The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-02-07 00:00:00

MR, GLADSTONE AT WOOLWICH.

Lett 4ate7ley afternoon Mr. Gladstone mode a feeend
rpucoh nt Woolldch, when b. twee. 15,000 end 10 Ode perems
were pres ft A party of enibullestle sop °rtes. met +he
Pro,, teig cArriag. (in emiCh CO.. Mn. and Moe Mei-Mono
t • short dhtsnce trim the hustings. end pm ring One
rural drew It in trlanipa to here.ford square. on p
tnuüt-
Int himself In front of the husilnps or GI alsome was
received e ith meat enf huslesm. Ile commevoeil Me speech
IL) referfins to the arcueetton that hod bw-n brought
'deaf, et him of dleeshvlng resliemebt because he bed
bi,en Utensils rota, in 4 rd. seat, and sold—
When he accepted the office of Chancellor of the
Exchequer and found that a ques ion wee weed act.,
his vacation of t in sect, he ont..lned the hose legal
udviie he condi. and the present Master of the Rolls,
the Lord Chief Justice of the Common Pleas, the
Lad Chancellor, ai.el she law officers of the 13rowu,
Owl all ad oiled him thet lie ought DOt to certify that
his seat was vacant, tie thereone reserv-d the quis•
tine for the deciet a of the Elotwe of Commons
A.lln4ieg next to the &rider's of one of the Cooser•a.
dee cui:di lutes, Mr. Liardet, eyed the statement that
ens Government had retied on a clireispaeing policy so
far an the dockyaecis and the country ware concerned,
gr. Gladstone said that from January 1 .1, 1861, to
let December the same year, the CODINA,/ Aire Govern..
meat minded the number of labourers from 20,313 60

