The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1876-02-19 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT,

In the HOUSE OF LORDS, Feb. 14, a Return relating to the
slumber of men and women who signed the Marriage
Register with marks was, on the motion of Lord Fortescue,
ordered to be presented to the House.
'Their Lordships then adjourned.
T
In the HonSE OF Cali On. on flonday rtig•Pst, Lord J.
Manners, in reply to Mr. Neville-Grenville.,,lgajjat_the,
--webleet-of•lsettttatingsisrienisiugßr—money -through the
Post-nince.bymeans of l!ost•ollice -checks ur otherwise was
landergoing the careful colisideiation of,thb Governtuent.
Mr. Anderson asked the Secretary of Atolajor, the Home'
DenartmPrit whether Baron BramWeli laud ver:been offij
cialiv asked whether. in •his charge to the jury on the
Mistletoe inquiry, he bad tilted the wordf iilhribed to him by
the newspapers otthe dam (or words of anything like similar
impost), these words" being "a Verdict against Captain
-• Welch would give -Mat pain to Her Majesty ; " and "as
• Englishmen would you not be proud to think that the
• Queen travelled at a greater pace than anybody else-;" and
Whether he ecUld inform the House what was Baron Brain-
well's reply.
Mr, Cross : No, I have not thought it my duty to make
any (Aida' inquiry into the subject. (Hear, hear.) Since
21a2 'question of the hon. member was placed upon the paper
Ithave communicated with the learned Judge referred to,
• sand I hold in my hand a letter from him. With reference to
:the last part of the question, I have to state that the five or
'six words quoted in the question bear a very dia,3reot Interretation standing by themselves from what they do when
teed in connexion with the rest of the learned Judge's lan-
vuage. With regard to the first words quoted in the ques-
tion, the learned Judge's letter shows that he did not use
. any such expression as that attributed to him. The learned
Judge says that he is supposed to have used an expression
which no Judge on the Bench could have uttered, and that
lie cannot understand how it came to be believed for a

Moment that he had ever iv.iedsui;-;ords. (Hear, hear.)

