The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1874-07-25 00:00:00

IMPERIAL PARLIAMENT.

PRINCE LEOPOLD.

In the llorsE Or LOU'S, July 20, the Duke of Richmond
brought down a Message from the Crown, acquainting the
Rome that Iler Majesty, being desirous to make competent
provision for the honourable support and maintenance of her
tourth son, Prince Leopold George Duncan Albert, on his
coming of age, relies on the attachment of the House of
L auis to concur in the adoption of such measures as may be
suitable to the occasion.

'the Message was fixed for consideration on Thursday.
BATING BILL.

----
rhe Duke of Richmond afterwards moved the second reads
'mg of the Rating Bill, and explained the provisions of the
measure. lie said that, as the Chancellor of the Exchequer
had found it possible to contribute largely from the Imperial
funds in relief of the Poor Rate, it would be improper to
allow certain descriptions of property which had hitherto
not paid rates to continue exempt from assessment for
the future Under these circumstances, it became neces-
sary to legislate on the question of rating in the ham of the
',resent bill, dealing with thE en things vs h Rh at present were
to a great extent exempt from rating—namely, plantations
or woods, the right of sporting, and mines other than coal
mines. The bill would relieve the ratepayers from great
anomalies and injustice to which they were exposed anti of
which they had a fair ground to complain.

