The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1873-08-09 00:00:00

REPORT FOR THE YEAR ENDINO JUNE 30TR,
1873.

"Your Committee have very great pleasure in
presenting to you this the fourth Annual Report
of this Association, a report, which they venture
to hope, will be found satisfactory by all who take
an interest in the Conservative cause in this
locality. It is now nearly five years since the
I nucleus of the present Association was formed
by a few working men who saw the necessity of
combination for the purpose of maintaining and
extending those constitutional principles under
I which England has achieved her proud position
among nations, and displayed her power and glory
throughout the world. The wisdom of that step
has been illustrated in a striking manner when
we come to consider the hte Acts of the present
Ministry, with a shifty, ambitious, and time-
serving premier at its head. Confiscation and
destruction at home, mistrust and alienation in
our Colonies, contempt and rebuffs from abroad.
I These are the results of the meddle-and-muddle
I policy of the present Government as amply borne
' out by the Irish Church Bill, the Licensing Bill,
the encouragement, and in some cases, rewards
given to agitators, the one-sided Geneva Arbitra-
tion affair, the ill-advised San Juan arbitration.
The debates and dissensions at the end of the session
and hosts of blunders all show the utter weakness
and incompetency of the present Government,
and the necessity for such Associations as this.
Your committee in their last report signified their
intention of silently watching the policy of the
Ministry and its supporters, fueling assured that
—to use an old adage—if we could only give them
rope enough they would hang themselves. That
consummation—politically speaking—is fast ap-
proaching, as every day only increases the disgust
of every section of the community. The Com-
mittee feel convinced that when the General
Election takes place, this Association will be able
to render valuable assistance.
"Your Committee refer with pleasure to the
soiree held last Autumn as a great success, being
patronized by Rt. Hon. Sir John Pakington, M.P.,
It. P. Amphlett, Esq., M.P., J. Monekton, Esq.,
M.P., W. Dowdes well, Esq., M.P., andupwards of
300 of the local gentry, tradesmen, and working
classes.

". During the year your committee have for-
warded the following petitions to Mr. Amphlett,
viz., one in favour of Mr. Newdegate's motion for
the Inspection of Convents; one against Mr.
Osborne Morgan's Burials' Bill; and one against
the Dublin University Bill. Wedeeplyregret that
up to the present time Mr. Newdegate has met
with such little success, but trust he will persevere
until he succeeds in carrying a Bill for the in-
spection of Convents anti Monasteries, as we can-
not conceive anything more likely to create dis-
trust in the public mind than for such places to
be so secluded.

Our thanks are due to Miss Bedford, the Abbey,
Pershore, the Scottish Reformation Society, and
the Birmingham Protestant Association, for
supplying us with pamphlets which we have dis-
tributed, and have every reason to believe that
they have been the means of doing much good.
"We have had the pleasure of adding one Vice-
president (H. Walker, Esq., M.D.,) to our numbers,
and ten more members which we tend to show
that we are making progress.
" Your Committee deemed it advisable to pur-
chase the whole of the works of the Rt. Hon. B.
Disraeli, they had done SO and added them to the
library. _ _ _

-
A few months ago we forwarded to Right
Hon. Disraeli a vote of condolence on account of
the lamented death of his wife Viscountess
Beaconsfield, and a reply was received by Us.
" We beg to tender our sincere thanks for the
gratuitous supply of the following papers and
periodicals, to Dr. Campbell, for the Illustrated
London News, and Wednesday's Figaro, to Mr. A.
Price, for Railway Service Gazette, to Mr. G.
Grafton, for the Dudley Guardian, and to the
proprietors of the following papers The
Worcester Herald, the Worcester Journal, the
Wolverhampton Chronicle, the Midland Counties'
Herald, the County Express, and the Stourbridge
Observer, also to the Rev. U. F. Adley, for two
vols. of Home Words elegantly bound, and for
a copy of Hume Words every month.
" The Reading Room is well supplied with daily
and weekly papers, and a good Library, Chess,
Backgammon, Draughts, Dominoes, and all the
necessrry furniture.

