The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1884-05-10 00:00:00

BRIERLEY HILL LOCAL BOARD,

The first meeting of the Brierley Hill Local
Board since the annual election was held at the
T.Avn Hall on Monday, Messrs R. 13. Guest, S.
lasull, E. Grove, H. Humphries, H. Longlands, and
B. Freeth were plesent. Mr. E. Urove was voted
to the ehairpro tern., and on the motion of Mr.
Mantle, seconded by Mr. Guest, Mr. M. Robinson
was unanimously elected chairman for the ensuing
year.
The Sanitary anu OLeLLLI rarposes Committee
Aeported that the Committee of Highways and
Locomotives had presented a petition to the Staf-
fordshire Quarter Sessions on April Bth, proposing
to apply to the Local Government Board for a pro-
visional order declaring certain main roads ordinary
highways. The committee recommended that a
deputation be appointed to attend any meeting
which might be called, and to oppose the granting
of a provisional order.

The Medical Officer of Heath (Mr. G. Ashnaead)
reported that 20 deaths had occurred during the
month, giving a death-rate of 2016. per 1 000,
against 17.28 in the corresponding month of last
year. No case of small-pox or sc:irlati..a had been
reported during the past fortnight.
With regard ta the proposal of the Highway and
Locomotives Committee to the Stafford Quarter
Sessions, the Chairman said if it was carried out it
was equivalent to " disestablishi,:g " the Board of
about £6OO a year, and the Board should resist the
proposal in every possible way.
In the course of the discussion, the Clerk said it
was not yet known which place would be proceeded
against it might be Brierley Bill or any other
place—but one place would be proceeded against to
te-t the question. The Board were in communica-
tion with other places upon the matter, and would
probably act thoroughly in cancert with those
places.
It was agreed that the chrk and the chairman be
empowered to act in the matter iu the event of
there not being time to call a meeting. The report
of the committee was then adopted.
The Finance Committee reperted that the balence
due to tie treasurer was £1,154. It was stated that
about half the present rate was collected.
At all future Local Board elections it was agreed
that 24 hours' time be allowed for withdrawals after
the clesing of nominations.
Mr. Guest called the attention of the Board to
the necessity of persons building submitting p!ans
to the Board, and quoted a recent case in which a
person had been heavily fined for not complyieg
with the requirements of a Local Board.
It was resolved that the clerk make a revision of
the bye-laws, and submit the revised laws to the
Board for approval.

KINGSWINFORD SCHOOL BOARD.
At the monthly meeting of this Board, held c t
the Moor Street Schools, 13rierley Hill, on Tuebdav,
the Rev, J. Stone presided.
Her Alajest3,,-'s impector's report on the examina—
tion at the Pensuett Schools had been received.
The grant amounted to 305 Os 93.
The Schools Management Committee recom-
mended that the letter addressed to the chairman
ot the Board by Mr. D. Clark, as to the recent- ex-
amination held at Pensnett, and asking for a re-ex-
amination, should be forwarded to the Education
Department, as altered.
The recothinenda,tion was adopted.

The Fina.ere Committee recommended the pay.
ment of .V5O to Mr. Bate, contractor. The balance
at the bank on the general account of the Boaid
was £755 us 81.

Mr. Allden, school atterdnnce officer, stated in
his report that several cases of scarlet fever had
been reported during the mouth. Mr/ Colley, at-
tendance officer, reported that scarlet fever was on
the decrease in his district, only five cases having
come undo: his notice during the month.

FRANCHISE MEETING AT KIDDER-
MINSTER.