Mr. Mundella asked the Secretary of State for the Home
Department if it its true that the Inspectors of Factories are
instructed to dieregard Clause 12 (the educational clause) of
the Factortem Act, 1874, and that children are being passed
daily as full-timers, contrary to the Act, without being sub-
., -lected to any educational test; and, if so, who Is responsible
far iks same.
.. Cross was obliged to the hon. member for putting the
question. The Vice-President of the Council informed him
that the arrangements for granting certificates of efficiency
• •did not appear' to have been fully understood; but he was
pleased to say that arrangements were being made by the
' Kducation Department for children to be duly examined in
• the centres of industry, and there would be no further diffi-
culty inbringing the Act into operation.
In. answer to Mr. Parnell, Mr. Hunt said :—By the last
report of the 22nd of January it appears the Vanguard haa
been er.nbedded in the sand 9ift since the 11th September
'last Should a contract be entered into for raising the ship
",--t"Vovi4er will be reserved to the Admiralty to cancel the con-
:elitbryet in the event of the rate of progress not being setts-
:4- . There will be no risk of obstruction to navigation
'-tilasem the hull of tbe ship, and if the ship is not raised the
inmate will be removed.
Mr. Hanbury gave notice that, on the motion of the hon.
inember for Bedford relating to the Fugitive Slave Circulars,
be should move as an amendment a resolution to the effect
"that in the opinion of this House, and in order to maintain
.41most effectually the right of personal liberty, it is desirable
to await further information from the Report of a Royal
'Commission, both as to the instructions from time to time
lamed to British naval officers, the international and other
Obligations of this country, and the attitude of other States,
In regard to the treatment of domestic slaves on board
tiational ships. (Cheers) Subsequently,
. Mr. Disraeli stated the names of the persons Who have
been appointed to serve on the Royal Commission—viz , the
Duke of Somerset, the Lord Chief Juitiee, Sir R. Phillimore,
. Its. Justice-Archibald, Sir H. Holland, Sir G. Campbell, Sir
Henry Maine, Mr.
.Jitzjames Stephen, Mr. Rothery, Mr.
Mountague Bernard, Admiral 'Sir -Leopold Heath, and Mr,
Theeiger, Q.C... , . .
The House having gone into Committee of Supply,
The Chancellor of • the Exchequer moved the vote of
*, 44,080,000 fo' the nurchase of the Suez Canal Shares. After
weeding t•fi Treisury Minute which explains how this aura
is made up, he related at length- the history of the Canal,
vulegiklug warmly the sagacity, energy, anti enterprtse of AL
leesseprand the successive Khedives to which its cowl-true-
' • tixen wee mainly due, and entered into an eXposition of the
: Anemia' position of the Company. According to the
.chancellor of the Exchequer's figures, the 'original capital
. the Company was £8,000,000, in addition to which bonds
• lave. been issued for accrued interest amounting to
41,360,000, and loans have been raised from time to time
-suns:hinting to £4,480,000. •In all, therefore, the Company
' 118•11 raised £1t,840,000. But, on the other hand, including
-Interest and capital, £19,000,000 had been expended, the
'difference of £5,160,000 having been provided by the
Viceroy. In addition to this the Company has lands granted
by the Viceroy of £4,000,600 in value; in the early period of
• 'the •operationg it had had the advantage of forced labour,
• • valued at £750,000; and the Khedive in other ways has con-
. tributed44,7sooo. Altogether, besides taking shares, the
. Khedive has contributed some ten millions, for which he re.
Calves no return. The result to the Khedive had been em-,
battassment ; but while the Company had only a loan,
capital of £4,480,000, it bad assets of £4,000,000 In
Yahre, so that its original capital was disengaged, and the
' ferolits were available for dividends. These profits had risen
• gradually from a deficit of £383,000 in 1870 to a stirplus of
. • 432,000 in 1874; and the traffic had, risen from 219 ships, .of
e" tonnage of 291,000, in 1870, to 892 ships, of 1,209,500 tons,
la 1874, of which the British proportion was about 73 per
cent. Sir Stafford also read a Memorandum from the India
' "Office, insisting, rernong other things, on the great advantages,
(economical anj. otherwise, of the Canal for the transport of
troops to India. Next he dwelt on the events which led
• 11P to the Purchase and the motives which in-
fluenced the Government; the international interest of
• *la undertaking, the dispute about the tonnage dues
laid the consequent Conference at Constantinople, and the
Khedive's financial embarrassments, which 'eel him to con-
,-eetemplate a sale of his shares, and his negotiations with the
'-/A'ench capitalists. Matters, he said, came to a crisis on
November 25, when the Government became aware beyond a
. , ,doubt that four millions had been offered for the shares by a
• l'rench company, The Government felt that if they allowed
elliese shares to *pass into the hands of a French Company
•' they would fail in their duty to the country and would be
lastly liable to censure. They were fully aware of the ins-
Portance and novelty of the step; but they felt that they
would have been cowards if they shrunk frotn the re-
..,..Ponsibility. They had to consider not Merely what
would happen U they sanctioned the purchase, but
the consequences of their refusal and the possible political
Consequences if they permitted the question to drift.
-e Though they did not wish to turn the Canal into a political
,zmgine, they did not wish it to be turned egabnit England,
eued-they regarded the purchase as a means of preventing
tature complications and of preserving peace. Replying to
' the argument that we had made
,a bad bargain, the Chan-
.
Wier denied that by any amount of haggling we could have tigot the shares for a lower price, and, explaining his sugges-
. Mono for raising the money, he proposed to keep the transae-
gion apart from the ordinary finance of the year, to
• iborrow the money from the National Debt Commis-
elioners, and to repay to them the £200,000 a year
interest, by which auraegement he calculated that in 35
Years we should have extinguished the loan and, should
possess the shares for nothing. He mentioned also that
-arrangements weee in progress with M. de Lesaeps by which
three representatives of England would be placed oh the
• • Directorate., With regard to Mr. Cave's minim, he explained
• that it was first suggested by the Khedive's request for the
assigtance of two financial officials. • lie had been received
• With great frankness, and there was no reason to be-
. Have that any information had been kept back. Hit
Inquiries had led to three conclasions that the
' resources 'of Egypt • were- capable of great develop-
' • trient ; that the Khedive's financial administration
•• • had.been bad; but that if he would submit his expeediture
to an efficient control and. would renounce all unremanera-
. Up, outlay, it would-still be possible for Egypt to meet all
her 'engagements. Finally, he announced 'that the Govern-
Went had determined to send out Mr. Rivers Wilson, who,
If he found that he was likely to be placed in a position to
he of rpal use, would take service tinder the Khedive in a
. character entirely independent of England.
• The Marquis of Hartington, at the conclusion of the
• Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech, appealed to the
" airline Minister to -adjourn' the discussion, alleging as a
•' reason the large amount of new points, especially with re-
e • • gard to Mr. Cava Mission, which had now for the first time
. been laid before the House, and' the 'short interval allowed
• .Ao membera for the study of the papers just printed.
.. e" Mr. Dietaeli characterized the suggestion as quite un-
precedented, and pointed out that the Vote involved no
approbation of Mr. Cave's Mission. He had no wish to
'gels the Committee to a Vote to-night, but he Mir no
• • re..a/...0n why the debate should not go on.
Mr. Gladstone, who thought the Chatoellor of the 'Ex-
chequer had erred on the side of conciseness, strongly ob-
jected either to voting or to speaking on insufficient know-
ledge, and dwelt especially on the necessity of more informa-
. tion relating to our legal righta and the legal position we should
oocupy as shareholders If the debate went on, he should
defer his remarks until another occasion.
Lord It. Montagu, Mr. Forster, Mr. Dillvryn, and Mr.
-„ Ashley spoke in favour of delay, and ultimately Mr. Disraeli
consented to the postponement of the debate until Monday
next.
- Mr. J. Talbot brought in a Bill to facilitate the provision
Of Burial Grounds in England and Wales, and it was read a
first time.