ENDOWED SCHOOLS ACT AMENDMENT BILL.
The Adjourned Debate on the Endowed Schools Bill was
resumed by
Lord E. litsmanrice, who first argued the question from
the administrative point of view, and expressed regret that
the work of the Comniisaion had not been transferred to the
Education Department. As to Lord Sandon's Amendment, it
did not touch the Masters nor the Children, and while the
_Lot part of it made it optional instead of compulsory on the
-Cdmmissioners to appoint the Governing Bodies from one
denomination, the latter part of it absolutely made the bill
muTower than it was before. Referring to the Solicitor-
General's speech, Lord Edmund entered into a long historical
argument, with ninny quotations from Hallam, to controvert
. his dicta as to Founder's intentions, and to show that even
; before the Toleration Act the Church was so full of dissent
' that the" Founders" of that period could not have intended
; to endow the (hung, as it now existed.
; SirJ. Kennaway urged the House to go into Committee.
' where, if any grievance could he shown, the Ministerial
site of the House would be anxious to remove it. Many of
the objections to the bill had no foundation, for the Con-
science Chuse carried with it a right to compete for emolu-
ments. and Lord Sandon's Amendment secured that Noncon-
f- notate should be members of the Governing Bodies. On
behalf of the Ministerial side he repudiated all intention of
instilling the Dissenters by this bill.
Mr. Dodson examined minutely Lord Sendoff's Amend-
ment, which he declared complicated the already compli-
cated regulations of the Endow, d School. Act, and, while
relaxing the terms of the 4111 clause as far as the Governing
Bodies were concerned, did not affect the obligation of the
Masters to be in Holy Orders. The two new exceptions in-
troduced by the 4th clause, Mr. Godson argued, would sweep
into the net of the Establiehed Church the greater part of
the Endowed Schools of the country, and if the compromise
of 1669 was to be torn up, the Liberal party would feel itself
at liberty to deal with the schools on broader principles.
Mr. Hubbard supported the bill, which he thought did not
deserve the exaggerated condemnation passed on it by Mr.
Fawcett; and Mr. Ward also spoke on the same side from
the Roman Catholic point of view.
Mr. Richard opposed the bill, which he contended Was a
violation of the principles which by many quotations tron
Ile ward he showed had in 16611 been accepted by all parties
and in both Houses.
Mr. Nevill, speaking from the Conservative side, opposed
the bill, and Mr. Waddy also spoke on the same side, warn-
ing the Miniderlalists that the bill would convert the
Wesleyans into detenuined Dissenters, and would lead to an
MUZZLE-LOADING FIELD GUNS. , agitation for the Disestablishment of the Church.
1 After remarks from Mr. S. Uoyd, Mr. Briatowe, Mr.
In the Hoesx of' COMmidis, Captain
Surveyor-General Nolan a Scoisrfield
s ,Mr.Goschen
ked the
,and Lord J. Manners, RAILWAYS AND THE HOLIDAY
of the Ordnance it he could inform the
House whether any or all of the four chief military pow . powers Mr. Gladstone dilated on the general political dangers SEASON.
of Europe had determined to discontinue the manufacture of
of the course taken by the Conservative party. The conces- The following circular has been sent to the clmirmen of au
field guns which loaded at the muzzle : and what would be Sloan made to thens by the Liberal majority in the hour the railway companies :-
the probable coat incurred by the manufacture of muzzle- of its triumph were now made the basis of tutiire Board of Trade, Whiteliall-gardens, July 16, 1874.
loading field guns, with the accompanying stores and mu- demands and the justitication of the reopening of a
munition, during the present financial year used controversy. Referring to Mr. Disraeli 's sug- Sir,-At this period of the year, when a great in-
gestion that it was hoped to defeat the bill by. time crease of traffic is to be expected, and a large number
Lord li. Cecil said the reports received as to the arms- (which he characterised as an improper and unjustifi- of excursion trains will be added to the regular passen-
meats of foreign Powers were of a confidential character, but able remark), Mr. Gladstime said that if the Will waa cr trains I feel it my duty, on behalf of her Majesty's
it seas well known that the four principal Powers had deter- in danger it was from its own exceptional nature, anti from . '
mined to adopt the breech-lomling system, or had already overnment to impress upon the railway companies
the obscure and contradictory speeches of the Ministry, and
done so. The probable cost to be incurred by the manufac- he laid special stress on the discrepancies in the Chancellor the great importance of making all possible provision
titre of field gulls and storesdui-ing the preseid financial year of the Exchequer's speech. He justified the dismissal of the for the prevention of accidents. lier Majesty has
would be about .C 40.000. Commission by the impossibility of asking them to carry out been graciously pleased to appoint a royal commission,
THE iiLAVE TRAFFIC AT EASTERN AFRICA, a new policy, and then he told the House that the Act which is now engaged in the consideration of the ateps
Sir R. Anstruther asked the Under-Secretary of State for would be administered on much the same lines. If regard which should be taken with a view tot his important
Foreign Affairs if he would state to the House what steps for the " pious founder," was to justify a reactionary policy, aject ; but in the meanwhile, and pending the report
were being ken by her NI ajesty's Government to secure what security was there for the University Tests Act? f
of the commission, her Majesty's Government feel
the suppression of the tragic in slaves on the East Coast of they were not attacked it would be the power and not
Africa. , the will which would be wanting. But the only title that they cannot too seriously urge upon the railway
• Mr. Bourke said steps had been taken to stop the slave 1 by which the Church could lay claim to the pre-Refor- companies the necessity of availing themselves of all
traffic, and though they had net been piodective of such ! motion schools was the interference of Parliament with the the means in their power to provide for the safety
good results as could he wished, they had produced good re- ! wills of Pious Founders. thus- far was this policy of ills- of their passengers, and to distharge themselves of
sults, and the Sultan of Zanzibar had endeavoured to carry turbance to proceed? He was advised that the new schemes the responsibility which Parliament laid upon them
out the treaty in the spirit in which it was framed. 1,, which had passed the Privy Council would not be safe, .
g
abolishing the Miler market, the Sultan had to contend with and Mr. Gladstone illustrated the mischievous effects of this In entrustin them with the conduct of this MD
considerable difficulties, as all his powerful subjects were uncertainty by the case of the Manchester School. Finally, portant national service. I abstain from offering
against him, atid besides he was not the only ruler on the Mr. Gladstone repeated in forcible language his ohjectiona any suggestions on points of detail, because her
East Coast of Africa. It was Proposed to send out the to the reactionary cheracter of the measure, which he Majesty's Government do not think that they
Londoa, the Syria. mai the ',bong Fixh, to was ch the described as a ehalleoge to the next Liberal majority, and a should take upon themselves a responsibility which
coast, and measures were being taken to stop the traffic by danger to the stable legislation which bad been charac- 1 rests upon the companies, but they are strongly of
land teristic of this country. If a change occurred, those would
PRINCE LEOPOLD. -.MESSAGE FROM THE QUEEN. suffer by it most who were most to blame. opinion that every exertion should be used to enforce
Mr. Disraeli brought down a message from the Queen in . Mr. Disraeli said he remained of the opinion which he had punctuality. and that the companies cannot be jwstitied
viting the House of Commons to make provision for the expressed on the first night of the debate, that nothing new in advertising traffic beyond what the accommodation
establishment of Prince Leopold, and gave notice that he had been said which justified its prolongation, and which and staff which they can provide are sufficient to
would move that the Message be taken into consideration on could not have been more fitly said in Committee. The meet. Iler Majesty's Government are ro fully con-
Thursday. recognition of Founders wille was part of the principles of vinced of the public spirit which animates the impor-
the Act of 1860 : it was extended in 1873, and it was merely
ENDOWED SCHOOLS ACT AMENDMENT BILL developed in this bilL Consequently he had a right to say taut bodies whom they are addressing, that they feel it
. The first of the 35 Orders of the Day was the Endowed that the principles of legislation on this matter were the unnecessary to do more than to remind them of the
Schools Act Amendment Bill, and, on the liouse being same on both sides of the House, and all the objections, there- extreme interest with which the subject roust, rope-
moved into Committee, tore to the bill were properly matters for Committee. Lord daily at the present time, be re,,arded.--I am, Sir,
Mr. Fawcett moved a Resolution declaring it to he Inn- Sandon's Amendment w. inteeded to prevent the your obedient servant, 1.3. B. Ainumns.
pedient to sanction a meastwe which WOul,l allow one reli- Church having a monopoly of the Governing bodies, which
~-ious body to control schools which were thrown open to was never desired; but if the words were not satisfactory
the whole nation by the policy of the late Parliament. they could be considered in committee. So, also, such points
In support of it Itir. Fawcett enlarged at some length as the case of the Birmingham School, the Puritan Schools,