A large rre)ting was held on Wednesday night,
in the Town Hall, with th:, object of Eupporting
the Government in their Franchise
Mr Tomkinson presided, and there were 51s1
present Messrs, Brinton, M.P., Baldwin, M.P.,
Pt-ace, H.P. and Evan, the Liberal candid Ate frz
West Worcestershire.
-I..he Chairman briefly introduced the speakers.
Mr. Brinton, who was loudly applauded upon
rising, moved the '..o'owing resolution :—"That
this meeting desired to express it cordial approval
oer2,
ew before
riutcii sail hremhnaediastochoepi
in the
hutesi e o i a
tcoi'
billnCo
tinme
sos for
beforeAlr.
]O-IP. Thi 13,0pe of th 3 Repre,entation of the
People Bill was a wide one. IL embraced the: whole
lof the three IC Ig:lotrv, and it was complete in it.
self. The It firm Bill of 1832 was intt.nded for
England alone. The bill of 1867 was a large step
in advance, and it laid down the pr;neipal cf i °use-
hold suffrage, but it was for England and Scotland
only; it left Ireland untouched. In the 1884 biil
there was great simplicity with Frat completeness,
The principle of the bill had been discussed by pi' e-
vious Parliaments, and the Right Hon, Otto Tre-
velyan was the pioneer of it. This measure wa
announced in the Government programme when It
caw into power in 2880, and therefore they were

redeeming the pledge which they had given
There was another franchise he would allude to,
and that was the service suffrage, that would give
the suffrage to railway and:other employ s per-
sons,,not being separate ceupiers, bu-. at the same
time in responsible employment, The bill in that
way would do away with a substantial grievance;
faggot voting would be abolished. After this bill
passed, tLey would be able to equalise the represent-
ation on a fairer and more permanent basis than at
present. Ho confessed with deep regret that it
would be impossible for the Government to pass
two bills of such a character as that in one session.
The meaetre_, was one which would give justice to
Ireland. It was not proposed to take away any
I-umbels from Ireland. Chey would not sacrifice
her interests on account of the agitation in. that
country. The question as to what the Lords would
do with the bill was one he could not answer. They
would do precisely what they had done in other
struggles for political freedom by the Liberal
party. Each of these had been strenuously op-
posed, and sometimes they bad been deferred or
lost, but when popular determination showed itself
the Upper Chamber of the Legi.lature had been
forced to surrender—(cheers). Speaking of obsArue.
tion, be said for seventeen nights they had a weary
debate upon Egyptian policy, and now there was
the Vote of Censure, which would occupy two Or
three more nights. Those were the difficulties
which the Government had to encounter in carrying
on the legislation of the country.
Mr. Baldwin seconded the resolution, and said
we were hound to give the same justice to Ireland,
which was an ieteeral part of the United Kingdom,
as we were to England, Scotland, and Wales. As
a proof that Ireland was fitted to ht % e the franchise,
he said that in 1881 75 per cent of tLe whole
population in Ireland from five years cud upwards
could read and write. That would eo npare favour-
ably with the state of eciucati )n in any et' or part
of the kingdom. He wished the Government could
see their way to enlarge the scope of the bill so as
to extend the franchise to single women and
widows, who, as beads of families and householders,
were in that independent positiou which entitled
them to vote.
Mr. Bailey, a working man, supported the resolte.
!ion, which was also supported by another working
man, and carried,
Mr. Pease moved: "That the form of construction
with which the bill has been met is fictions in its
character, and calculated to lower the House of
Commons in the estimation of the people." After
speaking of General Gordon, whose mission he con-
tended was a paeific one, the speaker referred to
the obstructions in the House of Commons, and
said it had taken the whole of one afternoon to get
tin ough three words of one clause of the Franchise
Bill. He urged his hearers to be united, and said
he hoped their efforts would develop the prosperity
of the land, and benefit those free institutions
which had been the glory of this country for many
centuries.

Mr. Pitt, a working man, seconded the resolution,
and it was carried.

L. Evans proposed a resolution expressing un-
abated confidence in Mr. Gladstone.

This was secTmdd by. Mr. -Under wood and
cat ried.

A vote of thanks to the Chairman closci the pro-
ceedings.