to 1954,6, a redaction of 4,3e0 • while the I meat
Government had only rseNtsed it :till further by 1,4f3
The present Government had never refused to grant
relief to the ratepayers of the couutry, hue tb.y con-
sidered the trot thing to do was to remove unjust ex
empthine at preoetit etjoyed, and Woo to loins Govern-
ment property under the rates. The b ill which they
brour lit to wits, h mover, thrown out by the donee of
Lord& Since he had been in Aim he bad bad the
opmdtunity of making pair nage appoietweni• lit
only sex caws— the Comtuiemonertetip or Intend
Revenue, two coin el.-shiners ipe of Cu-tutu". the St-
e, ivershipe i f the luiteml Revenne aid the Customs
and the Leditorship of the London Gazette. The, eof
these he had tilled and three &hellish d. Its had never
filled an office of that de,criptien withc,nt baying re.
ceivwl the highest mementon from the Melted au hority
that the di-man is of the public vervice would not per-
mit the office to be retrenched or &battened.
Alndlos to the subject of the Ashantee Wsr, Mr. Glad
stone said—
" The charge has been made against vs that we
have engaged in a war without the conseut of Partite.
went. (Prolonged uproar and cheerii g.) I will cease
an unavailing competition with two or three hundred
voices, for that number, perhaps, out of this assemblage,
are eugesnil in an effort from which they do not at pa-
rent alepeer didpowd to desist. Open votine they nay
like, butiptil speaking is not agi ee a' le. (Chews and
laught-r.) lepesk, g-ntlecuen, of thecherge that webave
made a war withstit the congest of Parliament ; that
refers to the h estilnies which &renew gorse in upon the
Gold Cosset, sod I wtil lay before you a very simple
statement, which need not be of a polemical character.
Thew hostilities have not begun during the recess ;
they were proceeding when Parliament was sitting.
A highly-respected ard eminent member of the Con-
siervative party, Sir Charles Added -y, gave notice Lear
the close of the Section that be would call the attention
of Parliament to the hostilities on the Gold Coast,
The Governmsnt said that in their opinion it would be
most proper that the subject should be discussed, but the
pressure of bueinees wise great aid she en. of the Seseion
was avproaching, anti Sir Charles Adite,ley. if hir own
accord, withdrew his notice. Ido not Plink he woo to
blame although a i iipmemion wand have h-en interesting
and night hove been asivantageone. The operations
which the Government were conducting at the time
were Aridly of a defensive character, and were known
to be go. There were great hopee that those operations
would have been sufficient to bs dig the Abantees to a
better misci, to induce them to retire to their own
country, and to enter into pr, p-r and reasonable
terms of peace. We contisued to take nominee with
thht view at the commeucemest of the tenses, but, as
OW first Andes had been unavailir es, we found it nee- w
Gary to seLd a Iddhly Oistiriguiehed <Ali :er to the
Gold Comet, and to place him in o inowand of the
forces and likewise the ailminisiration ef the civil
Government. (Cheery.) When Sir Garnet Wolseley
reached the G 4d Coed he speedily arrived at the
coucludoe that no reliance could he placed upon those
natives alio were called one allies, and that it would
he emcees-ire, in order to bring hostibriee rapidly and
effectively to a close, to employ European troops.
(Cneere) Now, that was a most grave question—one
on which we ought to have consulted Partiartiest, had
it been tosesinle ; it was a question on which we desired
toe. nsult Parliament ; hut it was unions be to con-
sult it without coesidereble loos of time. Sir Gernet
explained Pi us in the most distinct manner that he
felt o nu. ient there would be no special danger to the
health 01 the troop., i ut that the reason within which
it would be possible for them to operate was very
short. It comieted, in the main, of the umethe of
llemsaiber, January, anti February. If we had called
Parliament together there must have been rou e
delay in gatherind members from all parte of the
world at tnat season of the year; there must have
been Mlle time taken for the consideration of the
papers we should have laid before them ; and,
