The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-04-29 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

The HOUSE OF COMMONS met on Monday, April 24, after the
Easter Recess. In answer to Mr. Fawcett, who alike 1 for a
Government day for the discussion of his Addres to the
Crown on the Royal Titles Bill, Mr. Disraeli replied that the
question raised by the motion had already been fully dis-
cussed and decided, far the Government had announced on
the Second Reading that "Empress" ess the title which the
Government would recommend Her Maj, sty to assume, and all
the discussions and divisions were taken with th:A knowledge.
Further. Mr. Disraeli said that before the Recess, when the
motion was taken up by the Leader of the Opposition, he
had made an arrangement for which Mr. Fawcett himself
had thanked him, although, for some unknown reason, no
advantage had been taken of it. In these circumstances, he
did not feel justified in interfering with the progress of public
business by giving Mr. Fawcett a second day.
On this, Mr. Fawcett said he would change the farm of his
motion, and would move that the House disapproved the
advice which Her Majesty's Minim ere have announced that
they will give to Her Majesty to assume the title of Empress.
Also, he gave notice that he would ask whether M.r.
Disraeli would give facilities for discussing this motion before
the Proclamation was issued.

The House then went into Committee on the Mereluint
Shipping Bid, resuming the consideratim of Clause 14, re-
lating to the loading of Grain Cargoes. An Amendment,
moved by lair. Plimsoll, regulating the mode in which Grain
Cargoes shall be stowed with shifting boards, bags, dx., was
discussed at some length, bat received little support, being
generally condemned as laying down too rigid rules, which
would prevent improvements in shipbuilding, and would not
apply to all cases. Ultimately, acting on the advice of Mr.
Forster and others, air. Plimsoll eithdrew his amendment,
With the intention of bringing it on again on the Report.
Clause 16, which deals with Deck Cargoes by charging ton-
nage for the space on deck occupied by cargo (with certain
exception.), occupied a considerable portion of the remainder
of the evening. Mr. Plimsoll moved an amendment, the
broad result of which is to prevent deck-loacting altogether,
With some exceptions: but the discussion turned chiefly on
the Clause itself, which was strongly condemned as utterly
Inadequate to meet the necessities of the case or
to satisfy the wishes of the country with regard to
Deck Cargoes by Sir W. Harcourt, Lord E.lington, Mr.
Mundella, Mr. D. Jenkins, Mr. Brassey, Mr. Maclver, and
others, some of whom urged that the Clause was a mere
tonnage clause, and was not designed for the protection of
human life, while others advised the Government to with-
draw the Clause and replace it by a prohibition against
carrying timber cargoes across the Atlantic in winter.
Sir C. Adderley, in defence of the Clause, characterized it as
a "happy thought" on the part of the Hoard of Trade
to discourage deck-loading by withdrawing the premium
Which the practice now enjoyed by the exemption from
tonnage enjoyed by deck spaces. He maintained, too,
that total prohibition was impossible, and announced that
he would accept a sugges.ion, made by Lord Datugton, that
all.home trading vessels should be excepted from the Clause.
The Chancellor of the Exchequer dwelt on the difficulty of
dealing with foreign ships coming into our ports with Deck
Cargoes, while the Attorney-General recommended the
clause as a tonnage clause. Sir A. Luek suggested that an
act valorem, duty should be charged on all Deck Cargoes arriv-
ing in or leaving our ports Colonel Chaplin and Sir. Read
objected to the impediments which Mr. Plimsoll's amend-
ment would place on the exportation of agricultural machi-
nery. Before the division was taken Mr. Forster said he
should vote for Mr. Plimsoll's amendment because the Go.
vernment declined to do anything mare to save the lives
sacrificed by this practice of Deck Cargoes beyond the im-
position of a tonnage due. Mr. Geegory, on the other hand,
supported the Clause because be thought the Government
Would be ready to carry it further.
On a division, Mr. Plimsoll's amendment was negatived by
108 to 75,
Lord Eslington's amendment, extending the exemption
from the Clause to all vessels engaged in the Home Trade,
Wm agreed to, and on an amendment, moved by Mr. Ashley,
to omit " timber " from the cargoes included in the
Clause, in order that timber ships might be separately
(Utah with, Mr. Rathbone and Mr. el Smith ex-
pressed a hope that the Government would consider
the possibility of prohibiting the carrying of cargoes
of timber on deck during the winter. The amend-
ment having been negatived by 101 to 91, a motion to
report progress was made by Mr. Macdouald, and rej-nted
by 167 to 8. On the motion that the Clau.e stand part of the
nill, Mr. Norwood and Mr. Plimsoll agreed in protesting
against it as weak and inadequate, and Sir W. Barcourt
pressed the Government for an assurance that they
would even yet propose something more stringeut
for the prevention of deck-loading The Chancellor of
the Exchequer replied that though the Government
Were ready to consider any suggestion they did not see their
'way themselves to any ie guidon of the oialculty, and were
net prepared with any plan of their own. Afier come further
conversation the Clause was carried on a division by 95 to
68, and the further progress of the Bill was adjourned until
Thursday.
The other business was disposed of, and the House ad-
:ourned at twenty-fve minutes before two o'clock.