SCENE AT THE hIEE FING OF THE
KIDDERMINSTER TOWN COUNCIL,

A scene of an unusually noisy character occurred
at the quarterly meeting of the Kidderminster
Town Council on Wednesday, in connection with a
p oposition from the Watch Committee to the effect
that £29 should be given as a gratuity to the Bir-
mingham and Kidderminster police for extra ser-
vices during the late weavers' strike in Kiddermin-
ster. Tho Watch Committee also recommended
the payment of £122 78 6d in addition to the above,
be;ng the expenses incurred in bringing the Bir-
mingham police to the town during the disturbances
The Mayor, in moving the adoption of the report,
said he hoped the committee would have the support
of the Council in all they had done. They had en—
deavoured to do the best they possibly could under
the circumstances.
Mr. James seconded the motion.
Mr. Bytheway moved as an amendment that no
gratnity be given to the Birmingham police. They
should have £5O paid to them f, a. their time and
railway fares, and he thought that was quite Enough.
He also moved as an amendment that £2O be placed
at the disposal of the Watch Committee to be given
to the borough police force. He had seen some of
the Birmingham policed) things which they should
not have done. He saw one of them push a very
respectable man three times, and make use of any-
thing but parliamentary language while he did so.
He complained to Suporm'endent Stephenson of his
conduct.
Mr, W. C. Green seconded the amendment, and
corroborated Mr. Bytheway as t the way in which
some of the Birmingham police acted.
pa.vpuockl aa fu, Vier amendment
that no gratuity at all be given.
Th S was seconded by Mr. C. Cadwick.
After a lengthy discussion, during which several
of the Corporation spoke hi ;hly of the way in which
the Birmingham police as a whole had discharged
their:duties, and especially commended Superintend-
ent Stephenson and the two inspectors who accom-
panied him for the ability displayed on that
occasion, Mr. Bytheway's amendment was lost,
there being six for and eleven against it,
Mr. Jefferies then said that with the permission
of his seconder he should withdraw his amend-
ment. _ _ _ .

Mr. Chadwick said he should not consent to the
withdrawal, but should adhere to the amendment
if be had to stand alone in supporting it. In doing
so he did not mean to try to pass any vote of censure
upon the Watch Committee. He considered, on
the contrary, that they did their work—and
especially Mr. Grosvenor, the es-Mayor—exceedingly
well. The bulk of the public, however, thought it
a disgrace to the town that the Chief Magistrate of
the borough and the head of the Council should
have been away when those riotous proceedings
took place—(hisses and cries of " Order ").
Mr. Potter : You want to propose a vote of
censure on the Mayor.
Alderman Willis : To propose a vote of censure
on the Almighty for afflicting fir; Mayor. It was
his health which caused his absence.
Mr. Potter: It is disgraceful.
Mr. Chadwick : I eau substantiate what •I have
said. I have a right to speak, and will speak.
Alderman Willis : You have no right to insult our
Chief Magistrate.
Mr. Chadwick : I have not done so.
Mr. Potter: You have.

Mr. Harvey : I rise to order, and move that Mr.
Chadwick be called upon to withdraw thos2
words.

Alr, Potter seconded.
Mr, Chadwick : I will not withdraw what I have
said, because it is the truth.
_ _

Mr. Grosvenor remarked that that was not a
!natter for the Mayor to take up, and he, therefore,
as Deputy-Mayor, should support Mr, Harvey's
motion Speaking to Mr. Chadwick. the Dep,ity•
Alayor added: You must withdraw those words—
(applause)._

-Mr. Chadwick : Will you allow me to finish my
speech ?

Mr. Grosvenor: This i a pint of order, and you
mast await the decision of the Conn. il.
Mr. Chadwick : I shall not shut up. It is no use
for Tatepayers to elect people to this Council if they
are nst aaowed to speak. lam going to give my
reasons why I oppose this sumn of £29.
Mr. Grosvenor : You are asked to withdraw the
words you used censuring the Mayor,
The Mayor said wh, n he left the town on the
occasion referred to, everything was perfectly quiA,
and he had no reason to anticipate any disturbance.
He went away in accordance with an order from
his medical man, and returned as soon as he
possibly could after he heard ,what was occurring
in the town.
Mr. Chadwick said that after that explanatioa
he should withdraw his remarks.
No one seconded the amendment, and it fell to
the ground, and the motion that the Watch Com-
mittee's report be adopted was put to th meeting
and carried,
The other reports were of the ordinary character,
and they were adopted. A rate of 2s in the pound
for the half-ycar ending 29th September next was
agreed to.