on Mr Gladstone's arguments against the bill, and and the 'Manchester School-almut which Mr. Gladstone was
especially on the anomalies and injmtice of appropriating quite wrong - could he dealt with there. Answering questions
to the Church all endowments before the Toleration from Sir T. Acland, Mr. Disraeli said that it was never in-
Act, and inveighed in forcible language against the re.' tended to exclude Nonconformists from the Governing
trograde and sectarian policy on which the Conservative Eodies, nor Nonconformist children from Exhibitions, nor
party in the intoxication of its success had entered, and was there anything in the bill to compel Masters to be
which he likened in some way to a revival of the Star Chamber, in Holy Orders. If the House had gone into Committee in-
the re-imposition of Ship Money, am. What justification was stead of prolonging their debate, all these doubtful points
there for this policy of reprisals? it was only a minority of would have been cleared up tong ago. As to the bill being a
the Liberal party which had attacked the Church. but mistake because it would redmite the Liberal party, Mr
if this bill were passed, exhibiting the Church in Disraeli provoked a general laugh by remarking that if it
the light of an instituiion which grasped at endow- only produced that result lie was thankful for having
nients, which did not belong to her. the whole introduced it, because there would then be some chance
Liberal party would be united in a firm, compact opposi- of carrying on the businoa of the count, y with credit and
lion to it. As they had swept away all religious Tests comfort. Moreover, ever since the remmon came off the
at the Cuiversity, so they never would rest until they calculated Ministerial Division had somehow been just
had swept away this Act of Denominationalism. Mr. doubled on every occasion. Mr. Disraeli explained next
Fawcett dilated next on the educational mischief of the that the dissolution of the COMMISSiOI3 was necessary
bill, illustrating it by the case of the Birmingham School, because it could not get on with Trustees, and he read an
and entered Into an elaborate defence of the Endowed extract from the Report of the School Inquiry bun
Schools Commissioners, showing that in alt the causes of their mission recommending the employment of the Charity Coin-
unpopularity- which he divided into live-they bad only missioners. The bill he mid, iii conclusion. was a very
acted as the Art compelled them to act. The bill was an- good bill, being founded on the experience and reflection of
wise and unprecedented-it would stir up strife and discord two successive Governments ; and now that the debate was
all over the country : it was the creation of headstrong over-with which, of course, education had no more to do
wilfulness, and he was convinced that Mr. Dismeli's modem- than the Comet-he urged the House to go into Committee,
lion, spirit if conciliation. and knowledge of public opinion and proceed with a piece of legislation which would be
had no share in it serviceable and satisfactory to the country.
Lord G. Cavendish seconded the Amendment, holding that On a division being taken, Mr. Fawcett's resolution was
the hill was an unjustifiable and unwise undoing of the negatives! by 21i2 to Pei The House then went into Corm
policy of the previous Government, and censuring the sum- mittee, but the consideration of the clauses was adjourned
unary dismissal of the Commissioners. until the following day.
Lord Sandon regretted that in the previous debate he had The other orders were disposed of, and the House ad
not dwelt at greater length on the good work done by the imitated at twenty-five minutes past two is oov .
Commissioners, though he felt ohliged to censure their
general conduct of affairs. This hill, he asserted again,
was siniply an extension of the bill of last year, and id THE ritirrincr SOCIETIES BILL.
the principle embodied in the original Act, that In the HotsE op CoMMoNte, July 22, the Chancellor of the
where the terms of the founder's bequest required Exchequer atoned that the order for the committee on this
It, the trashes must be selected from one de- 'hill lie discharged. lie said the bill had been recast in ac-
nominsti,m. For him .11. mid for the Goverment, '.l an. with the keling expressed by the House, and was
he warmW diselaimed say intention of excluding Non- new in the hotels of the printer It would shortly be ciren-
conformists from the Governing Bodies of the Endowed toted, and he hoped that early next session he would be able
Sehools. On the contrary, lie a dmitted that their presence ' to reintroduce it
there would be if the utmost educational value. Ent to
give legal force to what was always intended to be carried THE ENDOWED 'SCHOOLS BILL.
out in the administration of the Act, the Government • The Rouse having gone into committee on the Endowed
would insert words at the end of one of the clauses providing &hoots Act Amendment Bill,
that, unless there was an express declaration to that effect Mr. Faweett moved that the chairman should report
in the founder's will, the Commissioners shell not be corn, ' progress. Without giving a factious opposition to the bill,
pelled to appoint the Governing Body from any one par- ! he was certain that after the debate of the previous night,
ticular Church or sect. • and the cont, my opinion expressed by the Ministers during
After the discussion had been continued by several other the three nights' dissuasion, the bill could not be pro-
hon members, eeetled with. The object of the hill was entirely dif -
ferent to that stated the previous evening by the Prime
The Chancellor of the Exchequer explained the part which ! Minister. Ihe Vice-President of the Council had
honed Lord Derby Lad taken in Lord Clarenelon's Schools I
Inquiry Commisaion, pointing out that if tho recom- Introduced the bill, and he accepted what he had said
mendatione of that Commission, which was in favour !
in his speech upon moving the sec snd reading as the
real object of the measure. Lord Sandon then remarked,
of using the Charity Commissioners assisted by local '"rhat no responsible Minister of the . roan would pretend
machinery, had been followed this difficulty would have to assert that these endowed schools belonged to the nation.
been avoided The Charity Commissioners were ready
to undertake this duty, which they thought they could ,on the contrary, they were the property of the Church.''
This statement was not in accordance with the speech made
perform satisfactorily, and in thus transferring it to them
from the Treasury bench the pievious evening. No other
he denied that any slur was cast ou the Endowed :intuits conclusion could lse come to than that the Government were
Commission. ElaMilling the various alternatives which lay .
reverse the policy they accepted in a moment of
before the Government, he showed that the arrangement going to
panic in the year asti9. He called upon the Government to
now suggested was the wisest, and he explained that the oh- panic
bask the present bill and bring in another which
ject of lord Santion's Amendment. though it would make should declare their real intentions. Ile disregarded
no difference in the operation of the bill, would make it
the taunt of the Prime Slinister that lii opposing this
plaMer that its intention was not to include Nonconformista •
from the Governing Bodies, but to provide that religious • 101 l the Liberal party showed they cared as little for educe-
instruction should be given in these Schools In accordanee t ion as for the comet. He disregarded it because he knew
with the intentions of the founder The Government would that it came from a perplexed Minister and a contused Go-
have the greatest repugnance to excluding the great holy ernmen h
t. He confessed that e coultt not understand the
,
of the Nonconformists, anal the precise words by which this
bill, and until he could understand it he had no other course
. .
could be dune was a matter which could best be settled in than to interpose these obstacles to the progress of the
Committee. • measure. Ile believed if the bill passed In its present shape
it would inflict a serious injury upon the cause of education.
After remarks from air. Lowe, He therefore moved that the chairman should report pro-
Sir C. Forster moved the adjournment of the debate, geese.
which was defeated by 2iit; 'r
I Another motion for ad- : The committee at once divided, and the numbers were
journment was made hy Sir Slacdonald, to which Mr. For reporting progress, 4;2 ; against, 82 ; majority, 20.
Disraeli consented, and the debate WAS ultimately adjourned ; ..
until the following day. ; The announcement of the numbers was received with
This interval was objected to by Mr. Forster, Mr. Fawcett, cheers sod counter cheers.
and others. on the ground that it was necessary to study Upon Clause?. which provides for the Transfer f:f the
Lord Sandon's amendment; and in the course of the conver- powers of the Endowed Schools tommissioners to Charity
sation, the Chancellor of the Exchequer read a communion.. Commissioners,
tion from the Charity Comniiesioners stating their belief Mr. A. Brown moved an amendment, the object of which
that the separation of the duties of the two Commissions had was to continue the existing Endowed &heeds Com-
been prejudicial to the public interest, missioners in force for a period of live years from the date
The other business was disposed of, and the House ad- of the passing of the Act.
journed at twenty minutes past two o'clock. Lord Sandon did not complain of the desire of the hon.
member to test the feeling of he House on the change pro-
posed to lie nimle by the clause, but he did not think it was
necessary on the part of the Government to re-open the
question.
A long discussion followed, in which several hon, members
took part, after which Mr. Mundella moved that the chair-
man be directed to report progress.
Mr Gladstone supported the motion, for though reluctant
to delay the progress of the debate, the real cause was that
the Government had declined to discuss the merits of the

