The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-01-19 00:00:00

(n2c 3tourbribge Obsertler

SATURDAY. JANUARY 10th, 1884.

THE MACHINERY OF LEGISLATION.
Parliament has been summoned for the des-
patch of urgent and important affairs on the
5.h of February, and many of the Ministers
have assembled in London in preparation for
the work of the session. The deliberations of
the Cabinet will now begin in earnest. True,
there were two meetings of her Majesty's confi-
dential advisers early a the year, and within a
few days of its opening, but it is generally
understood that the sitting-i were occupied more
with foreign affairs than %ill domestic legis-
lation. The disaster in the Soudan and the
threatening attitude of the Mandi were quite
s,ifticient to account for those Cabinet meetings.
But a Pariamentary session cannot be devoted
entirely to the discusaion of foreign affair.,
albeit the British Empire is one upon which the
sun never sets. The interests of thirty millions
of people in our islands have to be considered
as well as those of nations abroad, and the re-
cce* has been so active upon the platform that
expectations naturally run high respecting the
the details of the Ministerial measures to be
proposed.
L ndoubtedly first and foremost stands the
question of Parliamentary reform. The political
addresses of the Liberal leaders put this forward
prominently at the time of the general el ction ;
but the pressing needs of Ireland took prece-
dence daring the first three sessions of the
present Parlia.nent. There were the Compen-
sation for Disturbance Bill in 1880, the Land
and Coercion Bills in 1881, and the Arrears and
Crimes Bills in 1882. Ireland, therefore, having
had a full share of legislative attention for one
Parliament, last year was devoted by the
Ministry to commercial and legal reforms, and
now the politiciana say that their turn has come.
The last Reform Bill was carried in 1887, not
quite twenty years ago, and between that and
the previous statute for amending the laws re-
lating to the representation of the people thirty-
five years had elapsed. There can he no doubt
that the census of 1871, and again in 1881,
showed a movement of the population from the
country towards the towns which requires some
readjustment in the balance of political power.
The dwellers in rural districts and in small
towns flock towards the great cities, because
there are found more varied means of employ-
ment and better remuneration. Smell towns
become smaller and large towns grow larger
as time goes on. The populations of the latter
overflow the Parliamentary boundaries as fixed
in 1867; but while the resident inside the line
possesses the vote of the household occupation
franchise, the dweller outside the boundary must
have a .112 rental qualification before he can be
placed upon the register of voters. In London,
where this practically makes no difference,
there is no great demand for Parliamentary re
form. Most men have got it, simply because a
-rental so low as .£l2 is unknown. For instance,
the densely-populated district of Battersea forms
a part of Mid-Surrey, and the voters are on the
county list. Their number would not be
materially increased if Battersea were a borough
with household suffrage instead of a £l2 rental.
Between these two lines there are very few
houses worth living in. In country towns it is,
of course, different, where the rents are not so
high as in the capital.
There are, however, other measures besides
Parliamentary Reform which press upon the
notice of the Government. London municipal
reform undoubtedly claims attention ; and,
althougl, c..i gentreman at the Leeds Confer-
ence expressed his conviction that London
might wait, looking at the fact that the metro-
polis has waited half a century after corporate
government has Wen given to the rest of the
kingdom, the demand of four millions of people
for a uaiform system of local administration is
not unreasonable. There is also the important
queetten of improved local rule in the shires,
there is the thorny subject of licensing, and the
eqnally difficult one of land tenure reform. It
Is not encouraging to reflect that while the
national business to be dealt with by Perliament
is annually on the Increase, the capacity of the
House of Commons for dealing with it does not
augment in proportion. The liking for talk has
grown portentously during the past twenty
years. Then three or four nights of debates
were quite sufficient to settle a vote of confidence
sr we confidence in an Administration ; now
nine, ten, and even eleven nights of debate are
often consumed over the Address in reply to the
Speech from the Throne, a preliminary to the
beginning of any business at all. The body
politic in great proportion are disheartened at
the ceaseless flow of talk in the House of Coin-
moult. If there is any place on the surface of
the globe in which business is earnestly con-
ducted, and with as little expenditure of talk as
possible, it is the City of London. But when a
City merchant goes into the Strangers' Gallery
of the House of Commons, Listens to the number
of words poured forth, and compares them with
the amount of work performed, he must be
amassed at the way in which the business of the
coantry is conducted. Time, so valuable to
most of us. seems to be but little appreciated for
It. importance in that August assembly.