The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1872-11-23 00:00:00

TILE STOURROIDGE OBSERVER.

their labourers. This we maintain is not fiar to
he former, and very unfairly in favour of the
latter. What may be the pecuniary result of
this meeting in relation to the farm labourers we
do not presume to prophesy, but one result we
fear it must have—it will create a bad feeling on
the part of the farmers towards the working
classes of London, and towards its chief magis-
trate, and this is certainly not desirable, when
there is already so much class antipathy in so-
ciety, owing to the numerous strikes of the past
year or so.

that it could not last long, and urged upon them
to remain firm, and no doubt at the next session
they would hear of something to their advan-
tage. He thought that drunkenness should be
punished in the first instance with a heavy pen-
alty, and if the msn was a habitual drunkard he
should be sentenced to three or Rix months im-
prisonment. He was sure the licensed victual-
lers wonld not encourage drunkenness, as it
would materially injure their trade.
Mr. B. Wooldridge proposed the next toast,
" Success to the Licensed Victuallers Protection
Society," coupling with it the name of Mr. J.
Hughes, tne Chairman of the Association.
Mr. Hughes, in responding, said he begged to
return his most sincere thanks for the manner
in which they had accepted the toast. He could
say that his duty as Chairman of the Association
was not a very heavy one, as he received great
assistance from the committee and secretary,
and it was a pleasure to him to be chairman
rather than a labour. He was pleased to be able
to inform them that the society was progressing
very favourably, and there were more members
now than there ever had been at any previous
meeting, and he believed that where there were
societies of this description the trade was con-
ducted more respectably than in places where no
society had been formed. It would not be to the
interest of a publican to permit drunkenness in
his house. If a drunken man was in the house
he naturally disturbed the whole ot the company,
and one after another they would go away until
; only the landlord and the drunken man would be
left' and of course that would be at the publi-
can's loss. He believed in drink with modera-
tion, but not to excess.
Mr. Hughes then proposed "The Honorary
Members of the Society and the Visitors."
Mr. Bailey, as a visitor, and one of the depu-
tation, responded, and remarked that he attended
the dinner to show that the Stourbri lge Licensed
Victuallers were recognised as one among them-
selves. He had no doubt the same strong fuel-
ing existed in this town as in others against the
Act of Parliament passed during the last session,
and he hoped it would be altered at the next
session, if possible. Thera could be no doubt
that the Act was passed hurriedly through the
House; one crying out they must pass an Act,
and anotbor did not know what to pass, and the
whole thing was in a maze. There will be a
meeting in Birmingham during the ensiling
month, and he hoped that Mr. Hughes would be
able to attend, and the bill would be altered for
he considered it u disgrace to the country. He
trusted that all the licensed victuallers would
combine together, and put on a good bold front
for their rights—(loud applause).
The Chairman said he did think it very hard
that a body of men like the licensed victuallers,
who pay nearly X.'26,000,000 per year towards
the revenue should not be treated like other
tradesmen, and allowed the same privileges.
There was the grocer, the chemist, the draper,
and other trades, can make their fortunes. They
can open when they like, and close when they
like; but men who keep public-houses must close
—same at ten and others at eleven o'clock. A
short time ago the County Agricultural Show
was held in Stourbridge, and the Magistrates
were asked to allow an extra hour, which they
had power to do, but they refused. When the
Show was held in Birmingham the Committee
were also refused extra thee ; yet, a short time
ago, when the " Claimant" was in Birmingham,
the extra hour was granted when applied for.
He (the speaker) did not consider this fair to the
licensed victuallers. He only asked that they
may be treated the same as other tradesmem
Having lived in the town for something like half
a century lie felt bound to make these few re-
marks, for it did seem to him hard lines having
to pay something like £26,000,000 annually not
to be on the same footing as other tradesmen
(applause).
Mr. Perry proposed " The Town and trade of
Stourbridge." In doing so, he said that it was
merely proposing their own welfare—(cheers.
Mr. H. Penney responded.
Mr. Collis proposed " The health of the soli-
citor to the Licensed Victnallers' Society, Mr.
G. Perry "—(applause).
Mr. Perry, in responding, spoke at some
length as to the effect the last Act of Parliament
had upon the licensed victuallers, which tended
to cripple there in their business. He considered
the Act should be modified, and not for a man in
the country to be allowed one hour leas than the
man who resides in the tewin—cheers). The
speaker urged upon the members present the de-
sirability of providing funds in cases of appeals.
Ii was a very expensive thing to do, bat in some
instances the word of a policeman s taken in
a case before that of four or five credible wit-
nesses, and he thought it right to appeal if they
had a proper case; and as long as the connec-
tion existed between himself and the society be
should do the best he could for them—(ap.
plause).
Son—Mr. Kelly.
Mr. Hughes proposed " The health of the
Treasurer, Mr. B. Brooks," which was drunk
amid great cheering.
Mr. Brooks briefly replied.
•