Lord Kimberley thought that •as it was the intention of
the Government to raise the whole question of rating next
-year, it would be premature to discuss the principles on
which the arrangements of the present bill were based, and
to which he was not likely to came much objection, because
with respect to the three subjects with which the bill dealt
there was no material difference between the bill and the
Government measure of last year.
Lord Henniker described the bill as the puny child of the
last Government, and he regretted that the present Govern-
ment had adopted it. The relief to the Rates would be very
email indeed and he conceived that the better course of pro-
ceeding would have been to take the maintenance of the
Pollee off the Rates altogether. Before legislating on local
taxation he thought that an Amassment Bill ought to be
brought in.
lord Stradbruke regarded the bill aa objectionable, and
suggested that all land shoild be rateable according to its
value without regard to what it produced in any way.
Lord Waisiughain remarked that this would be the ease,
according to the provisions of the bill. He defended the
various provisions of the measure, observing that it bad
been generally accepted with favour.
Lord Bath remarked that the objection felt to the mamas
of Isict year was that, as it was represented to tea part of a
larger scheme, no confidence was felt that the larger scheme
would ever be brought in ; but in the present case he did
not object to the passing of the bill wider consideration, be-
cause he believed that the Government really meant to in-
troduce a measure dealing with the whole question.
Lord Kesteven feared that the clause having reference to
the rating of game would be found attended with consider-
able difficulty.
• •