In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 25, Mr. J. Lowther, the
roder-Secretary for the Colonial Department, in answer to
Blr C. Mike, read several Telegrams received from Governor
ennes s y , the substance of which was that the riots' at
Earbadoes had arisen oat of a robbery, and that tranquility
had been restored so far that the reinforcements of troops
Ordered from the other Islands had been countermanded.

Mr. Fawcett, having asked the Prime Minister, pursuant
to notice, mh%t fr.cilities he will give for tue proposed Vote
of Censure.

The Matquls of Hartington rose, and before the question
W& s answered asked to be allowed to explain, in reference to ai
statement of the Prime Minister on the previous night, that mi
Ra question as to the course of business before the recess;
h„ e had alluded to the motion of Mr. Fawcett as one of great!
importance, but he distinctly stated on that oacasion that
the hon. member for Hackney had placed that notice on the
Paper without any consultation with him (the noble
lord) or with any of his colleagues. Therefore the
right hon. gentleman at the head of the Government
Was under a misapprehension in stating that that was a vote
Of censure adopted by the leaders of the Opposition. Sinceg
the recess, so far as he (Lord Hartingtoo) was aware, the{
Matter remained in the same state as it had before, and he
had had no communication with Mr. Fawcett on the subject,!
either with regard to the motion which stood on the papetl
or the motion in its amended form.
Mr. Disraeli said the House would easily understand that
because an hon. member proposed a vota of censure
against the Governmeut, and asked for a day, it could
not be expected that the Government should, as a matted
of course, comply with the request, because such a
course insist obviously result in the whole session being
wasted. He had been under the impression that thei
circumstance which took place before the adjourn.,
Ment for the recess, to which the noble lord lied alluded that
the noble lord had adopted the motion of cens,ire to which
allusion had been made, but alter the expl,nation of the
noble lord, he found he was in error but it was all
error shared by other hon. gentlEmEn on that side of the
House. Of course, if the leader of the Opposition gave
notice of a vote of censure he would do so under a sense of
responsibility which was not felt by those who were not
leaders of a political party With regard to the proposition
of the hon. member far Hackney, his new motion was a
censure on the House of Commons. It was a vote of censure
on a question already settled by the House, and he did not
feel himself justified in giving him any facilities of the kik,d
asked for.
Mr. Fawcett said that, having done all that a private mem,
her could do to bring on his I‘l,tion, he meant to keep it on
the paper until the Proclamation was issued, and would
leave it with those who had more influence in the House
than he had to decide its fate.

Sir T. Lawrence asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Denartment whether his attention had been called to the
systematic poisoning of valuanle dogs lately in London and
the neighbourhood, especially at Richmoni ; and whether
tiny special measures had been taken fur the detection and
punishment of the perpetrators of these outr sees.
Mr. Cross said that since the hon. menilier had given
notice of his question he had communicated with the police,
and had given directions that every effort should be made to
ffnd out the perpetrators of these outrages. Rewards had
been offered by the owners of some of the dogs and special
constables had been set aside to discover the offenders Up
to the present time, he was sorry to say that these measures
had been without effect.
Mr. Hanbury Tracy called attention to the gradual altera-
tion which is being made in the system under which Her
Majesty's ships are navigated, and moved a resolution on the
subject, which was seconded by Mr. Brassey. He approved
" entirely of what he assumed to be the decision of the
Admiralty to abolish the system of employing a separate class
of officers for navigating purposes, but complained that it
was not carried out with sufficient energy, and recommended
that greater encouragement and facilities should be given to
our naval officers to obtain practical experience in surveying,
pilotage, and navigation.
Captain Price, in moving an amendment declaring that any
Change in the old system should be approached with extreme
caution and under a sense of the gravest responsibility,
denied that the Admiralty was committed to this policy, or
that it was desired by the navigating officers, and argued in
favour of retaining a class of officers specially devoted to
the performance of navigating duties.
Sir J. Bcourfleld seconded the amendment, Mr. Gregory
advocated the removal of certain grievances of which the
navigating officers complained ; and Mr. Bentinck coot ended
that all naval opinion was against the abolition of this class
of officers.

' Mr. Childers was proceeding to make some observations,
pointing out that the abolition of navigating officers as a
' distinct class had already been virtually accomplished, when
, the Rouse was counted out at twenty minutes to eight
, o'clock.

