The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1871-09-09 00:00:00

YEANCE AND TIIE FRENCH TREATY.

.1 iliSO must say, and it is W1011101:11 pain, ills (the 1:1011,e
of affahs France is very different from that which- we
wish it to be. Eleven years ago we entered into a commer-
cial treaty with France ; it was my honour and delight to be
associated especially with Mr. Cobden (hear, heal I, as well as
each of the members ,if tbe Government upon that work ;
hut when we entered upon that treaty, we liii lI,It think to
establi.h a perfect system, we thought to make a great
step, ay, to take a great stride, towards a perfect cyst
we did hope that the treaty nwild lead the way to
further develorawmt, and it is with extreme pain that
we s..e the Government of France in the hands of persons
of great aliPity, and at a moment when that country is
in great ditllculty with respect to finance, and has occa-
sion &love all things for perfect liberty of industry,
dreaming that by a retrograde course in respect to 1,05.,
lotion they are most likely to illere:/BC their wealth and
power awl discharge their heavy engagements with a-
greater amount of ease and celerity. It Is very sad, I
say, to witness these things with regard to.this vounhy. It
is sad, because if further restrictions be introdwed into the
commercial syt.ton of Franee, we must suffer hyom it. Imr
trade must be in a certain degree diminished and hump red
by their means, and a relative diminution of our prollts and
wealth must follow lout, great as is the sympathy I entertain
too-ants all those special hranches ad Industry that may
especially suffer, I make laold to say that the main mauve of
lily regret is not for our OWII sakes, because I am thankfid to
feel that the commerce of this country has silained Mal a
position with respect to the markets of the world that we
have passed the thee when vie Mt dependent upon the
markets of any particular country n hatever (cheery), and
it is much mom, it may sound g little sentimental to
say so, but it is really more for the sake of France that
I regret tlds than I do for our own ; but I regret it in
our wall iiiterest, t regret it in the interest of Fral re,
I regret it in the interest of civilization, and I regret it
in the interest of peace and goodwill towards maul hid
(Mud cheers), beeause eivilizatia in anal refinement and good.
will among mankind are immediately and inseparably maw.
clatml with the friendly motives of the nationi ad Europe
which commerce brings forth. (Cheers.) We must not for a
moment question the title of France to manage her own
affairs, it would be impertinent for us to attempt to inter; ere
with them, Wit we may hum' oly anal respectfully entertain a
hope that she may be led to take what we think we know
from experience to be a Judicious view of her anvil interests,
anal ta a seek for the means of bearing and lightening berheavy
burdens rather In the true strength of liberty than hi the
artificial policy of restriction."
THE BALLOT BILL WILL KNOCK AT THE HOCSE
I.001)0 AGAIN!

s' One other word, gentlemen, I wish to say on a subject to
which you hove referred—viz., the Ballot. I ato very glad
to say that you are of opinion that the great lahour which
the House of Commons qttowed upon the 51110eet leel not
boon altogether lost, but 11U greatly advanced 111 e prospet tnnt
a speedy settlement of that subject. I see form some mitt-
vista on lily few wools at another place ill Yorkshire that I
have been slightly misreportml, and that I am stated LO Imre
wed the words that the Ballot Bill would make on authors-
tire knock at the door of the House of Lords. What I
Was IIV3-11.1t in consequence of the Bill having passed the
'loose tot Commons it will go to tile House of Lon Is, and as I
Used the expression I will use it again. It will knock at the
doors w iii, infinitely 1110ee authority th at it would have
Mole if die had Ilet passed it in the House of
Commons, hut hall alb wed it to drop as if it
was a subject upon which the representatives of the people
bad loot made up their minds. ((heers.) Now, what is the
Ballot? We my popularly it is a Bill to establish a mode of
secret voting. What does that mean ? Much advantage is
taken of that expression, and it is said votes ought not to
ought not to lie ashamed of
The penalty of " simple transportatk "to which Ibe given itt the dark, Wel men
; making *known what they do. I quite agree with them.
Jonnle and Dr. Rastoul are sentenced is not very
Probably there is no ntan in this room whose vote will not
severe. unit that the convicts have not the lie ss well known as if the Balhd hail not become law.
choice of their place of residence, it would be j have no doubt your vote and ntioe will be just as
little worse than banishment. Noukaltiva, one of well known when the Ballot becomes law as it is 11,11.
the Marquesa.s islands, is the place they are We mean by the Ballot protection for the ev. oh. 0 heirs)
likely to be not to. There they Mfty ro We me:tit to It it into thl e pwill be ower Of th, voter to
, :hsecretly if likes. Ie the lost jod
about with perfect liberty, subject only to the sill
te t
at. Be Wl•l,lhe
be the best judge of the Interegests
necessity of reporting Oiemselves to the an-
. that weigh spoil lam he will Inc the best judge whether
thorites noW and then. They slo not lose their other pe4ipie will not interfere with the freedom of his votes.
civil rights, may enjoy their fortune, if they have I care not whether he be landlord, customer, employer, or
any, surround themselves with their families, and fellow workman, or whether it be some popular violence.
follow any trade. Escape is mit very difficult ; The principle on which we proceed is that against tone and
lt,leletotgenZttletro ;re p=terteleteleltei,helin s,eelif,eme.usLliln
Tie
but the seemity itg.sinst that is the inflexible
rule, that on the mere establishment of his identity, pcoicleip'ai the Ballot wound give it him, and wht::re he does
an escaped transport is sentenced to hard labour not there will be no secrecy, and his vote will be pretty
for life. Transportation to a " fortified place," much as well known as his vote is now. (Cheers.) It is iii
which is the fate of Pasehal Clrousset, Billioray, that sense that I hope the important measure will speedily
lleg re, Verdure, ANSi, and INrist, is much more severe, become law."
But even these convicts enjoy a considerable amount
of pennantl freedom. rrhain unit Triminet, who
escaped sentence of death by " extenuating circum-
stances,- are the only two out of the seventeen Com-
munists who must undergo in all its rigour the worst
• hardships sif a convict's life.

