The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1881-01-15 00:00:00

loyal subjects for the defence of the Throne and
Constitution—(app ause), He ventured to say for
the detence of the Empire of England—(loud
applause. He hoped that among the ladies and
gentlemen whom be saw before him there were
many who belo iged to their friends, the Liberal
party. If any were present that evening he was
sure that they were welcome, -because a meeting
that was convened for the purpose of considering

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the Empire of Eneland, was a meeting to discuss I
questions that were far higher and wider than
what were called party or political questions—
(applause). Whatever their difference of opinion '
ut 4y be, regat ling r3solutious, there should be no
difference between them regarding anything that
relates to the employment of our people, to the ern- ,
ployment even of our capital in foreips countries,
and to the markets for toe goods that were manu-
fateured by the energy and enterprise of English-
men. Those matters concerned them all, whether
Liberals or Con .ervatives, When he ltst had the
loaour of addressin them there were then eontro-
versal questions pending, bnt now happily those
questions were, for a dine, set at rest, They met to
consider without rel2ereace to party p()1 tics, those
matters which pertained to the interesz. of England
all alike. Whether they were Liberals or Conser-,,
vztives they would join with him in considerin;
measures concerning one of the great cl-pendencies
of England—that was India. They (the audience)
were men of figures and men of business, and they
were anxious to know, and they might fairly en-
quire, what India wa.i really worth to England,
was she really of value to us. Does she really
earn our trade, our imports and industry, was she
really worth the national expense and trouble she
costs us in keeping her? Those were questions
which, as wise men, tney would be entitled to ask
of those who had resided in that distant region.
As reeards the value of India to England he said,
in the first place, if they were to examine the com—
mercial statistics of the world they would perceive
that of the great customers of England India was
the gr: atest. They would find that she ex _eeds
the greatest of them, of by many of millions Ster-
ling in value, annually. She took thirty millions
sterling annually of British manufacture; ten mil-
lions of which were of their own manufacture, aud
which were made in these black districts of the
West of England. .It was well known that of all
. the manufacturing centres of Englsnd Birmieg-
ham was the one at which the greatest variety was
to be found, and oa e going through the Ist with
him concerning the local exports, they would find
: that there was not a single article made in Birm-
ingham and neighbouring districts, of which a large
quantity -a as not exported to India. ller best cus-
tomer was Briish Inlia Whether that applied to
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Stourbridge dist:ict he as not quite sure,- but if
they would examine the local statistics, they
would find that India was among their good cus-
tomera—(applause). They knew the depression of
trade which unhappily existed throughout the
United Kingdom. TKOs kuew the diin ;shy of
finding new foreign markets. Taking that into
consideration they could judge for themselves
whether India was any good to, or whether any
advanta;e coulci be ob ained by our sacrificing our
foreign possessiou. No. only was the trade con—
sid-rable, but it was capable of immense develop-
ment. The import trade was equal according, so
that even now the trade between England and
In lia was no less than 300 nil:lions export and
300 millions irnpoit ; making 600 million on the
whole, and that amount was capable of indefinite
augmentation. Its growth. its development, was
quite recent, matters had so sprung up in the life-
tim: of some there, and the present increase may
be nearly doubled. If they would consider that
the populatioa of Inlia was about 250 milli ms of
people, what would. be the annual expenditure
upon their clothines taking it at lOs pez head ; it
would amount to 125 millions sterling. Now the
whole of that clothing might be made in England
if only we could make the goods cheap enough.
They had immense compstition in India itself. If
the expenditure of the people of India amount, d
upon that clothing 126 millions it falls that the
whole of that custom might be gained by England
ii they could only make the goods cheap enough.
They send to India 20 milliors sterling out of that
125 million ; that is about one-fifth of the amount
which we might have, and which, with the bles-
ing of Providence we might still have, when we
learn to make oar goods cheap enough. That gave
them knowledge of the good field which extends the
British export t ) In list. There was not a single article
that was manufactured in England of which the
cansumptioe might be indefinitely multiplied, and
would b.,: multiplied, if things wsnt well in that
c suet ry—(applause). So they saw what an immense
fisld there WAS in India, as a market for British
manufacture. They could judge whether in a time
like this, when we are gradually losing our markets,
whether it does not behove us to see flourishing
markets abread. In India they had a population
which was not so great as that of China—a popula-
tion of 250 millions. It was nofr like the popula-
tion of China, under a foreign, ignorant, and
backward government that would not allow the
railway to be cons.ructed and the canals, but the
population in India was governed by an enlight-
ened government, conducted under the seine
principles as that of England, under which property
is insured and every man has the pleasure of realis-
ig the progress of his toil. In these hardt lines
when they thought of markets failing them in other
parts of the world, he ventured to suggest to them
that they pay increased attention to cultivate their
markets in British India. The time would not
allow him to enlarge upon the trade of India, he
bad only touched upon its trade with the English
Geveroment, He would not like them to forget
that it had a great trade with other countries besides
isngland. England only occupied half of Ind ;a. It
had trade with every nation under the sun. India
also affoided a great field far the employment of
British capital. Capital in India accumulates very
rapidly and it Was a very safe and profitable invsst-
inent of money. In the first place there was a pub-
lic or national debt of about 150 million sterling, of
which 20 millions are held by the natives and the
remaining 120 millions are held by British people.
