The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-05-15 00:00:00

iMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

In the House of Lords, May 10, the Report of the Com-
mittee of Pr.viteges on the IS iltes Peerage was considered,
and finally agreed to, • motion by the Doke of Cleveland to
refer the Report back to the Committee tor • rehearing being

-
negatived.
Bef,re the House went Into Committee on the Parochial
Schools ',Scotland Bill,
The Duke of Richmond, on the Scotch F. location Bill going
Into eimunlittee said his personal objeetion to this hill was
so great that he Was desirous to ask the Rouse to arrest its
turtles ;dogmas hut in de ,erence to the advice i,f his friends
he had reluctantly foregone his intention. II e, ovever,
trek the opportunity if stating the grounds upon which he ob-
ected to the hill in principle and in its details. Ile orjected to
the constitution 01 the proposed board. and to the achal cons
inittees. nis hill struck at the root of the whole parochial
System of education in •,cotland. and would vitally effect the
voluntary system, which had hitherto worked to well. There
always most be a residue of population which no system
of education would reach except a compulsory ay atom ;
but that did uot show the necessity of the conipulsory
system being generally adopt, d. It was now pro-
posed to atiandoit the present system of education,
which had worked so well for the last hunted years.
and to suleditute a new and untried st ateut, and to
levy a rate for educational purpose. sit over Scot.
land, thus dealing a heavy blow to the voluntary aye-
um. Scotland could at present comp ire with any other
country in regal d to education lie maintained that the
existing system, supplemented as it was by voluntary assist-
ance, was working well, and had produced excellent results
The noble duke argued that the feeling of Scotland was
strongly against the bill.
The Duke of Argyll declined to follow the Duke of
Richmond into a dismission of the general principles of
the bill, but he should correct some statements of facts in

-"M_ .
umAtee.
Lord Cairns thought the Duke of Armll's original pledge,
that the bill would be accepted by the rations sections in
Scotland aac mipromise, had not been redeemed. At all
events. he argued that, before going into Committee,
the House ought to have before it the statistics on irld2h
the °averment had persuaded itself that a three-
pence to the pound rate, on which the whole bill
turned, would be sufficient. Ile objected particulaily to
the objects of the hill, which seemed to be to re-
duce all the Scotch schools to the level of the new National
' -• ' " ' " '" "

.Bc"l'diwaitsi;Scotlatiii. Ile believed that this bill would not ex-
tend education, bitheito acknowledged by the Duke of
Arayll himself to have been the glory of Scotland. It would
place it under the control of bodies many of whose members,
it had been i eported, could not read or write.
Alter a further discussion, in is blob Lord Dalhonsie, Lord
Soionsay, the Dukes or Argyll, Mariborough, and Montrose,
took part, tile House went, into Committee
lv clause I the Duke of Argyll intimated be might be dis-
posed to accept whatever might appear to he the general
view of the Douse on tile subject of the Constitution of the
Central Board. But a warm diSCUSBIOTI was rased on some
expressions which were construed by Lord Cairns and the
Date of Marlborough as implying that the Duke of Argyll
made his adoptiou of suggestions for the anieno remit of this
part 01 the bid conditional on the assent of his colleagues in
the other House.
Considerable discussion ensued on Lord Colonsay's amend-
ment to the clause ',clause Si), which provided against the
Montt n of Denominational Schools which should not have
been in existence two years before the passing of the Act,
and on a division the antendnient was agreed to by ea to 23.
litich discussion arose also on the in .de fixed by clause 37
of electing the members of the School Committees; but the
Doke of Argyll, who, however, warned the Rouse that the bill
would heed the sanction of a House elected on principle: of
household suffrage, finally accepted the proposed amend-

mead.
In clause 68, which empowers the Privy Council to make
grants to National Schools, the Duke of Marlborough moved
the omission of the word "national," Ile urged the injustice of
the clause to the Roman Catholic Schools, and also that the
Duke of Argyll had greatly underrated the various objec:ions
of managers .4 schools established by religious bodies gene-
rally in Scotland to being placed under his Central Board,
while, on the other hand, with the detriment watch must
result to the efficacy of the voluntary principle iron. the
. adoption of the rating system, these Denominational Schools
could not subsist If deprived of the Privy Council grants.
On a division, the clause was retained by 59 to 28.
In clause 70 Lord Colonsay moved the insertion of a pro-
vision for devoting a certain time to instruction in the shorter
Catechisni ; but the Duke of Argit objected to the amend-
ment, on the ground that the character of the relisiols in-
struction could be most safely left to the discretion of the
governing isody, and on the appeal of Lords Cairns and
Dlialbousia, who supported the same view, Lord Co'unsay did