On the motion of Mr. fitaveley.flill, leave was given to
bring in a Bill to amend the laws relating to Industrial and
'7,-.Provident Societies. The Bill was read a first time.
• On the motion of Mr. W. H. Smith, leave was given to in-
troduce a Bill to confirm two provisional orders made under
'the Drainage and Improvement of Lands (Ireland) Act,
1863," constituting the River Bride and Kilcrea and Tony
Hill Drainage DeAricts.
The HOXISQ adjourned at twenty minutes past seven
o'clock.

• In the riousE or LORDS, Feb. 15, a large number of nett-
: Ilene rere presented by the Bishop of Salisbury and other
Right rev. prelates against allowing any services other than
those of the Established Church to be performed in parochial
1 churchyards.

There being no business on the paper, their lordships ad-
burned at a quarter past five o'clock.
In the HOUSE OF COMMONS, Mr. Disraeli gave notice that
on Friday he will bring in a Bill to enable Her Majesty to
make an addition to the Royal Style and Titles; and
Mr. Sclater-Booth gave notice of a Bill, for Thursday, to
!flake better arrangements for divided Parishes and other
local Areas, and otherwise to amend the law relating to the
Belief of the Poor.
Notices were also given on behalf of Mr. Pell of a Local
. Taxation Resolution in favour of relievieg the Ratepayers
altogether of the cost of administering justice • of Mr. Butt,
eta Bill relating to University Fducation in Ireland; and of
110. Trevelyan, of a Resolution on County. Franchise.
tll4. BarclaY gave notice that he will propose the refer
enne of the Maritime Contracta•Bill to a Select Committee.
"Sir W.' -.Fraser moved a Resolution condemning the
Parochial"Systeni of the Metropolis, and declaring that the
litbject deserves the attention of Her. Majesty's Government,
' With a view teeremove by legislation the great evils which at
Present exist. He prefaced his Resolution by a review of
the municipal history of 'London from the grant of the !first
tee eieeharter to the establishment of the Metropolitan Betted of:
'Works, and 'he illustratid the inefficiency of thd present•
system by noting various instances of insufficient water and
gas supply, defective drainage, accumulations of refute, etc.
•• As a .remedy he suggested a diminution of the number of
•• Parochial districts, and the election of the central auth?rity
." by thb general body of the ratepayers.
..The Risolution w,as opposed by Mr. Goldney and Sir A.
tusk, who defended the Vestries, and by Sir W. Hogg, who
narrated the achievements of the Metropolitan Heard, 'sand
l'-abe wed the futility of Sir W. Fraser's complaints and remedies.
:NT , Mr: Locke also spoke, remaking on the vagueness of Sir W.
.Frsiser's proposals..
•-ketee -, Mr. CrQ pointed out that, as there were to be motions on
teGaitiresed Witter Supply of the Meteopolis,-and: as Lord
Tl., • , chO's Bill was to be re-introduced, there would. be ample
''‘'oppoitunities diacussing Metropolitan Admmiattation
lauritig. the Session. On that account hp held it to be
'sin-
--necessary- to prononnce an opinion on the Resohition,'which
•hr was then withdrawn.
• • •
Mr. Hubbard next brought in a Bill to explain the law
.......r elating to crossed cheques. After a brie; retrospect of the
heque system, he related the circumstances of the recent
case of "Smith v. the Union Bank," which in his opinion
had rendered legislation necessary. Canvassing this g:
• went in a hostile spirit, he maintained that the original
object of the cheque was sacrificed to its negotiability, where-
-
• as it never was regarded in the same liglitas a Bill of Ex-
- change ; and he explained that, by his Bill, when a bankt r
' paid a cheque through any ether bank but ih tto which it
• Was crossed he would not have discharged hie liability : and
;.: a thief who stole a cheque, and his friends, would not have
. • a property in it which it was never intended they thould
• • . have.
Mr. Gregory supported the Bill; and Mr. Forsyth, while
deprecating any attack on the judgment, thought the law
ought to be altered as proposed by Mr. Hubbard. Sir G.
, Bowyer also made some remarks in favour of the measure,
and
The Attorney-General, while not opposing its introduction,
• pointed out that the judgment had been misapprehended.
It proceeded on the ground that the plaintiff Smith, who had
lost the cheque, was in no way injured by the cheque having
••• been paid as it was, and that there was nothing In the Act
of 1858 to restrain the negotiability of the cheque. Leave
was then given to bring in the Bill.
Mr. Rathbone, in moving the Second Reading of a Bill en-
abling ?iiil2loipallties to grant SuperADMILMOLI allOWallees to

e;