'that represents a large amount of English money
sunk in India, but that was not all; no less than
97 millions sterling has been invested in railways.
The whole of that awn was held by British people.
Besides this there are extensive cotton factories in
B ,mbay. There were tea gardens, especially in
various parts of Abadas, that sent t-) England no
less than 34 million pounds of tea per annum. There
were also extensive coffee plantations in different
p:rts of India, which send out not far short of one
million cwts, of coffee annually. There is an indigo
plantation in We-tern India. There are coal
mines, not very great compared to the English coal
mines, but stilt eneush to give 100 million tons of
soal per annum; and there were works for the ex-
traction of iron-ore. In all those various plan ta-
dens which he had described a vast amount of
English capital was employed, if they took the
national or public debt and the placing of the rail-
ways, which may be put at 250 millions sterling,
and if they took all the enterprise there would e
produced 160 millions sterling, so that the debt
could not be less than 500 millions sterling, and
may, probably, be more. That is rather a large
staSe, foe England to possess in India; suah a result
tidying been done ill one or two generations what a
grest promise presents itself in future, regarding
ths development of the country. Speaking as to the
employment of British people in India he said that -
now, when so many educated men were out of em-
ployment, how important it was that they shsuld
have a country like India open to them. He said
that the army of India afforded a very good position
for educated men. It was an advantage to have a
safety valt e like that which India affords—(ap-
plause). Such being the value of India to England,
such being the importance of maintaining their
!Oreign markets, such being the importance of secur-
ing a safety valve for their surplus population. he
was sure, as men of Worcestershire, they would be
of opinion that such an Empire was worth defend-
ing--(applause). The defence of such an Empire
was not an easy task ; it was a matter which re.
quired national thought and national sacrifice. In
speaking of the natives he said that most of them
were very faithful to England; they were he
friends of order and the enemies
.of revolution—
(applause). He then spoke as to the vast growth
of native intelligenc 3 and sa.tcl they were teaahing
the natives geography, politics, arid such things,
and causing them to have a grander idea of the
wide influence of the British Empire—(applause).
HE said there seemed to be no doubt whatever that
Russia had some remote idea as to interfering with
India. He had seen for many years past extrscts
from Russian papers, ass' had seen that they declare
that scene fine day they would interfere with India.
It was :heir duty to keep Russia thoroughly at arras
leniath. \V hat was the real object of the Russ iau
advance to Ilsry Once get a foot in Mery she
would go gr ideally, getting influ nce in those pasts,
would join British India, and keep it in a perpetual
uproar. Those were the reasons we should keep
Russia away from us. We want her to keep her
pr per place, but not to have her too close to us—
(appla se). The lecturer concluded by thanking
the audience fa- the patient manner in which they
had listened to him, and read a passage from a book
which he had just published, wnich WAS a reply as
, to wt ether England should herself be accountable
f r IN.. and exsense of kis ping [ladle.
Toe 05e-.1 etes of th,n s iti ii cot ce and
Chairm .11 were given, and the orose.ldings closed,

HAinramc SOCIETY.-0a Tuesday evening, the
annual sup-er in connection with the above Society
Lo k plai at the Swan Hotel. Mr. Wlch, te
presid, fit, occupied .the chair, and Mr. Wren, the
vice chair. About forty sat down. After the
cloth was removed singing and recitations were
well rendered by members of the society, and a
convivial evening wfq spent.
