The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1885-03-28 00:00:00

A

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

" The very woman I had in my mind all the way'
home," said Eben, as if exulting in his sagacity.
"She is as shrewd as a lawyer, and, as fond of
money; and then she is a good, motherly, or even
grandmotherly-looking woman, and would not readily
ba suspected of—of deceit or worldliness."
"Yes, yes; and we know that she has no trouble-
some scruples, not to say that we want her to do any-
thing wrong."
"Oh, of course not," said Honora, laughing.' " But,
there—go and bring her, go and bring her: but, Eben,
don't commit yourself to her."
"No, not further than necessary."
"All we want of her is to get the child. We will
find some one else to take care of it, so as not to put
too much power in her hands. She is not to know
whose child it is, or why we want it. Do you under-
stand ? "

/RINI Erma.
In the HOUSB OP Loans, March 23, the Trinity.
College Dublin (Perpetuity Grants) Bill was discussed
at some length, bat thrown out on a motion for second
reading by 42 to 16. The Educational Endowments
(Ireland) Bill, and the Elections (Hours of Poll) Bill
were read a second time.

Replying to Lord Blink), Lord Dalhousie announced
that a Bill creating a Secretary for Scotland would be
introduced into their lordships' House after the Easter
recess.

THE EGYPTIAN CONVENTION.
In the HOUSE or Commows Sir S. Northcote moved
the adjournment of the House, in order to discuss the
arrangement proposed by the Government for debating
the draft of the Egyptian Convention. He said a
general anxiety was felt that nothing should be done
which would lay this country open to the danger of a
Multiple Control being established in Egyptian affairs.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer had told the House
that the interference, of the Powers was not barred by
any express provision; and under all these circum-
stances ample time and opportunity should be given
for considering the question.
WHITEHALL. Mr. Gladstone said the Government held it to be
It has been determined to remove en masse to an their absolute and bounden duty to ask the House to
adjacent site the large house in Whitehall which was come toa definite resolution before separating for the
Easter
recess. Every expedient for staving off the
lately occupied by Lord Carrington. Careful esti- financial difficulties of Egypt was now exhausted. In
mates have been prepared, the necessary funds have April they would be at the end of their tether unless
been provided, and the responsibility for the work the House passed the resolution which would be sub-
has been placed upon Major-General Sir Andrew mitted to it. Nothing but the most pressing necessity
Clarke, R.E. The house stands upon Crown property, compelled the Government to decline the right hon.
and is one of the very few domestic works of the baronet's request.
architect, Sir William Chambers which remain intact. After some further discussion the motion for ad-
Its exterior presents nothing architecturally remark- journment was withdrawn, and Sir S. Nortbcote inti-
able ; but the beauty of the interior is well known, and mated that he accepted the proposal of the Prime
was partially illustrated a few months ago Minister to take Thursday for debating the resolution.
in the Builder. There has of late years been THE SEATS BILL.
Committee on the Redistribution of Seats Bill was
too much activity on the part of the des- Committee
resumed. In the course of a discussion which
troying angel, and many houses of great his- arose upon a motion of Mr. Raikes for the re-arrange-
tone interest (among them the several residences meat of some of the Metropolitan Constituencies, Sir
of Milton, e.g.), which might have been wisely pre- C. Dilke admitted that under the scheme of the bill the
served for our posterity, have wholly disappeared. It East-end of London would be over-represented, and the
is time that some effort should be made in high West-end under-represented. In order to correct this
places to discountenance the wholesale destruction inequality he agreed to insert Westminster in the
which has heretofwe been going on around us. It is Third Schedule, and give it a fourth member, whose
therefore with peculiar satisfaction that we regard seat, after consultation with the Boundary Corn-
this attempt to save from the spoiler one, at least, of missioners, would be taken from the East-end.
the many characteristic works of our ancestors. It
is estimated that structures of the class to which
Lord Carrington's house belongs may be removed
bodily for one-half the sum they would cost to re-
build. The intended experiment in Whitehall,
although common enough in America, is a novelty
with us, and will be watched with general curiosity.—

"Oh, yes—l see. I will tell her nothing until I get
her here, and in the meantime we can digest the sub
sect better."

