The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-06-21 00:00:00

Stanley, that the Greek priestS imprisoned in Cyprus bad
been deprived of their beards in accordance with the English
prison regulations. There had, however, been an irregu-
larity, as they were only imprisoned for a brief period, and
steps had been taken to prevent the recurrence of such an
event.

Rming got through several orders of the day, their lord-
ships adjourned at ten minutes past seven o'clock.

At the Morning Sitting of the Horn or C03131025'5, in
answer to a question from Mr. O'Donnell, Colonel Stanley
said he had no information that there had been a good deal
of flogging in the camp and on the march in Natal.
Colonel Colthurst asked the Secretary of State for War
whether he would consider the desirableness or allowing a
pension to the widows and orphans of soldiers married with
leave, and who have re-engaged after completion of twelve
years' service.

Colonel Stanley, in reply, said that if the hon. and gallant
gentleman meant to ask whether he had prepared any
scheme for allowing the pensions to which he refers, he
could not say that that was the case. Of course, the question
of the desirableness of allowing such pensions had often been
considered, but they had never been grapted generally,
and he feared that the enormous cost and difficulty of their
payment would prove a very great bar to the adoption of any
such scheme.

Sir M. Hicks-Beach stated, in reply to several questions
put by Mr. O'Donnell, that he was not aware that several
hundreds of native villages had been plundered and destroyed
since the rising of the Galekas down to the present time, or
that the practice was still continued, nor did he believe there
was any practice of the kind. No doubt some of these
villages were destroyed in war time, but only when it was
necessary for purposes of warfare. lie had no information
of his own with reference to the detention of Cetewayo's
messengers, but, as far as he had been able to judge from the
telegrams he had read in the House a few days since, he
doubted the accuracy of the statement that they had been
sent to prison. It Basuto insurgents had been, as allegad,
driven out of caves where they were maintaining themselves
in rebellion, by smoke, the process, however painful, was
more humane than starvation; and, if the newspaper tele-
grams referred to were correct, it would appear that the
object was effected without loss of life.
Mr. Mac Iver, in reply to an appeal from the Chancellor
of the Exchequer, consented to withdraw his motion on
commercial distress, which stands for Friday night, in order
to facilitate the progress of the Army Discipline Bill. He
announced that he would move it as an addition to Mr.
Chaplin's Resolution on Agricultural Distress ; and the
Chancellor of the Exchequer said he would endeavour to
make arrangements for giving Mr. Chaplin Friday, the 4th of
July. _

The House having gone into Committee on the Army
Discipline Bill, the discussion of the question of flogging in
the army, which has already occupied two Morning Sittings,
was resumed on Mr. Hopwood' s amendment to reduce the
maximum punishment .to six lashes. Mr. Holms, Mr.
Bylands, and other members spoke in favour of the amend-
ment, Mr. Mantz, on the other hand, thought that on active
service if the lash were abolished, death would be the only
alternative. Mr. J. Brown suggested 25 lashes as a maxi-
mum, and

Colonel Stanley said it was impossible for him, acting on
the opinion of those who were responsible for the discipline
of the Army, to consent to the amendment, and mainly on
the ground that if the punishment were made too light it
would have to be replaced by others more severe.

Mr. Chamberlain, in supporting the amendment, justified
the "obstruction" with which the Bill was met by the ob-
stinacy of the Government in refusing concessions, and
pointed out that as the punishment by the language of the
Bill was applicable on active service to all offences punish-
able in time of peace by imprisonment, it might be inflicted
for small offences.

Sir William Harcourt acknowledged the force of this ob
jection, and suggested that there should be some definition
of the crimes for which corporal punishment might be in
Illeted.

Colonel Stanley said be could not give any pledge offhand,
but would consider the suggestion.

Mr. Henry urged that the clause should be postponed ; and
the suggestion of Sir William Harcourt was supported by Sir
C. Dunce, Sir Robert Peel, and other members. Ultimately
Colonel Stanley agreed to amend the clause in such a manner
that corporal punishment shall be limited to offences to be
defined in the schedules.
Mr. Hopwood having withdrawn his amendment in favour
of Mr. J. Brown's proposal to reduce the maximum to
twenty-five lashes, Mr. Bright warmly supported it, pointing
out that the degradation and the pain were Just as great
with 25 as with 50 lashes.

After some discussion, the Marquis of Hartington put it
to the Government whether, looking to the strong feeling
manifested, they would not facilitate the progress of the
Bill by accepting the compromise.
Mr. Milbamk made an animated speech, drawing on the
experience of his early military career, against corporal
punishment; and Colonel Mure, Mr. Hermon, and Colonel
Alexander also appealed to the Government to accept the
amendment. In the end, Colonel Stanley, yielding, as he
said, more especially to the opinion of Colonel Mitre and
Colonel Alexander, accepted the amendment, and the
maximum named in the clause was accordingly reduced
from 50 to 25.

The rest of the afternoon was spent on a further amend-
ment by Mr. Hopwood to substitute a whip of one thong for
the "cat-of-nine-tails." A consequential amendment to
substitute "stripes" for "lashes" was negatived by 219 to
102, and the main amendment was negatived by 164 to 51.

At the Evening Sitting Sir W. Harcourt called attention
to the manner in which the design of Parliament in pro-
viding a Council both in India and in England. as advisers
and checks upon the Executive, had been defeated by the
recent action of the Viceroy and the Secretary of State;
and he moved for the production of their communications
relative to the repeal of the cotton duties.

Mr. Stanhope said that the Government had merely con-
tinued the policy and procedure of its predecessors, from
which the Viceroy and Secretary of State had not departed
In the smallest degree. Indeed the present and late Secre-
taries communicated more to their Council than the Duke of
Argyll did.
" - -

Eventually the motion for papers, so far as they related to
the minutes in Council, was agreed to, and the other business
being disposed of, the House adjourned at twenty-five
minutes to one.