The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1869-02-06 00:00:00

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Parliament will have re-commenced its labours in a
fortnight, and In the mean time public interest in the
coming session is increasing. It is hoped that Her
Majesty will inaugurate the parliamentary campaign,
and whether we are thus favoured or not, the Court,
the drawing rooms, and the levees announced will
tend to the activity and gaiety of the London season.
Among the matters whioh will be referred to in the
Queen's speech will no doubt be retrenchment, which
Ministers appear anxious to make a char.
acteristic of their policy. We have indeed already
heard a good deal on this subject, and Govern
ment has not waited for parliamentary sanction
to effect a number of reductions. But these are
as nothing compared to what is to come. In the
army, the navy, the coastguard, the naval reserve, the
yeomanry cavalry, the dockyards, the arsenals, and
numerous public offices, we are to have retrenchment.
The reductions in the army, for example, bid fair to
be very considerable. The Army and Nary Gazette
particularises a great number of reductions that are
probably to he made, adding that nothing is finally
decided upon save the numbers to be reduced—from
9,000 to 10,000 men. "We believe," it continues,
" we represent the views of the authorities in saying
that the reduction of officers will be effected by
absorption, and with as little injury as possible
to the interests of those concerned." This is the
old tale. It is astonishing how tender over the feel-
ings of the officers the authorities always are. The
officers, poor fellows, are to be reduced by absorption;
but what about the nine or ten thousand men? Per-
haps they will be reduced by absorption—into the
workhouses. There has been for some time a rumour
of another reduction, which will be of serious conse-
quence to the working classes, the abolition of Wool.
wich and Deptford dockyards; and it is now said that
these establishments are to cease on the Ist of October.
The iniportance of this step will hest be seen by a re-
ference to what is paid to officers and men in these
establishments. As respects Woolwich Dockyard, the
salaries of officers, etc., amounted last year to 1;22,743,
and the wages to workmen, etc., 1'120,847 ; and for
I)eptfor(l dockyard, the salaries were £10,770, and the
wages £39,858. Of course, we cannot suppose that
offices and work to these amounts will be absolutely
lost, as there will probably be "absorption" elsewhere
(especially for the officers), but the number of men
thrown out of employment, together with the disband-
ing of nine or ten thousand soldiers, and numerous
reductions of clerks, etc., will, at all events, prove that
the policy which to the nation at large may be so de-
sirable has its dark aide.

We are promised, almost as a matter of course,
another amendment of the law of bankruptcy, aml the
proposals of Government will probably be in the main
similar to the bill which was withdrawn last session, ;
from want of time to carefully discuss its important
provisions. Two or three celebrated cases which have
lately occupied public attention seem also to point to
the necessity of some modifications in the law of
limited liability. Without going deeply into this
matter, I would ask whether it is not desirable that
the articles of association, together with every deed,
contract, or agreement, which may form part of the
foundation or the structure of a company, should be
open to the inspection either of shareholders or non-
shareholders, on the payment by the latter (or perhaps
by both) of a certain fee. As to the articles of asso-
ciation (infinitely of more importance than the pro-
spectus) it is frequently most difficult to see this docu-
ment If you are in London you may see it at
Serjeants. Inn, n paying Is., but even then must not
take the most minute retract. In an im-
portant trial which attracted great public interest
some months since, and in which a then mem.
her of Parliament was deeply concerned, we
heard incidentally of two contracts, the mere existence
44 one of which was unknown to the shareholders;
and, now, during the evidence on another sensational
case, we hear of two deeds, one of which was a secret
compact Shareholders ought to have the right of
access to all much documents, and their non-confirma-
tion at a meeting of the company ought to render
them illegal. Let the reader trace the history of a
dozen limited liability companies that have failed, and
he will probably find that at least half of them have
come to grief through some transaction on the part
of the directors on which the shareholders have not
had an opportunity to express an opinion till too
late.