• In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, April 26, Mr. Forsyth moved
r the second reading of the Women's Disabilities Bill, in favour
of which a large number of petitions had been presented by
Mr. Bright, Mr. McLaren, and others, and stated that as the
measure had already been discussed in the present Par-
liament he did not propose to make a lengthy address to
' the House, and touch upon many points which had already
been dealt with at length. In spite of the opposition to
" the Bill in this House, not one single meeting had been
called against the principle of the Bill, not a single petition
had been presented against the Bill, but on the contrary, ,a
large number had been preseuted in its favour, and there had
been crowded meetings
hell in all parts of Entail& Scot-
lend, and
Ireland, and by large majorities, in many wades
unanimously, resolutions in favour of the Bill had been
adopted.
Viscount Folkestone, in a maiden speech, moved the rejec-
tion of the Bill, and said he had failed to detect any new
argument in favour of the measure. Women were tofu ted
by nature, habit, and physical power for such a position,
and if placed in competition with men what would then be-
come of the refining and humanising influence which was
begotten of the respect and deference which the ttconger
sex invariably paid to the weaker sexy He trusted con-
fidently that the House would ree tct the Bill by a large
majority.
Mr. Leathern objected to the Bill, firstly, because taken by
, Itself it was an imposture ; and, tecomily, because not taken
by Heel!, but in connection with the principle it sought to
rm, it was one of the moat revolutionary and dangerous
Measures that could be brought before the House.
Mr. Jacob Bright spoke in support of the ile
pigted out that men and women mingled in the greater
Part of the pursuits of life, and therefore to say that
the stun of human duty was divided into two distinct
Spheres was simply untrue. In art, in literature,
and in
Many of the Oomains of labour men and women
Were engaged commonly and advantageously in the
same pursuits. For his own part, he would give a vote
to every householder in the 'United Kingdom, whether
man or woman. He would not ask whether they were mar-
ried or unmarried, but if he found a woman upon the
register and possessed of the proper qualification he would
give that woman a vote. He pointed out that sse men now
enjoyed the municipal franchise, that they were allowed to
Vote in contests that were avowedly politieel, such as the
election of school boards, and that they were even invited to
appeal as candidates to powerful constituencies.
Mr. Newdegate and Mr Smollett opposed, and Dr. Ward
supported the Bill.
Mr. Fawcett also warmly supported the MIL and after
some remarks from Mr. Chapirn, Sir H. Auttruther, Mr.
Xeerton Hubbard, and Sir C. Legard,
Mr. Bright said the Bill seemed to him based on a propo-
slt.on which was untenable, and which wes contradicted
by universal experieuce ; it was a Bid bated upou ail as-
sumed hostility between the sexes. The men were repro-
Rented as not wishing to wove even to the len eth of tyranny,
and this was said of men who were trs..ling ell over tee king-
dom and controeting peril for the purpo 0 of ohteie ieg
sustenance for their families. The object, of the Bill was
not the extension of the franchi,as to 301 000 or 40,000
persons. it was to enable women to edam' themselves
ugainst a Parliament of men. The arguments brought
torward in favour of the measure were ol the fiensiest
character. Is was complained that the laws acted in
Some respects hijurfoutty to women, but did they not
Deets hardly in some MOS on men—the laws of property
on younger eons, for instaecee The criminal laws were
Carried out very much more leniently in the' case .of
Women than In that of men, and in merry cases the lives
.2t women who had inflicted serious offences had
been spared, where men for offences would have
gene to their death. In cases of breaches of promise
of marriage the women appeared nearly eiweys to get the
Verdict. (Hear, hear, and laughter.) But loeleing at time
emestion from a broader point of view, he reminded the
House that the women of tigland were their wives, sisters,
mothers, and daughters, that they were near and dear to
their beasts; aad it was a scandalous and Dalai& libel to Say

that women were a class, that, therefore, they were persons
excluded from their sympathy, and that Parliament could
not do justice to them. (Cheers.) He did not believe
that women would suffer in the least from the want of
direct representstion in this House ; politically be believed
that they u ould be under no advantage if they were so
rep esented. He ss ished to ask, if the Bill passed, how
t, ey would contend against further claims? (Hear, hear.)
Wnat would be the question asked of the House : "Is
marriage to be a disqualification, and is a large number
of single women to have votes and the elder married
women to be without it ?" Then, if all men had a right to
be elected to Parliament, why, it would be asked, suould all
women be excluded. Before embarking upon the new course
II was suggested they should take it was advisable that these
questio, s should be answered, and those who opposed the
Bill had a right to demand an answer to. (Cheers.)
The House divided, when there appeared—for the second
reading, 152; against, 239; majority, 87.
The Bill was therefoi e rejected.