The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1886-08-07 00:00:00

Our yratkn eartsponent.

(We deem it right to state that we do not at all V.Efle
identify ourselves with our Correspondent's opinions.

A tradition that has obtained so strong a hold
upon the public mind that it is not likely to be
disputed in our time, is that Parliament always
rises by the twelfth of August, in order that the
members of both Houses might have the oppor-
tunity of going to the moors to shoot grouse. It
has mattered little that several times within a
comparative few years" the Twelfth" has come
and gone, and the Houses have continued to sit;
and it has mattered still less that the public has
been frequently assured by those in a position to
know, that only a small proportion of the
thousand and more peers and commoners have
either the wish or the opportunity to shoot
grouse at all. Facts weigh but little when they
make against a popular and long-established
tradition, and the public will go on believing ha
this particular one whatever may be said to
destroy its authority. But the legend will
receive a severer shock than usual this year, in
that Parliament was called together for the fifth
of August, and that it would, therefore, be
practically impossible—however limited the pro-
gramme of business that was compelled to be
transacted—to adjourn before the 12th. The
fact is that Members of Parliament are far less
affected than it is the custom to believe by con-
siderations drawn from sporting anniversaries.
There are various reasons for adjourning early in
August which have nothing whatever to do with
grouse-shooting, and which deserve more weight.
After sitting six months members are glad to be
relieved of their duties for a period, and as every-
body makes holiday in the early autumn, it would
be hard upon our legislators if they were not
allowed to do the same.