An attempt will doubtless be made next session to
procure municipal government for the Metropolis. In
many respects London is about the worst-governed
town in the empire, and the vestries and the parochial
system generally have been long enough tried, and
are now found wanting. A deputation having waited
on the Home Secretary to urge on him the advantage
of metropolitan municipalities, Mr. Bruce has stated
that he feels much interested in the question, and that
he will do his utmost to secure for it that legislative
attention which he considers it deserves. That is some
little, though not much, towards the desirable end.
The idea of a municipal council for the whole of the
metropolis is a grand one; but of course the City
authorities will oppose it tooth and nail, although it
is impossible for unprejudiced people to see why what
is good for the City should not be good for the metro-
polis at large. The absurdities of our parochial
system would afford ample material for two or three
farces, but we who suffer from them cannot laugh at
them.

That our law and police courts should be closed to
the public is what no one perhaps would have the
courage to propose, but, perhaps, something might be
done to prevent them being turned into places of
public entertainment. Readers of the proceedings in
the celebrated case of Overend, Gurney & Co. will have
noticed how the court was on each occasion crammed
by an excited auditory, and how hissing, cheering,
groaning, and hand-clapping occasionally were mingled
with the judicial proceedings, in spite of magisterial
warnings and threats. This sort of thing, to a greater
or lees extent, is common in the police-courts especially,
and in the Nisi Prius Court the case of Wilier. Parker,
has been regarded by the auditors as if it were a comedy
got up for their amusement. It is worth while to quote a
brief description of one scene in court. The case having
been adjourned for refreshment, the jury found that
they could scarcelysitruggle back to their seats. "One
jurymen said that his coat had been torn off his back; '
another said that the miseries of a common jury were
most unaommon. Mr. Digby Seymour said that the
Bar had quite as much to complain of; they hail daily
to go through a series of pugilistic performances with
bystanders. In the morning,' said he, in a ludicrously
piteous tone, 'my wig was beautifully powdered, and
now look at it. I have only just saved my gown from
destruction.' Mr. Justice Brett said, 'This Court is
dreadful, but there are others that are worse. The
only comfort we have is that in about twenty-live
years we shall have new ones; meanwhile it is dis-
graceful that a couple of constables cannot be spared to
keep order; but I have no power.'" Public opinion
is all very well in its place, but its demonstrative ex-
pression is sometimes out of place, and certainly a
court of law is not a fitting scene for the display of the
individual opinions of those who may happen to con.
stitute the audience. Carry this sort of thing a little
farther, and we shall have a judge cheered or hissed, as
the case may be, while passing sentence of death. But
one would think that judges and magistrates have it
in their own power to preserve order in their respective
courts; and if Brown, Jones, or Robinson choose to
hiss a witness or applaud a counsel, and is turned out
of court for his pains, would not the public verdict be—
" Served him right?"

Although there are plenty of arguments against
women being admitted as clerks in the Civil Service,
there is no reason why the men should have the clubs
all to themselves. The Women's Club and Institute
is nearly ready for opening, and applications for
membership are invited. The object is to provide for
respectable women "who have no homes or places
for seeing their friends "—(there are many such,
anomalous as it may seem)—a place where they may
spend their evenings and Sundays, enjoy society and
reading, obtain refreshments at a moderate cost, and
receive visits. This last was rather an awkward Ip
ties,ica.
and at one time the project appeared likely to fall
through, bit it has now been arranged that male NI
well as female visitors may be admitted, though under
such conditions as to avoid any cause for scandal. It
will be worth while to watch the progress of this
women's club. Intrinsically there is nothing in the
scheme to prevent its success, and much to guarantee
it. but a little had management goes a long way in a
novel experiment, and the least failure in the arrange-
ments will lay the club open to exaggerated and
unfavourable comments.

Though we are yet far from the London NNWM

proper there is great activity in theatrical, musical,
literary, and artistic circles. The theatres are in full
swing. The club movement, however, appears to have
been rather overdone, and it is said that three of the
more recent London clubs—the Arts Club, the Fine
Arts Club, and the junior Athetheum—are to be
amalgamated. Artists are hlrd at work preparatory
to the picture exhibitions which are so pleasing a
feature of the London season. We are to have a new
Shakepearean actor in the person of Herr Formes,
hitherto remarkable for his fine bass voice in opera and
concert-room. Apropos of voices, people are talking of