The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1879-10-04 00:00:00

WITH PUNCH'S DUNKS TO Bin. BUONMASTEB.
Addition to thv Three IVV—Roviting,—Puneh,

- • -

THE BISHOP OF MANCHESTER ON
THE GENERAL DEPRESSION.

Preaching at Creston, near Ormskirk, on Sunday
night, the Bishop of Manchester said that the present
year it seemed almost a mockery to have a harvest
festival. There was failure in crops and depression
almost everywhere. It was not only the agricultural
interest that was suffering Just now in England, but
all the trade and commerce of our great national
indastries were prostrate. It was quite a comfort to
him to hear that day from a well-known Liverpool ship-
owner that he thought Liverpool was hardly suffering
at the present moment from the depression. If so, it
was about the only town in England that stood in
that happy position. Everywhere there was great
distress and great paralysis of all industries, and he was
somewhat afraid that things would be worse before
they were better, and that the coming winter would
he one of exceptional severity. They must abandon
all business in order that they might be able "to give
to them that need." Thoughtful men's hearts were
filling with fear and anxiety, and some people thought
ihat the sun of England's greatness and prosperity had
set, never to rise again. But suns did rise again, and
while there was life there was hope. The Greeks had
a saying that hope was the last and best of gifts the
cods permitted men to retain, We were told that
God would bless all honest industry here on earth,
and without that hope, which partook largely of the
("attire of faith in its best form—which trusted God
under all His dispensations—this world would indeed
be but a weary place. It was a long lane that had not
a turning, and if people would but help to bear one
another's burdens, if labourers would give a better
day's work for an honest day's wage, if mere kindly re-
lationa could be established between landlord and
tenant,between master and man, then would bathe bright
prospect of success reviving. The season was grievously
bad and scanty, and unless landlords were very indulgent
many farmers would not be able to pay their rents.
Englishmen and Englishwomen must pray and work;
they must take to heart the present severe discipline—
for it was nothing else; it was no accident or chance—.
and solemnly consider their present position. He
thanked God that he had brought us to our senses.
All classes of English people were running wild. The
noblemen, and dukes, and high people in the land,
down to working men and farm labourers in Lanca-
shire and other counties, were all running wild during
those few years of not real, but apparent, prosperity.
A. few days ago, he was returning from an engagement
with one of the most thoughtful, and practical, and
most thorough business men in England, and as they
were speaking on the present condition of affairs, he
sadly shook his head, and thoughtfully said, "I trace
all our present troubles and distresses to those few years
of prosperity." Men and women spent their money
recklessly and foolishly in all directions. The rich
increased their establishments; kept more hunters,
took longer holidays, gave more sumptuous enter-
tainments, allowed their sons more money to spend
(and it was often spent foolishly and viciously) and
attired themselves in costly costumes and fineries;
and the working people followed the example and
ran hither and thither, surfeiting themselves with
pleasure, making luxuries necessaries, and living a
wild, excited, artificial life. When he was a young
man it was the rarest thing imaginable to see on the
table of the rich man a bottle of champagne, It was
only brought out on some very festive occasion—a
wedding-day, the celebration of a silver wedding, or
on the occasion of the rare visit of some very valued
and respected friend. But how now? They could
not go anywhere without seeing champagne at 10s, a
bottle, and the most costly wines on the table. All
must agree that the habits of people had got extrava-
gant. But we were being brought to our senses. A
Liverpool paper, a few days ago, said, alluding to his
speech at Leeds, that the circumstances of the day
would forbid people going on in these luxuries. Yes,
they would. People would be compelled to be careful
and provident—to fare simply, and to live modestly
and moderately. Young men would have to reduce
their expenditure in billiards, cigars, and other amuse-
ments, and it would be none the worse for them.
They did not need to be always rollicking and revelling
to have a pure and happy life. There was a great deal
of happiness to be got out of a simple and quiet life,
and this chastisement came beneficially to the nation,
which seemed to be considering that it c mid be
independent of a God. A real Atheistic spirit had
spread over the nation, and it was quite time we were
taught our littleness, our powerlessness, and our de-
pendenoe. If God did make His will known by his
chastening discipline, it would be a blessed thing for
Old England—for them and for him. He was shocked
the other day to read in the report of the Chief Con-
stable for Manchester that last year, in spite of bad
times, there had been 300 more apprehensions for
drunkenness in the city than in the year before. It
was that horrible pair of vices—drunkenness and licen-
tiousness—which were destroying the manhood and
womanhood of the nation. These were not times for
drinking and for making merry, but for sobering our-
selves, We in England would have to come back to
'stir old simple style of living and dressing, to honest
work and to honourable dealing. Let their wealth, as
did that of the late honoured member for Salford—
Joseph Brotherton—consist not in the largeness of
their needs, but in the fewness of their wants.