finally, it would have been impressible for us to hurry
the voice and proceedings at Parliament. If we had
then convened Parliament we should have loot the
power of conducting these operations during the healthy
Beacon (hear, hear); and I ask you whether it would
have been consistent with our duty to the country to
run the rick of protracting thew hi mei ins over
another year (no, no), or exposing 2,000 or 3,000 of
, our gallant soldiers to the ravages tif a climate which,
sxoept for a short season, is pestilential, because we
fouud ourselves under the muttony of emending
Parliament I say it was our duty to place cooliit,nta
In Parliament to do that which the circumrtsncee re.
wined, and to trust I, the jiidgment of Parliament on
.yur conduct. (Cheers ) Our conduct will be judesii
by Parliament, send 1. venture to say it will be ap-
prove 1. (Cheers and interruption.)
"Gentlemen, I will Low proceed to give you a short
explanation upon a psoadreph of my address which I
hod supposed to he perfectly dear, but with respect to
which I am toll differences of opinion have mime as ,
to ire construction. It is that persgreph which refers
tithe Education Act. I ant rot about to enter on a
discureion of the gi moat principle of the Act. I was
one of th •e who preferrei its first to ite Lter form. I
submitted with reluctance to ihe charges intro-
duced into it, but I am of opinion tt at it ea al
be idle at present to enter upon a consideration
of its general principle and times. We have set
on foot sohemre of enormous coneecnience, and
tb..y involve he erection of buildings as d a multi-
tude of Arrangements ; and it is absolutely necessary
that some time should elapse b f ire any rational j udg-
meet can be formed as to the results of this memoirs.,
aid soy answer given to the question whether
Its general provision. are to be reconsidered. I
have steted in coy addr-os that there are portions
of the Act—minor portions of the Act—to which
a differeut rule may apply, and that there are
Mine of its provisions which have excited an un-
easiness entirely idle of proportion to their real
importance. It ha, lawn doubted to what providord I
referred. Ido not hesitate, gentlemen, to state that I
refer to the 25. h Clause. With regaed to that clause, one
coesidenniou must be borne in mind add h I crewel
caunot forget. Ido not think that under any circutu-
st.CC. you can compel the parents of Euglioh children,
wi.h any justice, to send those children to schools to
which they have a conscientious obj-ction. But,
enajetit t , that reeervation nub , I do Lot hesitate to
say that I this's the 25. h Clause is ca i able of being
re-considered (there.), arid coy opinion is that it
ought to be se-considered. (L aid cheers.) There Was
a et]." j-ct, geuttetnen, whirl we thocuseed the other
day, with moms aninseniest at Gresnwich— the eublece
of the Straits of Ma-ne'. (Laughter and cheese) I .
sill not to title pin wiih any rietaild of that queotiou
now, because I think that you w.li agree wltl Me that
cur about is fair play (hear, hear, and langhter) ; and,
as I have criticized the addrees of tie leader of the Op-
position, it is fair he should have the opportnuity of
criticiziug ruy speech. You are aware that he is ad-
dressing to day the isomers of Aylesbury (lauehter),
aid I em quite certain that if among them thore he—
w! I hope there are—a good many Liberal hunters, they
will give him a patient and respectful hearing. But
portiage you will allow met-, diaruids the 'object for
the moment by reading es you a very few Hues in the
nature of • squib, which may possibly give you a
moment's sieusemeht
'Tile farmers at Aylesbury gathered to dine,
And they ate their prime beef and they drank thelr old
wine.
With ..he wins there WAS beer, with the beer there was
bacea.
The honors went round, and the benqnct was crow-ed
With some thunderieg news from the dtralts oh Malacca.'
(Roars of laughter and cheers.) I will only say, with
teepect to the foreign policy of Lord Granville sod the
pr-rent Goveroment, that we have endeavoured to
tumid ourselves upon the wise maxim of Shakespeare—
' Bewsre
Of entrance to a garkrrel; nut bell g In,
Beal' t that the opposed may newere of thee.'