Dot pre4s hi; amen.dinent.
The hill having pasmd through Committee. and the report
of amendments on the Seel, rds' Pn-servation Bill having
been brought up, their Lordships adjourned.
• • •

!11e

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In the House of Commons, the Government redeemed a
pledge, made a fortnight ago, by giving up the evening to Mr.
Cornwee's motion on the administration of the Poor Laws.
But, before it came en, Mr. Maguire gave notice that he would
move to discharge the order for the second reading of O'Sulli-
van's Disability Bill; and Mr. C. Fortescue, in reply to Lord J.
Manner 3, stated that the Government is considering whether
additional measures will be eecessary to entice the Lord-
Lieutenant's powers for the detection of agrarian crimes more
speedy and erectile'.
Mr. Corrance's motion took the form of a motion for a
Select Committee, but In emission of it he mitered into a wide
suivey of tha condition of pauperism aml vagrancy, pointing
Out the causes at the Increase in the number of paupers
arid the cost of poor relief, and &veiling on the in-
efficiency of our present system to meet the evil. Ile
made various suggestions for improvement. For in-
stance, destitute cluldren should be dealt with by
making Denison's Act compulsory and the formation of
district schools ; for the case of the aged and sick he
sketched Oct a plan by which the contributions of charitable
pereons mieht be made more available ; and assistance
miLlit he given teem the rates, under certain conditions, to
sick clubs. lie recommended, too, a wider adoption of the
principles of the Irish dispensary spitem in giving medical
relief. As to the relief of the able-booied pier, he attributed
znost of the evils of tee present system to woe local admin-
istration, and to the omparative powerlessness of the Cent.
toil Board, lie was decieeelly against relieving vagrants
more than once, and insisted on the necessity f clarify ing
Poor Law charges, and imposing the permanent charges
directly on the owners of property.
Mr. A. Peel, who replied fr the Government, went at
length into comparative statistics to show that the ratio of
pauperism had rather diminishal tierce the creation of the
new Pi ,or Lot. system, and that the cost of nuintaining the
poor hid proportionately been reduced. This result he
biougLt out more dr cidedly by showing that the comnierciel
crisis of 1866 had ratted the oeuvre of paupers, arid that
the rise in the price of wheat hail incre•seil the cffit of their
maintenance. Docussii g Mr. Corrsnce's suggestion,' he lie-
preciited entbio Iciest on a system of subsidies to sink clubs
and friendly &McGee, and, while not standing up unre-
servedly for the Union Chargeability Act, he expressed a
Wong hope that we should never revert to the old system of
fruited areas of parochial rating mariagems et.
After a lengthened distension, in which several iron.
members took part. Mr. Corrance withdrew his motion.
Mr. Layard brought iu the Bill for chabging the site of the
new Law Courts, 1041 repeated at length the arguments arid
facts advanced by Mr. Lowe on a fernier awning, when he
first suggested the change The Careyotreet rite, he
showed, with approaches. would cost £4,000,000, while Mr.
Tite's plan to separate the Offices anu Courts would cost
£e.7' 0,000, 911,1 Sir C Trevelyai 's £3,050 000. But the more
moderate plan contemplated by the Government on the Ent-
benkment would only coat £1,600,000-4800,000 for the land,
£l,OOO 000 for the builuing—abil that this would not
be
.sxceeded Mr. Layard solemnly pledged his repu
tannin. The site was the plot of ground hounded on
the north by Howard street, on the south by the Embank-
ment, on the east by the Temple, and on the west by King's
College It was six acres in extent, and on it could he built,
in a tine with Somerset House, eighteen Courts with their
Offices, with the capacity of extending either Offices Cr Ceurts
northwards as necessity arose. Mr. Layaid explairied
strut the earn us advantages possessed by the slew sit-,
such as the facility of approaching it by road, river,
and rail, tic., and he showed, to, thet its adoption would
lead to no delay. The plans and dee. legs for the
Carey-street site would not be ready for a year, arid
by this ma it was proposed to euspend the Stand-
ing Orders and pr need as if notices had been given in
November last. The Governmerit would be bound to cure-
else Wa compulsory powers k.y July, 1870, arid there world be
ne delay at all, as the Duke of Norfolk, who oweed en.t of
the land, was understood to he most anxious not to throw
any ffifiiculty in the way. Among other recommendations,
be onentiorieil that he was negotiating lot the sale of the
Careyistr.et site fee the price given fir it, and that the style
of the flew building. for which the plim• anti drawitigs would
soon he ready. would most probably be Hallett Gothic, es
Me hive's notion of utilizing lingo Jones's invade hso been
given up
Str Blundell Palmer gave notice at once that he would
mive the rejection on the second reading of what he charac-
terized as the worst scheme yet proposed, and the certain