"In conclusion your committee would earnestly
call upon its members for renewed efforts to stem
the tide of democracy and irreligion, which, if
suffered to go on unchecked, would plunge this
happy England in strife, confusion and Civil
War, such as we have lately witnessed in France,
and such as is going on in Spain; to zealously
guard the valuable privileges attached to our Con-
stitutional form of blovenament ; to stand loyally
to our Sovereign and the throne, and last, but
not least, to use all the legitimate means within
their power to preserve from confiscation and
spoliation the national protestant Church of this
realm, because we believe, in the words of Grattan,
'there is ,a home comfort about her that makes
her dear to all classes, and a modest humble
grandeur that makes her equally distant from
poverty and ostentation. She is the cradle of
science, the balm of atliiction„the handmaid of
charity. She sways the sense to the side of
salvation, and holds direct communion with the
majority of •'leaven.'
" Presents of Books, Periodicals, and News-
papers, will be thankfully received by the secre-
taries, or Librarian at the Rooms."

On the motion of Mr. S. Field, seconded by
Mr. S. Brougotou, the report wee adopted.
Mr. A. F. Price, then read the balance sheet
.for the past year, which showed that the income
was £7O 4s ; aud the expenditure £4B us
4d; thus leaving a balance in hand of £2l 13s

The Chairman congratulated the members of
the association on the satisfactory state of the
finances, as shown from the balance-sheet ; and
the latter was adipted on the motion of Mr. R.
Pearson, seconded by Mr. G. Ilorsley.
The election of the officers for the ensuing
years was the next business ; and after a slightly
revised list of Presidents and Vice-Presidents
lied been adopted, the following were elected
to :fill the remaining offices: —C'o»iniittee —Messrs
T. Perkin, J. Piper, S. Hantbrey, It. Pearson,
S. Broughton, Alfred Price, J. Gothing, S.
Tonks, U. Horsley, J. E. Chappell, J. Johnson,
and J. kfolden.—lreasurer—Mr. J. Hughes.—
Auditor—Mr. (1. llorsley.—.S'ecretaries—Messrs.
A. P. Price end 1). Bathant.--Librarion—Mr.
T. Perkin.

A oto of thanks to the Chairman, proposed
by Mr. 13. Wooldridge, and seconded by Mr. T.
Perkiu, closed the proceedings.

GRAND FETE.—It will be seen in another column
that the Glass Makers and Cutters' intend hold-
ing a grand fete in a Said at Pedmore, on the 18th
inst. A host of talent is engaged, including three
military bands, and a string band for dancing.
Should the weather prove favourable, no doubt it
will be a great success.
ALLEGED ASSAULT BY A Postman —At the
Petty Sessions, held yesterday, before B. Little.
wood, R. L. Freer, C. Cochrane, and the Hon. C.
G. Lyttelton. James Gardner, landlord of the
Wagon and Horses, was charged with assaulting
Charles Scott, on the sth inst. Mr. Prescott de-
fended. The complaint was that defendant struck
complainant. A witness was called named Wm.
Evers to swear that the defendant did not strike
complainant, and the case was dismissed.
ASSAULT ON THA POLICE.—David Lee and Ed.
Woodhall, were charged with assaulting P.O
Somers, on the 28th lilt, while in the execution of
his duty. Mr. Perry defended. Complainant said
that he was sent for to quell a disturbance on the
above date. He had a man in custody, and was
assaulted by between 20 and 30 men. The two
men were amongst the number. Lea kicked him
, and Woodhall threw stones at him. One struck
I him on the side. Ann Taylor, of Clent, proved
that she saw Lee kick and strike the officer in a
brutal way, and Woodhall threw a number of
stones at the officer and served him in a brutal
manner. James Phillips gave corroborative evi-
dence, as to seeing Woodhall strike the officer,
but he did not see Lee strike him ; but the latter
was there. Mr. Perry, addressed the Bench for
the defence, and produced good characters from
their employers, but did not consider that was
any evidence as to their guilt or innocence ; but it