_
(Hear, hear.) We do not approtee the policy of big
words, but when the honour of this country requires
that there anonld be bold or decieive action, I u jet
show that in former occasions thtre has not been reavon
to complain, and I treat on fame occasions there will
he no reason to cttmplain of the policy of the preecnt
Government. (Cheers.) Well now, gentlemen, I will
oily Par a few wore, upon what I may call the genersl
baser, of the present exciting controversy, which will be
short and charm I lied that sometimes those alto are
opposed to us, exercising. as they are entitl.d, a
perfect liberty, ent,r upon statements of particu-
lars. I like tlat method of carrying on a vender.-
, versy, because then you can vet ali their meaning anti
, see what they are about. Now, gentlemen, in my twit
dress I have ststed tine in live yews we have been able
ro reouer the National Debt by twenty-tive mitlione of
money. (Cheers.) Since that was said I read a most
respectable news?aper of the Op,ntsit on termed the
(*.be. (' On') Well, as far I kootv, it is a moat
resoeclable newspaper. I think it is a deutd-d news
Paper, Out it is a respeetable newetratter. Well, the
,lobe foss an article on the 23th of January, in which

they soy :
• Twenty millions In five ygars ! Why, Ills nothing at all.
Only see what the Conservativei did when they were Is
(Dice before. Lucy were only in for two year., or less than
we years and a half, aud they reduced the listianid Debt by
tiny-to millions.'
(Laught• r.) Well, gentlemen, I own if I were an elec-
tor, and if that statement were made good, I ehould
think that a very strong point in the Conservative
cause. (Hear, heir.) But what is the fact? I am
quit., sure it is not an in,eutional misstatement ; but
what is the fact? In 1866 a Bill was plotted by
myself unaer which a very large sum— I think
25 or 30 millions of money—woe appointed to he !
converted trim the shape of etch into the shape
of tertronahle annuities. You quite understand that
when that operation is performed you charge your
capital upon your annual account and pay it off piece-
meal by sl..w degrees. it is perfectly true that
this great thin of £25,800,000 Ur £30,000,000
was, as the Globe stated, struck off •ho conical
account. But it is inet as true that, unfortunately,
it reappeared in the forna of annual charge. (Cheers
and laughter.) I wil glee a very abort state-
ment of the Debt, and chow what the reduction of the
Debt w a (hiring the period of Conservative govern.
ntent TU.. Globe ',hams fur them the very reseectsble
figure of £13,01-1.) 00 a year. The Debt On the Mat of
March, 1866, w £BO6 000.000, while at the same date
of 1869 it wee £BO4 LOO,OOO. Ihe reduction on two or
three years vies thus Lot £32,000,C00, hut £2,000,000,
no that that the annual rate of 'eduction WO3 not
£l3 000,000 a year, but about £7OOOOO. This is what
COM., of descending to 'Articular., and comiequent y
it is (mud that it is a bad and cleat genius coulee. It in
much better to deal in generosities. As long as
you dexl in generalities you are prate Aly safe. Some-
body ch 'Lenges you about the meanness of economy,
arid the el. con ty of matittoittime the establish-
ments. 'Ye, yes, you say, I wiii pay everybody
liberally. No man shall I ave reason to complain. I
will maintain the establuthineets of Old England upon
a credttyble footing. No peony wisdom fir me;
cheereparinge for use; I will at in a wanner woithy
of • great country.' But when this sentient •n comes
...trues en earminist he is undler no difficulty whatever.
He ham bound himself to Loihirg. '1 he economist
challenged him and be says 'My d .ar fetlow, I code
agree with you. (Langht er.) 1 am ageinat the mean
and tuieerahhe econeimes kl disreputable chisac as •
trot, I am sure are not what you mean ; hut be to real
economies, as to 'economies which will relieve the
people end psy ff the Ndtional Debt at the rate of
613,009,00 J a yo ar, these are indeed ecenornies which
are worth practising.' (Laughs es.) Our esuclidedie is
very re.,, when be says, on the one hand, I will
spend freely,' and on the other hand, ' I will save
largely."llst sounds eery well; but one of the =Wu
wisdom now to boa :addend and daterminedis whether

P b on I d

the people of Ealland are to be put elf with know
of that kind. It it. pint th• Mime, gentleMlLD,
respect to Free Trade Toy say toe that Free Trade
is en extremely gq,..el th,.g; tut wren they WM"
w,r.se a men who rl lxr he has nuffered by it they eaj
'Oh, my de.r fellow. we didti't do It, i, all thew
ah 'minable Free Tr Arm' And so shout the bind.-
tone of the couttry, if they come scow. a stiff poli-
tician, they promise to treeerve everything ; and
PerollBa lax ore, th. y promiee to reform .v.-rythtne
They see perfectly sate; ttley ere vtL•e it thrir goner.,
tloo. Look at the result ; the result in that, as they
ti .1 you, they are w iniraMy well marshalled, admit-
abl united, anil I really h.-love there is something in
it; that not heieg the ntrongeet p••ty they have motigh
the stew sth whinh nrion siv,-s, and to some (*wader
able extent they have pined it."

MR. GLADSTONE, AT NEW CROSS.
On M mirky afternoon the Prime Mlnlster denvered anoth o
aldrese as an open•air meetrna in the rur seat field at Nee
Cross, rltuated Is • dratrtut rrf the Perllaniru ivy horonah of
Greenwich not trltherto vistrel by bins. As r n Bisetheath,
• covered wagon again torered the rratram from which the
stun h was made, and soured r ire or 7,004 people had spithrved
In front of the waggon hy three o'clrrek, the brut aopolnted
for the meth g.—ln the course ot htc speech, Mr. Gladstone
alt:—

