The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1883-04-14 00:00:00

STOURBRIDGE_ CONSTITUTIONAL

ASSOCIATION

A. bauquet in un.neetion with this n 233 iatisn
was given in the Assembly Room of the Talbst
Hotel, Stourbridge, on Monday night. About 150
gsntlemea sat dswn, tse chair being taken by Mr.
W. J. Turney J.P. There. were also present
:
Lard Wind-or, Sir It. Temple, Bart. ; Mr. F.
Nlorckton, M.P. ; Mr. Sampson • S • Lloyd, it v. G.
Gilbrnks, Messrs F. I) L J,P ; W. 'Prow;
C. W. Collis, E. Webb, Henry Smith. C. P. Nosl,
J.P. ; T. D, Thomas, J.P. ; I. L. Ilolberton, J.
Homfray, El. T. Hickman, J P.; A. Freer, J.P. ; B.
Wooldridge, J. M. Brindley, C. Webb, 'W. 0. C.
Addison, 1-1. Boulton, C: G. Metcyard, W. Perry,
A. Homfray, W. W. Welsh, J. Walker, Dr. Eagar,
J. Edwards, E. Strimrer, M. Grazebroak, J. H.
Stringer, 11. Turney, Wilkes W. Webb, D.:Yardley
F. Stuatt, W. Stuart, B. W. J. Grainger, G.
rhompson, S. Humbrey, R. Millinchip, S. Brou,gh•
ton, T. Bishop, D. Smith, &c., Scc. -
The Chairman, in proposing the toast of "The
Queen" said that she was so much rev-red and
loved by all her subj cis that it would be a waste
of time to say anything to commend the toast to
their notice.
The Chairman in prosfosing the second toast said
it was one that was always received with the ut-
most enthusiasm. The Prince of Wales was oue of
the hardest.worktnen in England and was ever
reasly and willing at all times to serve his country
and thought nothing too mush trouble where the
welfare of the people was concerned. The Princess
of Wales was so graceful ant charming that it
would be diffie alt to find any 1 +cly more popular
than che was. He had much p:easnre in giving
" The Prince asset Priacess of Wales, and thereat of
the Roysl Family."
The Chairman then read letters of apology from
Captain Webb, Mr. GeO. Allsosp, Mr. Martin and
Mr. Strawson ; and also remarked that every one
would regret the absence of Earl Beauchamp.
The latter had explained to Mr. Noel that he bad
an important engagement at the House of L-irds
that evesing and therefore was unable to be pre-
sent with them.—Mr. H. Smith said that the rna,st '
he had the honour to propose was one which
needed not much to be said of it to ensure a h. arty
reception—it was "Churah and State." 'the eon-
nection between Church and State had exi4ed for a
number of years and Se hoped the day was far dis-
tant when there would be a dissolus ion of the eon-
nection. The Church was (king a very important
work. Before the introduction of the Education
Act, the education of the lower classes of this
country was carried on by the Church of England.
(hear, heir). It was very much tne same at the
present time. One half of the poor of the parish to
which he belonged were still being brought up at
the national sesools—(hear, hear). He hoped the
connection between church and state would ever
continue in this country. He coupled with the
toast the name of the Rev. G. Gilbanks.—The
Itev. (.1 Gilbanks responded. The toast was one
,which he was glad to see received in the hearty
manner it had been. It was one scarcely second to
any they had before. The church had so been con-
nected with the state that it had made this country
to be honoured and respected by all nations. He
could not see any reason why there sSould be a
separation between the church and state, alih msh
there were a great many people of different opinion.
The Liberatianists were actuate I more by a de-
sire to handle the endowments of the Chu-ch than
to benefit the Church herself- -(sear, hear.)—and he
urged that it was the duty of Churchmen to reset
these attempts at spoliation—(applause).—Mr. H
T. Hickman proposed the "Army, Navy, .and re-
serve Forces." The British army was a voluntary
one, and a small one compared with tte armies of
other countries. He thought with our smal army
—about 700,000 men—we were able to d. fy other
countries. Referring to the short service in the
army Mr. Hickman thought if we looked at our
late campaign in Egypt we should sae that it !sill
not impaired our armies. There was no deterio a-
tion whatever in the class of men that now formed
the army. Referring to the volunteers he thought
it was not neccessary to say one word in favour of
them as they were looked upon as a most useful
branch of the s rvice.
Major Grazebrook responded.

