The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-07-11 00:00:00

MISCELLANEOUS.

The Earl of Iddesleigh (Sir Stafford Northcote),
Lord Ashbourne (Mr. Gibson), and Lord St. Oswald
(Mr. Rowland Winn) took their seats on their elevation
to the peerage.
Lord Bramwell moved that in respect of the Water-
works Clauses Act (1847) Amendment Bill, Standing
Order 93 be considered, with a view to its being dis-
pensed with, so that tho MetropAitan Water Com-
panies might be heard by counsel against the bill. He
contended that the measure had become a private bill
in its passage through the House of Commons.
After a short discussion, the motion was negatived
without a division.

Lord Enfield then moved the second reading of the
bill, expressing his willingness to have it referred to a
Select Committee, not as a private or hybrid bill, hot as
a public one.
The motion was agreed to.
MINISTERIAL STATEMENT.

Several bills having been advanced a stage withciat
discussion,
Lord Salisbury rose, amid cheers, to make a state-
ment as co the intentions of the Government, more
particularly in regard to foreign affairs. He observed
that the first matters of grave importance with which
they had to deal were the negotiations with the Court
of Russia in respect to the frontier of Afghanistan. Ti
was not the business of the Government to comment on
or to consider the past. They had to take up the matter
where it was left by their predecessors. Further, what-
ever pledges had been made by an English dovern-
ment must be carried out. As far as he had been able
to observe, Russia as well as England was desiroue
that both countries should arrive at a settlement.
He, however, held that it was not on settlements or
treaties that we ought mainly to rely, but on having our
own frontiers effectively defended, so that we shoald
always be prepared to prevent the tile of war from
rolling into British possessions. In Egypt her Ma-
jesty's Government had to deal with one of the most
complicated and entangled of problems, and before
they came to any determination as to it, they must
take counsel with those who had knowledge and expe-
rience regarding that territory. The first difficulty in
connexion with it was that in the Mahi they :aad a
triumphant enemy on the frontier. Next, there was
the political question how much of the Soudan ought
to remain under the actual government of Egypt,
and over how much territory beyond that Egypt
ought to have a power of control. Then there was
the question of finances. Between a settlement of
this all important question and abandoning Egypt,
which would be a shame to England, there was no
choice. There was one consolation in the Egyptian
difficulty. It was that the Khedive had throughout
shown himself to be loyal and faithful to England. As
to legislation, the Government thought they ourflat to
britig the business of the session to as speedy a close as
possible, and he did not propose that their lordships
should proceed with any important measure. They
would, however, afford every facility for the progress
of the Secretary for Scotland Bill if Lord Rosebery,
who bad charge of it, wished that it should be pro-
ceeded with. Referring to the insinuations that he
wished to stave off the dissolution, be appealed to Lord
Kimberley ati to whether he had not suggested the
clauses in the Redistribution Bill which accelerated a
general election and made one possible in November
next. In concluding a well-received speech, he in-
formed their lordships that the Lord Lieutenant wuxild
make a statement as to Ireland.

Lord Carnarvon quoted statistics to show that crime
had so diminished in Ireland that at the present time
the exercise of exceptional powers of repression was
not needed. Since 1847 Ireland had been almost con-
stantly under exceptional legislation. That state of
things was not satisfactory. When the existing legis-
tion against crime was enacted, Parliament intended
that it should come to an end in three years. It had
produced the desired effects, and as there was now no
extraordinary amount of crime in Ireland her Majesty '5
Government proposed to govern that country by ad-
ministering the ordinary law firmly and effectively;
and, in undertaking the office of Viceroy, he did
not despair of seeing that on the one side there
would be good feeling towards England, and on the
other good government of Ireland.
Lord Kimberley, knowing that Lord Salisbury had
suggested the clauses in the Redistribution Bill which
accelerated the time when a dissolution might occur,
had never for a moment believed that the Mime
Minister had any desire to delay an appeal to the con-
stituencies. "While concurring generally with the
Premier's remarks as to the Afghan frontier and
Egypt, he thought that the noble lord rather over-
estimated the power of the Mandi. Having observed
that it was very unusual fcr a Lord Lieutenant to
make a statement of policy, he stated that he viewed
with apprehension the experiment the Government
were about to make in Ireland. The late Government
tried it and it was a failure. _ .

The Duke of. Argyll thought that there was nothing
to complain of in the speeches delivered from the froi.t
benches, which were of an academic character. He
would, however, on Friday call attention to recent poli-
tical events. _ _ _ _

Their lordships rose at 20 minutes past six o'clock.

The HOUSE OF COMMONS also re-assembled, and as
the first business the new Ministers, all of whom were
warmly welcomed, took the oath and their seats on re-
election.

MR. BRADLAUGH.