"It Is (181111113 to frighten you from your propriety
by all manner of bughears ; and therefore you are told
it will be Dec meaty, if our plans are C irried into effect,
to imp se 4i millions of new direct taxation. It di
state!, I know not whether truly or not, that these
figures are given on the authority of my friend
Baron Lionel Rothschild. I have a great respect for
the Baron • I son glad to own him as a personal friend
and a political ally; but Baroa it thschilti is not
Chancellor of the -Exchequer (laughter), and is not re.
sponeible for the finances of the ceuutry. (Hear,
hear.) Nor do! know any means which he pooseetes
for studying those finances which are not COOOOOOll
to all well-informed men conversant with c ,nimerce •
In the City of Loudon. I entirely disclaim that
statement, and I remind you of the simple paitoultre
which I have already given. I have stated that we
are now enabled, u2on general rule, of prudrnt fore•
eight, to contemdlate a surplus exceeding five millions
for the coming financ,l year. I have mentioned three
important wea•ures with regard to which it would be
necessary for us to propose relief. Oar is the relief
of I cal rotes, °mph el with reform; one is the total
ahi lition of the Income. Tax ; and one is some itn-
poet•nt and telling relief to the consumer npon articles
entering largely into the general comumption and
°intent of tne people. To effect these purposes we
sh require for the coming financial year snore than
: Pt von millions of money. Mowe than five mil tons we are
already enabled to contemplate as our accruing attrpin
and for the remainder I have pointed to two sources—
' one of them a moderate and equitable adjustmeot of
I existing taxes, and the other public economy. I ask
where, u po, that, statement, is the re room and space or
four neilli no and a halt of new toxee! The statement,

•
genderneu, in abeurd. (Cher.) i e I may leave it t"
yine good kuuse ; but some fraction of wealc.kneed
ebctirs may bete and there be tak eu in, and for their
heLefit and not for your. I p jot out the absurdity.