MUMMA/4M Iki Tali COW; EXCHANOSmiaIIo

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mirth entertainment took place in the Corn Ex
change, on Monday evening, under the auspices
of the Church of England Association. There was a
very large attendance, and great credit is due to
the managers tor the way in which they are got up,
but unfortunately there were several changes in
the programme., Some performers aid not put in an
appearance, but the whole was a success. The
opening piece by Mrs. Birt was a great treat. The
comic singing ot Mr. Heath was received by the
audience with immense applause, and he was
deservedly encored. The reading of Miss Barlow
"Mary Queen of Scots" was given with great taste
and was quite perfect, for which she received an ova-
tion from the audience. Mr. Greenfield sang "Sweet-
heart" and " My pretty June" very well, Mr. Bird's
recitation " Othello's speech to the Senator" was
exceedingly good. Mr. McMillan's siring was
also good and was encoret We are sorry to s4y that
Missbßlakeway was unable to go through the whole
of her song, and Miss Richard-; kindly volunteered,
and sang" Let me dream again." The proceedings
were brought to a close by singing the National
Anthem.
TRANSFERS.—At the Police Co-art, yesterday, be-
fore Colonel Fletcher, Lord Lyttelton, and C P.
Noel, Esq., the following transfers took place :—The
Holy Cross, Cleat, from Emily E. Adams to Wm.
Henry Phillips; the Black Horse, Overend, from
Moses Hipkiss to William Raybeuld ; the Mount
Street Tavern, to David Deakin, was adjourned for
a week; the Roe and Crown, Hay Green, from
William Burin to Thomas Higgs was adjourned, an
interim authority being granted ; the New Inn, Gig
from Mary Ann Fisher to William Bache ; the
Holly Bush, Bell End, from Charles Cox to William
Kimberley.
DRUNKENNESS.—EIi Billingham was charged
with being drunk and disorderly at the Lye, on the
9th in,t. Police-sergeant Payne proved the case.
Fined 5s and costs, or 1.4 days.
OBSCENE LANGUAGE.—Joseph Southall, of the
Lye was charged with using obscene laneua„ee on
the 9th iest Police-sergeant Payne proved the
case and also three previous convictions. Fined lOs
and costs, or 14 days.
ROBBERY AT THE WORXEIOTJSE.—CeCiIia Hughes
(18), was charged with stealing a gold chain, gold
locket, silver bracelets and 5s in copper money on
3rd mat, the eroperty at Sarah Rolliuson, of King-
swinford. Comp!ainant said that elle was matron at
Kingswinford Union. The prisoner was an inmate
and acted as her servant. She missed the goods
which were stolen from her bedroom and were her
property. Police-constable Williams proved that
he went to the prisoner's house in Church Street
and found her wearing the chain and locket, also
the money and articles. On charging her with
stealing the articles she admitted stealing them.
Frances William, wife of the last witness, proved
searching the prisoner and finding two sispeuces
and same copper money. Prisoner was committed
to take her trial at the next Worcester Sessions.
CauTioN To CAB D BD/MRS.—Alfred Corfield, cab'
driver, at the Talbot liotel wae charged wit"
embezzling three sums of money, the property of
the Talbot Hotel Company Limited. Mr. H.
Collis appeared f e. the Talbot Hotel Company, and
said they did not wish to press the case heavily, an t
asked the Bench to impose a fine. The pris mer
was in the employ of the company and had embez-
zl, d three sums of money, but should only go into
one case. Joseph Hand, of Wordsley, proved that
he engaged a cab and paid Gs the fare, and gave him
Gd for himself. Harry Hunt, bookkeeper, proved
that the prisoner had not paid the money. Pleaded
guilty. Fined 20s and costs; in default one month.
INFRINGEMENT OF TILE STOURBLUDGIE BYE Laws.
—Joseph Rotherwell, a hawker, was charged with
hawking in the Market Hall, on the 7th, contrary to
the Bye Laws. Inspector Williams proved that the
defendant Caine into the INI-trket Hall, took pos-
session of another man's stall, and began selling
cheap jewellery. He made a great n ise and stopped
the other business in the Hall. Witness complained
to him of his conduct, when the defendant became
very violent and he had to fetch a police-officer to
assist him in putting him out of the Hall. Fined
2s 6d and costs.
BOARD OF GUARDIANS.—Th, weekly meeting
this Board was held yesterday. Mr. R tyboald
in the chair. There Were &so pusant Messrs.
Hingley, Wood, Homer, Giles, Miil3, Ila!e,
Lavender, Taylor, H. Billiugham, Haskow,
Kelly, and Newnam. Athhitted into the house
during the week 17 ; discharged 20 ; dead 2 ;
remaining in the house 563 ; corresponding,
period last year 506. Out-door relief, King-
swinford district, £37 6s 61d ; Stourbridge dis-
trict £34 4s 4d ; Halesorreh district £l7 8s 6 i ;
non-resident 48. Total .489 33 41.1, against
£74 is 11d.