The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-22 00:00:00

Ett .3toxtrbage d) bse tr.

SATURDAY, APRIL 22, 187 G.

VOLUNTEEItS AND THEIR cmrics.

may be said with safety that although very
mach that is true, very little that is new, can
now be written of the Volunteers of Great
Britain. A long time has now elapsed, since
the force was called into existence—a good por-
tion, that is to say, in the life of human being,
although a mere speck in the history of a nation.
It is now working on to twenty years ago that,
at the close of the war with hussia, a plot Was
formed by some Italian exiles to assassinate the
En2peror Napoleon, who had been our steadfaet
ally in the Crimean struggle. There were, it is
true, unkind critics of the French Emperor who
declared that at the time when England was
thoroughly prepared to carry the war to a more
successful issue than that which was its result,
Napoleon sought a pretext to patch up a peace,
the French notion of military glOry being for
the time satisfied. But there are always un-
charitable people in the world who never fail to
pat an unfavourable construction upon any act
performed by a public man, and although it is
undoubtedly true that Napoleon waS, in 1856,
more eager to make peace than we were, let us
do justice to him, and say that while the %via.
wito Russia, lasted, he was loyal to his alliea.
Tim conflict over, and the attention of the
people no longer being absorbed by'the fate of
contending unuies, there was inure time to
study dornebtle reform., and toe refugees of rel
nations then usseunnedin LohdOn, in uotieing
the Emperor .Nriport,un's internal policy, detec-
ted, or, at an eveuts, professed to detect inaet
serious dew, welch, ru their estimation, could
be removed u :ty the extinction 01 the jilL
of the ult.a.oieg Innen ate. For mouths the)
worked qui@ ty upou their diabolical scheme;
fur whatever may be Lite faults anti errors of any
wee, the crime of assassination is always a foul
And dastardly one. It stiikes a man down, or
ahtruipta 10 du so, at a time when he, ail un-
IS tuLany unprepared fur defeuee ;
suppectirig,
it is 11k. the peotiletwo which walketh in dark
neats, or like a thief that emneth in tlae eight.
At length the plan*, being thoroughly
were carried out. On the evening of the 14th
of Jauuary, 1858, desperate men gathered about
the Hue LapelirLier, in mid as the ben
(Likened towards the west, deadly -butubeliells
were it ini.ler the Emperor's carriage as he
WAS gorug to the opera. Six persons wart
killed, and mute than a huudred wounded,
Napoluou Lime If and the other occupants ef
the ettlipsge irli aeulondy ese Wing.
Str,6lJue as it may Sce)111, the dinging of the
tnisiut bombs was really the beginning of till.
Volunteer movement in this country. No
sooner was it. kitown in the French, tinny that
the viiiainou4 plot for the Emperor'. aesa-.Ana-
tear was ioeubated in London than a cry of
lr,.l:ttit)n wont up frnm VI; rankS; and
01.., -worded addresses ‘s.,:io p‘iblislied iii
the k 4 - (Amens-, the French oLie.iaL Organ, answer-
i‘st; to our London Gazette, in which a most
()Unitive tone was adopted towards Great

It was seconded by Mr. Ick.
Mr. Stringer moved a vote of thanks to Messrs.
Wood and Priddey (the retiring churchwardens),
Major Walker seconded the motion.
The Chairman said the next business would be
to appoint churchwardens. He nominated as
Vicar's warden, Mr. Shearman. -

_
Mr. Mnlinchip proposed that Mr. Thomas Bland
be people's warden for the ensuing year.
Mr. Jackson seconded the motion, and there
being no other person nominated Mr. Bland was
elected.
Mr. Broomhall moved a vote of thanks to the
Chairman.

Mr. Stringer seconded it and the proceedings
closed.

It is earnestly requested that a subscription list
will be started to clear off the debt on the church.

VESTRY MEETING AT OLDSWINFORD.

LIVELY PROCEEDINGS.

. .

