The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-09-28 00:00:00

MR. STANSFELD AT HALIFAX.

On 'Tuesday evening a crowded meeting wan held in
the Mechanics' Hall, Halifax, to cwlebrate the forma-
tion of a Liberal Annociation. The Mayor of Halifax
(Mr. Alderman Hutchinson) presided..

Lord F. C. Cavendish moved a resolution expressing
satisfaction at the formation of the Halifax Liberal
Association, and urged all Reformers in the town and
district to join this political organization for the purpose
of upholding Liberal principles and the interests of the
Liberal party.
The Right Hon. James Stansfeld, M.P., seconded
the resolution, and in the course of his speech said

Since the formation of Mr. Gladstone's Administration three
or four yeare ago, I venture to say to you—and there is no man
upon this platform convenient with the peat or present poli-
Cal history of this country who will say otherwise—that in the
same number of moethe and of year. no Liberal Hove roment
and no Liberal party bas ever achieved an tithe of what
hae been achieved within the last four rears. (Li ull climra
The diseetabliehment of the Irish Church—(reriewed cheers)
have you forgotten that greet deed? The freedom of land
In Ireland from what trammelled it, end what kept it emjimtly
from the population t Ireland—have you foreotten that
enormous boon? And then came the Education Act. Well,
that was an enormous boon also, and though many of you—
probably most of you —think it not exactly fietisfactery, I say,
and you say, that it lens a great thing to have accomplished
In be same session with the Act which glee freedom to the
land and juidice to the tenantry in Ireland. ("beers) Wed,
then, Wire the session before this last. We did great things
then ; hut I will speak to you on the Ballot Bill, upon
which—l won't say we wasted. but we spent weary and
examesting days and nights, In end in that being con-
temptuously rejected by the licuse of Lords. But this
session—which opened with clouds, as it were, about our
heed., with the great and difficult work of the Ballot Bill
still to be gone through, in the face of a pertinacious oppo-
sition and eyetematised tact*ce of delay—finally witnessed
the triumph of the Ballot. Again, with that great foreign
difficulty, which we called the Alabama difficulty, hanging
over Us, upon which the reputation of the Liberal party did
seem to hang—l say there were not wanting prophets in
Parliament and the country, upon either aide of politics, to
say that the days in power of the Liberal party, despite its
large majority, were numbered—:hear, hear)—and that we
should not be likely to weather the dillicuittee—the
rocks and shoals of political life during the session
which has just come to art end. Well, what is the
state of things now? The Ballot is the law of the land.
Applause ) There is not one of those urgent measures
originally introdueel, In which we have not succeeded ; deal-
ing as well as we could with different opinions, giving and
taking, because we cannot have all our own way, hut never
forgettine the great objects which we hat in view. We passed
a Scotch Education Bill ; we passed a Licensing Bill, a Mines
Regulation Bill, a Public Health Bill ; and Mat—and infinitely
to my mind of the greatest importance, by persistent patience
awl fidelity to a great purpose—we have cleared away a
difficulty which threatened the friendship of the great Anglo-
Saxon nations, and of the world, and we have set an example
which I hope will be fruitful in benefits to the world. (Loud
cheers.)
Now is this an exordium to you to a policy of "fear
nothing," of "do nothing," of "rest and be thankful ?"
(Laughter.) I assure you that that never has been, and that
Is not likely to be roy political philmophy. The doctrine
which I am about to preach will he precisely the reverse.
(Applause.; Now every political party which aufferes a great
defeat learns a lesson thereby. Our Conservative opponents
suffered a great defeat at the general election of 1868, and
they have learnt the lesson of that defeat. They are organis-
ing in every direction; they are forming associations they
are ready with their candidates ; and there is no borough
and no county in which for some time they have not
been sounding the alarm and preparing for what they
hope will be a rapidly coming strife. They are a very
strictly-disciplined, and highly-drilled, and organized party.
They have certain advantages in that respect over the
Liberal party. They have some advantagen which we cannot
have, and which we must be content to dispense with, but
which it incur duty if we can in some way to supplement.
They have, for instance, the advantage of being a party in
opposition attacking a party in power. Nothing but the
policy of finding fault with all our measures Is necessary to
the great Conservative party of this country. (Laughter and
applause); unless it be the addition of a few common-
places thrown in about the Throne, the Altar, and the
Constitution. (Laughter.) Well, they have 'another great
advantage to which your chairman has already referred.
They are much more exempt from a certain malady which
afflicts and very often divides the Liberal party, and that Is
the malady of thinking. (Laughter.) I fear it is not possible,
even if we wished entirely to cure otneelves of that com-
plaint. It so happens that the very meaning and the very
reason of the existence of the Liberal party is that it does
and it shall think. We, as you know, cannot he uniform. A
party of progress under thonght must have differences of
opinion simply beeause it thinks and because it progresses,
