The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-12-01 00:00:00

THE COUNTY FItANCHISE,

In the course of some observations on the business
of Perliament, Lord Hartington said
As to the ccunty franchise, I should like to say a
few words to you, not by way of stating the views or
intentions of Her Majesty's Government, because, as
I have already said, any declarations are at this time
premature, but by way, if I may say so, of endeavour-
ing to elicit the minds and the counsel of the Liberal
party upon s ime questions whioh ate connected with
this one of the connty franchise. I look upon the en-
franchisement of county occupiers, whether they be
labourers or that industrial population which is not
distinguished in these and many other districts from
the class which already possess a vote—l look upon
the enfranchisement of this extensive class as a ques-
tion which is already settled by the judgment of the
country. It is simply and solely a matter of time.
But the extension of the franchise to the county
occupiers is only a part of the question. I do not
make any charge against those representative meet.
ings which took place in Leeds, in London, and in
other places, and which have with so much confidence
settled the matter of the county franchise and the
procedure as to reform. I dare say that many whom
I am addressing to-night were present at those meet-
ines, and a good many more were represented at them,
but I would venture to hint that perhaps those con-
ferences would have been as usefully employed if,
instead of applying the spur to a willing Government
and a willing party, they had addressed themselves
to the consideration of some of the questions which
will have to be settled whenever the Franchise
Bill is brought forward, and which do not seem
to me to have been very adequately discussed. I
am not referring alone to the subject of redistribution.
We know very well that that question will be raised
by the Opposition, and it will be raised by the repre-
sentatives of the small constituencies which stand in
danger of being done away with, and we shall be asked,
as we have been before, to produce our whole scheme.
I am not expressing any opinion upon that point, but
I say that that is a question which will be raised and
will have to be met. It will have to be met either by
the production of a complete measure or settled by the
adoption of a very definite attitude on the part of the
Government and of the Liberal party. You will have
to decide whether you will take your standpoint on
the ground that the two questions are distinct and
separate, and therefore need not be discussed, or
,whether, on the other hand, you will take your stand-
point on the proposition tnat redistribution,and red istri-
bution upon certain principles, follows, as a matter of
course, from this reduction of the franchise, But I
am not referring to distribution, I am referring to
points which are connected with the franchise only
Do you desire merely the extension of the household
and occupation franchise to the county occupiers, or
do you desire the equa ization of the franchise in
counties and boroughs? Those are not the same
things. You all know that we have a franchise of a dif-
ferent character in boroughs and in conntiee. In the
boroughs the franchise rests upon occupation only, in
the counties yon have a franchise which rests upon
occupation and also upon the possession of property.
If you desire that the franchise should be Equalised,
you can do it in one or two ware. You
can produce equality by disfranchising the property
qualtfication voter. Well, is this a question which
has been fully considered by every gentrenu=n present?
I hear gentlenatp who say "Yes" and "Na" to that
proposition. No doubt the pr Testy qualification in
the county has been and is turned to very serions abuse
by the facility which it affords for the friblication of
faggot votes. On the other hand, the bond Ade 40s. free-
holder is a popular institution in this conntri. The
Liberal party has owed rupola ii pabient times to the
40s. freeholder, nnd tltougii, perhaps, in consequence of
an es:tended occupation franchise, the Liberal party may
not require in future timee the existence of the 40s. free-
holder so much as in the past, I doubt whether it in a
proposition that would commind itself 4.s any large
section of the country to diefrnuchi-e the bond fide 40s.
freeholder, or to deetroy the franchise which bond fide
rests with the enjoyment of property. If eels do
not disfranchise the county freeholder, you may
proceed to ivoriniilation by extending, or rather trens-
ferring, the property qualification to the renreeenta-
tion of the boroughs. If Iten c;V3 tha siounty a double
qualificatiqn end :.,be borough the occupation franchise
only you will net have equality, and you will give to
the county in some senses a franchise superier to that
of the borough. But if you are going to transfer the
county freeholder to the borough, that •le, ciiiinge
which has not yet been atee7 much considered, and
, which inieht have eonsequences which have scarcely
, yet been adequately th ught out. It will give the pro-
perty in the boroughs a very tench greater share of re-
presentation than it now possesses, and it will transfer
from the counties an influential nnd isowerful class of
voters.
liaspecting the inclusion of Ireland in a scheme of
Parliaments) y reform, the light hon. Marquis said it
• was useless to ignore the fact that many peoplo outside
i the Conservative ranks wru'd view with disli4e r,ny
measure likely to increase the I;c.WeC of the trrepea-
disable !erect?,
-