(To be continued)

Builder.

NEUTRAL VESSELS IN CHINESE WATERS.
An the Houss OF LORDS, March 24th, Earl Granville
inTormed Earl De-La-Warr, with regard to that, the
French Ambassador had received an assurance from his
Government favouring the treatment of neutral veswAis
in Chinese waters to be exactly the same whatever their
nationality.

-TUB " SURPRISE " IN THE SOUDAN.
I Lord Greville intimated his intention of asking the
THE BECHUANALAND FIELD FORCE. Field-liarshal Commanding-in-Chief 'whether, having
regard to the unnecessarily heavy loss of men, and the
The following are the arrangements sanctioned by almost total annihilation of transport, sustained by our
the lieut.-general commanding in South Africa for troops in the advance from Souakim on Sunday last,
forwarding parcels to officers and others serving with owing to neglect of the most ordinary military pre.
the Bechuanaland field force: 1. Parcels for officers cautions when advancing in an enemy's country, the
and others of the Bechuanaland field force, if ad- General commanding on the occasion still retained the
dressed to the care of "The Officer Commanding, confidence of his Royal Highness.
General Depot, Bechuanaland Field Force," will be oTheir lordships adjourned at ten minutes to five
'clock.
sent up country at the risk of the consignee, who
must be responsible for all expenses. 2. Letters of
advice from England. must contain description of
parcels and contents, and be forwarded to the Officer
Commanding, General Depot, Bechuanaland Field
Force, Capetown. 3. The officer commanding General
Depot undertakes to notify to the parties concerned
the arrival of parcels and the charges thereon, and
on receipt of a remittance to defray the expenses will
forward the parcel. 4. The Customs authorities
have consented to allow the parcels to be cleared free
of Customs stamps and dock dues on the letter of
application of the officer commanding General DepOt
certifying that the articles are bona fide for the use
of the party concerned, and are neither cigars,
tobacco, nor spirits.

QUESTIONS.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr: M'Coan gave notice
that on Thursday he would ask the Prime Minister
whether it is too late to obtain from the Powers some
recorded expression of their understanding that the
international guarantee of the new Egyptian loan does
not create or import any interference in the affairs of
Egypt.
Questions having been put by Mr. M'Coan and Mr.
Onslow as to statements that the Russians had
endeavoured to create an outbreak in Penjdeh and that
Colonel Alikhanoff had attempted to get into Penjdeh
by a "coup de main," Lord E. Fitzmaurice repeated
that in the present state of the negotiations it would
not be expedient to reply to questions of this nature.
The noble lord informed Mr. Gibson that it would be
unusual and inconvenient to publish the instructions
to the British representatives on the Suez Canal Com-
mission. The Commission would meet on the 31st of
March.

In reply to Lord G. Hamilton, the Chancellor of the
Exchequer said he was informed by telegraph that
there would be a deficit in the Egyptian Exchequer,
after exhausting the balance in hand on the 31st of
March, of about £310,000.
Mr. Star hope having asked whether the Government
could hold out any hope of a day being fixed for the
commencement of the work of the Afghan nontier
Commission, or if the negotiations for the settlement
of that frontier are to take place in London in accord-
ance with the request of the Russian Government, Mr.
Gladstone said he was unable at present to answer the
question,but he ought to say that the Government could
not fairly make it a matter of complaint thatno answer
had yet been received to an important communication
which was made by Lord Granville to the Russian
Government on the 16th inst. He did not think the
answer could long be delayed, and probably its effect
would be to bring to issue the question whether there
were to be negotiations in London or, as hit. Majesty's
Government desired, a local inquiry on the spot.
Mr. Onslow inquired whether it was not arranged
last autumn that the boundary should be fixed in
Afghanistan and not in London; but Mr. Gladstone
declined to go back upon that subject, as partial
answers might lead to inferences being drawn which
would be prejudicial to the public service.
Sir H. D. Wolff asked whether the right hon. gentle-
man would be prepared to make a statement to the
House before the adjournment for Easter as to the
position of the relations between this country and
Russia. To this Mr. Gladstone replied that he was
not in a position to suppose that it would be advan-
tageous to the public service that he should make any
such statement.