ruin of a great public improvement. Ile warmly de- ,
fended the Commissioners against Mr. Lowe's un-
candid charges of extravagiure and made an ani-
mated attack on the new plan. It had no ap-
proaches east or west ; its levels were hail ; it would
advance to the very edge of the railway cutting; it would
block up the Strand; arid the Imilding, put down in a hole
where nobody 'could see it except from the river, would be no
ornamentation to the metropelis. The profession was
almost unabimonsly, and certainly by a large majority,
against it; and filially he declared, with much vehemence
Of man ter, that there teas nothing he would not do to upset
the plan,
The chancellor of the Exchequer explained and deli.
berately repeated his charge against the commissioners,
that they sieve rushing Into an unnecessarily lavish expendi-
ture if public money, when he, acting entirely on public
grounds, had pulled them up.
bird J. Mtileliers sand Mr. Goldney etrenuously opposed
the change of plan ; and, alter some observations from Mr.
Site, the bill was Moo, t in and read a first time.
111 Committee of Supply, a vote of a ninth'tn and a helf of
the Civil eervice Estunates IMP agreed to and after the other
business had been disposed of, the llouee adjourned.
In the Hodge if Lords, May 11, the Manchester, Sheffield,
and Lincoleshire arid Slidiatel Companies' iltll, the West
Somerset elieeral Railway Bill, Ac., e ere read a second
time.
Lied Redesdale brought up the report of the Committee of
Privileges, on the petation of the Right lion. Walter Coo-
Ingest, Earl of Kellie, claiming also to be Earl of Mar, sad
Rho the petition or the Right Hon. John Francis Erskine
Goodeve Erskine, Earl of Mar, Baron Ganock The report
was received.
The Marquis of Townshend, in moving the second reading
of the Lodgers' Protection Property Bill, explained that its
object was to secure the lodgers' goods against seizure for
the landlords' dente.
The Lord Chancellor ackrowledged the benevolent inten-
tion of the noble Marquis, brit the eubject was an extremely
large one, anti went to the root of the whole question nit the
relation of the landlord to the tenant. Ile thought great
caution ought Pi be taken agaiffit removing any security for
the landlord. If the law of distress waste remain in force,
tine' bill was a very injudii Mug measure, because it would
opts the door to extenetee frauds.
Lord De Grey moved that the bill should he read the second
time that day three months; but after some observations by
Lord Towasliend the bill was witloir awn by consent of the
Rouse.
lord Townshend then, at considerable lerigth, moved the
eecond reading of the egg], voted Assaults A menoment Bill,
which empowers the Judge to order fliiegieg for these
offences. The bill gave a right of appeal witch would pre-
vent injuitice being done.
Lord Morley thought the bill would not work so well 'as
the Act it was designad to amend, and which was reported
by Sir Thomas Hem to be at present working very satisfac-
torily. Under Lord Townshend's bill no conviction could
lie obtained except on the evidence et two competent sit-
Desire; but in these ores it was commonly impossible to
obtain any evidence but that of a single !edit:emelt. He
also objected to giving magistrates this summary
jut lidictinn to order flogging. Such a punish-
ment would be likely to create a viedictive Melee
on the part of the husband, whom the wife cold
never " realm." besides trot a magistrate might he often
tempted to inflict the penalty itt the first emotion of indigna-
tion at the cowardice of these crimes; nor, laatly, could he
see any sufficient reason for granting an appeal which the
preseet Act did not allow. On behalf of the Government he
must Appose the bill
Notwitbstand Mg Lord Townshend's offer to amend the bill
If the House would allow it to be read a second time, the
bill was ordered to be read a second time that day three
months.
'I he Seabirds' Preservation Bill was read a third time and
passed
Lord Kiitinird then called the attention of the House to
the state of the law In :Rio:taint as to hiqulring into the
causes of suiltien death by accident in violence. In Sciitlabd,
he showed, three was nothing analog us to the English
coroner's inquest, but only an occasitmal inquiry by a pro-
curator-flscal. Tbe Scidch law required amendment.
Lord Morley thought the Scotth system of eecret pre-
cognition siteceedol in producing practically the same
useful results as the public procedure in Diebold by TIMMS
of crimpers' inquests. A criniparin of the ermine' statistica
of the two countries showed that the secret systsm was
perhaps even the mire soccesefel, it was err Tinily mine
betieveleroo protecting as it did p reons finally tuinhig out
to be quite 311110Celit against the ruvidiousness of a public
inquiry.
Lord Dalhonsie thonght the Sc' itch system on the whole
a good one, hut that lime compulsory means were required
In order to eeeure that all ewes of sudden death should be
repneted to the procuratorfincal.
The letke of Montrose objected to any compulsory ma-
ebinery.
Mints thought there vu always a danger of abuse,

