The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-12-04 00:00:00

IRISH GRIEVANCES, AND THEIR
REMEDIES.

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penul
it ir

Lord Portsmouth spoke on these topics at an fin.
portant agricultural meeting held near his seat at
Eggeeford on Friday in last week. Ile pointed out
that agriculturists ought to take every opportunity of
specifying publicly their grievances. It was no use,
he said, to go into generalities and say "We are ag-
grieved." These generalities, like general invitations,
meant nothing, and perhaps that was the light in
which Her Majesty's advisers regarded them. The
coat of the police, which was mainly borne by the land,
ought to be thrown on the general taxation of the
country; and the whole force ought to be put under
Government c tntrol with a central management— say
in Loudon. This would greatly increase the efficiency
of the potion and lighten the burden now borne by the
farmers. With regard to the Irish land question, he
denied the statements of a certsiu class of speakers
and writers, who spoke of In Ii tenants providing
their own buildings as the exception and not the rule.
As an Irish proprietor he could say that there were
few instances in which the buildings were provided by
the landlord ; indeed, a friend if 1•,11 who had resid-d
in Ireland for a number ef years had .aid that he could
smut those cages on his fingeri. One objection to
assimilating Irish tenure to English tenure was that
tensnts often laid out such a large sum of money on
their estates that it would cost a into nearly ec,ual to
the fee eimple to buy them nut if the landlord wished
his laud to change bands. That would not pay. The
great cry of the Irish people at the present moment
was with regard to fixity of tenure. Why did it arise?
Because they felt that the miserable system of tenancy
at will impaired their energies. If there was security
of tenure in Ireland tbe farmers of that country would
be ready to lay out 20 millions on the land, which
were now kept in banks. They were quite willing to
lay out their money if they could have reasonable hope
of seeing a return. The object of any satisfactory
Land Bill must be to change the mutual distrust
between landlord and tenant into mutual confidence,
without which no country could flourish.

Mr. Knatchbull-Hugessen, M. P. , addressing his
constituents at Deal, on Monday night, said :—.Two
factions appeared to exist in Ireland—the Fenians and
the tenant-right agitator& In dealing with Ireland
the Government would be wrong if, ix adopting re-
medial measures with one hand, the sword of justice
was not well displayed in the other; for it was with
regret he noticed that in the course of the agitation
violence and threats had been used that no Govern-
ment could stand. He questioned whether too much
licence had not been given to the press in that country
which propagated sedition and treason amongst certain
classes, and whether the Government would not be
justified in putting a stop to it. He believed the Go-
vernment was anxious to adopt a remedial Measure,
but to maintain justice, and he was of opinion that if
it was thought desirable they would bs strengthened
In this comse by a vast majority petitioning them to
carry out that potcy.

Mr. Stephens, on the concltudon of the evidence,
asked petnussion to begin his address on Monday, at
the time intimating that he could not conclude
on that day.
The Dean of Arches thought, as it was not three
o'clock, behad better proceed and make some progress.
Mr. Stephens complained of being forced on. He
submitted that he had established the charges, and
the defendant had introduced the superstitious core.
monies of the Church of Rome into the services.
The case was then adjourned.
The following is the letter sent by Mr. rumbas to
the judge :

"TO THE RIGHT HON. AIR R. J. PHILLIMORE, D.C.L DEAN

........
oF THE ARCHES COURT OF CANTERBURY.
" My Lord,—Having been cited into your lordship's court
for alleged breaches of the ecclesiastical law when conduct-
ing Divine Service In St. James's Chapel, Brighton, of which
I ern the incumbent, I feel it to Be due to your lordship to
state why I have not appeared to the citation, lest my silence
should be construed into neglect of the courtesy due to your
lordship or into want of respect for the authorityof the court !
over which you preside.
'The suit has been promoted against me nominally at the
instance of Colonel Elphinstone, who resides at 10, Mont-
pellier-crescent, Brigid, ,n, nearly a mile front St. James's
Chapel. lie has never, I believe, until within the last nionth
been present at any of the services in my chapel, and cer-
tainly he is not under any kind of obligation to attend them.
In his application to the bishop of thicliester, dated June 12,
Itta9, to take or allow proceedings against tile, Colonel
Elphinstone states that 'he is solely actuated by a deep sense
of the scandal and injury which has arisen to the Church in
his ' lordship's diocese, and especially in Brighton, from
' soy' irregular and illegal proceedings.' I am not aware,
however, my lord, of the existence of any such • scandal And
injury ; ' but if Colonel Elphinstone considers it right to take
upon himself the office of pulite, prosecutor, he ought surely,
first, to discharge the duty imposed upan him as the warden
of an Fa iscopal chapel in Brighton, by Midi genre that no
sandal and injury' to the Church is caused by disobedience
to the ecclesiastical laws in that chapel.
•• • -