The Court-Martial at Marseilles has condemned to
death Intendent Brissy for the usurpation of military
powere.

It hi stated that the Communist,, sentenced by the
Versailles Courts-martial to be confined in a fortress
will be sent to Fort Boyard, near the Island of Aix,
until the necessary arrangements have been made for
accommmlating, them in the interior. The prisoners
condemned to tranTortation an:l to hard labour for
life will be rent to New Caledonia by a vessel which
has been fitted out at T,mlon. M.Coorbet, the
painter, and M. Clement will be imprisoned in St.

NOT "AS PLEASED AS PUNCti" TO GO

TO SCHOOL!
AI Bow-street Police-court, is London, threelittle fellows,
mulled Hayes, Mullany, and Murphy, who had been found a
week ago huddled up together and sleeping in Cevent-
garden Market, were on Saturday again brought before the
Magistrate by Mr. Lawrence, one of the School Board
othmrs.

When the boys were first examined they said they
hal no home, having been turned out by their parents,
and they ha.l slept in the streets and by ways for
sevcral weeks. They all appeared willing to go to a
school, and the youngest ls,y, Murphy, a little fellow
of about seven, said "his mother would be as proud as
Punch to hear that he Wad at school." On their being
placod in the dock, however,. to-y they began crying
In a vehement manner, and implored the magistrate
not to send them away to a school, but to let them go
back to their relatives, who were willing to take
'them.

The Magistrate asked what was the reason of this
ehalige.

31r. Lawrence said they complained of having been
badly treated at the workhouse doting the week they
had slient there since their last examination. He had
no doubt that this had kit them to dread their removal
to a school, because both tl:e boys and their mothers
were willing until today. lie felt bound to say that
this was very frequently the excuse set up by London
boys. They were sent from the police-courts to the
workhouse pending the necessary inquiries, and when
they came out of the latter they complained 80 bitterly
of ihe way in which they had been treated that they
begged in mercy to be sent home again, lie could not
say if there was any just ground for these complaints,
but Ire could say they were almost universal, and they
had lost a great many boys in consequence.
The Magistrate said if the boys bad mark any com-
plaint to him he should have inquired into it, but it
was very likely the bows did not like the restraint and
licipliner.f the workhouse after the freedom of the
streets.

Murphy exclaimed : Don't send me to school, I can't
hear it. it will kill me. Oh! oh! my head, my head!
(putting up his hands).
The Magistrate: What is the matter with your
head?

Murphy: Oh! it awful pair, through fretting.
Oh! oh!

The boy's mother asked that he should have another
trial with her.

The Magistrate : Vury welL Take him bark ; al-
though I think it would have been better for him to go
to the schowl.

The other boys were also re.tore.l to their mothers.