Song—Mr. G. Be-ddoes.
Mr. G. Collis proposed' The Ladies ;" which
was ably acknowledged by Mr. Ed win PArkes.
Song--Mr. B. Brooks.
" Ihe Press" and 'Our Absent Friends,"
fo.lo..ved, and the Chairuaan proposed "The
Host and Hostess, Mr. and Mrs. Bridges," and
ceinplimented theni on the very excellent way in
which the dinner had been placed upon the
table.

The toast was duly acknowledged by Mr.
Bridges.. .

Tge whole of the proceedings passed off re-
markably well with the exeeption of one little
"hitch,' which was caused by the conduct of a
gontleinan whose position in the town ought t
have taught him better.

Psalms. The deed of consecration was read and I
signed by the Bishop, and prayer having been
offered, the proceedings terminated. The cost
of the ground, boundary wall, &c., is over £3OO.
The churchwardens have received .£166 towards
the amount, and they hope that the ratepayers
who have not paid the voluntary rate which was
resolved on to meet the outlay will do so without
delay. The Church Committee have divided
themselves into sections to proceed with the fur-
ther collection of the money._

RELIGIOUS EQUALITY.—On Monday evening,
the Rev. H. W. Crosskey, F.G.S., delivered an
address in the Corn Exchange on "Religious
Equality," by way of inaugurating a course of
lectures, to be delivered during the winter
months in the town and neighbourhood, under
the auspices of the Nonconformist Committee.
Mr. R. H. Smith of Oldswinford, presided. Mr.
Crosskey (who is a Nonconformist clergyman
from Birmingham) commenced hid address by
saying that in the first place he wished to protect
the subject from many misrepresentations. They
were not striving to gain for themselves any
privileges which they denied to others. They
were not setting up any claims to secure any
post, office, or emoluineut on behalf of the Non-
conformists; in fact, the triumph of their cause
woulel be the dissolution of their party. He was
there simply to speak on behalf of principles
which they believed would give health, and
strength, and religious life to the community at
large. The speaker then proceeded to point out
certain matters in connection with the Church of
England and education, of which Nonconfor-
mists had to complain. Among the secondary
matters of which they might complain was, that
the Sovereign should be compelled to profess one
religion and not another. He did not see why
a Ring or Queen of England should not have
the ordinary right of every living soul to choose
its own faith and worship according to his or
her conscience. Then, again, there was a bar-
barism in our midst as absolute and complete as
any to be found in Central Africa, and they
would be taxed to meet this emergency. On
the other hand, they had those vast properties
devoted entirely to the use of ecclesiastical cor-
porations enjoyed by those who were only a part
of the nation. There was enough of that pro-
perty to educate the people of this country; and
they claimed that the proceeds of that property
ought to be applied for the national good, and
not merely to sectarian purposes. The property,
however, was looked upon in the same light as
, property belonging to an individual was looked
' upon, and for the State to touch it was said to
be robbery and spoliation. Mr. Crosskey con-
tended that the State had on several occasions
changed the control of that property, and that
what tho State had done once it could do again.
The speaker, in addressing himself to the man-
ner in which the Church of England affected
education, condemned the Elementary Educa-
tion Act in so far as it promoted the denomina-
tional system, denounced the protection of Con-
science Clause as worthless, and advocated the
confining the State operations in education
simply to the teaching of secular matters, leav-
ing the training of the children to the °hurdles
and the parents. There was a good attendance,
and Mr. Crosskey was frequently cheered in the
delivery of his eloquent address. —A vote of
thanks to the Lecturer was proposed by the Rev.
J. Richards, and seconded by Mr. G. Thorne.—
A vote of thanks to the Chairman, closed the
proceedings.
STEALING LEATHER RANDS.—At the Public
Office, on Monday, before Major Fletcher, Ar-
thur Evers, of the Lye, was charged with felo-
niously stealing two leather mill bands weighing
441bs, on the 16th inat, the property of Samuel
Jones. Mr. Perry defended.--John Ostins, of