Now, gentltmeu. it is-a
matt.en- ot vital coterequeuce
that bring in pensestion of our views on Mance, which
I have propounde I to you, mot on my part al rim, lut
on the port of a nniteo Cabinet (hear, hear)—it ire of
ereat ireportane-e that yen ebould alto be in purser-I/oil
of the view. that are entertained on the other eche It
may be that magnificent pr.:rimers would be held out
to you (laughter); it nay be tat you would
comeder them more trunt worthy than eure
(' No, no.') For my own part individualry,
I have ouly to say, it ha. been toy duty in former
'juice to pornee to Pwliarneut and to carry through
Parliament nine, severed llndgeta ; and if now, a, years
grow upon me, I have acquire t the smallest nee-lie-um
of credit in connexion with the finance, I am wit going,
wilh my eyes open, to wrete that credit in endeavour-
ing to frame a tenth Burleet npon principles unworthy
of your confidence. (Cheeree But lam nm going to
laud my own plan; I want to see what is the pima en.
tertained in the opt ferite vamp. For that reason I have
read, with the nennerst core, an able speech deliveree by
Mr. Disraeli on Saturday hint at Ayleebury. (
voite : 'After dinner;) There ace f eur points on
which it ia necessary to—l won't tura a dierespeciful
phrase or weenie the most sentitive ears—but tipern
which it is necessary to bring the adversary to book
l'he fort of them is—Will hr relieve and also reform
I real taxatioe ? The sec rnd ie—Will he shelieh the
Income-Tax ? The third is—Will he relieve tee mass
of the people by lighienieg tbe taxes up -n the claire
of articlre in Fe, real esinsucuptirre ? Air,' the fourth
he practise public economy? Now, what la
he effect of Mr Deere li'e declaretiores upon these sub-
jecte ? WI en I read kb! Address to his constitueet • I
own it appeared to mei that on these pointe it was sin-
gularly meagre; but dime he hie re fl -need upon the
matter he hare put m etc water into the eine, or more
water into the milk (laughter); call it which you lilt",
he hag made it more meagre still. He peoples b rldly
wi-h the question of local tuition and says he will re-
lieve the ratepayer ; eut, gentlemen, he does trot say
he will reform tee s)sr em on which that rellef is given ;
he does not say he will patiently investigete and
remove, as we have eredesvonied to do, those exemp-
tions of certain property !rem rating of which you
have well known the force. But I contend that the
simile transfer of a burden like the rater, now ulti-
mately iecident upon real property, to the Con
solidated Fund, unattended by other changes, will, in
the long run amount to no n ore and no lees than the
teeing of labour lor the benefit of capital. Mr.
Disraeli wee he will give relief, but about reform he
Promises teething. But when we comet') the Income
tan, what do I fled? He will reduce it, but be will
not promiee to repeal it. Now, gentlemen, what I
state confidently it this :—Every ram who knows the
ashore of the Income-tax onglit ti kuow it is a tax
ve hi ei never should be levied except for the sake of
very largesum of money, and when very large gums of
money are wanted for tue public service. Wireers,
and eome dieoraer in the crowd.) There are two or
three gentlemen who are so sneer.; to pay their
Incen-e-tax that they cannot bear the idea of part-
ing with. it. (Leughtee.) If they would certify their
desires to me, we could make seme arrangement about
It. I could receive it in the shale.- of conscience money.
(U-newel lengeeer.) You kirow very well the grit vance
In this matter, in the cum of the Imeinee tax, espezielly
ender Schedule I), it Is not merely the amoral: paid, it
Is the invidierus neture of the inquirition that is ia•
se persteie from the nature of the tax; it is the time
teem, pied and loot in nieetiog the demands of the law
audio attending the met begs of Collioiltaioneril ; and
thin grievance, which, probably, you may feet in large
t rwme, is one felt much more acutely in the mers
teinly•populeted parte of the kingdom. I coefidently
state, gentlemen, aerrording to all prole eate now rea-
sonably tJtillated, this tee conbe e pealed. I say, if it
can, it ought lobe repealed (cheers); oud that toe reduc-
tion of tree tax, as compared with tre repeal, is a policy
you should not entertain for a moment. Theo, gen-
tlemen, on tercel taxation, we have a promise, ; on
the lirconne Tax we have got a half if a promise
(laughter) ; but when I creme to thote articles of Con.
ruoptiou which in our view it is torrential to bear in
mind, and on with some considerable reeef must be
afforded, if it be the deter heathen of Parriamei t to
ebolieh the Inrmme fax, I find the mind of Mr. Dis-
raeli is as perfect a Wank an it was hese March, when
he mid he could not take &dice because be had not a
pulley. (Laughter and ehe erre There is net a
eiugle word leading to the supp eition that he pre-
p ries to relieve the people with respect to any
great article or articles of consumption; there in a
god deal of ergumeert to sbow that it need not and
ought not to be dove; and you will form your own
core:lenitive. Imy that the Odpositien have declined
ro pr r arise such cell, f, end it is therefore a fair
air d a jolt inference that they do not mean to Rive i.
(H-ar, hear.) But the foundation of sound finance is
economy. As I told yore 3) nelriorm was the ad r Ideal
made to the ordinary Entheates, nut irecludiunt a shil-
ling for the Abyeeintau War, by the late Government
in the c rune of somewhet more than two ye are, Most
of that Kum we have succeeded in taking off. On the
prierciples on which we have awed we mean to act
I would have given bomethieg for a few words in the
eperech if Mr. Disraeli on the Ptill let of public econt my.
(Heat, bear.) Not One eyllable could I trace, fro. the
beginnieg to the eud, proud-be/ en amendment of his
ways in this vital and mem tial particular. As I have
said, tither this imam eefore us is a financial Mem
or it. in me. Take it either way you will. If you talcs
it upon general le, ielatien. I have given you an account
erf lie leg ieletion effectee in the last eereei years by the
Liberal Part). It you tr.ke it noon finance, I have
told yr u cur flare''; I have told you their finance, it
is for the people of E land, veting, as they will vote,
Berserks to the Liberal Periy, in perfect independence,
ited witn no one knowing, out us they clio rse to tell,
what voter tmy give, it et for them to determine which
of these they prefer." (Came%)