The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-21 00:00:00

THE NAVAL ESTIMATES.

Sir T. Brassey expounded the Estimates for the Navy
for the financial year 1885-86. The total amount, he
said, was £13,000,440, as compared with £11,646,000 for
last year, which sum was exclusive of the Supplemen-
tary Estimates for Egypt, and of this increase
£1,154,000 was for shipbuilding. Having detailed the
measures taken to accelerate the completion of ships
already building, he explained the laying-down pro-
gramme for the coming year, and defended the Ad-
miralty against the charge of undue delay in giving
practical effect to the proposals sanctioned by
Parliament in December. In the ensuing year,
four ironclads, five belted cruisers, one torpedo ram,
seven Scouts, five gun vessels, and fifteen torpedo boats
would be laid down, with a total tonnage of twenty-
eight thousand and fifty-two tons Comparing the
amount at the command of the Admiralty for ship-
building with that at the disposal of any other Power,
he maintained that the provision made was ample.
That amount was three million pounds, or double the
sum at the disposal of any other Administration.
Mr. W. H. Smith, in criticising the shipbuilding
work of the Admiralty, contended that they had not
fulfilled the engagements which they undertook in
December last; in fact, they had not kept faith with
Parliament or the country.
After a few words from Lord H. Lennox, the votes
for the number of men and boys and for wages were
agreed to.
2 OVAL EXPENDITURE AND OMER VOTES.
Discussion was raised by Mr. Labouchere on the votes
for the expenditure connected with the elevation of
Prince Albert of Wales to the dignity of Knight of the
Garter, and was supported in two divisions against the
amounts by small numbers of Irish and English
Radicals. Subsequently Mr. Parnell and his supporters
raised discussions on various matters connected
.with
police expenditure in Ireland. The House contained,
during the hours occupied by these discussions, very
few members besides the Home Secretary, Chancellor
of the Exchequer, Chief Secretary to the Lord-Lieu-
tenant, Se-retary of the Treasury, some subordinate
members of the Government, and the followers of the
member for Cork.

A SCENE.
The supplementary estimates having been completed,
the vote on account for the civil services—£3,s32,oso
was proposed.
Mr. Parnell then complained to the House of the
breach of a private arrangement between himself and
the Government. He stated that in the course of last
session the Solicitor-General for Ireland undertook to
introduce a bill at the commencement of this session
by which the constabularly "free force" in Ireland
should be redistributed so as to stop existing systems of
overcharges.
An altercation of a severe, if not of a noisy character,
took place between the member for Cork and the
Solicitor-General for Ireland as to the terms of this
promise, and Mr. Parnell eventually stated, with great
emphasis, that certain promises as to the bill which
was to be introduced were given him in private conver-
sation outside the House.
Mr. Walker flatly disagreed with Mr. Parnell, and
Mr. Parnell, after sundry reflections on the bona fides
of the transactions, declared that he would do his
best to prevent the Government getting this vote until
they fulfilled their pledge, and redeem the debt due to
their own honour. He therefore "begged to move "
but before he had stated the terms of his motion, was
interrupted with a further explanation from the Chief
Secretary.
The Home Secretary also made an argument upon
the case, and was followed by Mr. Healy with a vitu-
perative speech, in which he characterised the Home
Secretary's arguments as "Old Bailey business."
Mr. Walker desired to explain, but Mr. Healy bade
him " wait until I sit down," upon which the Home
Secretary ejaculated two or three times, loudly, "Let
him go on ; " he will go on, perhaps, a little longer
than some people will care about, before we get this
thing through" After further wrangling for half an
hour, the Chief Secretary gave up the contest, and said
that although the Government did not recognise any
pledge to introduce a separate bill dealing with this
matter, they would do so.
The House adjourned at 5.20 on Tuesday morning.

In the HOUSE of LORDS, March 17, Lord Barrington
moved the second reading of a bill to remove an exist-
ing disability by enabling Roman Catholics in posses-
sion of advowsons or next presentations to present
suitable persons to livings in the Church of England,
but after some discussion the bill, on the recommenda-
tion of Lord Cairns, was withdrawn.
The Water Companies (Regulation of Powers) Bill
wa,, read a second time, and referred to a Select Com-
mittee.