the Lye, said he was a labourer in the employ of
Messrs. Jones, at the Glue Works. Prisoner
Was also in their employ, putting down an en-
gine. Witness saw the bands safe on Thursday
morning. One was hanging up; the other was
at work on the wheel. He missed them about
one o'clock on Saturday. The hands produced
belonged to Mr. Jones. Witness knew them
from their general appearance, and from the fact
that some new had been attached and the posi-
tion of the holes made, and rivets.—John On.
tins, SOD of the last witness, said that on Thurs-
day night he saw the prisoner opposite Mr.
Itufford's brick works. He had one of the bands
produced round his arm. It appeared to be the
large baud, Prisoner was going towards Stour.
bridge. —Henry Mills, of Longlands, fork maker,
said that the prisoner came into a friend's shop,
and asked a man named Glover to bay a pattern
wheel, and asked Glover to buy bands; but he
was busy and asked witness to buy. Witness
did so, and gave him 19s for the small band. He
then asked witness if he knew anyone who won•
tea a main band, and on Saturday about eleven
o'clock the prisoner brought the other band.
He stated that it belonged to a friend of his
who wanted money, and must have it that day,
and witness ultimately gave 23s for it. One
shilling was afterwards spent.—Police-sergeant
J once eaid that lie went to Mills's house on
sunday, and received the two bands produced,
and at five o'clock apprehended the prisoner, and
I charged him with stealing the two band from the
Glee Works, at the Lye, and selling them to
Henry Mills.—Francis Samuel Jeues said the
bands produced were his property, and that they
were worth £4. He had not given the prisoner
permission to take them away.—Prisouer was
then committed to take his trial at the next Ses-
sions, bail being accepted—himself in £5O, and
two sureties in £25 each.
STEALING A DUCK. - Mary Anne Lees, a mar-
ried woman residing at Oldswinford, was charged
with stealing a duck on the 16th, the property
pf John Home, of Wollaston. Mr. Perry de-
fended. Anne Horne, wife of prosecutor, said
she kept a stall in the market. On the above
date she had souse ducks on the stall for sale.
She missed one. The prisoner came to the stall
and asked the price of a goose. She did not buy
a duck. The duck in question was her property.
Police-constable Bladed) said from information
received be went to the prisoner's house, and
asked to look at the duck she had. Prisoner
fetched it, and said she bought it off a small
stall in the market, and gave 2s for it. At this
stage, prisoner was remanded to Friday, bail
being accepted.—Prisoner was brought up yes-
terday, before Major Fletcher (chairman), Mr.
J. Holcroft, and the Hon. C. G. Lyttelton. The
following additional evidence was given. Geo.
Hands said he was at the stall with Mrs. Horne,
assisting her. The prisoner came up to the
stall, but did not buy anything. Mary Morris,
of Hagley, said she kept a stall adjoining prose-
cuter's. She saw the prisoner stoop down, take
something off the stall, and put it under her
shawl. She at once told Mrs. Horne. No
money passed between them.—Mr. Perry ad-
dressed the Bench for the defence, and admitted
that the case did look suspicious, but there was
a doubt in the case, and he should ask the Bench
to give the prisoner the benefit of it. She had
hitherto borne an unblemished character, and
was respectably conne3ted ; and he hoped the
Bench would give the prisoner the benefit of the
doubt. Several witnesses gave the prisoner a
good character. Major Fletcher remarked that
the Beech had no doubt about the guilt of the
prisoner, and it was a very painful duty for them
to perform.—Prisoner was then sentenced to 3
weeks' imprisonment, without hard labour.
CAUTION TO CARTERS.—Thomas Palmer and
William Tranter were charged with being such
a distance from their carts as to have no control
over their horses.--They were further charged
with committing a breach of the peace by fight-
ing. Police-constable Hyde proved the case,
and defendants were fined is each and costs; in
default seven days.
A DRUNKEN WOMAN.—At the Public Office, OD
Tuesday, Hannah Jones was brought up before
Mr. R. L. Freer, on a charge of being drunk and
incapable. Police-constable,;Bladon proved the
case, and said he found the defendant lying in
the road quite drunk, and had to get a wheel-
barrow to take her to the station. Fined Is and
costs; in default seven days.