and still mor e danger of suspicion of abuse, where the pro-
cedure was secret, as at present in Scotlard.
Lord Colonsay highly proised the exi•ting jurisdiction of
-rublic prosecutors in Scotland, and pointed out the elabger
of meddling with so successful a system. There might be
inefficient officials, but so there would be under any system
He justified the refusal of the Commission now sitting on
Scotch legal procedure to consider this subject directly.
Incidentally it had considered it.
Lord /Wound concurred in commending the institution
of public prosecutors. But there wore detects in the mat,
ing system. One was that those officers were now allowed
to pra tire privately.
Their lordships then adjourned.

In the House of Commons the Interest excited by the pro-
ceedings against the Mayor of Cork lent unusual attraction
to the morning totting, an account of which will be found ill
another part of th paper.
The Budget Rol was read a second time, on the under-
derstanding that the discussion will be taken in Committee
on Thursday fortnight.

At tbe evening sitting the question of the taxation of land
was once more discussed The occasion was a motion by
Mr. W. Fowler, who called attention to the duties charged
en the succession to real property, and the exemption en-
joyed by ten ciii deaCritalilaS of property. lie mitered into
an elaborste historical disquisition on the origin of the
Probate and Legacy Duties, and discussed the arguments
, Minced by Mr Ulailstone in support of his Succession
Duty Acts. Dilating on the unfairness of treating real
and personal property on a different footing, he main-
tained that the owner of the fee-Ample ought to pay
the same rate as owners of personal property; and made
very light of the ordinary apology that land bore more than
Is fair share of local burdens. The motion with which he
concluded was to the effect that the present state of the law
is anomalous and requires the attention of the Government.

The Chancellor of the Exchequer, in reply, pointed out
that the motion involved the great problem of finding a com-
mon ineasure for the taxable capacity of different spumes of
properly. Tots problem ,for which he avowed he was not
prepared with a solution) no doubt was a lit subject far in-
genious speculations, hut it was not likely to be forwarded by
abstract resolutions which would only unsettle men's minds.
Ile promised, however, to give his best attention to the
subject, and he promised (amid no little laughter) that if
he were lucky enough to hit on an idea, he would not fail to
take advantage of it.

Dr. Ball argued that Probate Duty was a very injurious
mode of taxmg the land, and after some remarks from Mr.
U. Gregoty, Mr. M'L.tren, Colonel Corbett, and Mr. A. Johns-
to[2. the mot ton was withdrawn.
. .

