoubtedly due to the defects in our system
of insurance, which makes shipwreck profitable to the
insured, and to the want of legislation for extending
the application of the Employers' Liability Act to
shipowners. The rapacious owners of rotten ships
are at present able to escape responsibility for the
lives of the unfortunate men whom necessity
compels to sail in such vessels, as the superior
courts have decided that, inasmuch as Govern-
ment inspectors have been appointed to prevent
coffin ships being sent to sea, the responsibility for
letting them go rests with the inspectors, and not
with the owners. This is as absurd as it would be to
make the police responsible for all the murders that
are committed. It would require a whole army of
inspectors to examine all the ships that leave our
ports, for some hundreds leave the ports of London
and Liverpool alone every day. That very many of them
are unseaworthy is evident from the official wreck
returns. During the year 1883-84 the number of
British vessels totally lost was no less than 1103,
representing a tonnage of over 346,000. The number
of lives lost was 2662, but no accurate estimate can
be formed of the value of the enormous amount of
property which went down to the bottom of the sea
in the lost vessels. The majority of the lives were
lost in ships which were never heard of after leaving
port. There can be little doubt that the majority
ot missing vessels are rotten craft which founder
under the first serious strain which the visitation of
the winds puts upon them.

A girl had two suitors. he angered one by going
for an evening walk in the park with the other. The
enraged one borrowed the uniform of a policeman,
lay in wait for the sentimental couple, and arrested
the favoured lover. The fraud was .not discovered,
for it, was dark, until the offender had begged for
mercy and paid a bribe for his release. •
Artist: "I thought of painting a few gulls in the
foreground." Art patron: But will that add to the
cost of the picture?" Artist: "Not at all." ' Art
patron: "By Jove, sir, in that case you'll oblige me
by minting a whole flock,"

PARLIAMENT OUT OF SESSION:
The Duke of Argyll has been Presented with tlte
freedom of Dundee. la acknowledging the hononr,
his grace said he was a convinced Vreetrader. He
believed that, for the evils of earlier times, Free
Trade had been the proper remedy; but that elle-
'giance to the doctrine would, in future, be very sorely
tried.

Lord Randolph Churchill has addressed a meeting
of the electors in the Birmingham Town Hall, prin-
cipally in criticisms on Mr. Gladstone's speech in
Midi&;Wan. He contended that Mr. Gladetone's
statement that he was opposed to disestablishrnent
was based merely on the ground of expediency,
because to make, it a question now would damage his
chances of returning to office. Mr. Gladstone treated
the question not fri,m the standpoint of a statesman,
but from the low, debased, and degraded level of a
common election agent.
At a dinner given to Lord Rosebery by the Scottish
Liberal Club in Edinburgh, Mr, Gladstone spoke at
some length on the value of such clubs in diffusing a
knowledge of sound political principles. He con-
gratulated the Scottish Liberals on having in their
ranks such a nobleman as the Earl of B,osebery.

Lord Iddesleigh has addressed a large meeting at
From). Alluding to the letter of Lord Selborne he
declared that it was the beginning of the end with
those who found they had something dearer than
party, and who found that the time had come when
they must speak out and know what the party means.
At the Dolphin banquet in connection with the
Colston anniversary at Bristol, Sir Michael Hicks-
Beach was the principal speaker, and in reply to the
toast of "Her Majesty's Ministers" said that old
Liberalism was either dying or dead, and the new
Liberalism was the gospel for Birmingham, the
principles of which were mainly those of corporate
and individual plunder. The hollowness of unity of
the Liberal party had been thoroughly exposed. At
the Liberal banquet held at the Anchor, Earl Gran-
ville was the principal speaker, and referred to the
Commission on Trade Depression, the policy with
regard to Ireland, legislation during the short term
of Conservative office, and disestablishment.

Sir Michael Hicks-Beach, speaking at Clifton, on
Saturday evening, maintained that the late Govern-
ment were bankrtip7'both in reputation and in power.
He afterwards referred to the wine duties, depression
in trade, and disestablishment.
Lord Hartington addressed two Liberal meetings
in Lancashire on Saturday, in connection with his
ca-adidature for the Rossendale Division. Speaking
at Helmshore, he dealt with the arguments .;.f Fair
Traders. He hoped that the country would consider
well the enormous increase in the national trade
before listening to those who would undermine the
present sound and sensible system of commerce and
revert to the mischievous policy of the past. At
Stricksteads, in the evening, Lord Hartington referred
to the Tory Parnellite alliance, and to the question
of disestablishment.
Speaking at Chelsea on Saturday, Sir Charles Dilke
said that he was in favour of increasing the powers of
the Speaker as a means of checking obstruction in
the House of Commons. He would support a pro-
posal for the earlier meeting of the House. Dealing
with other proposed reforms in connection with Par-
liamentary procedure, he said that the House ought
to be able to choose and to select those bills for con-
sideration which had the largest support.