and we should be false to that party to which it is our pride
to belong, if we desired for a moment to suppress honest
Individuality and Independence of action and of thought.
(Hear, hear.)
Well now, those, I think, are propositions with which you
will not, and with which you cannot disagree; but we may
learn certain leasons trent them, and I wish to draw two con-
clueless. from that state of things, and to recommend those
cmclusions to your attention b.-night In the first place I
say that the Liberal party cannot he so compect awl duel.
placed, became it is a more intelligent and independent
party than that to which it is opposed. (Laughter clot ap-
plause.) That at any rate is a proposition which I presume I
could safely put to the vote In this meeting. Hear, hear.) Rut
If that he so, and precisely because that It is so, whet we have
to understand and to c,eishler is this :—How can a party of
these cheracterietics, which are its great credit, and which
are the sources of its enenring power ; how is a patty no
comtitate•l and characterised to be organised and to be lout?
(Ile it, hear., Well, it cannot he °mouthed and led by disre-
garding, or by not paying due reepect to that independence
of thought and judgment ; and it cannot be organised and
led, for the very same remons, if you attempt to organise and
lead it from the point of view of one section and of one idea.
Therefore my first proposition is this, that H yeu do desire,
if you believe in the triumph in the constituencies and in the
country of the Liberal party, which exista for the great pur-
poses of the Liberal cause, you must untlerstend the only con-
ditions upon which such a party can he kept in powerful
action for good. You must underetand, as your chairman
has told you, the uecersity of uttion. You must undentand
the necessity of compromise, and you must understand the
necessity of progress (Loud cheers.)
Now, then, I don't propose to enter upon any lengthened
review as to the pest, or prophecy as to the coming future
but there are one or two subjects upon whieh you will
allow me to address to you a few remarks. I have wad that
we could show a good eeseion's work in the statutes of the
realm in the legisiative year just expired. I have referred
to the Scotch Education Act. Well, now that is just an
instance of the method in which the Liberal party progresaea
in legislation. The Scotch Education Act is in many re.
specie an advance on the Englieh Act It ensures 800001
boards everywhere ; It ensures compulsion everywhere ; and
I have always imagined this—give me school boards, arid the
principle of compulsion, atid I could, if necessary, undertake
not to trouble myself with the religious difficulty as involved
In the education question, because that would inevitably
settle itself, and although those familiar whit the education
question know it perfec• ly well, let your edneation be univer-
sal and compulsory. and It is imps risible that any part of that
system can be maintained which is inconsistent with the
nioet perfect religioue freedom and eqoality. (cheers.)
Well, thane as I have said, we passed the Ballot Pill, and
very hard work it was. Two sessions of long days and
nights, pertinacious oppesitem, told speeches without end,
and at last tie Ballot Bill is law, anti now that it is law
our Conservative friends are following the usual course.
(Laughter.) They are saying the Ballot Bill is already a
declared failure, and endeavouring to lay that failure at the
door of the Liberal party and the Liberal Government. I
don't think in Halifax that we are likely to be soon con-
vinced that the ballot is a failure. What is It that some of
our Conservative friends are so reedy and pleased to say is
a failure about the ballot? They refer to Poutefract and
Preston. They say it is true it has prevented dint mbance ;
that, in the Conservative opinion, is a frightfully oblection.
able chata-ter ; but then, they say, it has dirniuiehed public
and political interest. The number of those who vote
has been seriously diminished. I think it will take a
much longer experience, aud a much wider experience
before we can tell whether the ballot will on the whole
diminish the number of those who vote at elections or not.
twill not undertake to offer at this moment a cebfelent
opinion on that point; but this I will veuture to say, that
so far as the ballot &es diminish the number of those who
vote, I don't think we shall have much cause to regret
under the ballot a loss of honest positive political opinion.
Well, then, I say we are not ashamed of the ballot. (Re-
newed applause.) The ballot has always been a party
question. The ballot was a nig and one of the objects
of the advanced section et the Liberal par'y. hut tee how
a united Liberal perty progresses. It has been adopted
by the whole party, and it has been carried in spite of the
most pertinacious opposition • and now that it has been
carried I will venture upon a prophecy, and it is this, that
it will take its place amongst those great previous statutable
achievements of the Liberal party which are as it were the
stepping stones in the hietory of the progress of this people,
anti that our Conservative friends who voted againat It
while they could, and who would endeavour to sneer at it
now, would carefully abstain, as Major German well told
them at Preston, from ever attempting to disturb that law.
(Applause.)
Well, now, there is another measure upon which Imuet say
a word, and that is the Health hill. with which I was inti-
mately concerned—which was. In fact, in nip charge Now,
am going to refer to that subject, not for the purpose at this
time of trying to expound and to explain it to you,