--MiTiii..atT-t;Cirdirlii-u-g-e-s;ei-1-1-rought in the long-promised
Government bill for the establishment of County Financial
Boards. The bill proposed to divide the business of Quarter
Sessionsinto judicial and administrative. The fir-t would be
left to toe magistrates and the second to a body consisting
of the Court of Quarter Sea/ none, with the infusion of a
vertain number or elected representatives. The Board of
Guardians reoulit be the constituent body, and in the larger
counties one member op to four; would be elected tor every
£5O UCH of rateable value, and in Wales and In the smelter
counties £25,000 would be lire unit. This he calculated
would give a general average of about one elected to live ex
officio members in the Financial Boards. Mr. ilugessen pot
forward the bill not so much with an expectation that it
would secure greater economy sub' salary a reasonable de-
mand, arid lead to a greater harmi,ny between different
clas,es of the community
After expressions of opinion from Colonel W. Patten, Mr.
Barrow, Dr. Brewer, Mr. Crown Mr. Ward Hunt, tool Mr.
Hibberd,
Mr. M'Cullagh Torrens drew attention to the incon-
veniences which my result from the incompete••cy of the
House of Commons to administer oaths to art Ileneu at its
Bar, and moved the appointment of a Select Committee to
consider tire best means of supplying the deficiency, either
by Standing Order or by Bill.
The motion was seconded by Mr Tiddell, and supported
by Mr. Vernon Harcourt, who, reverting to the transaction
out of which the motion had arisen. deprecated the resort to
exceptional les,islation for punishing offences which were
triable in the ordinary tribunals. Mr. Vernon Harcourt
strongly reprobated the defects in our judicature which led
to so long delays in the trial of ex officio informations, in
which the Attorney-General for Ireland cordially joined.
Mr. Gladstone adititted theta change of some sort was de-
sirable, and, believing a preliminary inquiry to be necessary,
he consented to the appointment of a Select Committee,
without prejudice and without any foregone conclusion.
nr. Henley also approved this course, and, after some ob-
servations from Mr. New.legate and Sir J. Esmoude, &Select
Committee was ordered lobe appointed.
The nomination of the Committee on the Scotch Game
Laws, which Mr. Loch ordained sortie time ago, occup,ed the
rest of the sitting. Sir James Elphinstone proposed to sun-
stitute a Royal Commission for th- Committee, and the rela-
tive merits of the two means of inquiry were very warmly
arid even somewhat angrily disputed among the Scotch
members. In the end neither was decided ov, but the de-
brie was adjotirried, the Lord-Advocate agreeing that the
G ,orrornent would consider between this and the id ter Whit-
son Session whether they would themselves undertake to
legislate, and the House adjourned.

In the House of Common', May 12,0 large number of pet's
lions were presented in favour of and against the Permissive
Prohibitory Traffic Bill.
Mr. Stapleton ease notice that he inteneed to ask the
Prime Mii.ister whether it was his intention to inte duce
words into his Irish Church Bill to secure the life interests
of this professors of Stsynooth College; and whether those
geutlemen are now satisfied that their life interests will be
secured.

Upon the order of the day for the second reading of the
Permissive Prohibitory Liquor Bill,
Sir Wilt, id Lawson referred to the alarming prevalence
of drunkenness and its evil effect. Its would not go
into statistics to prove his a,sertions, for he did not
think they would he denied ; but if it should bo
said that drunkenness was decreasing, he was careful to
deny it, and he based his denial on the great Inc ease
of pauperism and crime. The bill which he introduced
would have been bett, titled had it been called a" Bill
UT the Repression of Pauperism and Crime '• Alth, ugh Min
members might differ from him and his supporters as to the
means to be employed, they would not di.agree with him as to
the desirability i I the objects he desired to accomplish. Up
to last evening the number of petitions presented in favour
of the meamre was 2,337. and this would show that a great
amount of interest was created u;,on this qiiestion. In the
previous debates the argument chi fly rel ed upuu was that
education would tend to diminish drunkenness '0 doubt
it w ould to a grew, extent, but, he would ask, what great
amount if good was likely to result from the labours if school
masters and c ergy men while 150,000 publicans were working
hat dto prismoe drinking habits. At ter detailing the manner
in which a licence was granted, the hon. member said the
fact of public n•,tice of application bring rscp Ikea to le givee
privet that at the time the licensing s 3 stem WkiA originated it
WNS clearly intended that do wiQbes of the inhabitants were
meant to be consu,te.i. In Scotland, too, elan was In opera-
tion which granted the inhabitants the right to appear and