Mr. J.-Chamberlain, M.P.,-speaking at Evesham on
Monday in favour of the candidature of his brother,
Mr. Arthur Chamberlain, for thatplace, congratulated
the country on the change manifested by the Tories of
late 'taking an interest far the first time in the condition
of the agricultural labourer. He spoke strongly in favour
of free education, and urged that the labourers'
allotment question needed an early settlement
During the meeting there was considerable interrup
lion, and from time to time some noisy persons had
to be ejected.

The Earl of Iddesleigh spoke at a meeting at
Knightsbridge in support of the candidature of Mr.
Burdett-Coutts for Westminster. His lordship alluded
to the importance of the issues before the country,
and defended the appointment of the Royal Com-
mission on the Depression of Trade, which he com-
plained had been subject to a great deal of mis-
representaticn on the part of Liberal speakers

Mr. Gladstone, on Tuesday, addressea a great
meeting at West Calder. lie said, with regard to
Scotland as well as to Ireland, that, should the people
demand extended powers of local government, it
wouk receive due attention; but he declined to now
propound any scheme for Ireland, as challenged by
Mr. Parnell. Having explained his reasons for de-
siring to keep the question of Disestablishment in
England and Scotland separate, he proceeded to com-
ment on the policy and action of the present Govern-
ment. He cordially approved the course taken by
Lord Salisbury in continuing the Liberal policy in
the Soudan and Afghanistan, and also in
what he had done in Turkey. But the
home policy of the present Government was open
to grave objection. Especially had it blundered
in condemning the administration of Lord
Spencer in Ireland. The Royal Commission on
Trade was a piece of quackery, intended to influence
the elections, and was a fishing inquiry, promoted by
men who advocated a tax on foreign manufactures,
and who hoped for the reimposition of a duty on
corn. But the system of Free Trade was too deeply
rooted to be overturned by any political device. After
specifying several measures which had been carried
by Liberal Governments, the right hon. gentleman
contended that the Liberal party had established
their claim to the confidence of the country. Reply-
ing to a question, Mr. Gladstone said his opinion was
that the Established Church of Scotland ought to be
continued as long as it was desired by the people of
Scotland.

Mr. W. H Smith, speaking on Tuesday evening,
said this was a period of crisis. What was the
crisis? They had had a Government that had enor-
mously increased the expenditure of the country, and
brought it on the verge of war, that had poured out
blood like water in Egypt, that had failed to secure
the respect and confidence of the Powers of Europe,
and now the party which had constituted that
Government asked them to return it to power again
in order that it might repeat the blunders and
failures of the past five years. Let them put party
politics aside altogether, ask themselves, as men of
the world and as traders, whether they desired that
that policy should be renewed and continued during
.the next five or six years. (Cries of" No, no," and a
voice "Yes.") Did the gentleman who said " Yes "
mean to say that he would again like to see in power
a Government which in the past had weakened
England, and done much to destroy her
trade and reduce her to the state of a third rate
Power? The late Government chiefly aimed at
maintaining its popularity, and with that view
trimmed its course according to wind and weather
and tide and season. The Government, however,
that desired to do its duty to the country must go
straight. (Cheers.) The late Government did not.
(Renewed cheers.) He regarded with great appre-
hension and concern the spirit of disturbance which
had manifested itself in Eastern Europe at the
present time, and it would be necessary for this
comatry to at this juncture to have at its head a
Government possessed not only of prudence and a
sense of duty, but which had the confidence at least
of Europe. (Cheers.) The danger before the
country was considerable, and it behoved all wise and
prudent men to vote at the coming election for those
who had the courage to do what was right in the
interest of the country. (Loud cheers.)
In replying to a question at a meeting in Chelsea'
Sir Charles Dilke said that the reasons put forward
by leading Conservatives for the war in Burruah, as
a means of opening up a market for British trade,
seemed to him to be wholly unjustifiable, unless there
was a better reason beyond, as to which he had no
evidence.

Speaking at Kendal on Tuesday night, Sir Richard
Cross referred to the time when Mr. Gladstone would
retire from the leadership of the Liberal party, and
said that the leading Radicals would then come to
the front. Be also contrasted the efforts of the
Conservatives in reference to the depression in
trade with the hindering policy of their opponents.
Lord Hartington, addressing a meeting at Bacup on
Tuesday evening, referred at length to the disestab-
lizhment of the English Church, denying that Mr.
Gladstone or the Liberal leaders had raised the ques-
tion, and maintaining that the subject was not ripe
for legislation.
Sir William Harcourt, addressing a crowded-Liberal
demonstration at Manchester, said that the impend-
ing appeal was an appeal to an Empire, not to
a sect, and the country would pass judgment
on the narrowness and selfishness of the Tory policy.
He -did not doubt that the country would return Mr.
Gladstone to power.
The Right lion. J. Bright, M.P., on Tuesday night
addresßed an enthusiastic meeting in the Bordesley
Division cf Birmingham, in support of Mr. Broad-
hurst's candidature. He spoke of Church disestab-
lishment, and referred to the progress of the Episco-
pll Church in the United States, as a proof that the
episcopal system and all the rights of the Church
could be maintained without establishment.