either in the shape in which I presented it to
the House, or in which it was ultimately approved.
As far as the organisation of local authorities is concerned,
and that which was approved mei preferred to other and
counter schemes euggested for Parliamentary considera-
tion, I am not goilig even, to explain my views of that
policy of administration. I refer to it became I like to
do an act of justice. I am a party man. I have spoken to-
night as a party man. I do not believe his possible in this
country bra man engaged in political life usefully to abstrac
himself altegether from the ties of party ; bull I have always
said that the subject of health was one which ought never to
be made lido a party question. I declare tint notnieg should
tempt or induce me to make it a party queetion, or to endeavour
to take to myself or lathe party to which I deem it as honour
to belong the eaclusive credit and privilege of dealing with
the great euhject of the health of this population, and the
act of justice I desire to do is this. The Conservative
party have responded entirely to that view. (liar, hear.)
They responded eutirely, and generously, and heartily to
that view of the matter. That measure met with the slip-
port of the Conservative Opposition, awl it pastel at the i rot
of the west., when time was short, when men's enere es
were exhausted, and when I an, prepared to say it would
have been no easy task— heleed, a very difficult task—ti,
have forced such a measure through the Ileum against the
opposition which might have been easily raised against it.
I know that you who are as keen politicians as I am never-
theless are hwt and generime-mieded men, and that you alit
be glad I should do an act of jus(iee to a party opposed to
us. ;Applause.)
I den't think I need detain you upon any other measures
which have been pawed In the last seeable of Parliament,
but there is a subject to which I must allude, because, In my
npiniell, it has transcended them all in urgency arid in im-
portance. and undeubtedly it has been, for us members of the
Liberal Government, a subject of greater anziety, of greater
labour, anti ie greater mental wear and tear than the refit of
Lair Iwboure, wet I enter, as you will easily mimes.% to the
Arnie lean difficulty, to the Washingtou Treaty, and to the
leceeva Arbitration. , Hear, hear.) Well, there is no course
actien which any man or any party may take to which surne
°Weston nasy not be founfl, and there are people now say Mg
in the Comerv.,tive press, tholigh I don't believe they repre-
sent the hulk of the Conservatives, that our whole action
from beginning to end in those long met modem negotia-
eion. which have ended as you know, has bm it a failure awl
e mietake. They say that none but a weak Goveniment
would have negotiated the Treaty of Wasbitigton, that none
but • weak Government would have malutaited that Treaty
when the iodized claims first time to affright this isle from
Its propriety, and that by the feeble ceurse which we
have taken we have not succeeded in gaining the good
will of America, but we have humilieted the ceuotry
whose hoeour we were bound to maiutein. I do not
charge these things upon the Conservative party; but
if these were their Witham, with what eentidence
would I submit the claims of the Liberal party
and the Liberal Government to the applatellug approval of
the country es compared with that party who had endorsed
opinions such as those. (Hear, hear) Whatever our sourse
has been, it has not been the course of a weak Goveremeet.
Throughout those long uegotiatiom in which it will ever be
my greatest pride to have seen enahled to share, 110 thought
of our fortune., or even of the peeeng fortunes of the party,
wowed our minds °renewed with the Infinitely higher object
of fulfilhog the greatest duty which could fall upon the
„eery to 131111 that of upholding the cause arid peace
amongsi the natieue of the world. (Loud cheere.) We have
gained the e ocel will of Oar brethren acme. the Atlantic
(Renewed cheering) We have removed a elftleelty and an,
eeement of disieird, and of "Boger, a ea dly, commen
Litany, and politically, which, if it hut not been remNPli,
might have been full of danger to the (Mere interests of
both countries and to the peace id the world. (Appleuse )
We have set an example—we, the two great Anglo-Saxon
peoples of the worki—which the nations will, I devoutly
believe, not be slow to follow in the future time. (Hear.) We
have turned our back on those wretched old day. In which •
idiad of law of duellieg ensteil amungat men (loud ch.,...)
Vou know that it is but a generation ego when in this
very country If a man's honour were called in question it
was supposed that the only way to wipe out the stain was
to fight to the death with his opponent. (" Shame.")
Well, we find in our generation that that which REM sup-
posed to be so honourable has become simply contemptible.
(Hear, hear.) We do not permit inch notions of honowt to

air them—selvee upon the soil of -England ; mad I truat-M-e-
-time will mme when the civilized nations of the world will
enact some law, and provide the sanctions for it which shall
forbid also such airings of the nation of national honour as
those to which we have been accustomed. (Loud cheers.)
We have given • great example of a peaceful example. We
have made • beginning in the construction of • future in.
temational law which shall bind the nations to peace.
(Haar.) Tide, I say, la as great an achievement as any party
crony Government in this or in any other country, or in
any time, has ever been enabled to present to those .whose
confidence it demands. (Applause.)