Cathet tee Flannagan and Margaret Higgins, charged
with the murder of the latter's husband and adminis-
tering poison, were again taken before the Liverpool
stipendiary rnai.,istrate on 1 uestia7 Lad iu.r.ther re-
manded. The incvl96t has been adjourned until Do
cetnber 5, and the magistrate said that he did not think
it desirable to proceed until the coroner bad concluded
the inquest on both Higgins and Jennings,

On Tuesday, James Har4soz, cairp,mter, was re-
manded, at Wednesbury, for unlawfully wounding
his wife, under painful circumstances. On his going
home he discovered that his wife had pledged the bed-
linen, and spent the money in spirits, He found her
drunk, and a bottle of spirits in her hand. He was
greatly enraged, aud threw a tea cup at her head,
severing the main artery over the left eye.
. . .

THE THREATENED GREAT STRIKE
OF MINERS.

A largely-attended conference of Yorkshire miners'
representatives, held at Barnsley on Monday, endorsed
all the resolutions passed at previous conferences, and
Reread to recommend the miners to form a Joint Com-
mittee, on the basis of the Durham and Nerthum-
berland Committee, to settle local grievances when
the present dispute was end-3. Thirteen other
collieries were reported to he e given 1,868 extra
notices to those published on Saturday, making a
total of 39,000.
A mars meeting of miners in the Sonth Staffordshire
district was held on Monday night at West Bromwich,
when it was noarlinaousty resolved to cease work on
Saturday if an edvance of 10 per cent., or fourpence
per day ia not omc,,,,cled.
A conference of miners wati' held on Monday at
Chesterfield, the 63 delegates present representing
between 13,900 and 14,000 miners. It was stated that
8,667 notices of resignation had-;.been tendered in the
event of an increase of 15 per cent, in the rate of wages
being refused, and that about 700 more would be .ent
in during the next few days. The Conference de
mined to adhere to the resolutions passed by the Man-
chester Conference.

ter. f

On Monday night a conference of the North Wales
Coal Miners' Association, representing BA° colliers,
Was held at Wrexham, under the presidency of Mr.
Thomas Hughes, Rhosllanerchragog. A discussion of
three hours took place upon the noticelgiven by the
coalowners on Saturday last clecljni* .to give any
advance and stating that the advance of 12i pr cent,
given last year was not justified. Much dissatisfaction
was expressed by the miners, and. it wx! ultimate
determined to press for an advance of 15 per cent: an-zr
to serve the coalowners with notices on theo4ll
December.

At a conference of Scotch miners in Glasgow on
Monday it was resolved that the men in every district
'where an advance of wages had not been granted
should not rest satisfied until it was obtained; and
further, that all the miners in the west of Scotland
should endeavour to restrict their labour to eight
hours daily.

On Monday a large meeting of West Lancashire
coalowners was held at Liverpool to consider the ap
plication of the miners for an advance of 15 per cent.
in wages. It was unanimously resolved that the state
of the coal trade did not warrant any advance being
made in wages, and that the application be refused.
A largely attended meeting of the principal colliery
owners of South and West Yorkshire and North
Derbyshire was held at the Victoria Station Hotel,
Sheffield, en Monday afternoon. Mr. J. D. Ellis pre-
sided. The meeting discussed the condition of the
coal trade and the attitude which the men have
assumed, and passed the following resolution
"That this meeting has heard with regret that the
majority of the colliers have given in their notices,
but sees no reason to withdraw from the previously
expressed decision of the coalowners that no advance
whatever in wages is warranted either by the state of
the coal trade, of the iron trade, or any other great
industry of the country, and that should colliers be se
misguided as to act upon their notices each coal owner
here present pledges himself not to concede any
advances. The meeting also discussed the question of
establishing an insurance association to reimburse coal
owners who might suffer by a partial strike, but that
question was left in the hands of the chairman and
secretary for them to confer with a number of the
leading owners of the district, and to report to a
future meeting. A very strong opinion was expressed
that the 10 per cent, conceded last November should
be withdrawn as the state of trade had never justified
the giving of it. No decision, however, was come to.