Propositions, however, have been before Par-
liament, framed and supported by members of
both parties, for limiting the amount of holiday
at present accorded to members, and these are
not likely to be lost sight of. At present the
Houses are accustomed to meet in February and
to adjourn in August, six- months thus being
occupied in work and six in play. It has been
suggested by eminent parliamentary authorities
that, while the meeting-time should remain as it
is, an adjournment should be taken in July to
some date in October, when an autumn session
of about two months should be held, and such
bills as had not received full attention earlier in
the year be disposed of. Whatever one's opinion
may be as to the practical wisdom of such a
course, it is obvious that its adoption would mark
a very great change, and that not alone in our
Parliamentary arrangements. A great deal, from
a social point of view, depends upon the time
when the Houses meet and separate. That
mysterious entity known as " Society " has an
intimate connection with the Legislature, and it
would be considerably affected by such a change
as is proposed. It would not only mean that
the London season would be disarranged, but
that those country-house festivities which form
so pleasant a feature of the English autumn to
the rich and well-connected would have to be
curtailed. The mechanism of public life is so
intimately interwoven with that of our social
concerns that the one cannot be touched without
seriously affecting the other.
One of the most hackneyed quotations from
Shakspere is that which asks "What's in a.
name ? " But, hackneyed though it is, it comes
almost instinctively to the mind when one sees
a proposition to give the third bank holiday of
the year a definite appellation. "The first
Monday in August" is how it is named in the
statute which Sir John Lubbock succeeded in
passing; but it has all along been felt that this
was a style and title which, to say the least, was
cumbersome. The suggestion most likely to be
adopted concerning it is one which was first made
a twelvemonth since, and which has been repeated
this year, and that is that it should be called
"Lammas Monday." Most people who have
occasion to conselt almanacks will know that the
first day of August is "Lammas Day," though the
festival is little recognised by that name south of
the Tweed; and there is, therefore, a certain appro-
priateness in giving the name "Lammas Monday"
to the popular holiday, which, in an indirect but
very practical fashion, has sprung from Sir John
Lubbock's Act. But, to pursue the quotation
from Shakspere, with which a beginning was
made, "A rose by any other name would smell
as sweet ;" whether the first Monday in August
becomes generally known in the future as
"Lammas Monday," or remains without any
distinctive appellation, the fun and frolic of the
holiday will be equally marked.
In times not very far removed from us, it was
a common subject for satire against doctors that
they endeavoured to couch their opinions in
language as little " understanded of the people"
as that which they were accustomed to use when
writing prescriptions, But, whatever truth may
have underlain the sarcasm at the time it was
popular, those who have dealings with doctors
in these days will agree there would be very
little appropriateness in it now. Medical pro-
fessors of the present age are accustomed
to tell us their opinions, and often
their remedies, in simple words; and among
their prescriptions is one which is becom-
ing increasingly common, and which can be com-
prehended by all, and that prescription is a sea
voyage. The life-giving properties of the ocean
are more and more recognised, and it is not sur-
prising that a course e. medicine which can be
so easily and agreeably 'adopted proves popular.
Yet there are a vast number who appear to look
upon a sea-trip as a disagreeable necessity, only
to be borne with if a visit is to be made to Ire-
land or the Continent, and they do not under-
stand how good a thing 'it is for purely health
giving purposes. There are some people, o:
course, who suffer so severely from sea-sickness
that ocean-travelling is always a source of pain
and misery. But these are the minority, and
most of us, after the first hour or two on board,
can prepare to enjoy ourselves. For all who
suffer from over-strung muscles and nerves' a
more agreeable remedy could not be prescribed;
and as time goes on, the number of those taking
advantage of it is certain to be increased.
"One volunteer is worth a dozen pressed men,"
says the old proverb, and believers in its truth
will welcome the announcement that the War
Office authorities have decided to promote the
formation of a corps of Volunteer Submarine
Miners. These are intended to co-operate with
the Royal Engineers for the defence of certain of
our commercial ports, and they will consist of
independent companies, each of three officers and
sixty non-commissioned officers and men. As far
as possible local gentlemen will be selected to
raise the companies and assume the command,
and no effort, it may be certain will be wanting
to make the proposed undertaking a success. It
is interesting to notice in connection with any
such development of the volunteer movement,
how differently it is received by the public to
what it would have been a score of years since.
When the great rifle'movement itself was started
a quarter of a century ago, though there was
much popular appreciation of the patriotism which
obviously lay at the bottom of the effort, there
was a good deal of rather cheap sarcasm directed
towards its promoters. If ridicule killed in Eng-
land as it is said to do in France, no volunteer
corps formed in 1859 and 1860 would have ex-
isted until to-day to tell the tale; but the
common sense of the English people was too
great to allow such a result. The volunteer
movement at this present is stronger than ever,
and however much it may have been laughed at
in its beginnings, there will no one now be found
to ridicule an effort which is almost unique in
the history of nations, and of which we as a
people have a right to be proud.
Admiralty orders have not, as a rule, much
interest for the outside public, but a decision has
just been come to entailing an alteration in
these which will have an appreciation far beyond
naval circles. It appears that ever since the
Australian colonies began the work of creating a
fleet to guard their shores, they have wished to
be allow3d to fly the "white ensign "—the flag
which is carried by the various ships of the
imperial navy. But, as their vessels could
not in strict fact be considered as be-
longing„ to that navy, only the "blue
ensign was allowed them, and this they
thought to be in some sense a badge of in-
feriority. The Australians had accordingly be-
sought the good offices of the authorities at home
in order that they might fly the same ensign as
the mother-country's fleet, but for a long time,
owing to the precise regulations which obtained
on the matter, their application had been in vain.
At last, however, patience has been rewarded,
and the Colonial Office and the Admiralty have
agreed to grant the privilege requested. This
may seem a small matter to those whose relations
have not brought them into contact with our
Australian Colonists, but there is a sentiment
underlying it which deserves even respect, and
which it is always well, when possible' to gratify.
The policy of England towards her Colonies is
that of adding to and strengthening the bonds
of sympathy which link us together; and every
development of this policy will be watched with
interest and anprwal by the great body of those
who bear allegiance to the British flag.
All lovers of erieket will have been pleased to
aee the excellent fashion in which our best-known

exemplars ot the game are playing this season
and, tzlad as they have been to again welcome an
Australian team on our grounds, they will not
have been sorry to find that Englishmen hare
11.,A1 their own better against them this summer
than on previous tours. But it is well to
recognise, especially at this period when we are
doing better than before, how much our
cricketers owe to the various Australian visits.
Popular interest in the game had begun to die
away to an alarming extent when the first
Australian tour gave it a much-needed stimulus,
the effect of which has gone on increasing. In
county matches as county matches, only pro-
fessed lovers of the game could feel any strong
concern; but when an international touch was
added to the interest, it was surprising how many
who had never before troubled themselves about
the matter began to display an affection for
cricket. And not only in this way did the
Australians improve the prospects of the game;
they taught our men the much-needed lesson of
the necessity for the most careful fielding, as
well as for brilliant batting and destructive
bowling. Therefore, in the midst of our felicita
tions over the fact that they have far from carried
everything before them this season, we ought not
to forget the good they have done to the game
itself. A. F. R.