The Duke of Richmond believed that no difficulty would
be felt iu carrying out that clause, for it was not attempted
to rate the game, but only the right of shooting.
The bill was then read a second time.

WORKING LIEN'S DWELLINGS BILL.

On the motion for the third reading of the Working Men's
Dwellings Bill, a short discussion arose on a motion of Lord
Redesdide to reject the bill on the ground that the changes
made in it in Committee rendered it an entirely new measure,
and that Municipal Corporations, with the consent of the
Treasury, could, without the aid of the bill, do all that was
requisite in the matter; but ultimately the bill was read a
third time and passed.
The ether orders were disposed of, and their lordships ad-
journed.

Mr. George Leeman, chairman of the North Eastern
Railway, in acknowledging the receipt of Sir Charles
Adderley's circular, remarks that her Majesty's
Government do the railway companies no more than
justice in the appreciation which the document ex-
presses of their sincere desire to provide by every
available means for the safety of their passengers ; and
on the part of the North Eastern Company Mr. Lee-
man can only repeat the assurance that, fully recog-
nising the responsibilities to which the Board of Trade
refer, the directors will in the future, as they have
done in the past, spare no pains or expense in the
adoption of whatever in their judgment can tend to
secure the public safety and promote punctuality in
their train service.

THE INTOXICATING LIQUORS (IRELAND, NO. 2) BILL.
In the Hot:WOE LORIN, July XI, the Duke of Richmond,
In mos ing the second reatling of this bill, said the alterations
effected in the law were generally similar to those made in
the English bill just passed.
'file bill was then read a second time.

(AITF.RHOI sF.S, 1111.1.

Lord Beauchamp, in wising that the House should
resolve into Committee ou the Slaughterhouses, &c.,
Bill. observed that an Act passed In 1544 dealt with cer-
tain noxious trades in the metropolis, and the object of the
present Lill was to mote further provision for the inspec-
tion and regulation of the places where such trades were
carried on.
- "

Comm ksioners.
Eventually progress was reported, and the debate ad-
journed until the following day.
The other orders were disposed of. and the House adjourned
at ten minutes to six o'clock.

.—•—
Lord Lawrence said the bill appeared to ire a necessary
measure, but some of the details were open to objection.
The House then resolved into Committee on the bill, and
the several clauses were agreed to with amendments.