" The town of Briehtou le one parish, with a population nf
above B 0,00,) inhabitants independently of visitors), and .
comprising persons holding, probably every kind of Is lief
and opinion on religions matters, whether in or out of the
Church of England; it contains twenty-one episcopal churches
and chapels, stone of which have any legal teciesito,ticel
tilt-
trio', while St. James's Chapel has not cretin conventional
district assigned to it. Therefore, atteedance upon its ear-
vice is entirely voluntaty on the part of the large number of
persons of different classes who frequent it. So, then, my
lord, I humbly think that its minister and the congregation
which is satisfied with the services as there conducted, are
entitled to as much toleration as is given to the clergy and
coegregations of other churehes and chapels in Brighton un-
less it can be proved that the rubrics of the Book of Common
Prayer end the other laws of the Church of England are
more strictly obeyed in those other churches and chapels
than they are in St. James's Chapel.
"Your lordship, however, is, no doubt, aware of the note-
riots fact that the seal promoter of t;e suit against me is a
body styling Its, If • The Church Association,' which has col
tented large funds for the avowed purpose of exterminating
what is catted 'Ritualism' in the Church of England; that
Is. in truth, of preventing all teaching and ceremonial
which do not agree with its own now of what ought to be
eermitted. I leave it to the public to dceide whether
.c is consistent with equity, or even juettee, that either a
persecuting association like this, or an individual who has
no personal grievance of which to complain, should be
allowed to molest laity and clergy who prefer a service
the Cleach of England conducted differently from what they
themselves approve.
'Against such no association, my ord, I have no means of
contending by the employment of counsel to advocate my
call's; I have no funds of my own to defray the very heavy
expenses of defending a suit in the ecclesiaqical courts, anti
it would bests injustice to my family to involve myself in
costs which I have 110 prospect of defraying. It is open to
me, I am aware, to conduct my own ease, but the state of
my health physically disables me from personally making
that defence which else I could maintain. Under these cir-
cutnstances. I am compelled to allow the prosecution in
your lordship's court to take its course unreality! by me ;
and I meet trust to such protection as I am sure your lord-
ship will afford use in the Impartial diecharge of your lord.
ship's office.
"It seems only right to inform your lordship that eight
months trior to Colonel Elphingtone's application to the
Billiton of Chichester, I twice requested his lordship to afford
me an interview with reference to charges which his lord-
ship informed me had been laid before him touching the
services in St. James's Chapel ; hut the Bishop, without
assigning a reason, declined to see me, and I have not since
heard front his lordship. My object in mentioning this is
simply to state my own position, and net to make any corm
plaint of the course taken by my dieceian.
"I purpose sending copies of this letter to public
nrnals —I em, my lord, with much reapect, your lordship's
obedient servant, "Jolla reheiiB6.
"7, Montpellier Villas, Brighton, Nov. 26."

On l'ilonday morning the Rsv. John Purchas wan
formally called by the apparitor, but did not answer.
Mr. Stephens, Q.C., who appeared for the promoter
of the suit, referred to a vast number of authorities
with a view to show that the (Erections of the Church
had been violated by Mr. Purvhae in the proceedings
which had been spoken to by the witnes•es, and after
lengthened arguments the case closed, and the Dean
of Arches reserved judgment.

A MEMBER OF PARLIAMENT ON
WORKING MEN'S AMUSEMENTS.
Mr. S. R. Graves, M. P., in presiding on Saturday
evening at the first of a series of lectures to be delivered
during the winter evenings in the Operative Trades'
Hall at Liverpool, contrasted the evening recreations
of the working classes on the Continent with those of
the some class in this country, the comparison being
greatly in favour of the amusements available to the
con, ioental working men and their families. He re-
marked however, that in Liverpool at least an improves ,
merit was taking place in this respect. Public parks were
spri icing up in various parts of the town, and some
public.spirited gentlemen were planning the formation
of zoological ge nlens in Sefton Park, which he thought
would be a very desirable contribution towards the
evening amusements of the masses of the people. Mr.
Graves subsequently expressed a hope for the success
of the experiment which the operative trades who
had erected that hall were making. Ile trusted tbat
the success would be stub that they would be enabled
to erect a ball for their winter recreations as large as
, that in which the Saturday evening concerts are now
given. Believing that music was is refining element in
their evening entertainments, Mr. Graves promised
his audience the present of a pianoforte, which be re.
commended should he played in the hall on every no
casion that the building was open.

no one knew anything about it, as there were no i
witnesses present. I said it was well known I was
engaged to him. I then told my father what had I
happened, and he gave directions for this action. My
salary as matron was £4O a-year besides board and
lodging. My appointment was worth £lOO a-year.
The defendant told use that he would not trouble him- I
self with business as he had plenty of property and
was independent. My marriage clothes cost between
£3O and £4O.
Cross-examined: Before I became matron of Wandm
worth and Clapham Union, I had a situation as cook
at Southgate. I was acquainted with a young man
who holds a situation as salesman in London, and I
was engaged to be married to him. The marriage was
broken off in July or August last year, in consequence
of his unsteady habits. lie told we his habits were
unsteady, and he condemned himself very much for
his conduct towards um. I did not bring an action
against him. I told the defendant that I had been
recently engaged, but he said he had been married
before, and he supposed I had been engaged before,
but he did not mind that at aIL (Laughter.)
. .

Mrs. Harrington, the plaintiffs slater, gave con-
firmatory evidence of the promise. In March the de-
fendant was at her house, and in the presence of the
plaitittff be said to witness, "I wish you were a
minister, that you might marry us," He also said he
ilia not wish anything to be kuawn about the engage-
ment until On y were mart ied.
This was the case for the plaintiff, and the usual
mid-day adjournment of the court took place.
On the return of the jury. Mr. Digby Seymour said
that he was linppy to announce that the Case was
settled. A verdict would be entered for the plaintiff,
with £3OO damages, the plaintiff and defendant to pay
their own costs. If it was eupposed that any imputa-
tion had been cast upon plaintiff he wished to withdraw
it, but he did not think there had been.
Mr. Baron Martin: There was no imputation what.
'ever. On the contrary, she was a higi ly respectable
young woman, and having once bsen a cook is very
much to her credit, because she has elevated herself to
a higher and more responsible position. I nevtr
heard a woman give her evidence with greater pro-
priety.
Verdict for plaintiff—damages, £3OO.