A vestry meeting was held on Tuesday last, for
the purpose of passing the accounts and appoint-
ing churchwardens. Punctual to the minute the
chair was taken by the Rev. 'H. Downing, but the
vestry quickly filled and on the motion of Mr.
Collis seconded by Mr. Prescott, the meeting was
adjourned to the school room. Great throngs of
persons were now seen wending their way from
all parts of the parish and a good number from
the Lye district. On the way to the school room
good deal of banter took place, and a fair
amount of hissing and hooting at those who did
not appear to belong to Mr. Prescott's party. As
Soon as the school room door was open a great
rush was made to get in and in a few. minutes the
room was full. Among those present were Messrs.
C. King, E. W. Bernard; W. B. Collis, S. Williams,
P. Walker, W. H. Jones, E. Stringer, W. .H.
Penney, G. Perry, Burton, Priddey, k'. Perks, H.
Perks, H. Hill, Rev. Maughn, &e.
The Chairman said the first thing to do would
be to read the notice calling the meeting. He
hen read the notice and said, as it was his first
appearance among them he trusted that all would
suppoit him in doing -what was right, fair, and
orderly—(cheers)—and that the meeting would be
creditable to then& -as Englishmen—(applause).
He said the first business-a-as to pass the accounts.
The Crier from the Lye then got up and said
Mr. Chairman, I wish for Mr. Prescott to pay me
for my day's work—(a burst of laughter followed
the remark).
The Chairman said he had nothing to do with
I that. It was no business of the meeting and they
must keep strictly to the business before them—
(cheers).
Mr. King, the vicar's warden, said the subscrip-
tions amounted to £ll2 16s, and the expenditure
to £lll 17s Old leaving A balance of .21 12s 61d.
Mr. King said as Mr. Prescott was the people's
churchwarden perhaps he would pay off the small
balance as he had not subscribed.
Mr. Prescott declined to do so.

Mr. Collis then inoved that the accounts be
passed which was seconded by Mr. W. H. Jones.
Mr. Prescott said that was not the time to pass
the accounts and they had not been audited.
Mr. Collis: Here they are, and they can be
audited in five minutes.
Mr. Prescott said he should move that the
accounts 1.)• not passed until they had been audited
and brought before the Bishop.
This was seconded by James Cox.
A Voice: He is not a subscriber and has nothing
to do with the accounts.

Mr:Prescott said it did net matter whether he
was a subscriber or not. The ratepayers were
called together to pass the accounts and it did not
matter if the man in the moon subscribed. That
WAS not the proper place to bring the accounts
because they would have to go before the Bishop
and Archdeacon " in this case " and he shouldmove
that the accounts be not passed.

Mr. Collis, holding up the accounts said " Here
they are and can be audited inltive minutes," and
Mr. Prescott had not subscribed.
Mr. Prescott said he had subscribed more money
than him or Mr. King.
Mr. King: How,
Mr. Prescott: Mr. Collis has pocketed eight or
nine pounds. Cries of" Order, put him down."
Mr. Collis said he should make him prove that.
Mr. Prescott said he had it from very good
authority and proceeded to read an old notice
amid great confusion, groans, hissl:z, and cries of
"Pay the crier." He said if th"ceounts weie
pas.ed without being audited he should demand a
poll.

- The Chairman wad in his b 44 parish the- sub-
scriptions to the church expenses wore voluntary,
and only those who oontribut4Al took part in the
control stewed a common sense view of the
matter. Tlieuceounts were merely -brought for-
ward by the churchwardens out of courtksy to
those who had subscribed, us it waf3 usual to-eend
round printed forma how the money had been
expended.

-Mr. Prescott said he was willing to withdraw ,
his amendment if the proposition waa withdrawn.
Mr. Penney said the balance was but small and he
would give half a s.wereign if Mr. Preaeott would
give another--(hear, hear).
Mr. Pies 'at saidlif the resolution was not with-
ddwn he should demand a poll.
Mr. 'Collis said he couldn't take a poll on those
meounte. They were privatelsubseriptionv.

Mr. Prescott:„Very well, he would beat them at
that and said he hoped the Chairman would fix
Monday as the polling day.
The Chairman said the right rested with him to
name the day.
Mr. Prescott hoped that it would be fixed so
that the ratepayers could attend.
The Chairman said he should fix Friday as the
day of poll, to commence at nine in the morning
and close at four in the school room. He wished
to say one word of friendly warning and that was
to those who had not a right to vote, and that
was that he hoped they would not lose no time in
attending.
Mr. Prescott complained that Friday was an
inconvenient day for working men to poll, and
demanded that Monday be the day and he should
take the poll of the whole parish.
Mr. Bernard said opinion of the first counsel
had been taken and no one was entitled to vote,
but those belonging to Oldswinford.
At this stake a great uproar took place, and
cries of "Monday, Monday, we don't want any
puseyites in this parish."
The Chairman said he should adjourn the meet
-
till Friday. Amid great uproar, hissing, and
yelling the meeting was then adjourned till
Friday (yesterday).