.....
object to the granting of any licence. Isrow the bill wificif
he had bromfht iu was not a licensing 1411, but simply
a measure to provide against the interests of the minority
overriding the wishes of their neighbours. The measure
was not without a precedent, for in 1804 an Act was
passed prohibiting the sale of liquor liurifig three hours of
tile twenty-foug, and in most of the lafge towns throtigh-
out the country this measure had been adopted .d had
worked most satisfactorily. Before asking the House to assent
to the bill, it would be necessary to prove that the objects
sought to be gained would be effected by it, and he would
remind the House that there were ninny districts under
great landlords in whi is public-houses were entirely pro.
Whited, and the morality and comfort of the population in
those places was far above the average. A committee of convo-
cation under the presidency of si chdeacon Sandfold, had in-
quired intothe matter, and reported that there were more than
1,000 palishre in which no public-houses existed, and they
reported most highly of the cendiilon of the people of those
places 1 here was also the case of Saltaire, and a district
of 52 square miles ill the county of Tyrone. It would no
doubt tie said that the prohibitory system had failed in
America, but he would say that wherever it had hem iii
operation in accordance with the opinion of the public, and
had been fully ants fairly tried, it had succeeded. Any law
passed contrary to public opinion must necessarily become a
dead letter. Many schemes had been propounded for the
diminution of drunkenness, hut none of them hail succeedsd.
The next semicsi was to boa most remarkable session. A great
variety of useful measures were to be Introduced during
that session, httt he would appeal to the Government not to
put off his hid, because they woled then Mint forward one
of their own. Ile would ask them to pass this ass suspensory
hill until a better custom could be adopted. It would, no
ii uht, cause gi eat inconveideuze to the publicans, but the
question was whether the good to the majority would out-
weigh the inconveifience.
Mr it• sir), said that he thnught, and every reasonable man
won d concur with hilt, that the prevalence of drunkeilifes
madly ato e from the neglsct of in imary i duoation The
him cei rieman gave statiStics nel to the amount of MARI
• xpentied in intoxicating lista rs every year, and lamented
the great increase of drunkenness and ipun•-•rinnl,
Colonel Jervis noticed that some if the petitions were
signed by children of less than sixteen yetis of age, and he
dni not think that the men id Engiand would consent to be
legislated for at the desire nf ••uoll children. Ile denounced
the Mill as an interference with the rights of the people.
Mr. o.orne Morgan said there was great unanimity as to
the object of the bill, but the means to be employed cau-ed
differences of i pinion. Ile corroborated a remark of the hon.
member for Manchester, that two-thirds of the ibunkennesa
of this country might he attributed to the legislation, or
rather neglect of legislation. Government purposed grap-
plow with the question, and he bebged the hon. baronet to
withdraw the bill, and hoped that the House would are that
the Government were not allowed to draw back from their
pledge.
NULaren proposed that all licences vacant by death or
misconduct should be withdrawn, and also dealt generally
with the licensing oystein
After stew observations from Mr. R ithbone,
Mr Dalrymple moved that the bill be referred to a Select
committee.
Sir George Grey expressed • hope that after the promises
of the Home Secretary the hon, baronet would withdraw the
bill, thereby avoiding the necessity of his friends, pledging
themselves to absolute prohibition.
Sir George G., y exist eased a hope that at er the promises
of the Home Secretary the hon. baronet wool, wt. hdraw the
bill, thereby avoiding the necessity of his friends, pledging
themselves to absolute prohliiimon.
Sir Wilffid Lawson had no doubt of the sincerity of the
Home Secretary, bid was afraid that there would be such a
press ot business that the principle which he advocated would
be jot led out of place in the next session his should, there-
fore, divide the House upon the matter.
Upon a division, the numbers were :—For the second read-
ing. 87; against, 193; majority, lob. The motion for the
SCCOllti reading was therefore lust.
Upon the order of the day for the second reading of the
County Courts Bill,
Sir Thomas Goldsmiii moved, as an amendment, that it be
read a second time this day six months
After a long discussion the bill was "talked out."
The other orders of the day having been disposed of, the
House adjourned.