After this Mr. Bradlaugh came to the table, with lit.
Laboachere and Mr. Burt as his supporters, but before
he could make any claim,
The Chancellor of the Exchequer rose, amid loud
cheers from the Ministerial benches, and, expressing at
the outset his regret that his first duty in his new posi-
tion should be of a painful character, appealed to the
House for its indulgence and support, promising that he
would endeavour to act up to that spirit of considemte •
courtesy which had always distinguished Lord Iddes -
leigh, and to maintain the dignity of the House. As
to the matter before the House, he reminded the
House that in February last it had passed resolutions
that Mr. Bradlaugh should not be permitted to go
through the form of taking the oath, and that
the Serjeant-at-Arms be directed to exclude him
from the precincts of the House unless he engaged
not to disturb its proceedings. That decision, he
pointed out, was in accordance with the final judgment
of the Courts on Mr. Bradlaugh's position and what
he asked now was that he should be allowed to go
through an "illegal mockery" which would have no
validity. As to the amendment whiah Mr. Hopwood
was to move, it could have no practical efficacy, and in
the expiring moments of a session it ought not to be
pressed. This was eminently a question which ought
to be relegated to the constituencies, and he concluded
by moving the re-affirmation of the two resolutions.
The Speaker, before putting the motion, directed
Mr. Bradlaugh to withdraw, and he accordingly with-
drew and took his stand below the Bar. This, how-
ever, was challenged as a non-compliance with the
direction by Mr. Healy and Mr. Parnell, who main-
tained that when Irish members were directed to with-
draw they were excluded from the House; but the
Ppeaker held that the cases were not parallel, and that
Mr. Bradlaugh might be permitted to remain standing
at the Bar.

Mr. Hopwood then moved an amendment setting
forth that the question of promissory and other oaths
should be settled on a wider basis than the interests of
a particular constituency, and committing the House
to early legislation.
Mr. Gladstone, who rose amidst loud Opposition
cheers, observed that upon a former occasion he drew
a wide distinction between the question of the prin-
ciple in the exclusion of Mr. Bradlaugh from the House
and the question of law and police which compelled his
removal by force. (Hear, hear.) On the present
occasion his view was that, as loyal and faithful
members of the House, they were bound to consider
measures for preserving peace and order, and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer's motion was undoubtedly
fully justified, both by precedent and by the recent
legal proceedings. Therefore, if he had to consider the
proposal of the right hon. gentleman alone, and apart
from the amendment, he should not oppose a motion
which was intended to vindicate the Order of the
House. But Mr. Hopwood had forced an
amendment upon his attention which declared that
their first duty was to deal with the question of legisla-
tion, and remove the grievance which existed. In that
sense he found himself compelled to support the
amendment. (Radical cheers.) He did not concur in
all its terms because it went further than the present
case. The Chancellor of the Exchequer has fairly
pointed out that the House could not be expected to
deal with the general question of oaths. But what he
(Mr. Gladstone) bad before him was the unsatisfied
Constitutional claim of the constituency of North-
ampton (hear, hear), and what he contended was that
throughout the present Parliament a grievous wrong
had been done by the action of the House to the con-
stituency of Northampton, and the first duty of the
House of Commons, without prejudice to Sir M. Hicks.
Beach's motion, was to exert itself to make provisions
for the redress of that grievous wrong. (Hear, hear).
The Attorney-General, who was loudly cheered on his
first appearance, argued that the amendment resolved
itself into a Bradlaugh Relief Bill and nothing more.
He denied that the House had acted illegally, for all its
decisions had been confirmed by the Courts of Law, and
nothing could be clearer than the law that Mr. Brad-
laugh was not a person capable of taking an oath. No
ground had been shown why the House should change
its mind, nor had any reason been offered why a change
should be made in the law as to atheists.

Sir H. James supported the amendment, as did Mr.
Labouchera, who asserted that if Mr. Bradlaugh was
ready to take the oath the House had no right to pre-
vent him. _ _

Mr. M. Henry and Mr. Courtney spoke in favour of
the amendment. Mr. Walter maintained that the best
settlement was to allow those who desired it to affirm;
and after some remarks from Mr. Storer. Mr. A. Bal-
four, and Mr. Newdegate, the House divided, and Mr.
Hopwood's amendment was negatived by 263 to 219.
On the Chancellor of the Exchequer's resolution
being ptit as the substantive motian, Mr. Gladstone
said that, :as on previous occasions, he should offer no
opposition. Mr. Labouchere and Mr. Willis, however,
declared they would divide against it; but when the
House had been cleared they allowed the resolution to
be carried without a division.
Mr. Bradlaugh again advanced to the table, and, ad-
dressing the Speaker, said he would obey the order to
withdraw, appealing to the constituencies against .the
injustice done.

QUESTIONS.
Mr. KLaren gave notice of a question relating to
the proposed appointment of Sir H. D. Wolff to a diplo-
matic post in Egypt; and Mr. C. Lewis gave notice of
a question as to the intentions of the Government with
regard to the Crimes Act in Ireland.
In answer to Mr. Collings, who asked what facilities
the Government were prepared to afford for the con-
sMeration of the Medical Relief i 3 ill , the Chancellor of
the Exchequer said he proposed make a statement
as to legislation during the remainder of the session,
which, he said, the Government desired to bring to a
close as speedily as possible. He also gave notice that
he should move that the Standing Order relating to

`t-

Committee of Supply should be applied to Tuesdays
and Wednesdays for the remainder of the session, and
that Government business have precedence. On Thurs-
day he would make his financial statement.
Mr. Gladstone, who concurred in the desirability of
concluding the business of the session as soon as pos-
sible; expressed a hope that the Crofters Bill, the
Medical Relief Bill, the bill relating to intermediate
education in Wales, and the Criminal Law Amendment
Bill would be persevered with.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer replied that the
Government only proposed to take up non-contentious
business. tind observed that some of the measures re.
ferred to did not come within that definition.

Sir W. H. Dyke, in reply to a question, said the
Government intended to take up the Labourers (Ire-
land) Bill, and
Sir W. Lawson gave notice that, on the Chancellor of
the Exchequer's motion, he would move that as the
House has no confidence in the present Government it
declines to give it command of its whole time.