Mr. C. P, Noel, J.P., gave "The Houses of Lords
and Commons." He thought they would all agree
with him that the House of Lords required their
warmest an.; sincerest sympathies in the work they
had to do. The Conservatives were in a strong
majority in the House of Lords, but unfortunately
they had their hands tied behind them to a c rtairi
extent, and could not act quite as they could wish
Mr. Gladstone and Mr. Chamberlain and the Radis
cals at their back would no doubt wish to see the
House of Lords done away with, but it would be a
sad day for this country if that were to occur. In
the House of Commons we had a ministry which he
was quite certain that the sooner they departed in
peace the better—(laughter and applause). They
had had three years to show and they had made a
very go ezl one. They had given us three wars.
If Lord Beaconsfield had beau alive and at the
hi ad of affairs we should not have had either of
them especially that one which Mr. Gladstone called
no war, the Egyptian campaign. Look at Ireland,
if Mr. Gladstone hid had anything like pluck and
had been firm in his resolution, and firm in his
management of things we should not have seen or
heard of those horrible things which had oc.aired
there, none of the buruings and explosions through-
out the country, of the manufacturing of nitro-
glycerine for unlawful purposes such as had been
recently discovered in Birmingham—(hear, hear),
He, as a conservative, only wished that the govern-
ment would depart in peace and Mr. Chamberl .in
would go back to his screw works, and let them
have sensible men like the Marquis of Salisbury
end Sir Stafford Northcote at the head of affairs
and then the country would soon regain its former
prestige—(applause).
Lord Windsor, who was cordially received, re-
sponded on beh If of the House ofLords, remarking
that he could not lay claim on behalf of that as-
sembly fo any large amount of useful legislation
in the present session, but this was partly to be at-
tributed ts the fact that the Government wire not
quite in harmony with he majority of the Upper
House- There were signs, however, that the Prime
Minister intended to give some work to the members
of the House of Lords. They were all aware that
he Premier was very much enamoured of commit-
tees, and he had now invented a method of shelv-
ing fr m the Government responsibility by institut-
ing a joint committee of both Ho us .8 of Parliament
to consider the question of the channsl tunnel.
This was a question of eta ional irripoitance on
which the Government should ere this have made
up its mind; but instead of doing so they had ap-
pointed or given notice of their intention to appoint
a Joint Committee to make up its mind for them—
(laugh ter). There was but one conclusion to draw
from this conduct, and that was that half of the
members of the Cabinet were in favour of one mode
of proceeding, and the other in favour of a different
msthod—(hear, hear). This was another instance
of the double-faced policy which had characterised
her Majesty's Government on more than one oc-
c :sion—(applause). It was always pleasant to
judge people out of their own mouths, and he
would therefore judge the Government out of the
mouth of the President of the Board of Trade, who
stated in the House of Commons during the deleate
on the Address that the policy of the Government
in Ireland was a two-fold poicy (hear, hear).
This miant much the same, though per Saps it •vas
a pleasanter word than the (Lord Windsor) had
used. But it was a policy which had brought great
disasters upon toe country—(applause). The Gov
eminent bad ignored the manifesto which Lord
Beaconsfield wrote to the Lord-Lieutenant of Ire—
lend, and by alternate Coercion Bills and Land
Bills had brought about the disastrous and unsettled
state of that sountry—(applause). The cordial way
in which the toast had been r eeived was of par-
ticular importance to the House of Lords at the
present time. The peers had been e:sailed from
many quarters, and the work before them was by no
means light; but if they received the support of the
country at large they would be satisfied that they
had done their duty—(applause).
Mr. F. Monckton, M.P., responded to the toast on
behalf of the House of Commons. He said he did so
in consequence of the absence of any Conservative
member for Eat Worcestershire, an omission lie
hope,' they would remedy on the earliest oppor-
tunity—(hear, hear). . Though they belonged to a
p irty which had often hAet taunted for its apathy,
he was glad to fee that they had taken time by the
forelock, and wsie prepared for the coming struggle
with two such excellent candidates (applause).
Mr. Saws, n. Lloyd was an old hind of his in the
nous- of Commons, as here Mr. Lloyd's great corn-
mereisl knowledge, his habits of business and
mode. t demeanour always gained him the ready ear
of the House. Sir Richard Temple, with his great
knowledge:of;lndia, the knowledge,of other countries
he had obtained in his travels, and his general
ability would also be a desirable acquisition to the I
House—(applause).
Lord Windsor then proposed "The Conservative ;
candidates." He was sure they would drink with
the utmost heartiness the health of the two Con-
servative candidates for East Worcestershire—
(cheers). Sir Richard Temple—(oheers)—hed
already fought a good fight for them under the
pecuiiarly disadvantageous circumstances of a long
, absence from England, and returning as he did only
just before the election—(hear, hear)—and Mr.
Sampson Lloyd—((.heers)—was well known to all in
that neighbourhood, and he was sure they welcomed
him with the gteate-t confidence as anuth, r can-
didate for that di vision—(appleu It as always
difficult to interpret the real eel of the country•